UCC Express Issue 3 by University Express

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 3

NetSoc Launch New Societies Website Page 3

OLYMPIC GLORY: UCC honours three athletes who competed in Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015

PHOTO: Tomas Tyner

UCC Named University of the Year 2015 Zoe Cashman - News Editor UCC has been named The Sunday Times University of the Year for a record-breaking fourth time in The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016, with Maynooth University coming runner-up. UCC follows up its triumphs in 2003, 2005 and 2011, with the guide commenting that the college has a growing international reputation based on its high performance in research, attracting students and staff from around the world. College President Dr. Michael

Murphy welcomed the announcement, commenting “We are very pleased to have been named University of the Year for a fourth time. This award recognises UCC’s tradition of independent thinking, exceptional student experience, considerable track record for innovation and particularly our rate of graduate employment”. Murphy concluded that “it is also a welcome recognition of the hard work of staff, students and all those who contribute to our success”. This year, the college was recognised by a new

ranking system initiated by the EU Commission. The U-Multirank, which assesses 1,200 universities and higher education institutions in 83 countries, placed UCC at the top of the table. The ranking system was measured by the grading of 30 different headings, in which UCC got 21 A grades out of the 30 headings. One of the main factors in UCC’s success is its ability to generate research income. It is the top institution nationally for this, generating the equivalent of more than €120,000 for every member of academic

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€9.99

A Look at Mental Health Supports Page 10

staff in research income, a total of €83.9m last year. The investment has paid off as UCC is now placed 52nd out of 750 leading universities, based on research papers published in top academic journals. The college also has the best progression rate from first to second year of all higher education institutions nationally, just a 7% drop out rate. (continued on page 2)

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Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Inside Today: UCC Fall in QS Rank Page 4 Grad. Employment Page 6

UCC Declared Top University in Ireland (cont. from front page)

Elderly In Ireland Page 8 Mental Health Page 10 Harry Potter Photos Page 12 Special Olympics Page 15

Editorial team Editor-in-Chief: Brian Conmy Deputy & News Editor: Zoe Cashman Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahill Features Editor: Deirdre Ferriter Deputy Features Editor: Katie Jeffers Sport Editor: Neil Willoughby Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin Designer: Robert O’Sullivan Fashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain Online Editor: Afraic O’Riordain Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Ferlong Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson Music Editor: Holly Cooney Comic Editor: Dylan O Connell

It also has one of the higher proportions of students from disadvantaged backgrounds (21%). UCC has also seen its graduate employment rate improve, only 6% of 2014 graduates are actively looking for a job compared to 7.6% last year. Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, stated that “UCC has won our award on more occasions than any other university in Ireland - and with good reason. It displays an academic restlessness that keeps it striving for the constant improvement that maintains its position ahead of many of its peers, both nationally and internationally”. McCall concluded by saying “Students at UCC get a great deal - and they know it”. Students’ Union President, Aidan Coffey, is delighted at the news, but also stated that “It’s now essential that UCC builds on this momentum and justifies its place as university of the year by addressing key issues affecting students such as the library, increasing common spaces for students and allocating sufficient resources for essential students services, such as health services and counselling”. The Sunday Times Good University Guide is now in its 14th year of publication. It provides the definitive rankings for Irish third-level institutions together with profiles of each institution, and a view from students of what it is like to study there. It also contains the first full listing of 2016 courses and first-round entry points required to get into these courses.

Letter from the Editor As An Editor... Brian Conmy - Editor

For those unfamiliar with the inner goings on of the Express, aren’t you lucky, but also I guess it’s important to clarify something. I read every word that goes into this newspaper and magazine as well as every word that goes online. While I might not pick up every spelling, grammar or factual error at the very least I give every piece a certain level of thought about whether or not I’m comfortable standing by the content of the article. This becomes difficult to do when it comes to slightly more opinion based articles, a few more of which feature in this issue when compared to previous publications this year. One in particular gave me more than a moment of pause, a quick desire to find a replacement piece, a less quick desire to do a slight rewrite and eventually an acceptance that opinions other than my own should have a place to be expressed. Particularly when they are expressed in good faith and without ill intent as I believe this article in particular was. So with that in mind I hope if you’re reading this you realise that the Express can be a place for you to try and express opinions perhaps less seen in the mainstream. College, as we always

hear, is a place to find yourself and if part of that is airing a belief, a thought or a desire you don’t see articulated elsewhere then we welcome your attempt to do so. If not in print then online, a platform we’re trying with great attention to grow. In fact our website had its greatest week in history based on the success of one article before we had to close it for maintenance for a few days. Timing is everything after all. If you, like I did this week, ever feel challenged by anything you see in this paper and wish to air your thoughts please feel free to contact us through Facebook, Twitter, our website or by email at editor@uccexpress.ie. A letter to the editor doesn’t have to be done by post anymore.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

Netsoc Launches New Societies’ Website Zoe Cashman - News Editor

Last Wednesday, the Networking, Gaming and Technology Society (Netsoc) launched “Lowdown”, a new solution for keeping track of UCC Societies’ events.

love”. Organised under the slogan ‘It’s everything you love in one place’, “Lowdown” represents the first of a series of Netsoc open-source projects for the year.

Boasting a weekly email newsletter and integrations with calendar apps such as iCloud and Google Calendar, the innovative project “Lowdown” provides a solution to finding out about societies’ events easily.

Cahalane went on to say that “We’d love to get more students interested in developing applications and services with us to help make the college a better place. We’ve made all the code for this project available on our Github page, and we’re accepting contributions to build on it even further”.

“It’s about building in to the systems people are using already”, commented developer and Netsoc finance officer Colm Cahalane. “we take our event data directly from Facebook and organise it into a neat little website to help people find out about events they’ll

Auditor Evan Smith excitedly commented that “We’ve joined Ireland’s inter-societies network and set ourselves up in the Cork Internet eXchange”. He went on to state their aspirations for

the coming year, stating that “This year we’re hoping to give student developers a place to practice, play and explore. Thanks to donations from our sponsors in CIX, Nova Broadband and Teamwork.com, and the support of other societies in Intersocs, we’ve been able to set up quickly!”. The UCC Netsoc is a small but rapidly growing student society, and the only technology-focused society on campus. Their mission as a society is to help breed and explore a curiosity in all technologies. Having released a statement of intent this summer proudly declaring “we wont stop until every student on campus benefits from what we have to offer”,

UCC Netsoc has been going from strength to strength. Future plans for the society include giving students access to web-space, virtual machines, version control and file storage/backup. You can find “Lowdown” online on http://lowdown.netsoc.co/.

Survey Reveals Driving is a “must” for Graduate Jobs Chris McCahill - Deputy News Editor

Enterprise survey reveals 85% do not think enough importance is placed on driving in schools and universities the largest obstacle for those who did A recent survey of 1,500 secondary and and fewer than 31% had taken the test not already have a licence with 57% third level students and graduates, at 18. citing that it was “too expensive”. conducted by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The survey also discovered that third This research comes at a crucial time found that 85% of second and third level students are learning to drive at when more and more companies require level students believe that being able to their graduate employees to have a full drive is an essential skill required for a younger age compared to those who driving licence, according to Leslee employability. Of the students surveyed, graduated in 2010. More than half of O’Loughlin, Group Human Resources those currently attending third level inover half (52%) had already applied for stitutes learnt how to drive at the age of Manager at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. jobs where driving was a requirement, 17 compared to less 32% of graduates while 42% felt that not having a full “As the class of 2015 get ready to take licence reduced their employment opof more than 5 years. the next step on the education ladder, portunities. The survey also found that they will be assessing all the options ‘Independence’ was noted as the most more females than males felt discourcommon reason for learning to drive open to them and the skills they may aged to apply for jobs where driving require in their future endeavours. It is was a requirement. (68%), while ‘a good skill to have’ was second (32%). A more practical concern important for students to understand Furthermore, 85% of those surveyed felt such as ‘Lack of public transport routes’ the value driving has as a skill and how (32%) was the other major motivating much emphasis is put on this skill in the that not enough emphasis was placed factor, while motivation from parents career they wish to pursue”. on learning how to drive in second and third level education. 47% said they and friends accounted for 19% and 8%. Loughlin concluded that “by not being The survey also identified cost as being learned to drive at the legal age of 17

able to drive many candidates are ruling themselves out of a number of positions before the application process has even begun. To an employer a candidate’s ability to drive can demonstrate their willingness to learn new skills and their motivation and dedication to succeed.”

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC Sees Narrow Drop In QS World Rankings Stefan Stewart - News Writer UCC has performed generally well in the QS World University Rankings 2015. This twelfth edition of QS ranking places UCC at 233rd out of 891 institutions included, in comparison to 2014 where UCC positioned 230th out of 863. Published since 2004, the QS world university ranking is an annual league table of the top universities in the world. Compiled by the QS Intelligence Unit in close consultation with an international advisory board of learning academics, the QS World University Rankings continue to be widely referenced by prospective and current students, university professionals and governments worldwide. The purpose of these rankings is to provide a global comparison of universities

and their success against the notional mission of remaining, or becoming, world-class. Criteria of the rankings are based on four key pillars, research, teaching, employability and internationalization. These are selected using a methodology of six key indicators: academic reputation (40%), employer reputation (10%), and faculty student ratio (20%), citations per faculty (20%), international students (5%) and international faculty (5%). UCC have managed to improve its position in Natural science (from 273 to 246) and has held its position in Social Sciences & Management (311). However, it has fallen back in Life Sciences & Medicine, Engineering & Technology and Arts & Humanities. Within this Irish context, UCC ranks 3rd

of the eight Irish institutions, staying ahead of NUIG, DCU, UL, Maynooth and DIT by a considerable margin. TCD still leads the Irish pack at 78th but has also declined slightly in the rankings. Commenting on the result, UCC President Dr Michael Murphy stated that “Following eight years of budget cuts, UCC is not only holding its own in trying economic times, it continues to do more with less to exemplary standards. While experiencing a marginal drop in position, we’ve seen improvements across certain key metrics, including academic and employer reputation “. Ben Sowter, Head of Research at QS, stated that “Considering the strong representation of Irish universities per-capita, one ranked university per 130,000 people, Irish universities are akin to the

Irish Rugby Team; remarkably competitive given their population, funding and resources; and consistently so.” In the global context, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is recognised as the world’s top university closely followed by Harvard (2nd) and the university of Cambridge and Stanford University (3rd=). The National University of Singapore (12th) is the leading Asian institution while Nanyang Technological University (13th) takes a quantum leap from last year’s position of 39th.

Blind Musicians Get Helping Hand Siobhán O’Donnell - News Writer Being blind or visually impaired has never been an impediment for the musically gifted. The great Irish harpist, Turlough O’ Carolan certainly never let it hold him back. The beautiful music of blind harper O’ Carolan might have been lost forever had it not been for Edward Bunting, who transcribed the music at the Belfast harp festival in 1792. The music is still being enjoyed thanks to Buntings endeavours which shows us the importance of having a written tradition as well as an aural tradition. A new handbook ‘Hands On: Feel the music’ devised by UCC music lecturer Dr Eva McMullan- Glossop sets out to help this generation of blind musicians read Braille music so that they can further their music education at second and third level. O’ Carolan and other 18th century harpers came from an aural tradition but music notation is a critical

element of music education today. ‘Hands On’ is an exciting and welcome project for UCC which has one of the most progressive Disability support services in the country and also has the largest number of visually impaired students registered at third level in Europe. The handbook explores new methodologies that will provide the music teacher with relevant information to make minor adjustments to the existing framework and improve music education for both the student and the teacher. McMullan highlights the importance of forethought, preparation and planning on the part of both the school and the student before course work begins. She believes that Braille is the way forward for blind students. “A Braille music system will allow blind musicians to read and write music more quickly and

easily than other systems”. This project strives to create an environment which is accessible to both visually impaired and sighted students. Robert Creed, one of Dr. McMullan’s former students, who is also a traditional musician taught her a lot. Namely, the difficulty for visually impaired students studying musical notation. Creed recently received a first class music degree and not only has he achieved this but he has also written a poem about the experience of being a blind musician. Inspired by the commemoration for the George Boole bicentenary, he also composed a piece in his honour and performed it accompanied by UCC PhD student and harpist Fiachra O Corragáin. As well as articles and resources, Dr McMullans handbook contains a number of interviews one of which is with

Robert. He tells her the positive impact music has had on his life. He would suggest that “music should always be accessible to blind and visually impaired students and particularly at all levels of the education system.” Both the aural and the visual elements are important. The more that visually impaired students develop their aural skills, the more they can integrate into a social setting, which can have a huge impact on their musical development as well as their social integration and confidence. In the interview Robert pinpointed a poignant message, which captures the message ‘Hands On’ upholds: ‘visual impairment can be transcended by music.’

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

Hundreds of Cyclists Come Out in Force for Pieta 100 Cycle Siobhán O’ Donnell - News Writer The first ever Pieta 100 National Cycle took place on Sunday, September 27th in three locations around Ireland –Cork, Limerick and Galway. Close to 400 cyclists took part in the event in Cork. While raising awareness on the issues of suicide and self-harm, the cycle also succeeded in raising much needed funds for the Pieta House service. Based on the success of the cycle it is set to become a part of the Pieta House fundraising calendar. There were two routes available. A 50km route for the ever increasing number of leisure cyclists and a more demanding 100km route for those with more experience under their saddle. Cyclists opting for the 50 km route

travelled to Crossbarry, on to the halfway and returned home while cyclists participating in the 100 km route went to Crossbarry, on to Kinsale before taking the final stretch back to Highfield Rugby Club where all who participated were welcomed back by friends, family and supporters. On the first 5km of the route cyclists passed the Pieta House Cork centre which has been delivering a service to the people of the region since December 2013. In that time over 1000 people have availed of the service. Thanks to this service help is always at hand no matter how dark things may appear. The first Pieta House was founded in Dublin in 2006. At present there are

nine centres around Ireland. Pieta house has supported more than 17,000 people, providing a one to one therapeutic service for those who are experiencing suicidal ideation or engaging in selfharm. The work they do is becoming more and more pertinent and relevant in our modern society. Suicide rates among under-24s in Ireland are among the highest in Europe, with young men particularly at risk. Events such as this are a positive way of spreading awareness of these issues into the local community and attempt to break the ‘cycle of suicide.’ Sylvia O’ Driscoll, centre manager of Pieta House Cork expressed her gratitude to all involved in the fantastic

fundraising event, “We’re so grateful for all the cyclists for coming out on Sunday and taking part in a hugely successful event.” She also thanked the supporters, organisers and the people of Cork for their support and commitmen to the Pieta House, she emphasized that their “goal of a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma are replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance and our commitment to offering a free service can only be achieved with the help and support of communities.”

UCC Professor wins Patrick Kavanagh Award Heather Déiseach - News Writer It has been announced that John Mee, a Professor in the Faculty of Law in UCC, is this year’s winner of the Patrick Kavanagh Award for ‘a poet that has not yet published a book’. Last year’s winner, John Fitzgerald, is the University Librarian here at UCC. Brian Lynch, judge of the competition and President of the Patrick Kavanagh Society, commented that “UCC is proving to be a ‘seed-bed’ for poets”. Lynch went on to say that John Mee was one of the entrants whose work he had highly recommended last year. “In the space of a year, John has sharpened and focused his considerable natural gifts as

a poet. This commitment and improvement is one of the aims of the award.” John Mee published his first poem in 1991, and in 2008 he was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series. He originally wrote short stories, but around 1990 became interested in poetry. His favourite Kavanagh poem is ‘Memory of my Father’. Patrick Kavanagh was known for being quite a controversial individual. When asked if he shares any traits with him, John denied all charges. When asked about where Mee gets his inspiration, he commented that “sometimes I think of lines while taking a

walk or just after waking up in the morning”. Mee went on to say that when writing “you need to exercise a lot of precision and care. In poetry, a comma in the wrong place could ruin the whole thing”. To continue the seed metaphor, John’s advice for any ‘budding’ writers is “be patient and persist with trying to improve. At the start, a lot of poets make the mistake of writing too directly about their feelings. Try to evoke a feeling indirectly through describing something concrete.”

The runners-up this year also include Cork native, Simon Lewis and three writers from Dublin; Jane Robinson, Rosamund Taylor and Liza Costelloe.

UCC Reaches Finals of Web Awards 2015 Zoe Cashman - News Editor

UCC has made the finals of the forthcoming Web Awards 2015 in two categories, ‘Most Influential Irish Website Ever’ and ‘Best Education and Third Level Website’. UCC will attend the 2015 finals taking place at the RDS Concert Hall on 15 October. UCC’s successful presence on the web would not be possible without the IT Services team, including Peter Flynn, the driving force behind UCC becoming the first website in Ireland and 9th ever

in the world. An array of web and social media moderators, past and present, across the university can take pride in the finalist nominations. In the ‘Most Influential Irish Website Ever’ category, UCC will go head to head with Boards. ie, Irish Times, RTÉ, TheJournal, Done Deal, Revenue.ie and Broadsheet.ie. University College Cork had the first website in Ireland in 1991, serving transcriptions of Irish historical and literary documents for the CELT project

converted from SGML to HTML. Other departments and projects soon followed, with early adopters having to hand-craft their own HTML. UCC became the point of contact for other institutions in Ireland wanting to join the World Wide Web. The IT Services Department in UCC has continued this tradition of leadership by being the first to use XML and XSLT; learning management (Blackboard, 2002); enterprise-level content management;

parallel multilingual page production; on-site E-journals; web-enablement of enterprise systems; the first Irish university with mobile-responsive website and live web-based interactive student dialogues.

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

A Look Into Student Employability in UCC Katie Jeffers - Deputy Features Editor The thought of life after college terrifies some and enthrals others. It’s just around the corner for some and an eternity away for others. However, it is something that all of us are going to have to face. Sorry to break it to you, but it’s not all hot chicken rolls, €3 pints and Thursday nights out forever. Both the graduate and part-time job markets are becoming increasingly competitive. This means that everyone around you is really stepping up their game. But that’s why I’m here. Think of me as your secondary school guidance counsellor, but seven times more sound.

‘A GradIreland survey of over 7,000 graduate employers this year found that half of graduate employers are expecting challenges in filling their graduate recruitment quotas for 2015’ When it comes to graduate jobs, things are looking up. UCC’s own Deirdre Parker of Career Services outlined in a recent piece for The Irish Times, that 1800 graduate vacancies were advertised through the UCC Student Development and Employability service this year, 200 more than last year. But as the demand for graduates increases, employers have their own concerns. A GradIreland survey of over 7000 graduate employers this year found that half of graduate employers are expecting challenges in filling their graduate recruitment quotas for 2015. The National Skills Bulletin, published in May of 2015, showed an increase in the number of vacancies for professional roles, in addition to skill shortages across a range of sectors such as IT, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, health and business and financial services. Changes in regulations in financial services has led to increased graduate opportunities in risk and compliance. An evolving international tax environment maintains a strong demand for graduate tax roles in the professional services sector. Two thirds of the “difficult to fill” roles in the National Skills Bulletin were professional roles and two thirds of these “difficult to fill” roles are IT roles such as software programming and development, IT business analysis, cloud computing specialties, web design and network engineering. Other highly sought after graduates include production and process engineers, chemical engineers and general scientists (for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, engineering and medical devices industries), business and financial professionals (e.g. accountants, data analysts) and medical and health professionals (e.g. doctors, nurses and radiographers). German was the most frequently mentioned language required on Irish job sites, followed by French, Spanish and Dutch. Some graduates roles require a combination of two distinct but complementary areas of expertise (e.g. engineering and science; maths and IT; languages and finance). Therefore, many graduates

choose postgraduate conversion courses that provide them with skills and knowledge in a new discipline to enhance their existing qualifications, skills and job prospects. So in general, the graduate employment market appears to be quite positive at the moment seeing as there is a high level of employment across almost every possible background. There is something for everyone out there!

‘Companies such as Google won’t even read a CV if there isn’t some role of responsibility on it’ However, student employability is not just for graduates. It spans all years of study. Whether it is a parttime job while you’re at college or a work placement somewhere down the line, student employability is relevant to everyone. CVs have a massive role to play in securing work. It is the first port of call for employers to assess who you are as a person, whether you’re right for their business and your suitability to the vacancy. That is a lot to take from just two pages. This means that you have to make the most of those two measly pages. Sell yourself. Leap off that CV and show that boss…well…who’s boss! Again, your fairyjob-mother is here to guide you. The most important thing to do is to build up your CV. Employers are looking for a well-rounded, three-dimensional person. Results alone just don’t cut it anymore. They want to see that you’re multi-faceted; that you can provide good results that you can take on extra responsibility, that you are willing to give back and help others, that you can juggle multiple roles at once, I could go on and on. They basically want to see that you are balanced as a person.

‘At the end of the day, student employability is an area that should not seem daunting’ Companies such as Google won’t even read a CV if there isn’t some role of responsibility on it. There is a plethora of ways that you can build your CV to portray that you are all of the above. This is mostly done through volunteering. Volunteering is incredibly easy to get into here in UCC. Most recently, there was the volunteering fair in Devere Hall on September 22nd which housed numerous organisations willing to accept volunteers both on and off campus. There is also a multitude of organisations on campus looking for students to give their time. Many of the charities such as Saint Vincent de Paul, UCC Cancer Society, Amnesty International, Surgeon Noonan, Friends of Médecins Sans Fronitères and the most recent addition to campus, UCC Friends of Refugees are always

more than happy to accept an extra pair of hands. Off campus, there are plenty of opportunities to display these qualities as well. Engaging in activities such as summer internship schemes, be-friending schemes and teaching or leading summer camps both here in Ireland and abroad. There is a wealth of information online, with websites such as corkvolunteer.ie and vsi.ie offering several different volunteering options both nationally and internationally. Partaking in extra activities like this will really show employers that you adaptable, have a broad skill set, that you can handle responsibility and that you have a great work ethic. This nicely ties up your plan to blow away future employers. You can thank me later. A priceless service made available to all students here in UCC is the UCC Career Service under the umbrella of Student Development and Employability. Yeah, we have a whole department dedicated to advancing us and helping us kick-start a career. A new Director of Student Development and Employability has been appointed in recent weeks, this being Paul Moriarty. Paul is keen to emphasise to the student body his enthusiasm and dedication to his new role and his desire to create opportunities to aid the development of the students here at UCC. Paul Moriarty, Deirdre Parker and all the members of the UCC Career Service are incredibly knowledgeable in their respective fields, are very welcoming and friendly and are ultimately there to help guide you seamlessly into professional life after university. What more could you want? At the end of the day, student employability is an area that should not seem daunting. If it is, there is support there to help and guide you. If you love what you’re doing, the prospect of branching out further should excite you. Like they always say “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

Breakdown of Employability in UCC By College Students With An Undergraduate Degree

Students With An Postgraduate Degree

Graphs & Figures taken from ‘UCC Career Services Report 2013/14,’ available from the UCC Careers Service website

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

The Uncomfortable Truth About the Elderly in Ireland Diarmaid Twomey - Features Writer Much has been said and written about the effects the rise of individualism and consumerism have had on morality, principles, and basic manners in contemporary society. Many equate the apparent rise in modern day ailments such as crime, mental illnesses, and addictions, as well as the overall increase in societal ‘moral decay’, with the replacing of the traditional community, in many instances held together by a collective religious belief, by a religion of greed and neoliberalism. Whether those arguments stack up or not is debatable, nevertheless, one would find it difficult to counteract an argument that some deeply unsavoury traits are packed away in the arrival luggage of neoliberalism and individualism.

‘Our elderly shaped the Ireland we live in today and their hard work is responsible for many of the services and social benefits we take for granted today’ Mahatma Ghandi once said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest member”. While we could all argue about what individuals collectively form the weakest group within society, I don’t think anyone could deny that our elderly would make the shortlist. Our elderly shaped the Ireland we live in today and their hard work is responsible for many of the services and social benefits we take for granted today. At the very least, they should have our respect, but in reality are deserving of much more, not least our concern for their welfare. A fortnight ago I found myself bearing witness to the harsh reality of contemporary society’s abandonment of care and compassion for their weakest members. On a packed double decker, with a seating capacity of at least 100, I found myself sharing a space with a group of passengers, seemingly absent of any resemblance of awareness of the toll that standing in a bus could have on a frail, elderly man. Without rehashing the exact sequence of events that took place, not alone could the sight of a struggling elderly man not convince anyone to give up their seat, but a publicly voiced request did not move anyone either. In retrospect, the situation could have been handled much better by me. Perhaps asking individual passengers to give up their seat would have been more successful, and may have ensured I wasn’t risking embarrassing the elderly gentleman. All that aside, this wasn’t about me. This was about the forty plus people in the direct line of sight of this elderly gentleman being so socially unaware, that they could not recognise an elderly man struggling to merely hold his footing. But perhaps worse than that, they remained collectively silent when this man’s plight was publicly pointed out to them. Not a single person moved. Was this a unique experience for this man? Sadly it seems to be just a snapshot of the harsh reality of the lives of elderly people in our society. In the time since that incident took place, a photo of an elderly woman

in her eighties begging on the streets of Dublin has been hitting headlines across Ireland. What is her plight? Winter is arriving and she needs to beg to get the money to be able to heat her home in Finglas. What an absolute indictment of Irish society, and of you and I for allowing this to happen. Has the Ireland of 2015 no shame?

‘All economic indicators seem to suggest that the ravaging of the most vulnerable in society has been a success’ In the 4 years since we elected Fine Gael and Labour to power, they have been at pains to hammer home their message of ‘recovery’ to us. Pain has been experienced at hugely varying levels of severity, yet it has all been ‘worthwhile’. Anyone you talk to these days speaks of the familiar light of prosperity, which supposedly is coming firmly into our view again. All economic indicators seem to suggest that the ravaging of the most vulnerable in society has been a success. But how do we measure success? The experience of that elderly man aboard the 208 hugely concerned and angered me, but in reality, that bus trip is nothing but a depressing metaphor for the elderly in our society. In 2013, the current government imposed cuts to phone, medical and energy supports for the elderly. In 2014 they cut housing aid for the elderly, as well as mobility aid. Can you call a government that has systematically attacked the most vulnerable, in this case the elderly, by the implementation of deeply regressive budgets a success? Has the welfare of our most vulnerable and needy become subservient to economic success and greater accessibility to material things? Has neoliberalism eradicated all traits of collective responsibility from the social

conscious? Sadly, I am beginning to think that the answer to all the above questions is yes. At what point did the elderly become a burden to our fast paced and materialistic lives? Michael D Higgins, Mary Robinson and David Norris are all well-known Irish political figures, in their seventies, still contributing to the etching of the contemporary Irish and global social landscape. When they move aside will they not be deserving of a comfortable seat aboard the bus of Irish society or will all their hard work be forgotten for the sake of your five minutes of repose? In 2013, the CSO released statistics about the elderly in Ireland, combined with predictions about the future age profile of the Irish population. In 2013, there were just under half a million elderly people living in Ireland. By 2046, they envisage there to be just shy of 1.5 million. We are lucky enough to live in a free society, ironically contributed to, and brought about by people like the elderly man I spoke of earlier in this piece. Because of this freedom, people are entitled to not care about the elderly, and most certainly not obliged to give up their seats for those more vulnerable than they are. But what you, I, and they cannot ignore is cold hard facts. The phrase “one paycheque away” is often bandied about when people discuss the realistic proximity of homelessness and joblessness to all of our lives. The proximity of our elder years is even closer. One day, in the not too distant future, we will all be elderly people, and we may too be in dire need of a comfortable seat aboard Irish society. If you are unable to care for an elderly person for compassionate reasons, do it for selfish one. You’re just a few birthdays away.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

Drug Reform: One of Many Needed Law Reforms Seán Kelliher - Features Writer Casually walking through Tralee Town Park, on the grey pavement I observe many things including leaves, the odd decapitated flower and drug paraphernalia. It is not a rare sight but not a common one either, just the odd syringe here and there. After “yokeapocalypse” several months ago, many Kerry people from Tarbert to Rossmore Island and from Ballyferriter to Rathmore emerged from their fallout shelters and were surprised to not find scenes reminiscent of Mad Max. Personally, I was not surprised the whole incident has reinforced by belief in the need of drug law reform. In my estimation we need decriminalisation. Before you begin to pound on your keyboard frantically to write a letter to the editor, one must understand though we use decriminalisation and legalisation interchangeably, they are not the same. Decriminalisation does not mean drug users get away with impunity, but possessing miniscule amounts of drugs would no longer mean the holder would receive a criminal record or a prison sentence. Portugal is a role model for drug law reform. In June of 2001 Portugal decriminalised all drugs, adopting a harm reduction policy. Instead of putting drug addicts in prisons they were sent to mandatory classes to help them cope with addiction. In the late 90s Portugal was going through a serious drug problem. Rates of HIV/ AIDS infections were increasing drastically, before 1991 there were 73 newly infected drug users with that figure soaring to 505 new cases of infection in 1994. This number has decreased to an average of 56 a year between 2001 and 2012. Similarly we can observe downward trend of those seeking Hepatitis C & B treatment in drug programmes, despite the number of those seeking drug treatment increasing. The main reason disease rates plummeted was due to a highly publicised needle exchange programme. Such a programme will not just save lives in Ireland but also save money for the government. The average hypodermic needle costs the HSE .86c meanwhile the daily cost for a HIV patient’s drugs costs the state €45. In Portugal the average heroin addict uses needle exchange programmes every 3 days, this brings their cost per a year to the state around €105.85, nothing compared to the €16,425 annual cost per a HIV patient. It only makes sense to implement more needle exchange programmes here in Ireland to aid in cutting down on transmission rates of certain diseases. Decriminalisation also saw a 20% decrease in drug related deaths in Portugal between 2001 and 2012. Ireland on the other hand tragically has the third highest drug related death rate in Europe. The reason why our drug policy fails is obvious; we treat drug addiction as a criminal issue and not a health one. Hypothetically, if we decriminalise drugs we remove the stigma attached to drug addiction thus allowing drug addicts to seek help without been forced to by the state. This is visible in Portugal where initially the rate of those going to rehabilitation cases on their own accord was

quite low with a gradual increase as the years went on. However for me the most the compelling argument for decriminalisation is the fact it takes power away from criminal gangs. Last year alone criminal gangs made a €60 million profit according to the Gardaí. More information from the Guards can show us that 20% of this revenue is used to fund human, trafficking thus this forces individuals who suffer from the mental illness that is addiction to fund the enslavement of people in the sex industry. Gangs also bring with them increases in other criminal activities. The shooting of Christy Kane on the UL campus by a rival drug dealer brought this to the forefront of the media. We as a nation must understand that the current system in place in Ireland in regards to drug policy is failing us from Ballymac to Ballymun. This is in part due to fact we are sending drug addicts to prisons whose cultures feed addicts into a cycle of destructive drug fuelled lifestyle and refusing to actually address the problem at hand. Also if we were to actually punish all users of drugs we would have to arrest 23.4% of 18-24 year olds due to cannabis use. Looking at the size and profile of the Irish prison population from the 1960s onwards, Liam Herrick of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) noted that it had increased from less than 500 in 1960 to nearly 4,500 today, and that there was a particularly rapid increase in the first decade of the new century. He argued that this increase was partly due to the introduction of mandatory drug sentencing in 1999. He pointed to two statistics supporting this assertion:

‘Between 2005 and 2009, the number of charges brought by the Gardaí in most categories, e.g. theft and burglary, remained static but drug supply offences doubled.’

‘Over the same period, the number of short-term sentences and life sentences remained stable but the number of 3 to 10-year sentences increased substantially. He linked this to an increase in the number of circuit court and high court prosecutions of drug offenders receiving 3 to 10-year sentences under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1977)’ Further statistics on those who are sentenced show the majority are not really criminals. 1/3 of those serving jail time had no prior convictions and over 3/4 of them were never in the prison system prior to their sentencing. Also of those sentenced 68% are also alcoholics and 2/3 suffer from depression, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses. Meanwhile those who sell narcotics only make up 10% of those convicted for drug offences. Decimalisation will help the economy not just because of decreased healthcare costs as the rate of diseases caused by infected needles will plummet but taxes raised from drugs will also can be put into the economy to help those with addictions. The money saved on prisons cost would also greatly benefit society, the average cost to the state of a prisoner in Ireland is €150,000 a year. According to estimates by the IPRT 2000, 2600 prisoners were convicted for personal drug use or possession for drug use, this means that if we decriminalised drugs on average we would save €3900 million a year. The evidence is clear that our “War on Drugs” is not a war on drugs but a war on addicts and it cost our society both financially and morally.

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

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Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Support on in Ireland & on Campus Katie Jeffers - Deputy Features Editor Last month marked World Suicide Prevention Month, with September 10th being highlighted as World Suicide Prevention Day. The aim of this month long campaign is to raise awareness and get people talking about an issue that we find difficult to discuss or comprehend that some people reach such depths of despair they see suicide as a solution to their problems. Suicide awareness is a topic to be broached with great care. It is an issue that has been increasingly affecting the lives of the people of Ireland. It has become everybody’s concern rather being the distant, and at times, taboo subject of the past. An estimated 495 people died by suicide in 2014 (CSO via Connecting for Life, 2015) compared to 195 road traffic deaths in 2014 (garda.ie). According to Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide from 2015 to 2020 25% of people in Ireland will use a mental health service at some stage of their lives. Research also shows a strong link between mental health difficulties and death by suicide. In higher income countries such as Ireland, mental health problems are present in up to 90% of people who die by suicide. This an extensive plan to tackle suicide in Irish society: “a better understanding of suicidal behaviour, support communities to prevent and respond to suicidal behaviour, provide targeted approaches for those vulnerable to suicide, present improved access, consistency and integration of services, achieve safer and higher quality services, to reduce access to means by which to commit suicide and finally, gather better data and research”. I feel that it is encouraging that government is taking suicide prevention so seriously. The fact that they have put together such a lengthy document outlining their position and plan of action on this topic is heartening. This is a pretty comprehensive list of goals, and if achieved, will significantly help raise awareness and ultimately, hopefully reduce the number of suicides committed in Ireland. I mean, isn’t that what everyone else wants at the end of the day? There are many extremely valiant and successful efforts to both improve suicide awareness and help reduce the number of incidences of suicide in Ireland. These range from nation-wide campaigns to local suicide awareness groups distributing flyers throughout their respective communities. All of this is helping to somewhat normalise the conversation and in turn encourage people to share their struggles with their inner demons. Services to aid this effort are becoming increasingly accessible. For example, Console, who’s Cork base is on Perrott Avenue just of College Road, launched a 24/7 text helpline and in a recently released infographic this service has proved to be hugely beneficial. It outlines that Console have received over 4,000 texts this year, 62% of which were sent by men. This just goes to show that men, who are notorious

for not discussing their mental health, find this a more accessible form of help. Though it is important to note that all groups and demographics are vulnerable to mental health difficulties and suicide. This is a huge leap forward in providing easier, less daunting methods of support. Other more convenient, more modern forms of assistance and advice are the yourmentalhealth.ie website, #littlethings on Twitter and especially the Pieta House website (pieta.ie), which provides a six-step-plan on how to help someone who is feeling suicidal. On campus, the SÁMH society in conjunction with Pieta House have recently circulated flyers outlining the “signs of suicide”. These are:

sleep disturbance, isolation, giving away possessions, no interest in anything and speaking of no future. The HSE also provide suicide prevention information. They offer courses called Reaching Out, SafeTalk and ASIST, aimed to tackle general awareness, alertness skills and intervention skills respectively. These have been seen as greatly informative and useful by participants. The attempt to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and ultimately mental health has seen the emergence of creative forms of normalising the subject. My favourite example of this is First Fortnight. First Fortnight is a festival started in 2009 which is held, appropriately, during the first fortnight of the year, across Dublin consisting of music, film, theatre, spoken word, debate and visual art events. Its aim is to challenge mental health prejudice through the creative arts. Hopefully First Fortnight will establish itself nationwide in the future as it sounds like a fresh, new approach to tackling the taboo surrounding mental health and in turn, suicide. Fortunately for the students of UCC, the standard of mental health and suicide prevention services here on campus have been maintained and improved over the last few years. When speaking with Dr Michael Byrne, Director of Student Health and Wellbeing, on this issue he was delighted that the high number of face-to-face appointments provided by his department was able to be maintained this year. He also highlighted the progressive and multi-faceted approach the university is taking in tackling mental health issues. UCC Student Health and Wellbeing is equipped in the methods of, physical therapy, face-to-face meetings, online support and treatment and are branching out into bibliotherapy. Bibliotherapy is a new, innovative treatment for various mental health difficulties via different prescribed readings depending on the issue at hand. The Student Health and Wellbeing Service is working in collaboration with the Boole Library to

launch this on campus in the near future. Dr Byrne also informed me that there is a lot of background and pilot work currently taking place in UCC. It is here that the website ifightdepression.com was piloted. It is an EU initiative to promote and increase awareness of depression and suicidal behaviour, by providing information about depression and its consequences, and informing people about the causes, signs and symptoms of depression in order for them to learn how to recognise it. The National Suicide Research Foundation is also based here in the university. Professor Ella Arensman is the Director of Research for the NSRF and is also President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Her research with the NSRF into the causes of suicide, self-harm and related mental health and social factors in Ireland, from the perspectives of psychology, psychiatry, medicine, sociology, epidemiology, public health, biostatistics and health services research have been vital in the fight suicide. It is marvellous the the university is getting behind such a worthwhile cause that is benefiting both the student body and the population as a whole. The sizeable issue of suicide and mental health difficulties here in Ireland is progressively being downsized, however, it is going to take a considerable amount of time to eradicate it completely. Thankfully, the awareness of this topic has been raised significantly over the last few years. This awareness and pro-activeness desperately needs to be maintained. We’re in it for the long haul, but it is undoubtedly worth it.

If you have been affected by any of the subject matter discussed in this piece, the Samaritans are here to help. Their 24/7 phone-line is open to everyone, the number to which is: 116 123

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

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FLASH BACK<

Every issue the UCC Express team look back at our own print history and pick out some...interesting bits from papers’ past.

As you can see here, the Express has evolved in a number of ways over the years, most notably in tone. Going through over two decades of past papers seeing the change in what was and wasn’t acceptable is fascinating at times and mind boggling at others. More often than not when looking back we have to genuinely ask one another if the piece in question is actually some kind of parody or satire the meaning of which has been lost to the ages. One thing is for sure though, nowadays if the Express published anything that was widely deemed offensive in any way a note sincere apology would be expected and in many cases given and if an editor was accused of drug use in writing for the paper then... Well. I actually don’t know what would happen. Maybe we’ll find out this year. As long as we don’t mention that alcohol exists as anything but a force for evil in the world then we’re usually cool.

Disclaimer: We present these excerpts unedited, to highlight how much has changed since they were first published.

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Freshers Week

Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

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Tuesday, October 6th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

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Mixed fortunes for UCC Hockey at the Mardyke

Fred McElroy - Sports Writer (cont. from Back Page)

The best goal scoring opportunity fell to the visitors, Aisling O’Leary was well place on the line to do just enough to clear the ball to safety. It was not until long after this that the Dublin side found the net to opening goal the scoring with Emma Smyth finishing from close range. They had a chance to double their lead soon after but goalkeeper Sarah Wrixon was at hand to defuse the situation. The score remained 1-0 until half time. Poor second half defence from UCC saw the Dubliners make it 2-0 through Captain tJulia O’Halloran. Nicola Kerr rallied her teammates and they very nearly got one back as Kate Harvey found herself One-

on-One with the keeper. Sadly it was not to be as the Leinster side countered for their third of the afternoon before a very unfortunate deflected Own goal made it 4-0. There were strong performances from freshers Saoirse O’Leary and substitute goal Kate Murphy. Coach Phil Oakley will want to work on a few things this week before the Ladies travel to play Ulster Elks on Saturday 10th. Men 1st XI 6-1 Limerick Ladies 1st XI 0-4 Railway Union

Freshers Find Form to Knock Avondale Aside

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

UCC FC 4 - 0 Avondale Under the mid-autumn sunshine; a new season dawned for UCC Soccer on Saturday as the Freshers soccer team took on Avondale United in the opening round of fixtures of the 2015-2016 Munster Senior League. It was hotly contested from the very beginning with both sides not afraid to attack aggressively from early on in the fixture. Avondale had several early chances including one close attempt which was well kept out by UCC keeper Tomas Walsh in the early exchanges. Following this College grew into the game pouring the pressure on the stretched Avondale defence. UCC enjoyed their first real chance with not even 5 minutes on the clock when Ryan Tobin carefully won a free which acted as a catalyst for the hosts. The attempt at goal going just wide of the posts. UCC responded well to this, forcing three early corners. Sean O Cadhlai impressed from the wing powering several dangerous crosses into the box, only to have them cleared. The Avondale defence continued to keep UCC attack at bay with good scrambling at the back. UCC continued to pile on the pressure yet again, this time Evan White won a free-kick for the hosts in a good position, again the attempt going wide.

Leading from the back, the side sparked to life through many clever link ups in defence led by centre back Paudie O’Conner opening a few chances for the hosts. None came to fruition as the Avondale keeper continued to go untested. It was not until the half hour mark when UCC drew first blood. A misplaced ball in defence was intercepted by Tomas Sutton and with a cool head slotted the Striker slotted the ball home past Avondale Keeper Jim Keating to give UCC a 1-0 lead. Avondale responded well, with a succession of good chances of their own, but yet thanks to the well-organised and sturdy defence of David McGuire, Jeff O’Brien, Sean O’Cadhlai and Paudie O’Conner, each ball was cleared well before Avondale had time to convert them. UCC finished the half the strongest as Conor Kelly ran on to a through ball to finish with a cool head to double the hosts advantage. In the second half, an early Avondale break was yet again thwarted by centre back Jeff O’Brien; who remained a rock in defence for the college. However, at the 50th minute mark, Avondale winger Luke Mager burst through the defence, only to have his shot saved by a resilient UCC keeper Tomas Walsh. UCC kept

up their aggressive and attacking style, giving Avondale no time to settle on the ball. Periods of procession from the midfield partners of Sean Sexton, Jeremy Goldsmith and Ryan Tobin continued to frustrate the visitors, however the Avondale defence kept them at bay. On the 65th minute UCC added a third with a break of the ball down the left hand side opening up the Avondale defence. Winger Conor Kelly went alone and outwitted the Avondale defence before drilling the shot home. For the remainder of the half UCC remained on

top, with the best and final chance of the last third coming from winger Conor Kelly again, with a free kick 30 yards from goal swerving around the wall and into the back of the net before keeper Jim Keating could step off his line; finishing the score at 4-0 to the hosts.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, October 6th 2015

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UCC Honour Special Olympic Athletes

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

Last week UCC honoured several athletes who represented the College and Ireland at this year’s Special Olympics in Los Angeles. Sean Coleman, a current UCC student and UCC graduates Aoife O’Sullivan and Colm Monaghan were welcomed to the College alongside their families on Wednesday to mark their achievements. Sean Coleman won a silver medal for swimming coming second in the 25m Backstroke and in the 25m Freestyle. Coleman managed to knock an impressive five seconds of his personal best in the 25m Freestyle to collect his second medal at the games. Coleman

also competed in the Irish Swim Relay team.

Ireland, mainly sticking to his expertise with the Soccer team.

Aoife O’Sullivan was another to perform very strongly as part of Team Ireland’s nine strong Gymnastics squad earning herself three medals including a Gold and well as two Bronze medals. Colm Monaghan helped Team Ireland’s soccer team to an impressive fifth placed finish. The side lost out in their opening group game against Bangladesh, but a series of strong results saw them finish the tournament well. Republic of Ireland international and LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane was on hand as an ambassador to all of Team

UCC President Michael Murphy and Director of Sport and Physical Activity Declan Kidney were in attendance to congratulate the three athletes and discuss their experiences of the Special Olympics. All three athletes have been involved with the University’s CCL (Certificate in Contemporary Living) course with Coleman currently enrolled and Monaghan and O’Sullivan having already graduated. It total Team Ireland had eighty eight athletes competing at the Special

Olympics in Los Angeles supported by a coaching team of forty. The massive efforts of the athletes and volunteers paid off hugely with Team Ireland coming home with forty one placement ribbons and eighty two medals in total. The medal haul included twenty six Gold medals, twenty eight Silver medals and twenty eight Bronze medals. The games also spurred on Team Ireland athletes to best thirty one personal bests.

Bonus Point Victory Sends UCC RFC into Fourth

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

UCC RFC 33 - 21 Malone UCC RFC continued their impressive start to the season running out 33-21 winners against Malone at the Mardyke on Saturday. The rich form the side enjoyed at the end of last season which saw them take sixteen points from a possible twenty in their final four matches is emerging once again as the side have earned two wins from their three fixtures so far. Saturday’s win against Malone sees UCC move up to fourth in the AIL Division 2A table with a game in hand over league leaders Banbridge RFC. The bonus point on top of their win proving crucial as the extra point earned from the fixture moves them to fourth position rather than sixth place. UCC ran in a total of four tries with Second-Row Guillame Bobroux crossing over the whitewash after just five minutes, Kevin O’Keeffe adding the

conversion. O’Keeffe also converted a penalty before Number 8 Edward Earle got his name on the scoresheet, O’Keeffe again proving his accuracy from the boot to give UCC a 20 - 7 lead at Halftime. O’Keeffe knocked over another penalty minutes into the second half before Winger James Kiernan touched down in the 61st minute. Out-Half Tim Clifford got over the line five minutes later to secure the fourth try and the bonus point for College before a late Malone onslaught proved to be too little too late. Full-Back Kevin O’Keeffe put in a good performance from the tee converting two of the tries as well as three penalties, giving UCC some valuable extra breathing space on the scoreboard. O’Keeffe’s consistency in front of the posts will be vital to any chances UCC have of earning promotion this year with the margins between wins and losses proving very tight. UCC’s win over Skerries in round one by just a single

point is the perfect example of this showing kicking to often be the difference between four points and one bonus point for losing within seven. Malone are among the favourites to challenge for promotion this season having been demoted from AIL Division 1B last year making UCC’s win all the more impressive. Malone were perhaps unlucky to come away from the Mardyke with not even a losing bonus point after suffering six injuries. However, this victory as well as the bonus point win is a clear sign of UCC’s strong ambition for the season ahead with Loose-Head Prop Charlie Slowery adding to this suggestion, “We are getting better every week, but there is still a lot more work to do. The aim is not just promotion, we want to win the (AIL Division) 2A league also.’’ Promotion remains a very real possibility for UCC in a very competitive division. College will be hoping to maintain their 100% home record throughout the season

to give them as much of a chance as possible of promotion and potentially even the chance to lift the Division 2A trophy. Crucially the win also moves UCC level on points with third placed Naas RFC while College maintain a game in hand over the Kildare side. Naas remain the only team to defeat UCC in the league this season coming out 34-27 winners at home last weekend in a hardfought encounter. UCC will be looking to keep it that way as they head to New Ormond Park next Saturday to take on Nenagh Ormond. UCC team v Malone RFC: 1 - Charlie Slowery 2 - Dan Healy 3 - David Jackson 4 - Ben Mitchell 5 - Guillame Bobroux 6 - Conor O’ Brien 7 - Cathal Gallagher 8 - Edward Earle 9 - Charlie O’Regan 10 - Tim Clifford 11 - James Kiernan 12 - Kevin Slater 13 - Paul Kiernan 14 - Cillian Ansbro 15 - Kevin O’Keeffe

or email Editor@UCCExpress.ie

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sport

Mixed Fortunes for UCC Hockey

Inside Sport

Fred McElroy - Sports Writer The Mardyke played host to two matches this Saturday as the Men’s 1st team took on Limerick HC and the Ladies welcomed Railway Union in their first home game of the inaugural EY League. The ladies were hoping to reenact their opening performance of the competition where they came out 4-0 victors over Greenfields of Galway. The men opened proceedings on Saturday afternoon looking to make it 8 points out of a possible 9 in round 3 of Munster Division 1. It didn’t take long for the college to continue their impressive form so far this year. Early on UCC opened the scoring through Shrew Power with an impressive snapshot to beat the keeper. Stuart Miller doubled the lead soon after with

a clinical reverse shot. Sluggish defending from Wesley Brownlow led to Limericks only goal of the game as they narrowed the margin to 2-1. UCC otherwise looking comfortable and controlled at the back. Stuart O’Grady was quick to reply to the Limerick sides opener with an identical strike to Miller’s goal to see the hosts go in at the break with a 3-1 lead. The second half did not see UCC let up as Shrew Power scored his second, Quercus Scholar Sam Grace seeing off the game with a goal of his own before Greg Chambers roofed a reverse into the top of the net making it 6-1. In particular Dan Moore put in an impressive

performance from between the sticks with Peter Coulter too performing well in his outfield debut. The students struggled with their short corner routines scoring only 1 from the 6. This will definitely be an area that coach Neil Welch will want to improve on before travelling to Limerick next weekend for a tough fixture versus Catholic Institute. At 3 O’clock it was time for the main event of the day as the ladies took to the pitch. The opening few minutes were a cagey affair with both teams enjoying prolonged periods of possession as they tried to work their way into the game. Emma Barber proving to be a key defensive player for UCC from early on in the game. The

first quarter ended scoreless with neither side having many chances.

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UCC started the second period the stronger and created several chances. The best of which saw Alex O’Grady finding herself some space on the right flank before crashing the ball into the circle with Niamh O’Leary’s deflection glancing across the face of the goal. O’Grady was in the spotlight again shortly after at the other end of the pitch as she fouled a Railway forward to concede the first Short corner of the game. The Dublin side unable to convert their chance on this occasion. (Continued on page 14)

PREVIEW: UCC SOCCER FRESHERS TAKE ON AVONDALE A