UCC Express Issue 5 by University Express

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 18 | Issue 5

Image by: Tomas Tyner

DCU and UCC students most likely to graduate with first class honours Brian Conmy | Deputy News Editor A recent Irish Times investigation has revealed that Dublin City University and University College Cork are the colleges in Ireland most likely to see their students graduate with a first class honours degree. This is despite the fact that entry requirements to these colleges are generally the same or lower than some of the other institutions being examined for grade inflation.

over that 10-year period, UCC gave out more firsts in 2013 (18.9%) than any year since 2005.

Nearly 1-in-5 UCC students got a 1.1 in 2013

Over the past decade around 17.7% of DCU and UCC students received a 1st class honours compared to 12.8% at Maynooth University and 11.9% at University College Dublin.

Trinity College Dublin is the only institution higher than UCC and DCU in giving out grades, once 2.1s are taken into account, with 71.7% of TCD students received a 1.1 or 2.1, when compared to 64.3% of DCU students and 64.2% of UCC students. However Trinity explained that they believe this is due to their higher entrance standards.

In fact, while DCU firsts have declined

While these figures raise questions

around the possibility of grade inflation for particular universities, there were general signs of grade inflation across all faculty levels. These figures reflecting general increases in grades being received comes amid a backdrop of many graduate job programmes not accepting students who receive less than a 2.1 degree in their field. Debate was sparked earlier this year by the founder of The Summit web company, Paddy Cosgrave, stating the company would only accept interns who received a 1.1 degree from most Irish Universities or a 2.1 from Trinity, he argued that “a 2.1 in one university would not equate to a 2.1 in another university.” Grade inflation is generally understood

to mean an increase in the grade being awarded by educational facilities without a matched improvement in the standards of learning.

urgent discussions on funding, while also awarding colleges a greater level of autonomy to manage their own affairs.

In addition to the accusations of grade inflation, it has also been revealed that the amount of funding each third-level institution will receive per student is to drop to €9,000 next year. The drop represents a 24% decrease in the amount of government funding each institution will now receive.

Cuts to education have a knock-on effect for wider Irish society, as Boland pointed to the fact that graduates not only gain employment more easily than the general public, but also earn a higher income.

The announcement was criticised by the Higher Education Authority’s Chief Executive, Tom Boland, who stated that further cuts will prevent education from meeting the demands placed upon it. Boland added that the only way to prevent this from occurring would be

Speaking at the Dublin Economic Workshop, Boland highlighted that Irish third-level colleges contribute a total of €10 billion to the Irish economy annually. Ireland’s seven universities contribute a total of €7.4 billion, with the remainder coming from the Institutes of Technology.

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Inside Today: Graduate prospects Page 6 Unpaid Internships Page 7 Enabled on Campus Page 8 Cycling to college Page 15 The West Wing Fire Page 17 Neville twins Page 22

Editorial team Editor-in-Chief: Stephen Barry Deputy & News Editor: Barry Aldworth Deputy News Editor: Brian Conmy Fiction Editor: Ruth Lawlor Features Editor: Conor Shearman Deputy Features Editor: Laura Flaherty Sport Editor: Stephen Walsh Photo Editors: Emmet Curtin & Marc Moylan Designer: Kevin Hosford

The Number Cruncher

New CEO appointed to Joint University Research Group Barry Aldworth | News Editor A new CEO has been appointed to take charge of the €75 million Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research centre which seeks to place UCC, as well as Ireland at the heart of global data analytics.

“As the largest publicly funded research project in Ireland, Insight’s success critically depends on further deepening the close co-operation between industry and the universities” The Insight Centre for Data Analytic appointed Oliver Daniels, former Leader of Research & Development for

12 3,000 The percentage of UCC staff that cycle to work. This is double the 2007 mark according to the Green Campus programme.

The amount of student places the University of Ulster is considering cutting as it reacts to funding cuts of £3.15 million from the Stormont Executive. The university currently has 13,500 students.

Contact Centre Applications at Avaya, as its new CEO earlier this month. Insight is a joint initiative between researchers at UCC, NUI Galway, UCD and Dublin City University which has brought over 200 researchers together with the aiming of developing the next generation of data analytics technology. When asked about the new appointment, John Tracey, Chairman of the Insight Governance Board, said: “We are delighted with the appointment of Oliver Daniels as Insight’s new CEO. As the largest publicly funded research project in Ireland, Insight’s success critically depends on further deepening the close co-operation between industry and the universities. Oliver’s extensive industry and R&D experience, at the highest level, will allow Insight to achieve further success.” Data analytics involves turning vast quantities of raw data into understandable information which will educate people on an individual basis, but also improve business and health models within society. With the sector growing by approximately 30%

each year Insight seeks to bring further European investment into Ireland, which in turn will create a significant amount of new jobs. The Insight group had been led by Professor Barry Smyth of UCD since the group’s establishment in July 2013. Tracey thanks Smyth for his service, stating that “I want to think him sincerely for the major contribution he has made to Insight to date and will continue to make in the future.” Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland echoed Tracey’s remarks stating that “Under the stewardship of a leader of Oliver’s calibre, I have no doubt that Insight will be positioned to capitalise on this growth, deliver cutting-edge research and develop opportunities for industry collaboration and commercialisation.” As part of his new role, Daniels will be based in NUI Galway, whilst also liaising with the other institutions involved in the Insight project.

€11,000 €600m

The difference in disposable income between the average college graduate (€29,000) and somebody who left school after second-level (€18,000), according to Central Statistics Office data from 2012.

The anticipated funding that will be used to enact Trinity College Dublin’s new five-year strategic plan. The plan aims to return Trinity to top-50 university status worldwide.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

HSE Official to take up new post in UCC Barry Aldworth | News Editor

A senior Health Service Executive (HSE) official, Head of Human Resources (HR), Barry O’Brien is to leave the position in the next few months to take up a new role at UCC. O’Brien, who during his time with the HSE regularly attended meetings of the Oireachtas Health Committee, will join the HR department of UCC once he concludes his time in his current role. O’Brien also played a central role in the negotiations of the Haddington Road Agreement. However the HR guru’s time with the HSE was not without controversy. He was one of a group of HSE officials to travel to the US on a series of trips funded by a so-called SIPTU ‘slush fund’, which are currently being investigated by the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The Auditor-General estimated the costs of these trips to the tax payer to be in the region of €3.15 million, with €2.2 million spent on training initiatives. The PAC is set to hold further hearings into the matter on November 27th. Independent TD Shane Ross recently called the PAC to interview O’Brien as part of its investigation into the issue which first emerged in 2009. It is believed the funded trips had been taking place since early 1998. However a HSE statement on the matter argues that Mr. O’Brian was invited to travel with SIPTU on two occasions, and both times used part of his annual leave entitlement to cover the time missed and claimed no expenses. Additionally, the executive argued that O’Brien was in a less senior role within the organisation when most of the travelling took place.

Student Council set to wipe the slate clean Barry Aldworth |News Editor

The UCC Students’ Union Council is to meet for the second time this year, on Wednesday October 29th, to include several motions, including a proposal to “wipe the slate.” The motion, which was first discussed at Class Rep training in early October, highlights that over the past five years the minutes taking at all Student Council meetings have been inadequate, omitting key details. As a result, it is highly difficult for current SU sabbatical officers to ascertain the ultimate goal of any policies passed. As a result of this, the motion proposed that the slate be wiped clean, and any issues previously voted on at Student Council must be voted upon again, if and when they are brought to the group by students. Additionally, the sabbatical officers of the Students’ Union will, should the motion be successful, be mandated to stop following any motions passed prior to the 2014/15 academic year, and to consider these motions revoked by the student population. In addition to wiping the slate clean, the motion, if passed, would mandate the Education Officer to ensure that the minutes of all meetings are properly recorded to prevent a repeat of incidents such as this in the future.

UCC Security staff raise €1,200 for DSS Barry Aldworth | News Editor The staff of UCC Security services have recently confirmed that their UCC Rocks youth gig, held in July 2014, has raised a total of €1,200 for the Disability Support Service (DSS) within UCC.

Contact with UCC’s Human Resources Department on the matter received no reply by the time of publication.

The money has been used to purchase a new scanner which will assist students suffering from dyslexia, as well as visual impairments. Currently there are over 400 students who suffer sight problems or dyslexia registered with the DSS.

Former Mexican President makes UCC visit

moves towards a greater presence in the global political system. In addition, Fox did not shy away from issues which have long damaged Mexico’s international credibility, such as drug trafficking and organised crime.

Barry Aldworth | News Editor Former President of Mexico Dr. Vincente Fox Quesada recently paid a visit to UCC, where he delivered a guest lecture entitled “The Emerging Voice of Leaders.” The lecture was delivered in front of an audience which included members of the business community of Munster, UCC’s Governing Body and the Mexican community of Cork. Following an introduction by President Michael Murphy, Fox proceeded to outline the economic and social problems faced by Mexico, and the wider Latin American region as it

Image by: Anna Ahern To this end, Class Reps can now access Student Council motions and records via their Blackboard accounts. This facility had been used between 2004 and 2009, before becoming disused, leading to the motion to wipe the slate. A key problem which led to the tabling of this motion was the absence of any

formal policy booklet which detailed the SU’s mandated stance on a variety of issues. As a result motions passed in previous years have had little effect on the day-to-day operation of the Union. The formulation of a policy booklet, which would detail all motions passed at SU Council, would also be made a requirement for the Education Officer

and council secretary. This booklet would then be passed onto future officers upon their election to the Union. Students’ Union Council, which is to take place in Brookfield G01 at 18.30, is open to all UCC students, but only those appointed as their course’s class representative will be allowed to vote.

Once a document is scanned though the new unit it can be uploaded to the pre-existing Assistive technology on certain UCC computers. This technology can then read the document to the student in a variety of different languages, providing equal access for students from all walks of life. The UCC Rocks gig also raised a substantial amount of money for the Children’s Ward in the Mercy University Hospital. In addition, the security staff thanked An Garda Síochána for their support in the running of the event. The feat continues a series of successful fundraisers organised by UCC Security, who raised €1,800 for Abbey’s Wish to Walk in December 2013. The group organised a Christmas Candlelight Walk to assist in covering

Image by: Neil Danton medical costs for Abbey McGeough who was born with Hydrocephalus, a condition which affects the hips. In addition to this, as the Ice Bucket Challenge swept the country over the Summer months, UCC Security staff

dumped a total of 19,000 litres of water over their heads in memory of a former colleague. Ted O’Leary of Ballincollig passed away from Motor Neuron Disease, with the stunt held in his honour raising €500 for the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association.

Fox argues that the only means of solving Mexico’s problem with cartelled violence was to proceed on a course of full legalisation of drugs, therefore removing the need for trafficking. In addition, the former president highlighted the contributions made by Mexican citizens across the globe, with particular reference to the community’s role in the American economy. Dr. Fox was President of Mexico from 2000-2006 and his election as candidate for National Action Party (PAN) represented a major change in Mexico’s political landscape. On the night of his election Mexicans swarmed the Angel of Independence statue in

Image by: Tom McCarthy Mexico City, with scholars claiming that Fox’s victory over the then longruling Institutional Revolutionary party, which had led the country for 70 years, was a defining moment in

Mexican history. The event was concluded with a Questions and Answers session, moderated by Professor Nuala

Finnegan, Chair of the Latin America Regional Working Group at UCC, which touched on Mexico’s future prospects, as well as Fox’s own history in the world of business.

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Irish Colleges Sporting and technology greats among 2014 UCC Graduates to expand Online Education Brian Conmy | Deputy News Editor

Barry Aldworth | News Editor Colleges across Ireland are to increase efforts to bring education into the internet age as the number of onlineonly courses on offer across the country is to increase over the next 12 months. As part of the changes UCC which currently offers a total of seven online courses is to increase this figure to 13 by the end of the current year. Additional expansions beyond 2014 are planned with Prof John O’Halloran, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, stating that the pressure was now on third level institutions to cope with and make full use of “a new way of learning.” O’Halloran added that “with online learning, we’re doing things in new ways. What we have now is a simulated community with blog boards and video tutorials.” However, the Vice President stated in speaking to the Sunday Business Post that it will be a long time yet before the classroom is abandoned, as peer learning in the lecture hall is still highly valuable. The changes within UCC are reflective of a national effort to alter the way courses are taught, with Trinity College Dublin announcing recently that it hopes to increase its online students from zero to over 1000 in the next five years. Currently nine third-level institutions across Ireland offer online only courses, with Sligo IT leading the way with a total of 45 programmes ranging from post-leaving cert level to masters qualifications. However, the issue of fees has also crossed over to the online world, with courses across the country ranging from as low as €2000 to as high as €12000. In contrast to most institutions which charge in line with on-campus programmes, UCD currently charges €75 per credit taken online, with access to all UCD facilities included.

Around 3,000 students are set to graduate from University College Cork during the ongoing conferring ceremonies which are set to run from Monday the 20th to Friday October 31st. Among the graduates are a few from the sporting world.

Billy Woods, former Cork City footballer and current first team coach, was conferred with a BEd Sports Studies and Physical Education on October 22nd. On the 28th Brian Kelly who played in goals on Kerry’s AllIreland winning football team is being conferred with a MEngSc (Information Technology in Architecture, Engineering and Construction). On the 29th, twins Pamela and Katrina Mackay, both members of the All Ireland winning Cork Camogie team and All Star winners graduate with a BSc Chemistry with Forensic Science. Finally on the 31st, Seamus Harnedy, who won two Fitzgibbon Cups and is now a Cork senior hurler, and James Barry, the winner of two Fitzgibbon Cups who also played full-back on the Tipperary team in this year’s AllIreland Hurling Final, will both be conferred with a MBS (Information Systems for Business Performance). In addition to graduates from the world of sport, the pioneer of www.ucc.ie was also conferred last week, receiving a

UCC Study finds Childhood Obesity in Decline Barry Aldworth | News Editor Researchers from UCC and UCD have found that the childhood obesity rates in Ireland have stabilised in recent years. In addition, the percentage of children who fell within the “overweight” range has also levelled off. During the last 30 years of the 20th century the rates of obesity in primary school children in the US and Western Europe witnessed a three-fold increase, with estimates at the time claiming that by 2000 approximately 30% of children would be either overweight or

UCC Research links Schizophrenia to Bacteria Barry Aldworth | News Editor With approximately 1 in every 100 members of the general population suffering from Schizophrenia, researchers at UCC’s Alimentary Pharabiotic Centre have proposed that the disorder may be more closed linked to bacteria in our bodies than had previously been believed. A paper recently published by professors Ted Dinane and John Cryan, along with postdoctoral fellow Yuliya Borre has argued that genes present in the bacteria within our intestines play a crucial role in the development of our brains. A defect within the genes of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria may make an individual more likely to suffer from

certain psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia. The discovery was made after the researchers found that animals which were raised in a germ-free environment, therefore avoiding exposure to these specific bacteria, showed similar patterns of social interaction to those diagnosed with the disorder. As a result research into the area has suggested that antibiotics traditionally used for treating other ailments may help alleviate some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Minocycline, a drug used in the treatment of acne in teenagers, has been found to have a positive impact on those experiencing delusions

Dr Michael Murphy pictured with internet pioneer Peter Flynn. PhD in Applied Psychology. Dr. Peter Flynn, UCC IT Services’ Manager of Academic and Collaborative Technologies, set up the webserver, making ucc.ie the 9th website in the world ever to be created and the first in Ireland.

Describing his role in the project in 2006, Flynn stated “In Cork we were just starting a major new project to publish transcriptions of Irish historical and literary documents and this seemed like an obvious way to put them on the Internet. I downloaded Tim’s httpd software, and UCC became the ninth web server in the world...

Image by: Tomas Tyner “The effect of all this was that I unwittingly became Ireland’s first webmaster, and also the first person on the web to break a link – I renamed a file without thinking of the fact that it was linked from Tim’s machine at CERN, and I suddenly started getting email asking what I’d done to it.”

obese. However, the recent study, led by UCC’s Eimear Keane found that between 2002 and 2012 the rates of obesity in Ireland began to stabilise. The joint study assessed data from 14 research projects carried out in this time-span and found that while childhood overweight rates had stabilised, the national obesity rates dropped from 7% to 4% after 2008. Whilst the study also found that 1 in 50 children fell into the “morbidly obese” category there was no significant increase in this level over the last 10 years. Keane, the study’s lead author, said “Our research suggests that prevalence rates of childhood obesity in Ireland have levelled off, but one in four Irish children remain overweight or obese. and hallucinations, as well as social withdrawal. In addition, the group’s research suggests that medicines used to treat peptic ulcers may also may the symptoms of schizophrenia more manageable for sufferers. Whilst schizophrenia has long been viewed as a mental illness with no genetic basis, Dinan’s research argues that this belief has only acted to delay the formulation of successful treatments for the disorder. Whilst approximately 1% of the general population is at risk of developing schizophrenia if there is a history of the disorder within a family the risk of diagnoses increases significantly. Additionally, the fact that adopted children’s risk depends on their biological family’s history, and not that of their adoptive parents, seems to support Dinan’s belief that nature is a more significant factor in schizophrenia diagnoses than nurture.

Obesity continues to have a significant impact on health and wellbeing, therefore policies that tackle the problem should be intensified.” The paper concluded by highlighting

that there is now a clear need for introducing standardised methods for measuring childhood obesity and overweight rates in order to ensure future rates are tracked correctly and effectively.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Lecturers recognised as ‘Teaching Heroes’ Zoe Cashman | News Writer Two UCC academics have been hailed as ‘Teaching Heroes’, receiving national recognition for their efforts and impact at a recent award ceremony at Dublin Castle. Dr. Kieran Keohane, Department of Sociology, and Dr. Eileen O’Leary, Department of Chemistry were named as Teaching Heroes at this student-led awards scheme, as a total of 53 Teaching Heroes from 27 institutions throughout Ireland were recognised in the ceremony.

“I am not convinced I am a hero, perhaps I need to buy the cape!” The National Teaching Hero Awards were established to recognise and celebrate students’ experiences of great teaching throughout all higher education institutions. The Teaching Heroes were nominated locally by students. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Sarah Moore, Chair of the National Forum, said; “These awards aim to shed more light on the kinds of teaching that students say they value most.” “Receiving this award was amazing,” said O’Leary after her win. “I immediately wanted to know what

Image: Shane O’Neill/ Fennell Photography students had to say. I was a little nervous people would ask me why I got it, I felt like I hadn’t done anything to be honest! I couldn’t believe my students nominated me. The award means the world to me.” O’ Leary feels inspired for the future following this honour, stating she “wants to be sure that I continue to deserve it and impact on my students now and into their futures.”

When asked about what makes someone a ‘Teaching Hero’, O’Leary said she believes it is “someone you can rely on and turn to, to help you in times of need, someone who is there to encourage and praise you so that you achieve your personal best.” O’ Leary also modestly admitted “I am not convinced I am a hero, perhaps I need to buy the cape!”

Applications opened for R&G Week 2015 charities Brian Conmy | Deputy News Editor

Currently no plans for fundraising events outside of R&G Week had been announced at the time of print. Charities wishing to apply for consideration to be one of the three chosen groups have until the 30th of October to apply online. The applications will then be reviewed by the UCC SU Executive, an all student committee, before the chosen charities are notified.

Speaking at the ceremony former President of Ireland and National Forum patron, Mary McAleese, added

Holly Cooney | News Writer

With a variety of guest speakers from different backgrounds and different branches of academia, the event sought to highlight the potential roadblocks which exist for women, but may not impede their male counterparts.

Over the last five years, R&G Week has raised in excess of €100,000 for a variety of charities. Orla Dolan, Head of Fundraising for Breakthrough Cancer Research, said of her experience; “It was a fabulous way to use R&G Week to do some good, to have a great time, while raising a fantastic amount for cancer research.” Aside from raising money for charities, R&G Week has also drawn some ire from the public around UCC each

year. Numerous complaints are lodged by local residents each year about activities they perceive to be carried out by UCC students during the charity week. Mark Stanton, SU President, said; “Given the huge levels of passion and energy among students, this is a great opportunity for any charity to get involved with some of the most enthusiastic fundraisers they will ever encounter!”

that the role played by teachers is vital at all levels of education, especially third-level. “Excellence in teaching is about much more than simply getting students through their exams. It is about inspiration, passion, generosity of spirit, and a genuine desire to make a positive difference to students’ lives.”

Sophia and FemSoc explore ‘Women in Academia’ Talking about a way to empower the next generation of Irish females to get involved in traditionally male dominated areas was the tone of discussion as UCC’s Sophia and Feminist Societies joined together for a debate about ‘Women in Academia’.

In a new move for the UCC Student’s Union, online applications are now open for charities interested in taking part in this academic year’s R&G week. The annual college event seeks to raise money for three worthy charities each year, which in 2014 included CUH Children’s Ward, the Cope Foundation and Breakthrough Cancer Research. With the event having raised €20,000 last year, the SU is seeking to extend fundraising efforts outside of the one week period in February this year. The Union stated that “While in previous years most of the fundraising was confined to ‘R&G Week’, UCC SU want to extend the real spirit of Raise & Give Week throughout the entire year.”

O’Leary always tries to encourage her students to think and ask questions and rewards them with praise to gain their trust. She thinks making them laugh is essential and to try and relate to them. In short, she says, “Listen, observe, provide understanding, encouragement and support.”

Dr. Caitríona Ní Laoire, from UCC’s Department of Applied Social Studies and member of the Genovate action research project based on the promotion of the gender equality act in European universities, covered the facts relating to women in academia. Ní Laoire provided a breakdown of academic staff in Ireland and across Europe where women play a lesser role in academia, focusing on teaching, administration and pastoral work rather than research where men play a much greater role. In Ireland, female lecturers amount to 50% of the male figure, with a significant decline in the numbers of women in more senior positions. Overall, 30% of senior lectures are

women, 20% of assistant professors and just 10% of senior professors. The minority role of women in academia is attributed to lifestyle choices and generational patterns. Kelsey Koontz, a gender studies graduate originally from the US, detailed her own experiences as a successful female who has encountered gender prejudice. The idea of her travelling alone has been very troubling to people and her research has been taken a lot less seriously than a male colleague studying bias in soccer because “soccer is cool, feminism is controversial.” Dr. Cara Nine of the Philosophy Department highlighted how working in a male dominated environment (currently only 17% of those within academic philosophy are female) has impacted upon her. Nine stated she has encountered many struggles along the way, including the worrying strains of harassment and assault on women in philosophy due to its male dominated academics. Because of this many women in philosophy doubt themselves believing that only their sexuality is getting them noticed.

Graduation

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Arts graduates talk about college, careers and condoms! Last week, graduations hit UCC. Campus was full of happy people, throwing hats, sharing memories with friends and family and finally being able to cross the Quad without fear. We spoke to a few graduates on their college experiences and what they thought their future held.

Emily O’ Driscoll

Darren O’Dea

Erin Barclay

Eoghan Lyng

Maryese Noonan

BA in German & Psychology

BA in Drama & Theatre Studies

BSc in Architecture

BA in English & Irish

What was your best moment in UCC?

BA in Early Years & Childhood Studies

Nearly winning the Intervarsities for the Fencing Club.

Meeting people and discussing the meaning of life all in the bounds of the magnificent UCC library!

What was your best moment in UCC? I don’t know if this counts but I did an Erasmus for a year and it was pretty good.

What was your best moment in UCC? Taking part in the musical, Avenue Q, last year.

What will you miss the most about UCC?

Definitely clubs and societies.

My course and my classmates.

How do you feel about your future prospects?

I feel quite good about my future prospects. I recently got a part time job so I’m happy out!

Great: I have a job in Edinburgh and can’t wait to go over there.

What would be your advice for incoming ﬁrst years? Not to worry too much about anything and join as many clubs and societies as you can.

What would be your advice for incoming ﬁrst years? Join as many societies as you can.

What will you miss the most about UCC? The learning and the student life. How do you feel about your future prospects? Optimistic, architecture is picking up and hopefully it’ll stay like that. Do you feel that you will need to emigrate to get a job? It has been looking like that up to now but I still have to do a Masters. I don’t think emigration is that bad anyway! What would be your advice for incoming ﬁrst years? Relax and don’t worry. It’s a big change, there will be a lot of scary things happening but if you take it in your stride it will all work out.

What was your best moment in UCC? Graduating – being able to cross the Quad and not worry about it!

What will you miss the most about UCC?

The UCC Express, I spent three years writing for it.

The atmosphere.

How do you feel about your future prospects? Not very well, I’m always been an optimist but at the moment I’m doubtful over my future prospects. What would be your advice for incoming ﬁrst years?

How do you feel about your future prospects? Nervous but excited at the same time. What would be your advice for incoming ﬁrst years? Don’t be afraid to be yourself and do what you want.

Eat healthily, shower occasionally and use condoms!

Interviews by; Rachael Barry.

Images by: Marc Moylan.

The next deadline for Letters to the Editor is Wednesday, November 5th. Send your thoughts to editor@uccexpress.ie

Placards nothing without the ballot paper Dear Editor, In my four years in UCC I have been involved in many student protests, whether it be marching on Dáil Éireann or to a local TD’s office. However, in the last two years there has been a significant drop off in the number of people who attend these protests. From where I see it, there are two reasons for this. One is that the general consensus among the student population is that protesting is pointless and the second is that, in many respects, this is precisely the case. To be clear, I am a firm believer in the

right to, and the necessity of, protesting and demonstrating. However all of this is essentially pointless if you choose not to vote. While observing various voter registration drives on campus, I too often hear students claim that voting is pointless or that ‘voting changes nothing’. While everyone is entitled to their own view, I find this type of rhetoric hard to stomach when many of these people are those who will shout and scream on the streets of Dublin while waving a placard. Until we as students step up to the mark and show political parties that we as a student population can act as a key

demographic when it comes to voting time, our voices will continue to fall on deaf ears. In this budget, student fees have been raised once again and students are forced to foot a bill that many simply cannot afford. We must look at ourselves critically and ask ourselves what are we going to do about it? Is it yet again simply a case of bandwagoning for a day out in Dublin which will amount to zero? No, we must vote in our droves to encourage the Government to adapt policies which adversely affect ourselves and those around us.

So, consider this: the next time you find yourself shouting ‘no ifs, no buts’ or any slogan for that matter, ask yourself whether you are registered to vote. If not, register to vote and commit

yourself to being part of making a real change. Otherwise, you are simply wasting your time. Cllr. Stephen Cunningham

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Idealising idiots: losing touch with real heroes Diarmaid Twomey | Features Writer Last week as I lounged at home browsing the web, one of my most beloved David Bowie tracks ‘Heroes’ started to play. As I contentedly notched up the volume, something roused me from my Bowie induced musiccoma. Flashing sirens, cops with guns taking aim and a man with his arms in the air are usually enough to catch anyone’s attention, but what made this more significant was who it was that was surrendering in the video clip. It was none other than Dan Bilzerian, a poker player and actor, not to mention a modern day ‘hero’ in the eyes of many; a coincidental irony given the title of the Bowie masterpiece that until now had absorbed me.

“I won’t lie; I was thrilled to see him get arrested” I have no qualms in admitting that I am ashamed to share the same sex, let alone species, with Bilzerian. I find his constant attention seeking, through the use of scantily clad women, gun toting and general idiotic behaviour indicative of a man with the mental age of a ten year old. No I’m not a begrudger,

jealous of his imbecilic ways I just think he is an idiot who belongs in the Stone Age, where natural selection perhaps would not be so kind to his ego.

What encourages people to follow ‘stars’ like Dan and hold them in such high regard, bearing in mind that the concept of the idiot hero is not limited to him?

his sordid past, has gifted him with a new means of earning. It is the likes of Jordan that has brought this very country and its people to its knees. It truly beggars belief.

I won’t lie; I was thrilled to see him get arrested, allegedly for doing doughnuts in a police car he “borrowed”. This would not be surprising, given the same individual recently threw a female friend off a roof “for a laugh.” Such heroics eh?

Only recently the obscenity that is College Times brought the ex-convict Jordan Belfort to Dublin, to give a pep talk to the eagerly awaiting crowd of mostly male students. Here is a man convicted of fraud on a mind boggling level, a man who robbed people of their entire life savings, being provided with a platform to endow his skills to Ireland’s next generation. Unlike his victims, there are no concerns for Jordan’s financial security as his fame off the back of a film which depicts

Why do people elect con-men and chauvinistic idiots as personal heroes? Seeing words like ‘legend’ thrown about to describe individuals like these makes me somewhat depressed for the future of humanity. Many people seem to know more about the Kardashian’s shallow existence and idiots like Dan Bilzerian than they do about real heroes both living and dead.

My savings may have sunk, but my slightly less than professional, soon to be thrust on the real world, almost college grad value has shot through the proverbial roof. I’ve finished my internship with a thorough understanding of how a paper works. I have developed a whole new vocabulary concerning newspapers and how to write using a newspaper style. I understand how to write on the real meaning of a story and how

to conduct informal interviews. I have gained a general understanding of the real world. I have even learned how to go up and ask to take pictures of people without feeling overly creepy.

My delight was soon snatched away though, as in truly idiotic fashion, as is common with Dan, he revealed how it was all a big joke. To think this guy is so widely admired is quite disturbing.

Are sex tapes, childish antics by rich people or the past crimes of a con

man enough to earn you cult status in modern society? Heroes admittedly are hugely subjective figures; they can be the person next door or on a different continent. They can be instigators of significant societal change or a family member who held your hand through a difficult time. Surely, though, no matter what the desires and aspirations of an individual, Dan, Jordan and those like them are individuals people should hate to emulate? Or am I wrong? So as Bowie’s lyrics still echo through my brain, I implore you to not give sexists and con men the company of your respect, they far from deserve it.

The worth of unpaid internships Leann Schenke | Features Writer This past summer I found myself grappling with a dilemma faced by many college students, how shall I spend the summer? Working a minimum wage job is one option but an internship is an even better alternative, providing life skills galore. So I applied, was interviewed, got the job and everything was great until the parents drop the dreaded question. “Is it paid?” “Well, no. But ...” is the answer provided by various college students, many of whom are in debt up to their eyeballs. That “but” is typically where most people are lost; how valuable can something be when you’re essentially providing free labour? People have a tendency to forget the value of an internship unless it’s paid. I spent my summer working as the unpaid intern for a small newspaper based in my small hometown. Chestertown located in the State of Maryland with a population of 5,000, so it was not really a case of going for the big time, flashy, résumé building life experience. For potential

employers a résumé is simply a piece of paper unless it contains an internship. Internships imply experience which in turn creates happy employers; it means less work when it comes to training, something which employers love. The whole point of the internship is to gain much-needed experience.

“Unpaid internships do carry worth, even if it’s not necessarily monetary”

The truth of my internship though was engaging, not demeaning; I got to fully engage with the reporter’s role, conducting interviews, chasing potential story leads and taking photos. Internships I believe are the means by which students can begin to apply the abundance of seemingly useless information thrown at them in the classroom.

By the end of the summer, in a bit of a profound, philosophical moment, I figured a few things out. Students are generally speaking at a point where they are slightly energetic; ‘the world’s your oyster people,’ difficult as it is, so

one should try not to worry excessively about money. While finances are always important, if you are learning more than you might in a lecture hall, then live on the edge and accept the unpaid position. Unpaid internships do carry worth, even if it’s not necessarily monetary. My internship benefitted me because I gained experience and vital learning. Where they fail is when one is committed to doing a job which offers you less than what you give.

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Enabled on Campus Louise Clancy provides an examination of disability on campus by those who know best The student population of UCC is approximately 20,000, made up of people who are diverse in every way imaginable, be it: age, race, nationality, beliefs, sexual orientation and of course disability. Even within the disability bracket alone, there is huge diversity from visual and hearing impairment, to mental and emotional disabilities such as Down syndrome, dyslexia and autism. Here at UCC there are over 900 students with disabilities who are registered to the Disability Support Service (DSS), including myself. My name is Louise Clancy; I am a second year student in Arts International studying English and Sociology. I also have Asperger’s Syndrome. Over the years I have had a couple of issues with confidence, behaviour and socialising with others in school. College though has been a great help in improving my Asperger’s. Living away from home and joining several societies has helped me get better at talking to new people and being organised. Although I still struggle with certain aspects of college life: writing down notes quickly, processing a lot of information in a short space of time and remembering to do important things at the right time. As a result my Asperger’s is a big factor in making important decisions such as whether to complete an Erasmus year, as I will need support services wherever I study. Luckily the DSS have been great to me. They have given me note-taking

services, enabled me to use my voice recorder in class, provided me an alternative room for my exams, and helped me to write my CV. Not only have the DSS been supportive in the past, they are also willing to help me out with my future. Speaking to other students with disability on campus, I gained a more comprehensive picture of the work of the DSS.

“College though has been a great help in improving my Asperger’s. Living away from home and joining several societies has helped me get better at talking to new people and being organised.” Muireann is a second year Film & Screen Media student who has mild cerebral palsy affecting the right side of her body. She believes her biggest challenges are when she would “get tired very easily carrying heavy text books around,” stating also; “it is hard to take down notes fast enough in class.” In her social life in college she states her biggest difficulty is “my confidence regarding people’s perceptions of disability and what they might think of me, but so far, nearly

everyone I have encountered here has been understanding and supportive.” Muireann is also satisfied with the support of UCC and the DSS: “They have, from the beginning, understood my needs and provided the supports which I need to have a fulfilling and enjoyable university experience. I found that the supports here are better than the ones I had in school because, they have more experience and the services were tailored to my exact needs.” UCC needs no major improvements for students with disabilities she believes.

Brian is an Environmental Science student who has both Asperger’s syndrome and Dysgraphia. He states that his Dysgraphia affects his college work because it “makes it very hard to write coherently or clearly. It’s impossible to take efficient notes in lectures or write in a tight time limit.” Brian states that his Asperger’s can affect his social life in college because it “makes it difficult to approach social situations without becoming anxious about how I’ll behave in them and causes me to worry about how I’ll behave in them when I actually go.”

He added that the DSS have been “immensely helpful” to his college life since his diagnosis. “They ensure I have learning support tutors, access to a quiet lab in the library, a separate room and scribe for written exams and almost anything else I could need.” It appears UCC and the DSS not only acknowledge the need for services for disability on campus but actively ensure that these requirements are met. Accessibility and the wide range of support services which the DSS offer, ensure that with the correct supports, there is nothing that can stop students from reaching their full potential.

Eggs and Apples

Diarmaid Twomey reprimands Apple and Facebook’s suggestion to female workers There has been a story doing the rounds recently about a decision by Apple and Facebook to offer female employees the opportunity to freeze their eggs. The advantages being that these companies want to pay for it and to make your ascent of the corporate ladder within these companies, as a female, more achievable. On first looking, this of course seems like a fantastic idea. More choice for people is always a good thing. However, on reflection, I personally believe it to be an awful idea, which amongst other negative consequences, breeds more inequality, which one can only assume is the exact opposite of its intention. Most crucially, I believe that those that see this as an advancement of women and equality in the workplace are possibly misguided. People are not seeing the hidden message behind the implementation of this ‘perk’. By implying that women can freeze their eggs in order to climb the corporate ladder, one can only derive that an ascent of the same ladder becomes unattainable in the absence of a woman’s eggs being frozen. Simply put, if you plan on having children

while you work in higher management with these companies, well then, promotion is not really for you, or at least if you’re a woman. Of course it has been pointed out that this is simply a choice that Facebook and Apple are offering, and that it is not compulsory. But something does not need a compulsory status to be intrinsically unequal. And unequal this is. Can anyone imagine a situation whereby a woman who has decided to freeze her eggs won’t be at an advantage over a woman who hasn’t, when it comes to a promotion opportunity? Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but I don’t think so. So rather than offering a choice to advance the equality of opportunity across both sexes, this ‘perk’ blatantly problematises motherhood and pregnancy and whether advertently or inadvertently, it discourages couples and women from starting a family on their terms, and encourages them to do it on Facebook’s and Apple’s terms.

such an invasion into the personal choices and private life of not only their female employees, but of couples, and even prospective grandparents and wider families, by setting the terms upon which promotion is achieved. Will this be a trend that is set into the future? Where does this all end?

invasion by private companies, which work only for shareholders, has not created more of an outcry.

There is a second side to this story that makes me very uneasy also. It deeply troubles me that under the guise of a work ‘perk’, a corporation can make

I find it puzzling that in a society which does not tolerate similar invasions by the state, which ultimately works for the welfare of the citizen, that such an

Rather than discouraging women and couples to have children and pave their own life path, why not embrace motherhood, fatherhood and the most

And so, I have a mad proposal for Facebook, Apple and any other companies daft enough to think of this proposal as progressive.

natural, most beautiful and most exciting aspect of life; the giving of it? Why make your company’s goals and profits the centre of people’s lives? Why not be really progressive and realise that parenting can be done by men also? Mothers have been giving life long before iPads and pokes were words of fame, and fathers will continue to want to share the workload that comes with the joy of parenthood long after you have been forgotten about, so why not just deal with it?

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Direct Provision: the extraordinary measure which has become ordinary Dan Delaney investigates how protests are putting the pressure on to change a system that was once a temporary measure At 5a.m. on the 15th of September residents of the Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre assembled at the front gate of the centre and proceeded to occupy it for the following ten days. The Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre (KRAC) is one of Ireland’s 34 Direct Provision centres. The Direct Provision system currently houses over 4,300 asylum seekers. KRAC is one of the biggest centres in the state, with a capacity for 275 residents. Before the KRAC protests began, the residents had sent a letter to the operators of the centre, Aramark. In the letter they made 39 different demands relating to the operation of the centre, outlining their concerns at conditions there and demanding the end of the Direct Provision system.

It is a system which has been described as “inhumane” by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the current Minister for State with responsibility for the system. Direct Provision was announced in September 1999 by then-Justice Minister John O’Donoghue of Fianna Fáil as an emergency measure to provide asylum seekers with shelter, food and medical services. It began operating in April 2000 and since then the same “emergency” system has remained in place. Asylum seekers in Ireland are not allowed to work nor can they access 3rd level education. Adult asylum seekers are given €19.10 per week to live on. It is a system which

has been described as “inhumane” by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the current Minister for State with responsibility for the system. Most of the Direct Provision centres are owned and operated by private companies, under contract to the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA). The Kinsale Road centre is different; it is State-owned but is operated by a private company, Aramark. KRAC has been home to most of the residents for many years. At the end of 2013 over 50% of residents had been living in the centre for more than four years, with some staying 10 years or longer in the centre. One of the KRAC residents, Lucky, said that people had been at the centre for too long. “People have been here for 3, 7, even 10 years” he said. “Life [in Direct Provision] is not normal.”Another resident, Theresa, has been in Direct Provision for over 9 years. Her son Devine, aged 9, was born into the Direct Provision system; the only homes he has ever known have been Direct Provision centres. Home however is not the right word to describe life at a Direct Provision centre. Residents are not allowed to cook their own food and must eat at set times. Outside these times, residents have access to snacks, bread and fruit. Once the dining hall is closed the residents must request the snacks from staff. One of the demands made by KRAC residents was that a coffee machine be provided in the centre’s recreation room and that milk should be available at all times, not just when the dining hall is open. The only facilities that residents have to prepare food are so-called “tea rooms” in each of the residential blocks. This room

consists of a sink, a boiling water dispenser, a microwave and a small fridge. These meagre facilities must be shared between all of the residents on one floor of the two-storey blocks: up to 30 people. The residential blocks are divided into family blocks and blocks for single males and for single females. In the single blocks, three people often from different cultures had to share one room. One of the residents’ demands was that cultural differences be taken into account when assigning people to rooms. Another demand was that there should be a maximum of two people in each single room. As it stood before the protest, each single room shared by 3 people contained three beds and a cupboard per person, never enough space.

Residents are not allowed to cook their own food and must eat at set times. Outside these times, residents have access to snacks, bread and fruit.

After ten days during which they received donations of food from the local community, the residents of KRAC came to an agreement with Aramark and suspended their protest. Aramark agreed to the majority of the residents’ demands for improvements at the centre. “Aramark are meeting the demands, but slowly”, said Hassan, a KRAC resident. He claims that as space becomes available, the third person in

each single room will be transferred to another room. “The most important change is respect” he believes, “The staff treat us differently now.” KRAC is not unique among Direct Provision centres. It is indicative of the issues which plague every Direct Provision centre in the country. The residents at KRAC produced a list of 39 demands, many of which related to problems specific to the Kinsale Road centre. Similar protests have occurred recently in other centre with Foynes in Limerick being the first, occurring in August. In the KRAC and at other centres, one of the core demands by residents was the end of Direct Provision. Ó Ríordáin has recently convened a Working Group; consisting of representatives of various Government Departments, NGOs and

others, to look at changes to the asylum system in Ireland. No asylum seekers are represented on the Group. Although the Minister has stated that he “cannot stand over” Direct Provision, the Terms of Reference for the Working Group do not allow the group to recommend the closure of the system. Rather the group can only recommend “improvements” to Direct Provision. The fight against Direct Provision for those to whom it matters most though, is far from over. Speaking at a rally in Cork City after the protests had ended, Lucky made clear that the protest was just the start. “We have finished phase one, but phase two is just beginning. We will take our fight to the Minister of Justice and the Working Group, to demand the end of Direct Provision.”

Sunday Assembly: a faith for the faithless Conor Shearman | Features Editor The premise was simple. Why should aesthesis have to miss out on the positive aspects of religion? If religious worship could bring together like minded individuals to create a sense of community and purpose, then surely a secular community could do the same?

“The ethos of the Sunday Assembly is a celebration of life, their motto “Live better, help often and wonder more,” aims to offer the same fulfilment of religion, without any potential drawbacks.”

The idea originated in a conversation

between two comedian friends, Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones. Pippa, a former Christian expressed regret that despite no longer believing in a God, she missed the sense of community that the Church offered. She wanted to bring this positive sense of community to an event where people could celebrate the fact that they were alive. 200 people turned up to the first event in London in January 2013 and the organisation has never looked back since. A network of 38 different congregations have since been established across the globe, each holding regular events. The ethos of the Sunday Assembly is a celebration of life, their motto “Live better, help often and wonder more,” aims to offer the same fulfilment of religion, without any potential drawbacks. The actual format of the assemblies don’t differ that radically from traditional religious worship. A speaker leads people through songs, moments of contemplation and a secular sermon. It is admittedly the founders

agree, the blueprint of Christian worship, but that they argue it is the inherent idea. Helping one another in a community setting is something which they aim to unapologetically borrow from conventional religion.

The reason why only now, there is an explosion of growth in these communities can only be guessed at. The rapid spread of news of the community across the web has been heralded as a factor, bringing communities which previously only

existed on the net into physical contact with one another. An estimated 100 assemblies are due to be established by the end of 2014, it appears the phenomenon shows no sign of slowing down.

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Confronting Body Dysmorphia Méabh Flanagan | Features Writer We all have insecurities about our appearances. We fret about our noses, or we worry about our weight after one too many three-in-ones. That’s all part of being human. For someone with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) though, those doubts are not so easily shrugged off. BDD is a body-image disorder that’s characterised by a preoccupation over a flaw in one’s appearance. It affects about 1% of the population and occurs almost equally in women and men at any age, although it usually begins during adolescence.

“this culture is hurting young people too, if only more silently than the three-in-ones.” BDD sufferers may engage in compulsive or repetitive behaviours to hide or improve their imperfections, not unlike people with OCD. Some attempt to camouflage the flaw with clothing or makeup, others avoid mirrors and resort to excessive grooming and skin picking. Sufferers can also attempt to use plastic surgery as a means to

correct their imperfections but this is rarely fully effective. For instance, it’s likely that Michael Jackson suffered from body dysmorphia as he had an estimated five rhinoplasties. To onlookers his nose was normal to begin with and only got worse as he attempted to try to fix it, but Jackson himself could not see that. A facet of BDD that is becoming more and more prevalent is muscle dysmorphia. In this case the sufferer believes that their body is not lean or muscular enough, prompting them to engage in excessive weightlifting, exercising and dieting. People with muscle dysmorphia are more likely to have attempted suicide than other BDD sufferers and also have a higher frequency of substance abuse, especially anabolic steroids. BDD is not the same as having an eating disorder like anorexia, as it is focused on a particular flaw and not the goal of losing weight as a whole. However there is an overlap, both types of sufferers have severe issues with body image and place an overemphasis on appearance as a means of measuring self-worth. We know now that the size zero models in magazines can damage young peoples’ mental health

and promote eating disorders, but we know considerably less about body dysmorphia and its causes. In the age of Photoshop and filters, it may be that we are more afraid of our flaws than ever before. We are constantly told that nothing short of perfection will get us likes on Facebook, or popular on Instagram, and so struggle to deal with our imperfections at all.

Muscle dysmorphia in particular is closely linked to bodybuilding and gym culture. Being focused on being fit should be a healthy alternative for teenagers during an obesity epidemic, yet this culture is hurting young people too, if only more silently than the threein-ones. If we can acknowledge that culture was influencing teenage girls’ decision

to starve themselves, and have taken steps to correct that, then it’s time we admit that telling boys they have to be “ripped” and “buff” to be worthy of affection and attention is damaging too. This idea that all boys should have a six-pack and abs is a burden on all young men, it’s a weight they’ve shown they can’t carry any longer, no matter how many protein shakes they take.

Little Moments from Kolkata Aisling Gavin explains the wonders of what a volunteer teaching programme has to offer This summer I volunteered with the Suas Educational Development programme as an overseas teaching assistant for ten weeks in Kolkata, India. Arriving into Kolkata airport on the 6th June, I felt a mixture of excitement and terror. Excitement at finally beginning this overseas adventure after months of fundraising and attending preparation weekends, and terror at the unknown and at being so far away from my family and friends. I needn’t have worried though as Kolkata quickly became my home, and my team became my family. The highlights of the programme for me were the little precious unpredictable moments that happened daily in Kolkata. Strangers striking up conversations with you on the street, bus, or tuk-tuk, curious to know, “Where are you from? What is your name? Why are you here?” A few stand-out moments include the day I wore a sari to school and the tuk-tuk driver asking me, “You like saris?” “I love saris,” I replied, as he proceeded to show me photos of his wife and child, while driving his tuk-tuk at breakneck

speed through spaces even too small for a goat. Later that day a school bus full of children passed us. Once the children saw us they quickly gathered at the windows and started smiling, waving frantically and blowing kisses at us.

“they are probably “you had to be there” moments for other people, but for me they mean the world.” I worked with Vikramshila, Suas’ partner organisation, on the Active Learning Library project with my teaching partner Jonathan Farrell in a school in Narkeldanga. The goal of the library project was to bring the library books to life through art, drama and games to foster a love of reading in the children. At school the children were so generous, animated and entertaining. Every day after school the children would run outside, pick flowers from

the bushes and give them to us before leaving for home, “See you tomorrow Mam.” Thumb wars with Junaid were a highlight of every day. The day we introduced Word Bingo to the class Reshmi’s face was comical when the words randomly called out weren’t on her bingo sheet, ‘Doctor’, ‘Nooo Doctor Mam’. Tears of laughter rolled down my cheeks. Word Bingo was a huge success and for weeks the children would chant “Bingo, bingo, bingo” whenever we played it. The day we tried to introduce phonics songs to the class, Wasim, one of our brightest students and best actors made our attempts look hilarious “We are clicking castanets c-c-c.” Castanets in India?! All I could do was laugh. The children successfully showcased their work at the annual Speak IT Festival, held at the end of summer. I had the proud moment of leading the conga line on stage at the end of my students’ performance. When my children won prizes at the festival they immediately jumped out of their seats,

took my hands and pulled me on stage with them to receive their awards. Their excitement and smiles were contagious. On our last day of school, the children hugged us and told us, “No, you India” and the teachers hugged us and told us that they’d really miss us and that we were like their family now. These are just a few examples of the precious moments that became the highlights of my summer in Kolkata

but there are so many more. I realise that they are probably “you had to be there” moments for other people, but for me they mean the world. Luckily next year’s volunteers can be there and applications for the Suas Volunteer Programme 2015 are now open. The Suas Volunteer Programme has enriched my life and taught me to enjoy the little moments in life; for someday you’ll look back and realise that they were the big moments.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

A distorted view Claire O’Moore The wail of sirens echoed in Ralph’s head. The sound revived in his ears as he swam his arms around his head. “STOP IT!” he roared, fumbling over the old cassettes stacked up tall like the leaning tower of Pisa. His body went crashing down along with the tapes. His sockets were damp, as he leaned on his forearms. Ralph was a large man and his t-shirt struggled to hug the fat that rolled out under him. He mirrored a walrus gasping for breath. “Take me back” he hissed as he grovelled on the floor tentatively sliding his hand over the tape marked ‘Miraculous Paradise’. He rubbed it once against his baggy denim jeans. Ralph gulped a final cup of air and pushed the unfathomable force that pulled him down aside. He staggered to his feet and glided across the cold lino floor to the radio. He flapped the lid open and plopped the tape inside. The fingers that stroked the strings of the guitar transformed a sitting room that was undoubtedly in an upheaval. A strobe of blue, white and red light broke through the curtain that hid Ralph from the world. His rich green eyes twinkled with sheer amazement. The trill of the flute cut into Ralph’s gut and he felt alive. The constant rumble of the drum eased Ralph and he was concussed, hypnotized by such a lilting tune that twisted and turned. “I AM HOME” he barked in his sleep. As he continued to spit the word ‘Home’, his legs lost all feeling and he fell to the floor again. He spasmed uncontrollably and white foam bubbled from his mouth. When Ralph awoke, the room fell silent as the click of the stop button smacked inside the quiet room. The darkness grew as the curtains remained glued to the windows. Ralph’s eyes glanced at the door that kept him connected to the world outside. The door knob bounced awake as it turned. “Let us in” voices called from outside. The silver keys dangled on the coffee table and Ralph gave off a chuckle. “Can’t catch me now,” he shrieked at the door. His eyes remained focused on the door but his vision jumped. Scenes of Havana skies and coniferous trees flew past his eyes. Ralph’s cheeks that had huge blotches of red were flushed away. He closed his eyes and he sniffed the air but everything was smothered by the rancid smell of wine. “That’s the wine I split when I fell. Jackpot!” – A eureka moment had struck Ralph. When he

reluctantly peeled his eyes open, he was deep in the forest grove. His feet stamped on the cracked branches and he imagined bones. The wind howled and Ralph caught sight of something fluttering in the distance.

“What is that?” His eyes squinting, Ralph strolled through the forest, running past the branches that scrawled at his skin. Ralph’s eyes narrowed. “Sabrina!” sprang from Ralph’s mouth and slithered off his tongue. A white

lace dress hung from the tree and flowed in the wind. Ralph’s eyes rolled in his head and he fell to the floor. ‘TIM-BER’ his mind taunted. When Ralph awoke he felt cold steel clasp his wrists. The door he had

focused on was now flung open. Ralph was still dazed and could hear muffled voices above him. Ralph buried his face into the floor and smiled to himself. “I brought her home,” he thought.

Out of India: Ruth Lawlor | Fiction Editor

e were going too fast and there was nowhere to hold on. The road hurtled away, below, before us and the wheels spun wildly in a manner that was less than reassuring; that bike spared no thought for the uneasy passenger perched above. We drove faster than this through those hot streets in India, he said. We were closer then, I thought, and I wasn’t afraid to touch you. But aloud I said nothing at all. I had been told that we were going to collect the child whose debt of fifteen years had finally been paid. They gave us directions but the village was much closer than we had been led to believe; we travelled hours on devastating roads and when we arrived were no more than a few miles from where we had begun. I wondered if they should have known that; and if they did know why they didn’t tell us. If there were people there, I don’t remember seeing them. This was a burning place; the stench of ageold smoke was there but the flames were not, the buildings eerily intact,

Icarus

indescribable. I do not know what they looked like. In my head an amber glow coated the sky and stars, but that memory is a false one – because there was no sky and there are no stars.

We looped in circles and he said her service had been rendered, her freedom paid with youth enslaved. We found the child wandering, short curls, blue dress, and she was not more than four years old. It didn’t seem strange to me that an infant could have yet spent fifteen years of her life in captivity. Perhaps her life had been given before she was created. He took her in his arms and we had to leave; his eyes said she is ours now and I did not question him. In the distance a man wailed (her father, he said), and though he was out of sight I saw him in the mind’s eye, saw him vividly, brutally, dressed in a black suit, greying hair, and hunched over in childless pain. His back was turned and I never saw his face. Or maybe I did, but the image was stolen. The village blackened, blackened and burned, and strange shapes emerged

from strange houses, and there were toothless peoples and smiling peoples, and colourful costumes and rooms of incense filled. They danced around us, appeared and stared, drifted through us and past. Someone has died, someone has died – is there a death in this place? – and death whispered and hissed on the heavy air. The words were spoken neither by nature nor human tongue but plagued the senses and seared at the boundary where the brain meets the spine. The witch has been frozen. Her statue lies beyond me, eight feet tall and feathers iridescent, her skin black like tar, her eyes black like precious stone. There is a yellow hue somewhere and her eyes are black like stone. The witch is frozen. The witch is frozen. Take the bow and the quiver of arrows. I had never understood what happens when the arrows are gone, but these arrows forever remained, and these arrows touched my hands.

And the voice said you must shoot her; you must shoot her through the heart of the eye. I turned to her beside me, her face not an arm’s length away from mine. I could smell her incense-smell, her dead, frozen, yellow smell and I raised my bow and arrow even though I had never shot before. I had done what they wanted but when I turned again the arrow had penetrated the dark, dark iris, the seeping iris, and the pupil strayed wide and dying. It was supposed to go through the heart, said the voice; you have grazed the target and missed the truth. At her feet a rabid dog frothed and howled. Her claws scratched at the ground and her neck arched back and back – how the bones remained intact I do not know. The coarse white fur was hot with electricity and the eyes rolled and the tongue ached for moisture. Get rid of the dog. You must get rid of the dog. But I did not want to kill the dog. Perhaps the dog was grieving.

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Lecturers could regain hours of working time by skipping conferrings A recent study by management consultancy firm, ConsulCo Enterprises, has revealed that professors taking part in the Academic Procession and Conferring ceremonies could save academics at least 40 hours this October by simply not participating. The professors, who sit in silence during the hour-long ceremonies before obliging selfie-taking students, could save a minimum of one-working week this October.

“Being at the top of a room full of students not particularly interested in what I’m doing is not why I became a lecturer.”

what must those lecturers be thinking about to pass the time. If anything, I was concentrating on avoiding the possibility of meeting their cold, deadeyed gazes.” The lecturers were reportedly bored to have to sit through the Latin ceremony, an aggregate 3,000 students worth of roll-calls and the same speeches by dignitaries again and again. “It can be tough enough for students to sit through the ceremony, but at least the majority only have to do it once,” said an anonymous dignitary, robed in parrot-like plumage. “Imagine having to do it 20 times in a couple of weeks, and again each season of the year. “Being at the top of a room full of students not particularly interested in what I’m doing is not why I became a lecturer.”

The removal of their redundant and largely symbolic part in the ceremonies could make further time savings again during winter, spring and summer conferrings.

He added that the cost of renting out the colourful garment for so many days from a monopoly supplier left him minus a proverbial arm and a leg, and not due to proverbial gangrene.

When asked if students would miss the lecturers’ presence on stage, one BA graduate commented that; “I spent most of my time in the ceremony wondering

“Every time they saw me coming they increased the prices… Where else can I go!? It’s not like Penneys do academic robes!”

The study itself gave less emphasis to lecturer’s pockets than the time investment involved. “The question has to be asked whether sitting still and being quiet for an hour plus is the best use of a university staff’s

Local TY student announces campaign for SU Presidency 2020 Among rumours and Facebook statuses of candidates already announcing their own campaign for the position, young Brendan O’Callaghan of Presentation College made the bold move when he announced his own decision to run for the position of UCC Students’ Union President in the year 2020. Fellow classmates applauded the young man as he stood up during his English class and outlined his reasons for running as well as some major policies in his campaign. While many of O’Callaghan friends cried out “Go on boi!” and “No better man!” there were some in the room who expressed confusion over what Students Union President actually entailed. Young Pat Ryan, a fellow Transition Year, was one of said students. “From what my older brother tells me, college seems to be like TY all over again: you have classes but rarely attend, you go to a lot of parties and drink, except you’re legal. Does the President even have to do anything?” he asked. Mrs. Murphy, the teacher of the class, expressed her support for O’Callaghan’s bid but did admit that the move seemed a little impractical considering he has another two years before he even hopes to attend UCC.

When questioned about whether announcing his bid before he was a registered student of the university was premature, O’Callaghan insisted that this minor detail would not deter him from his goal. Further questioning revealed some of the factors that influenced the early announcement. “I saw a Facebook status from a final year Arts student who decided to announce his own campaign,” explained O’Callaghan, “he got loads of likes and people started sharing the page.”

When this reporter informed O’Callaghan that the aforementioned Facebook status was revealed to be a clever ‘Face-jack’, the young man remained undeterred. “But sure, loads of people supported him. If I do it, like for real, and give myself loads of time to prepare, I’ll be able to rack up tons of support!” We wish Brendan the very best of luck and hope he gets enough points in the Leaving Cert to attend UCC and continue his campaign.

time,” posed the study’s abstract. However some have questioned the results of the survey, believing that such time savings would not necessarily translate to greater efficiencies, as public service job guarantees mean that

the professors would have to find other, similarly futile ways to while away their hours: cleaning blackboards, picking up broken glass on College Road or offering more office hours to students.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Late night drunk conversation solves all world’s problems Langdon Alger

that hard like,” Joe rowed in with.

In a statement released this week, three UCC students have revealed that a conversation that broke out after a particularly messy night in Havanas has resulted in the formulation of a plan to resolve all the issues currently faced by the world.

“Ya know like, it’s so obvious what every politician is doing wrong. This water charge shite at the moment just shows that off, typical Fine Gael just trying to stick it to the average working person like us,” continued the full time student who has never been employed, his Sinn Féin allegiances flaring up. “If I was in power there’d be none of these water charges.”

Derek Brown, a 2nd year Finance student, Vanessa Carlton, a 3rd near Nursing student, and Joe Malone, a 1st year Politics student are the architects of the plan and are said to be unveiling it as soon as they can piece the night back together in their heads. “Well we know we got back to Derek’s gaff around 3 with our take out,” revealed Vanessa, “then we found a bottle of wine in the fridge that wasn’t really ours but we said we’d replace it so it was fine to drink it really.” “Oh yeah, and then we sat around and Joe was saying how great it is to be in college learning things that can be used in real life, like political theory,” chimed in Derek. “And we got to thinking that between the three of us, we’d really be able to fix this country if we tried. Couldn’t be

“Yeah shur look at how much qualified nurses earn, it’s a joke compared to politicians,” began Vanessa, beginning to slur her words. “And the health system is a mess, there are no jobs for nurses anyway but there are so many people sitting on trollies all day and... ya know... fucking doctors…” Without missing a beat, Derek continued the outpouring of sudden civic interest: “Well, like, ya know, it’s not even that difficult to sort. All boils down to money at the end of the day. If they followed a Keynesian economic model instead of the liberal democratic one being forced on us by the EU, we’d have been out of this recession ages ago.” The other two nodded in agreement.

Complaints of how Ireland had failed it’s youth continued long into the bottle of €4 wine and by the time the last glass was through, the grand plan to fix Ireland had been elaborated upon to reflect a more global model, with plenty of thought given to the necessity of reformatting the global banking

structure in a way that would also benefit the developing world, while ensuring they’re not reliant on foreign aid or oil spending. With hope filled hearts, the three scampered off to their homes, waking the next morning to realise they were

all late for classes and without any particularly strong memory of what they had even been talking about the night before.

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Crossword 2

Sudoku

3 10

25 27

8 9

5 3

7 3

15 18

2 13

14 16

Hard

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63)

7 1

8 8

Across

Down

8 Subject taught in Cavanagh Building (8)

1 A small religious building, such as the Honan (6)

9 Mountaineering Club is able to do the opposite of rock climb (6)

11 Budgetary term to decrease expenditure (8)

4 UCC graduate with tunnel called after him (5)

12 The highest adult male singing voice (4)

5 Chant or slogan repeated frequently (6)

13 The Place for buses in Cork (7)

6 Eastern continent (4)

14 Cross near Kane Building (4)

7 See 24 down

16 Ideas put here for future use (5)

13 An emotional request (4)

18 Colonel Gaddafi’s home state (5)

15 CK101 in the CAO (4)

20 Society which organises lunchtime sessions (4)

17 Pupils, scholars (8)

28 A banker’s favourite state contains Omaha city (8) 29 Star sign of the bull (6)

31 A hard, dry cheese (8)

21 Lecturers who hold the highest university degree (7) 23 Something that doesn’t happen often (6) 24 (+7d) Head of the College of Business and Law (6,8)

27 Society that holds weekly gaming nights (5)

6 7

2 3

6 8

5 2

N T I C S S L A U O I L S R E D E F T S E V E E D I T E U S V F R E E N H E M S U R G R I A N E B I N A M I G O E L S D I E A R A S E R O U G S I R E L A Y

A N G R I N E N Y K H S C O U E O N D G E S X T E R C E A F O R

October 14th Answers

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Sun Oct 26 22:28:44 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

HARD

E M A C I V A D E I T M I I O C D O O N N A N A E L 39 E L H

EASY

S U R F C L U B 21 N E C K E D

19 Cuddle in to feel involved (8)

26 11 across, 17 down and 21 down are examples of this grammar form (6)

30 Sum, aggregate (5)

Medium

2 Observatory on campus (8) 3 Object to help stop a flood (7)

25 Movement which took over Wall Street (6)

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.54) Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Sun Oct 26 22:31:56 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

10 Vomited (6)

22 UCC scholarships for gifted students (7)

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Cycling: the most dangerous commute? Michelle Murphy | Features Writer Cycling has always been a popular choice of transport around campus, with plenty of UCC’s staff and students alike opting for the greener choice. There are numerous benefits to cycling to college; faster than walking, less expensive than driving, little problem with parking and a great way to keep active. This article is not one which will focus on the merits of cycling though. Along with an increase of bikes on the roads and too often on footpaths, there also appears to a worrying trend of unsafe conduct on the road along with downright rudeness. I am one of the many cyclists you see on your way to UCC and while I’ll readily admit to the numerous times where I could have been safer on the road, like wearing a high-visibility vest, my own behaviour is nothing compared to the accidents I’ve seen and recently been involved in. First off is the aforementioned footpaths. The name should be an accurate indication of what this is for; it is quite literally a path for feet.

Nowhere in the name is the words bike or wheel. That means my fellow cyclists, you don’t cycle on it! In the first few weeks of term I was coming out of my driveway on my own two wheeled contraption when I was greeted by the slam of another bike into my right arm, not only causing injury but also knocking me off my bike. Seeing as I was stationary the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been; instead of a head injury or broken limb, one of my fingernails was ripped off. What outraged me more than this cyclist causing an accident because of his moronic decision to cycle on the footpath was the fact that he barely apologised, claiming “he didn’t see me” before cycling off. Therein lies the problem; he was going too fast on a path designed purely for pedestrians and therefore did not see me in time. I can’t help but wonder if it had been a car pulling out of the same driveway would he have been so blasé. I am sure most students have had close encounters with bikes, especially at the back gates of UCC. In spite of

my rant about inconsiderate cyclists, pedestrians equally need to be aware. Stepping off the footpath or opening a car door without looking behind you is one sure way to cause an accident. If a pedestrian walks out in front of a cyclist their immediate response will be to either; brake abruptly to avoid ploughing through them, or swerve out from the kerb. The potential speed being travelled can not only cause the

cyclist to fall but also puts them at risk from traffic, oncoming or rear.

The group often brings to the fore the difficulty of distinguishing online activism from online trolling. Project Chanology in 2008 where Anonymous sabotaged many Scientology websites, in response to the Church of Scientology issuing a copyright violation against a Tom Cruise interview leaked onto YouTube, provides a pointed example.

Believing herself to be an activist exposing the McCann family, Leyland tweeted over 4,000 times over four years about the missing girl and her family, often directly to their accounts.

The Road Safety Authority TV advertisements inform viewers that “cyclists are one of the most vulnerable road-users” and I couldn’t agree more. We lack the sturdy surroundings of a car and do not always have the separation from traffic a footpath offers. Bus lanes and cycle lanes are fantastic, but the

latter are few and far between in most Irish cities. As well as that there have been some horrific instances when bus drivers or taxi drivers have decided to use their vehicles as weapons to push cyclists off the road. I offer a plea to all road users: be aware of your surroundings and other road users and let’s stop any and all unnecessary, avoidable accidents.

Trolling: a very modern phenomenon Zoe Cashman | Features Writer

Trolling has become a phenomenon in the modern world. As our emotional investment in the Internet has grown, the stakes involved in internet trolling have also risen. A loose definition of the troll is someone who starts arguments or upsets people on the internet; it is someone who wishes to provoke readers into an emotional response by posting on online forums and websites. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment, the purpose being to trigger emotional upset. There is a difference between intentional and unintentional trolling, although both have the same outcome. All of us may have posted an online rant while in a bad mood at some stage of our lives, or written something hastily without editing. This becomes a problem however, when people repeatedly carry out such actions without realising they are trolling. While some people constantly post remarks about others and rant and name-call, they would be surprised to be called a troll. Studies over the past two years have found that those who identify as trolls tend to have dark personality traits and show signs of sadism, psychopathy and antisocial behaviour. A study by Erin Buckels of the University of Manitoba in Canada, revealed that 59% of those surveyed stated they actively commented on websites and forums. Ten percent of participants admitted that their favourite online activity was trolling other users. Trolling seems to overlap with sadism according to the study and points to an interesting conclusion; namely that the internet may allow these people to redirect their energies instead of

causing harm in the outside world. Sadism is more commonly seen in sexual offenders and serial killers, so in this way perhaps it is a positive that these people are redirecting their energies to online trolling rather than illegal and cruel acts in the outside world. The origin of deliberate trolling is debated with the anonymous image board website 4chan often touted as the phenomenon’s birthplace. This website gave birth to the worldwide famous group ‘Anonymous’, an international network of hacktivists.

This skirting of trolling and activism is also inherent in the considerably more recent case of Brenda Leyland. She took her own life at the start of this month following the exposure of her trolling of the McCann family.

So the question remains, what can we do about this trolling epidemic? A common tagline in the media today is to ‘not feed the trolls’. Dr. Phil has since become involved with this campaign and states that trolling will continue as long as the trolls feel their behaviour is producing a reaction. Some websites have combated trolling by pre-moderating their comment

sections. Some countries such as the US and the UK have legislated against trolling. Several people have been jailed under the provisions of the Communications Act 2003 in the UK and all states in the US have passed laws against cyber harassment, bullying and stalking. The problem of trolling is ongoing, indeed it is difficult to say if the epidemic will end, but the advice for now to curtail the effect is “not to feed the trolls.”

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11 types of student you could find yourself living with in college Laura Flaherty | Deputy Features Editor In first year, most of us tend to be a bit adventurous and decide to take on a few new housemates that we wouldn’t know beforehand. Sometimes you’ll make the best friends of your life; others times, you’ll spend all your free time hiding out at friends or abusing college computer labs on Netflix. Either way, as you get to know these strange, new people, you may have realised that you are living with one of these usual suspects...

The homebody This person will never be seen on a weekend. Every Friday you’ll get a knock on your door to say a quick goodbye and every Sunday they’ll drag that suitcase back in the front door, most likely loaded with home cooked meals for the week.

Do you even go here?

home from yet another night on the booze. That is, if they didn’t talk you into going out with them in the first place.

The loner That one flatmate that never seems to leave their room, except to eat. The only indication they’re around is another dirty plate in the sink or a jacket on the couch.

The dedicated student This breed of flatmate can usually be seen holding a binder fit to burst with notes, and frantically talking about the ten exams and five essays they have due in the next two weeks. Their nights will more than likely be spent taking over the kitchen with various sheets of paper or in the library until 2am.

The couple

The person who will be found in front of the TV or at the table when you come in from college, no matter what time of day it is. You find yourself wondering if they even go to any lectures.

The one with the boyfriend or girlfriend whose living situation you’re starting to question. Are they secretly living with you? Are they homeless? They will be if they take any more of your food.

The party animal

The long distance couple

Rarely found at home on a Thursday night, this lad or lass will no doubt wake you up at 3am as they stumble

The one with the partner from Youmadethatupistan that you’re not one hundred percent sure exists until

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

they show up one evening and take over your couch for a weekend.

The nice one “Need anything from the shop?” “Need to borrow some money?” That one housemate who absolutely everyone gets on with, and is easygoing as a lazy Sunday morning.

The socialite After a long day at college or work, all this person wants to do is sit in the kitchen with a coffee and cigarette and talk about life, even if all you want to do is watch Home and Away or disappear to bed for a patented power nap.

The early riser There’s nothing worse than being woken up at 7am when you’re not due to drag yourself to college ‘til ten. This person has to be up early, hates it and makes sure everyone knows. They will slam every door, move every bowl in the cupboard and make sure everyone else wakes up with them.

Do they even live here? The flatmate with a hundred friends that always seems to be coming back from meeting a friend, on their way to see someone or gone from the apartment on a coffee date.

New techniques in measuring pollen levels could aid Hayfever sufferers Professor John Sodeau | Director of Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRACLab) It may come as a surprise to many to learn that the pollen count which one reads on MetEireann, warning of potential outbreaks of hayfever actually comes from collections near Worcester and elsewhere in England. The National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit is the world famous research group that supplies the UK MetOffice with the pollen counts for them to put into wind dispersion computer models in order to make predictions like LOW, HIGH, VERY HIGH as blanket descriptions for very large regions of both Ireland and the UK. Ireland is actually one of the few countries in Europe that does not contribute to and therefore cannot be part of the European Aeroallergen Network (EAN) Pollen database. This grouping of over 600 pollen counting stations across Europe is used by scientists to create statistics and calculate trends of pollen distributions, including that of the highly allergenic type, Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). This over-sexed “hay fever machine,” one plant can produce over 1 billion pollen grains in a season, is currently sweeping across Europe

due to climate change. The reason why Ireland no longer makes its own pollen and spore counts is due to the labour intensive nature of the work which therefore makes it very expensive. Furthermore it takes a long time to train people to count and discriminate between the different pollen types using optical microscopy. Involving an operative collecting and counting pollen under a microscope, I was quite surprised when I first heard of the rudimentary nature of the approach seven years ago; Stone Age was the phrase which first sprung to mind.

“This over-sexed “hay fever machine,” one plant can produce over 1 billion pollen grains in a season, is currently sweeping across Europe due to climate change.”

The Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRACLab) in UCC is involved in research which is aiming to change this basic approach. The new methods that are now being

used to measure pollen, spores and bacteria in real-time are currently in a field-testing phase. Dr David O’Connor from the UCC CRACLab was sampling this July in a campaign partly sponsored by the Irish EPA, with a real-time instrument called WIBS, at a site in Paris alongside many research groups from around the world. The aim is to validate the new spectroscopic methods against the old microscopy ways. A good analogy to understand this pioneering real time technique is in a comparison between old style photography and video. A

video of a moving object allows one to see changes in real time whereas two photos at the beginning and end of an objects motion would take one several days to develop and to learn what had happened. A great deal of timedependent detail would have been lost using the camera. Does the fact that Ireland is not currently monitoring its own pollen and spores, collectively termed Primary Biological Aerosol Particles, matter in the greater scheme of Life on Earth? One could argue not, I do not need to read a web-page to inform me

of when the pollen count is high, as my allergic reaction will make it quite clear. I though am not a fully at-risk individual; many others are, especially those with asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). It would be a fantastic resource if we could offer these people real-time, early warnings on a localized rather than regional basis. Fortunately our research group has just been awarded €20,000 by the EPA to carry on such studies. Watch this space!

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

History Expressed: The burning down of the West Wing This week Emmet Curtin looks back at an infamous incident in the history of the college, the Great Fire of QCC. Early in the history of Queen’s College Cork a fire ravaged the West Wing, destroying much of the college infrastructure at the time. The fire received extensive publicity; it was even discussed in the House of Commons and prompted a number of theories as to the fiend behind the act. It began at about 5.45am on the morning of 15th of May 1862, when smoke and flames were observed coming from the roof and chimneys of the West Wing. Quarrymen, locals and the turnkey of the County Gaol were amongst the first to witness this and raise the alarm. Porters, students, college officials, constabulary and many more did their best to stop the fire but it spread too quickly and claimed most of the West Wing. Thankfully, due to the masonry of the tower, the advance of the fire was stopped and left the North Wing and East Wing of the Quad unharmed. The college estimated the damages at £2,020 for the loss of contents from departments including chemistry, medicine, classical arts, engineering and agriculture. While the Treasury would not pay for the immediate restoration of the West Wing, possibly due to it being so late in the college year, it did provide a grant for temporary arrangements. As a result, the displaced departments had to be housed in the president’s quarters,

including his bedroom, dining-room and kitchen. Damages of the fire were felt for years afterwards but eventually the college recovered and restored the West Wing. The College Council launched an inquiry on the same day that the fire took place. President Kane claimed there was no doubt the fire was a malicious act by someone with “elaborate ingenuity.” The college offered a reward of £150, in addition to a £100 reward by the government for any information that would lead to the arrest of the arsonist(s). But who committed the crime? Alas, this is a question we may never know the answer to. Despite the generous reward of the college and government, it was never claimed. Some critics suggested that the college wanted the crime to go unsolved as it was believed it might had been perpetrated by a member of the college. If this was proven true, then any hope for compensation for the repairs would be out of reach. One popular conspiracy theory at the time was the belief the fire was set in order to get rid of forensic evidence relating to one, or more, murder cases. A widespread story was that of Richard Burke, a man suspected of poisoning

his wife, in collusion with a nurse he was having an affair with, burned the building to the ground. The stomach of his dead wife had been sent to QCC and poisoning was confirmed, with the jar recovered intact in the West Wing. Burke was found guilty of murder and his public hanging was attended by thousands of people. This doesn’t fit the timeline, however, as Burke had been found guilty of murder before the fire was set. As time went on it looked more and more like an inside job, and several people in the college were investigated. One of the most high profile of these

was President Kane, though this investigation proved to mainly be due to the machinations of Professor Bullen, who had been anxious to take over the Presidency of the college. Bullen, over the next two years, attempted to incriminate the President in the arson, using a strained relationship between the President and the Government as an explanation for his motive. Eventually, the allegations against Kane totally collapsed and he was cleared of any charges. Bullen, on the other hand, was removed from his position in the college, though it was eventually revealed that his allegations

had never been taken seriously by the authorities due to his vague statements. The college steward, a college porter, clergy and many more were accused of the crime but none of the allegations held any weight. The investigation into the fire eventually ended, as the college rebuilt and continued on, but the arsonist(s) behind it were never found. It was believed by many at the time that a serious investigation, either by the college or the government, had never taken place and it looks like we’ll never know who was behind the Great Fire of QCC.

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Images by: Emmet Curtin, Marc Moylan and Tomas Tyner

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC ﬂex their muscles in season opener UCC 5-17

IT Tralee 0-06

O’Conchuir contributing points until the first goal arrived on 18 minutes when a powerful run into the box from Adrian Spillane allowed him to pass to Hickey, who made no mistake in scoring to put UCC 1-8 to 0-2 in front. Tralee then enjoyed a good period of play when first O’Donnuchú’s powerful run into the square allowed him to attempt a pass across goal, but the pass was just over hit and trickled wide. Cork U21 ‘keeper Micheál Martin then had to be at his best minutes later to tip away Peter Nash’s low drive for a 45. This was to be as good as it got for Tralee as UCC piled on the pressure and Connolly got a goal to put UCC 2-11 to 0-3 ahead at the break. Jack Savage opened the scoring for Tralee on the resumption of the second half but they were unable to score any more for the next 15 minutes. Martin provided another brilliant save to deny O’Donnuchú from finding the net and helped to keep a clean sheet in what was a relatively quiet night for the Nemo Rangers man.

Left: Gary O'Sullivan, scored of 0-4, turns towards the IT Tralee goal. Image by: Marc Moylan Stephen Walsh | Sport Editor UCC had a very comprehensive win over a poor IT Tralee side in the Senior Football League last Wednesday. UCC won’t have learned much during this win as they still wait for more players to join their panel before they start the preparations ahead of the Sigerson Cup in February. A brace of goals from Tom Hickey and substitute Conor Horgan along with another from centre forward Luke Connolly helped to give UCC a huge 27 point winning margin against the Kingdom college. The game had only just begun when

Kevin Davis fired over a point for UCC and they were to go on a run of four consecutive points with Connolly and David Harrington also contributing to build up a lead of four. IT Tralee opened their account on 11 minutes when Kerry senior panellist Pádraig O’Donnuchú pointed from the right sideline after some good build up play. O’Donnuchú, who was one of the better players for Tralee throughout the game, was starved off possession for long parts due to the excellent defending of Conor Dorman and Gary O’Sullivan. UCC went on another scoring run with Harrington, Hickey and Eanna

UCC manager Billy Morgan decided to empty the bench in order to give players a run out and to have a look at some of the talent available to his team. The substitutes were to have a big impact in the final score line as they contributed to the next three goals scored in the game. Firstly Seán Keane burst through the defence, before passing to Hickey who rounded the keeper and blasting high into the net for his second goal of the night. Then substitute Conor Horgan gave the management team plenty think about when he scored two cracking goals past the IT Tralee goalkeeper. The first hit the top corner from 20 yards out while minutes later with the game going into its final minutes he repeated the trick but this time from 15 yards to get his second goal of the night. There was still time for O’Donnuchú and Nash to get two consolation points for IT Tralee as the referee blew the final whistle with the score at 5-17 to

Ian Maguire attempts to gather in the air under pressure Image by: Marc Moylan 0-6. UCC: Micheál Martin; Jamie Davis, Jack Maguire, Kevin Fulignati; Conor Dorman, Seán White, Enda Dennehy; Ian Maguire, Gary O’Sullivan (0-4); Kevin Davis (0-2), Luke Connolly (13), Adrian Spillane (0-1); Tom Hickey (2-2), Eanna O’Conchuir (0-1), David Harrington (0-4). Subs: Padraig O’Connor for O’Conchuir, Seán Keane for Fulignati

Power-packed WIT beat understrength hosts Stephen Walsh | Sport Editor UCC lost to a more experienced WIT side on Wednesday, the 15th in the Southern section of the college’s league at the Mardyke. WIT contained many League of Ireland players in Matthew Connor and Mikie Rowe and that proved to be the difference between the sides with the Déise side running out two-goal winners. UCC, having only played Rockmount in the Munster Senior League the previous night, where they drew 3-3, made numerous changes to the starting line up so as to make the best possible use of their squad. As a result of the changes, UCC got off to the worst possible start when, after only six minutes, a back pass from Aaron O’Donovan was intercepted by Niall McCabe, who shot from 20 yards over Jason O’Mahony to put WIT in front.

This early goal spurred WIT on in the opening 15 minutes as Danny Fitzpatrick was making some powerful runs down the sideline causing the UCC defence endless hassle. McCabe had a chance to double the lead on 19 minutes but saw his shot from 20 yards go narrowly wide of O’Mahony’s post.

post.

Ian Mylod, who had a very good game for UCC up front, was unable to score with a chance on 20 minutes as his powerful drive hit the side-netting of League of Ireland goalkeeper Matthew Connors net.

UCC pulled a goal back a few minutes later when Mark Murphy waltzed through the WIT defence before slotting the ball into the far corner of the goal past the dive of Connors.

WIT then pulled a further goal in front on 34 minutes when a Fitzpatrick ball picked out McCarthy and he made no mistake in converting the ball to the bottom left hand corner, despite the best efforts of O’Mahony.

WIT kept pressing for the second goal and Conor Coad along with McCabe had chances to double the lead but O’Mahony was equal to everything thrown at him.

Pearse O’Riordan followed this up with a shot from distance on 42 minutes as UCC attempted to claw back an equaliser but to no avail as the referee blew the whistle to send both sides into the break with WIT 2-1 ahead.

UCC had a great chance of a goal on the half-hour mark when a Mylod corner found Rufus Holmes at the back post, but he managed to head the ball over the bar from a yard out at the back

UCC started the brighter of the two sides for the second half with O’Riordan seeing his shot saved by Connors while, at the other end, O’Mahony was at his best to tip McCabe’s shot out for

and Conor Horgan (2-0) for O’Sullivan (all 47), Kieran Murphy for Dorman, Kieran Histon for Kevin Davis (both 55). IT Tralee: E O’Riada; M O’hÁogáin, G O’Crualaíoch, D O’Suilleabháin; C O’hÓráin, C Cromwell, J Mac An Cearnaithe; L O’Súilleabháin, A O’Dugáin (0-1); D O’Sé, J Savage (0-1), P Nash (0-1); G O’Sé, P O’Donnuchú (0-2), C O’Céin (0-1).

UCC - 1

a corner, as both teams attempted to get the next goal. WIT put the game beyond doubt on the hour mark when a cross from James Kenny found McCabe, who controlled it before smashing it past O’Mahony for his side’s third goal of the night. UCC then attempted to claw back a goal by keeping up a sustained level of pressure for a while but to no avail. Mylod and Browne both had shots saved from distance before 70 minutes had gone in the game. The best chance of the half fell to Mylod, after McManus had picked him out with a lovely cross, before Connor saved. Then Mylod managed to hit the rebound over the bar when it looked easier to score. The game finished up with WIT running out winners on a score line of 3-1 as UCC suffered their second loss of the college’s Premier Division.

WIT - 3

UCC: Jason O’Mahony, Mark McManus, Phil Ryan (Andy Gannon, 57), Darragh Corcoran, Daniel Pender, Aaron O’Donovan (Jason Abbott, 45), Mark Murphy, Calvin O’Callaghan, Pearse O’Riordan (Conor Barry, 57), Rufus Holmes (Evan Browne, 57), Ian Mylod. WIT: Matthew Connor, Cormac Breslin, Robbie Mulligan, Kevin O’Connor, Ian Sinnott (Shane Mackey, 88), Killian Cantwell, Conor Coad (Monsyruold Mustafa, 67), James Kenny (Seán Fitzgerald, 79), Seán Hurley, Niall McCabe (Mikie Rowe, 79), Danny Fitzpatrick.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Sailors dominate first intervarsity event John Durcan | Sport Writer The first Varsity sailing event of the semester was held in Carrick-OnShannon last weekend in glorious sunshine and gentle breeze. 30 Sailors from UCC made the long trip up to County Leitrim on Friday evening, 5 teams of 6 people. Everyone unpacked in the two rented houses then got to know the Freshers and socialise with friends from other colleges in the nearby houses.

“equally important is slowing up the other team, so that your team members can get ahead” On Saturday morning racing was postponed until 1.30pm due to a thick fog along the River Shannon. Eventually the sun burnt through and racing began in very light conditions. The event was split into three fleets, Gold, Silver and Bronze. In the Gold fleet were teams UCC1, UCC2, and UCC3, whilst UCC4 were in Silver and UCC5 in Bronze. The format for every event is three boats on one team race against three boats on another team, with two people in each boat. The team who finish the race with less points win, so it’s not all about individual’s results and equally important is slowing up the other team, so that your team members can get ahead. UCC1 and UCC3 both got off to a great start winning their first two races

against UCD1 and TCD2. UCC2 unfortunately were put up against UCC3 in their first race and lost with Fionn Lyden of UCC3 dominating the race. Meanwhile in the Silver fleet UCC4 got off to winning ways beating TCD6 and UCD5 back-to-back, with John Durcan and Dermot Lyden showing some good speed and teamwork. UCC5 won their first race against UCD6 with ease as Jack English showed some great tactics to lead the way. Racing was limited due to the late start and boats sailed in at around 5.30pm to conclude Saturday’s racing. Later on all the Colleges went to the same club in the town which led to a fantastic night. The following morning was an exact replica of Saturday, with thick fog covering the river and town. Eventually the sun did its job again and racing began around lunch time with a rush to get as many races done as possible to promote teams into a final. UCC1 and UCC3 both carried on their superb form from the previous day, with old boys Aidan McLaverty and Johnny Leahy dictating wins for their respective teams. UCC4 came up against a fast UCD4 team and were unsuccessful but bounced back quickly to win against NUIG thanks to some fine team racing from substitute Niall Collins. With racing limited, the full series was not complete so scores in races were combined and UCC1 and UCC3 were found to be the two best teams at the event out of all the colleges. Thus they were set to face each other in the Final which was best of 3 races.

Sean Whelan pictured at the Alumni Regatta. In the first race Fionn ‘The Stallion’ Lyden showed once again that he is the quickest of them all, gliding to first at the top mark and holding that position all the way around. This left Conor Lyden and Johnny Leahy to do the team racing trying to hold back Cian O’Regan and McLaverty. They successfully did so and won the first race.

The second race proved to be the last as UCC1 got off to a sluggish start in comparison to their quick counterparts, resulting in UCC3 winning the final 2-0 and the overall event.

UCC3: Conor Lyden and Emma Geary, Johnny Leahy and Lisa Smith, Fionn Lyden and Liam Manning.

Overall the results bode very well for the UCC sailing in the year ahead having won the first event and having two teams in the Final of the event.

Manning reaches historic touchdown milestone Shane O’Sullivan | Sport Writer Week seven of the NFL season saw the renowned quarter-back Peyton Manning enter the NFL hall of fame as he threw four touchdown passes during the Broncos emphatic 42-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Manning proved that he still has the skill set even at 38 as he surpassed Bret Favre’s incredible record of 508 touchdown passes. Manning now has 510 TD passes to his name, and many say he has a few years in him to possibly reach the 600 mark. He surpassed Favre’s mark with an 8-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas late in the second quarter. Manning completed 22 of 26 passes for 318 yards with no interceptions to go with his four TD throws before taking the fourth quarter off. Thomas caught eight of Manning’s throws for 171 yards, giving him an impressive 27 catches for 521 yards receiving and five TDs over the last three games. The 49ers entered the game on a three game winning streak, but they were unable to continue their impressive

play for against a strong Broncos team. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times due to a shabby defensive display by the 49ers defence. The New England Patriots were very lucky to win 27-25 against a highly motivated New York Jets team. The Jets, who have now lost their last six games, gave their all against a strong Patriots team who have won their last three games to have a 2-5 record this season. Brady silenced his critics as he threw three touchdown passes. Stephen Gostkowski put New England ahead for the game with his second field goal, a 36-yarder with 4:10 to go in the third. Brady then threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola which gave them an eight-point cushion. Geno Smith’s10-yard scoring pass to Jeff Cumberland with 2:31 left, made it 27-25; Smith’s attempt at a two point conversion was unsuccessful as he threw the ball too early for the receiver to catch. The Jets kicker Nick Folk had a 58 yard field goal attempt to win the game

for the Jets on the final play, but it was blocked by Chris Jones to seal the win for New England The New Orleans Saints continue to struggle to keep up their form as they suffered a 23-24 loss to the hands of the Detroit Lions. Mathew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:38, including the winner to Corey Fuller with 1:48 remaining to give the Lions their second successive victory. Detroit won without star receiver Calvin Johnson, who is recovering from an ankle injury. The Lions spluttered for most of the game before Tate caught Stafford’s pass around his own 35, turning upfield and outrunning two New Orleans defenders. The main issue for the Saints was that Drew Brees’ went 10 straight passes without a completion. The strength of the Lions plays were evident as they took full advantage of the Saints when they seemed to take their foot off the pedal. The Saints seemingly need to work on their ability to close out a game as

they have proved that they are a strong squad when they turn up on the day. Many still believe the Saints can have a great run in the championship even after this defeat, but it is evident that

their lack of consistency is a major issue for their head coach Sean Payton.

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Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

Jess (pink socks) and Christine Neville go stride for stride in the Leevale colours

Neville twins sprinting for success

Stephen Walsh speaks to Jess and Christine Neville about their goals for the year ahead The Neville twins from Inniscarra are no strangers to success when it comes to the running track, with both having tasted success many times over the past few years with UCC. Jess is the older of the twins (coincidentally both girls are today celebrating their 21st birthday) and currently in third year studying Biomedical Science, while Christine is studying Microbiology. They both compete for UCC in the 400-metre race, while Jess also adds hurdling at the same distance to her list of events. With the athletics year only in preseason for colleges, because the competitions don’t begin until January with the indoor season up in Tullamore and Athlone, both Jess and Christine are hard at work building up their fitness ahead of the new campaign.

Jess says “training takes place six times a week, with two gym sessions and four track sessions on top of all the college work we have to complete. However Friday night is our time off, where we like to hang out and do things with friends.”

“training takes place six times a week, with two gym sessions and four track sessions on top of all the college work we have to complete”

Ahead of the upcoming season the twins are full of ambitions with Jess the current national U23 400-metre hurdles

Los Angeles Clippers: If not now, then when? Ryan Collins Championship windows are opaque in all sports. Oklahoma City Thunder looked to become a decade-long dynasty. Injuries at pivotal moments and the infamous Harden trade mean their opportunity may have evaporated before they could capitalise. Kobe and Shaq won three titles together when they could have had six. The Sacramento Kings were predicted to dominate after the Kobe/Shaq implosion, and they have only disappointed since. A who’s who of contenders reside in LA. Chris Paul, the ‘Point God’, is the best pure point guard since Isiah Thomas and the ‘Bad Boys’, a perennial team leader, clutch scorer and at the zenith of his game. Blake Griffin, one of the NBA’s most recognizable and marketable players due to his compatibility for YouTube highlight reels, not to mention the fact that he has improved every facet of his game

in the last three years to the point of entering yearly MVP discussions. Doc Rivers, a celebrated head coach with an illustrious legacy and pedigree to match. Surround these three pillars with rampant athleticism and threepoint shooting, and you have all the ingredients for a team that should win now. So what’s the hindrance? Last year, sloppy play, questionable refereeing and Steven Adams’ elbows created complications against the mercurial Thunder, who eventually progressed past them. However that series could have swerved in a different direction many times, as these respective teams cancel each other out in a number of areas, and a growing sense of continuity in LA means they will only be better next year. San Antonio Spurs will fade eventually as, no matter what is in the water in Texas, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker

champion stating; “This year I want to win the intervarsities in April, along with the national U23 championships to take my place competing in the European U23 championships next year.” Of the two sisters, Jess admits to having a pre-race superstition insofar as she must always be wearing pink socks when competing. Christine, on the other hand, doesn’t have any superstitions but she repeats the mantra “Commit to the race” before every race. Growing up competing with Leevale, the twins won numerous All-Ireland titles and there was scarcely a week gone by when the two of them weren’t listed among the winners of a race at the weekend across the various local newspapers.

Lynsey Sharp of Great Britain is a major the role model for Jess after she has watched her come second in the European 800 metres and Jess reckons she’s a big star in the making come Rio 2016. Yet the most famous competitor she has raced against would be Christine McMahon, who competed at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Both girls have very quick times when it comes to the 400 metres, with Christine narrowly in front of her younger sister with regards to personal bests – Christine’s 56 seconds flat is only just better than Jess’s time of 56.5. Jess’s hurdling personal best is 61.2 seconds, yet if she is to hit her target of the European U23 championships, she admits “I’ll probably need a sub-60 second race, so I’ve a lot of

improvement still to make.” Regarding the athletics club in UCC, which both Jess and Christine are prominent members of, they advise Freshers to ‘Give it a try’. “There is a great atmosphere, you’ll make lots of new friends and it will give you something to focus on.” So next time you’re down in the Mardyke on the treadmill have a look out the window at the track and you will probably see these two twins flying around the track practicing and preparing for greater things to come. It won’t be from a lack of effort that they will be unable to achieve their goals. Who knows, we might soon be speaking about a national champion or, in Jess’s case, a defending champion in UCC.

and Manu Ginobli will not be able to play with the same vim and vigour for another five years (although, this was argued five years ago and look at where we are now). The Clippers can be the best team in the Western Conference next season but their window is more limited than is initially apparent. Their main rivals for the long-term future, Oklahoma City, will threaten as long as Kevin Durant dons the white and blue. Golden State Warriors should improve and the Spurs might genuinely be cyborgs. However, the East, shockingly, is where the real juggernaut lies. Cleveland Cavaliers have created a super-team with one real weakness – rim protection; and attacking the rim is where the Clippers excel, thanks to Deandre Jordan and the aforementioned superstar, Blake Griffin. Cleveland also may need a season to become the efficient and dynamic machine that is so much more than the sum of its parts, akin to the 2010/1 Miami Heat. As such, come 2015, any team that wants to win has to go through Cleveland and the unholy trio of LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Consequentially, the Clippers’ best chance is now; while Cleveland are still having teething problems, Chicago Bulls attempt to re-integrate Derrick Rose (and Rose attempts to re-integrate his knees into a potential 100 game season) and Oklahoma City continues to fumble with their inability to actually spend money building a reliable, crunch-time team. The Los Angeles Clippers are the baby siblings of their city; they even share

the Staples Centre with big brother Kobe and the Lakers. There is no denying that the Clippers have a vastly superior team right now, but this is by and large a first, as they have never even won their own conference, let alone the prestigious Larry O’Brien trophy. The Lakers, by contrast, have ascended the mountain 16 times in their history. One feels the Clippers have to win now in order to step out of the shadows and into recognition. Otherwise, it could be a long time before they win again.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 28th 2014

Leesiders display too much depth for Waterford UCC 6-25

WIT 1-5

Stephen Walsh | Sport Editor

taken goal by Anthony Spillane.

UCC had a very easy win over a majorly lacking WIT side in the Senior Hurling League at the Mardyke, amassing a 35-point victory.

WIT responded with their opening score of the game on eight minutes, when Finbarr Butler controlled the ball well before splitting the posts from 45 metres.

When one considers the fact that UCC were able to rack up such a high score with key inter-county players such as Alan Cadogan, Jamie Barron, Shane O’Donnell, John Power and Conor Lehane, it emphasises the strength in depth around this UCC team as they go in search of the Fitzgibbon Cup that they last held in 2013. UCC, managed by new Dublin Senior Hurling manager Ger Cunningham, burst out of the blocks early and found themselves in front by four points after only five minutes, after a point from Brian Hartnett was followed by a well

UCC upped the ante, keeping the scoreboard ticking over and playing a lot of long ball into DJ Foran, who was causing WIT endless problems. Against the run of play, WIT pulled a goal back when a long free into the small square was not controlled well by Tommy Wallace and Robin Spencer pounced on the loose ball, putting it into the back of the UCC net. With the first half nearing a close there was still time for UCC to add another goal when Hartnett blocked down

Coughlan hat-trick proves the difference for UL Stephen Walsh | Sport Editor UL ran out 4-1 winners against UCC in last Tuesday’s CUFL Southern Premier Division match in the Mardyke. A hat trick from Limerick’s League of Ireland star, Garbhan Coughlan, proved the difference between the sides on what was a bitterly cold night for football. The game started off scrappy as both teams struggled to get into the game. Both Ian Mylod and Coughlan had shots on goal but nothing sufficient enough to trouble either keeper. UCC were forced to substitute striker Evan Brown on 15 minutes when he pulled his hamstring going for a ball. This had an impact on UCC’s attacking play during the game even though his replacement, Pearse O’Riordan, would score UCC’s goal. UL opened the scoring on 22 minutes when a run into the box by Aidan McGrath gave him the space to hit a front post cross to Coughlan who converted it for his first of the night. UCC went in search of an equaliser straight away when O’Riordan found Jason Abbott with his cross but Stephen Walsh parried the shot from 12 yards and then pounced on it before Mylod could get the rebound. The lead was doubled on 33 minutes when a high ball out of the UL defence following a corner found Coughlan on the halfway line and he was able to run unopposed into the UCC box, before slotting it under the keeper for his second. UCC pulled a goal back immediately when Calvin O’Callaghan’s through ball found O’Riordan who fired a low shot into the corner of the goal. This was to be the only goal UCC

a Barry Whelan clearance and then passed to Collins, and the Cork U21 player made no mistake in burying the ball to the top corner of the goal from 21 yards. The sides went into the break with UCC in front on a score line of 2-13 to 1-3. UCC had used the tactic of the long ball into Foran successfully in the first half but they were to achieve more success with this tactic on 34 minutes when a high ball into the square was caught and the big full-forward turned his man before powering the ball past Moriarty for UCC’s third goal of the game. Hartnett was next to score a goal for UCC when his run down the end line resulted in him blasting the ball home for UCC’s third goal of the game. Spillane got his second goal of the game on 43 minutes when he received a ball inside the big square before hitting it low past Moriarty who was left exposed for vast periods of the game. There was even time for Finn to pick out Foran with a pass who dispatched it to the net.

UCC - 1

UCC continued to score at ease with Finn, Jack Aherne and Spillane all scoring for fun due to WIT’s poor defence. The score would have been even bigger was it not for some super saves by Moriarty in the WIT goal. UCC: Tommy Wallace; Killian Burke, Michael Breen, Shane Roche; Shane Hegarty, Tadgh Burke, James Nagle; Mark O’Brien (0-2), Rickard Cahalane; Eoghan Finn (0-7), Michael Collins (1-2), Cormac Walsh (0-1); Anthony Spillane (2-6), DJ Foran (2-0), Brian Hartnett (1-5). Subs: Mark McGuane for Cahalane, Jack Aherne (0-2) for Collins and Paudie Prendergast for Nagle (all ht), Colm Devane for Spillane (55). WIT: Shane Moriarty; Barry Whelan, Jerome Maher, Ryan Gleeson; Martin Banville, Eoin McGrath, Seán Ryan; Ciarán O’Brien, Rob O’Leary; Tom Kavanagh (0-2), Finbarr Butler (0-3), Pat Prendergast; Ken Slattery, Robin Spencer (1-0), Joe O’Dwyer. Subs: Richie Walsh, Richie McCarthy.

UL - 4

would score and despite pressing for much of the second half they were unable to challenge Walsh in the UL goal, barring an O’Riordan shot that was parried, with Abbott’s rebound being well held.

Men’s Premier League: Belfast Star 72 C&S UCC Demons 88; Killester 63 C&S UCC Demons 76; C&S UCC Demons 93 Swords Thunder 78; Sun 2nd Nov: DCU Saints vs C&S UCC Demons @ 2pm in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght; Sat 8th Nov: UCD Marian vs C&S UCC Demons @ 7pm in the UCD Sports Centre.

Gaelic Football

HE Senior Football League Division 1 Group C: UCC 2-21 IT Carlow 2-11; UCC 5-17 IT Tralee 0-6; Tue 4th Nov: Cork IT vs UCC in Cork IT. HE Fresher Football League Division 1 Group B: UCC 2-19 IT Carlow 2-12; UCD 3-10 UCC 4-4; Thu 30th Oct: UCC vs Cork IT in the Mardyke.

Hockey (Mens)

Irish Senior Cup round 2: UCC 1 Glenanne 2 (Shrew Power). Irish Hockey League Pool A: Sat 1st Nov: UCC vs Annadale @ 3pm in the Mardyke. Munster League Division 1: Sun 9th Nov: UCC vs Catholic Institute in the Mardyke.

Hockey (Ladies)

Irish Hockey League Pool A: Sat 1st Nov: UCC vs Ballymoney @ 1pm in the Mardyke. Munster League Division 1: UL 0 UCC 11 (Ciara Sexton 3, Amy Kate Trevor 3, Sarah Browner 3, Holly Lehane, Grace Tutty); Sat 8th Nov: Ashton vs UCC in Ashton School.

Hurling HE Senior Hurling League Division 1 Group C: UCC 6-25 WIT 1-5 in the Mardyke; IT Carlow 0-25 UCC 2-15; Wed 5th Nov: Cork IT vs UCC in Cork IT. HE Fresher Hurling League Division 1 Group C: UCC 1-13 UL 2-19; WIT 1-10 UCC 1-12; Thu 6th Nov: Limerick IT vs UCC in Limerick IT.

UL made UCC pay for their lack of prowess in front of goal when, on 66 minutes, Coughlan shot a low curling shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal to seal his hat trick. Both teams introduced a host of changes in order to give players a run out on a cold night but there was still time for UL to extend their lead. Coughlan saw his free kick from the edge of the box palmed away by Jason O’Mahony only for Jonathan Hannafin to fire in from close range.

Ladies Football HEC Senior Ladies Football League Division 1: UCD 0-7 UCC 0-7.

Rugby Ulster Bank League Division 2A: Sat 1st Nov: Nenagh Ormond vs UCC @ 2.30pm in New Ormond Park; Sat 8th Nov: UCC vs Dungannon @ 2.30pm in the Mardyke.

This result means that UCC have yet to win a match in the CUFL Southern Premier Division having suffered three defeats already to IT Carlow, WIT and now UL. Yet on a day which UCC were crowned MSL champions for 2013/2014, this result brought them back down to earth very quickly.

Soccer (Mens) Munster Senior League Premier Division: Rockmount 3 UCC 3; Sat 1st Nov: Everton vs UCC @ 2.30pm in Everton Park. Donie Forde Trophy quarter-final: Carrigaline United 2 UCC 3. FAI Intermediate Cup round 2: UCC 3 Mayfield United 1. CUFL Premier Division South: UCC 1 WIT 3; UCC 1 UL 4; Wed 5th Nov: Athlone IT vs UCC @ 6pm in Athlone IT.

UCC: Charlie Bourneman (Jason O’Mahony, 45), Andrew Gannon, Darragh Corcoran (Rufus Holmes, 53), Darragh Corcoran, Daniel Pender, Seán O’Mahony, Jason Abbott (Mark McManus, 69), Mark Murphy, Calvin O’Callaghan, Evan Brown (Pearse O’Riordan, 15), Ian Mylod, Conor Barry (Cian Murphy, 69) UL: Stephen Walsh, Jordan Lewis, Barry Houton, Jonathan Nelson, Shane Harrington, Darren Hanrahan, Aidan McGrath (Michael Leigh, 60), Jonathan Hannafin, Garbhan Coughlan, Oisin McMenamin (Jack Byrne, 84), Adam Collins (Brian Donovan, 60).

Basketball

Soccer (Womens)

Darragh Corcoran escapes from a would-be Mayfield tackler, during the college's 3-1 FAI Intermediate Cup victory. Image by: Marc Moylan

WSCAI Premier Division South: UCC 10 UL 0 (Ellie Stritch 3, Amy O’Connor 2, Vanessa Ogbonna 3, Ciara O’Connell, Roisin O’Connell); IT Tralee 2 UCC 4 (Ciara O’Connell, Naomi Douglas, Vanessa Ogbonna, Lauren Murphy); Thu 6th Nov: UCC vs WIT @ 6pm in the Mardyke.

SPORT

UCC

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 18 | Issue 5

Conor Barry shoots at goal during UCC's FAI Intermediate Cup victory over Mayfield on Saturday.

Image by: Marc Moylan

College win historic MSL title five months after season ending Stephen Barry | Editor-in-Chief The UCC Senior Soccer team has won their first ever Munster Senior League (MSL) Premier Division title, after an arbitration hearing ruled that UCC should receive two extra points from a game played in November 2013.

“I do have massive sympathy for Avondale, this was not of their making, but the bottom line is that we weren’t going to stand for a league that was run without transparency, without honesty and with no integrity,” said the Chairman of UCC Soccer Alumni, Kieran Nestor.

UCC missed out on the title by a point to Avondale United, who were crowned champions, but subsequently appealed that Leeds AFC had fielded an ineligible player against the college during a 1-1 draw.

“they beat us and then they appealed. It was so contrived and underhanded.”

Having had their appeal rejected by the MSL, Munster Football Association and Football Association of Ireland, the parties agreed to binding arbitration which ruled in UCC’s favour. The college was awarded a 3-0 win for the Leeds game, two extra points and, ultimately, the league title.

“A lot of players have moved on because that’s college football, but our management are delighted because the guys had gone through the season unbeaten, our goal-difference was 26 better than our nearest rival, so we deserve the league for all those reasons.”

Controversially UCC lodged the appeal after the final game of the season, when they beat a weakened Avondale United 4-1 to close the gap to a point.

On the other hand, Avondale United manager for last season John Ryan outlined his disgust with the decision and the actions of UCC when speaking

to RedFM. “I’m absolutely disgusted with the decision made by the Arbitration of Sport. They’re taking the league title away from us that we’ve put ten months of hard work into and they’re going to strike it off because UCC have appealed. “Why didn’t UCC appeal before the game? They waited until after the result, until they beat us and then they appealed. It was so contrived and underhanded.” Avondale’s ire centres around the fact that UCC lodged their appeal a day after a seeming dead-rubber between the sides. The midweek end-of-season game was flanked by big cup games for Avondale, who rested five players. “Avondale did know that we had concerns because we emailed every club in the Munster Senior League in the week prior to the final match of the season,” retorted Nestor. “They received two emails and Avondale

officials were at the AGM when we brought up the subject. This was all prior to the last game of the season. “The problem we had was that we had no proof; we had no information, so we had to wait for the final game of the season, where the Munster Senior League declared that Avondale were the champions, and once they declared they were the champions, we then had cause to protest. That was the only way we could do it.” With the league title awarded to UCC, attention has moved on to further examine the action and suggested corruption within the MSL. One bone of contention was the fact that Everton, who were initially the only side to receive points from Leeds’ ineligible player, did not lodge an appeal, while Douglas Hall, College Corinthians and UCC’s questions were ignored. The official judgement agreed that the decision was tough on Avondale,

but they should have known that a potential appeal may be launched against the Leeds result, since Everton had successfully won points from Leeds for fielding the same player. “We said last season we’ve no problem if they got an injunction and play us at the end of the season,” added Ryan, “but win it on the football pitch, don’t win it on some technicality; there’s no pride in that.” Money for UCC’s appeal was raised through alumni and will now be fully refunded. Nestor worked alongside Conor Barry, Peter Quigley, Ger O’Sullivan and John MacCarthy on the appeal across the summer. The winners’ medals had originally been presented to Avondale by the MSL, who now face a PR disaster with the season decided in the boardroom.