UCC Express Vol. 20 Issue 1

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UCCExpress.ie | Volume 20 | Issue 01 | September 20th Tuesday

Debt and 3rd Level Education Page 4 - News

SHORTAGE: More projects like Brookfield (pictured) are planned, but will they fill the gap?

UCC Student Accommodation System in Crisis

By Michelle Beazley - News Writer UCC students continue to struggle to find suitable accommodation as the number of available rental properties continues to shrink, which follows a broader trend across the country. Commenting on the situation USI President Annie Hoey said “There’s just not enough of the traditional-type student accommodation.”

The Higher Education Authority has estimated that about 25,000 extra beds for students are needed across the country; in specific relation to Cork, a study conducted on available housing revealed that, as of the 1st August, only 87 rental properties were available, a marked decline of approximately 1000 properties for the same day six years ago. At the time of writing, only 58 rental proper-

ties were available on UCC’s official accommodation website, down from 67 two days previously; the vast majority of those rental properties were outside the typical rental areas for students, including areas like Douglas, Carrigaline, Cobh and Ballincollig. This could lead to 30+ minute commutes to UCC every morning, which may be unsuitable for students who cannot drive, do not have access to a car, and cannot access modes of public transport. UCC expects 3,500 first year students this year, as well as 1,000 international students, demonstrating the stark mismatch in the supply of housing and the demand from students in Cork City.

A number of other factors are also contributing to this crisis, with a common trend in recent years being that the pur-

pose-built student accommodation complexes are typically booked-out months in advance of the release of CAO offers in August, usually filling up as early as March or April, with international students also taking places almost exclusively in many of these complexes, as their accommodation is usually provided for them as part of their course.

Similarly, students in shared houses will often opt to live there until they graduate. Landlords in Cork city rarely have to advertise open rooms, as students often go door-to-door, getting the landlord’s information from current tenants and then contacting the landlords unsolicited.

(Continued on page 3...)

Being LGBT in College

Page 11 - Features

Interview: Gavin James Byline Magazine

NEWS INSIDE TODAY: 2

NEWS

FROM THE EDITOR

4 Debt and 3rd Level Education 5 UCC Fall in QS University Rankings

FEATURES

9 Top Apps to Help You in College 11 Being LGBT in College

FOOD

12 Where to Buy in Cork

BYLINE

16 Return of UCC Horoscopes 20 Interview with Conor MacNeill

SPORT

38 Cork City Continue Winning Ways 40 UCC students, All-Ireland Heroes

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief – Robert O’Sullivan News Editor – Chris McCahill Designer – Beth Alexander Features Editor – Mary Collins Photographer – Emmet Curtin Sports Editor – Dylan O Connell Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Aoife Nic Gearailt Marketing Executive – Sarah Dunphy Online Editor – Evan Smith Byline Editor – Lauren Mulvihill Fiction Editor – Sophie Mckenzie Gaming Editor – Jonathan Soltan Music Editor – Cailean Coffey Film & Television Editor – Aaron Frahill Fashion Editor – Kenneth Nwaezeigwe Style Editor – Iris Maher Food Editor – Xander Cosgrave Staff Writers: Eoin Doyle Stephen Spillane Laura O’Connor Sarah McInerney Jill Kingston Niamh O’Reilly Méabh McMahon

What’s Another Year Robert O’Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief

It’s almost a tradition for the Editor of this paper to make a cliché-driven editorial chock full of insultingly easy advice. I don’t remember the editorial from myfirst issue, but I do remember that the front page was full of misused memes; a crime one can hardly forget.

I also remember my first day in UCC, which in retrospect would really accurately describe my entire college life.

I started out an Arts student, picking History, Greek & Roman Civilisation, Celtic Civilisation and Latin. And yes, I use that Celtic Civ & Latin combo every day. On the first day of college I forgot the sheet with lecture times at home so, having a vague knowledge of the campus already, I trekked up to a small seminar room for my first history lecture. This room could hold maybe 25 people at a stretch, while there’s usually about 300-400 people in first year history. So yeah. Despite legging it down to Boole 4 and making that first lecture, I skipped the rest of the day & went home to curl into a ball.

The next few years were somewhat similar to that. If I were to give you any bit of advice, it would be to mind yourself: don’t drink too much, don’t spend the money put aside for the rent on weed, do remember to eat, if you

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

don’t feel okay talk to someone, don’t push all your exams back to August (twice) and jesus christ, if you need help ask for it.

I have a few biases, as we all do, mainly towards keeping students alive & happy. So look forward to seeing the numbers “116 123” a lot (the number for Samaritans), ads for the Cork Sexual Violence Centre and articles about Repealing the Eighth.

If you’re interested in writing for the Express, or have any questions (mainly about the paper, but if you want to know “what fruit would beat a tiger in a fight” I’ll definitely answer that) you can email me on Editor@UCCExpress.ie. I like long walks on the beach, the show Murder She Wrote and pizza.

Robert O’Sullivan

FROM THE NEWS EDITOR his adversary.” ― Brigham Young

Editorial Chris McCahill For my first editorial I wasn’t too sure what to write about so I decided to use my editorials as a way of voicing my own thoughts and views on some of the bigger issues we face today, starting with, On offense: “He who takes offense when offense was not intended is a fool, yet he who takes offense when offense is intended is an even greater fool for he has succumbed to the will of

Offense is a powerful thing nowadays, everything from simple things like a hand gesture to a contrary opinion being expressed can be seen as offensive. Go onto pretty much any comment section on social media and you’ll probably see people arguing and getting offended by one another and ultimately getting angry and upset over it. I’m probably guilty of it myself at times but I often try to avoid doing so. But honestly I never really saw the point in getting angry or taking offense at something. In this modern world, both real and online, we surround ourselves with like minded people and create echo chambers for ourselves. I often find echo chambers serve only to reinforce our pre-existing views and as a close friend of mine would often remark “dull our openness to dissenting opinions”.

That always serves to remind me of the freedom of speech and that no matter how reassured we are that our views are right there will almost always be others with dissent-

ing views. However, that is usually where so many people fall short nowadays; we usually place our own opinions on a pedestal above all others and will often refuse to allow that pedestal to be knocked or even rocked for that matter.

That’s why I love the above quote from Brigham, it perfectly sums up why it is so futile to take offense at someone who is intentionally aiming to provoke offense, or taking offense even when they are not. It’s an important lesson I think could benefit many, and bearing that in mind it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to take too much offense at this if you disagree with me.

Chris McCahill

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Story Continued from the Front Page...

This lack of movement, decrease in advertising of private rental houses, and the current economic climate has forced many landlords in Cork city to sell properties instead of renting, which makes it increasingly difficult for firsttime students to obtain accommodation. These problems seem to have been further exacerbated by the closure of the old accommodation office, with the university moving to a new website-focused system that was launched earlier this year. This service seemingly does not have the resources to adequately help students find accommodation as it is a largely unmoderated, in contrast to other universities across the country, whose services appear to have far more direct moderation.

“Landlords in Cork city rarely have to advertise open rooms, as students often go door-to-door” The accommodation crisis has also been worsened by the emergence of ‘scam artists’ who are trying to take advantage of student desperation for accommodation. In a notable case an individual rented a room in the nearby Carraigbarre accommodation complex (opposite St. Finnbarr’s Cathedral),

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prospective tenants ask landlords for identification, ideally a utility bill or membership card, in order to verify ownership of the house they are seeking to rent. They also urge tenants to inspect any accommodation before giving out any money, and to ensure receipts are collected for all money handed over.

“It is alarming that a student may be conned by a person purporting to represent our sector.”

placed his room up on Daft.ie posing as part of the accommodation service in order to scam multiple students out of their deposits, even going so far as to print up fake invoices for deposits paid.

The individual, whose current whereabouts are unknown, is now wanted by the Gardai in relation to this scam.

Carraigbarre accommodation service wished to inform people that, while they had nothing to do with the scam, they did aid students who fell victim to it in finding alternate accommodation for the academic year. Other instances of scams being perpetrated have also

been reported in the local media and on social media, and international students seem to be particularly vulnerable, having little or no local knowledge of the area or accommodation for UCC prior to arriving in Ireland.

Speaking about in a broader national context, Stephen Faughnan of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) has said: “It is alarming that a student may be conned by a person purporting to represent our sector.” The organisation has referred to such scams as “a rare occurrence”, but has suggested

While a new accommodation development for UCC has been given the go ahead near The River Lee Hotel, even this development has hit setbacks.

While Cork County Council had provisionally granted planning permission for the new accommodation development, which would house around 250 students, it faced strong opposition from local residents & business owners. At the time of writing, the project was stalled over concerns over the effects the development would have on the local area, specifically on light & noise pollution and on the impact on social diversity of the neighbourhood.

Drinking to belong: Students and low self-esteem.

By Sarah McInerney - Staff Writer It’s the worst kept secret in Ireland that alcohol plays a significant role in the lives of students, whether one partakes in the social pastime or just observes their peers doing so. College is a challenging time for all students, rife with opportunities, successes and some failures; it can take a toll on a person’s self-esteem. Alcohol abuse and low self-esteem have been linked by leading psychologists for years, however, Hamilton & deHart’s study in ‘Self and Identity’ focuses on how students with low self-esteem seem to indulge more than confident peers when it comes to the consumption of alcohol.

‘Alcohol abuse and low self-esteem have been linked by leading psychologists for years,’ Hamilton DeHart conducted their study by means of manipulation testing on 195

students who had their self-esteem & confidence evaluated prior to the experiment. All 195 students had been asked to think about their best friend, and the aspects of their lives they had kept secret from their best friend. The students were then presented with bogus articles in two groups: the first article was about how secrets between friends can cause conflicts that lead to a breakup of the friendship, and the second article was about the secret aspects of ourselves with no mention of friendship.

All of the students were asked how many drinks they had consumed the following night with other friends and not their best friends. The results showed that those with low self-esteem had consumed more alcohol having read the bogus article about secrecy in friendships “they appeared to seek out positive social interactions with others to repair the threat to the most important friendship’’. Group one, who had been shown the bogus article on friendship, consumed an average of 11 drinks while

the second group consumed an average of six.

“they appeared to seek out positive social interactions with others to repair the threat to the most important friendship’’ These results speak for themselves, and suggest that Hamilton DeHart’s idea that the threat to belonging is more prominent in students’ with low self-es-

teem seems accurate. Upon reading this article I conducted a survey on UCC’s campus with 195 students. Two questions were asked: Q.1 Do you drink?

And Q.2 why do you drink? Instant answers were demanded so nobody had time to compose a well thought answer.

Question 2 made 100% of those asked uncomfortable however, the answers under pressure seem to back up Hamilton DeHart’s findings. Answers such as ‘’I love the social aspects,” “all my friends drink so I feel I should too” or “I feel silly in a pub if I’m not drinking’’.

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ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

60% of Parents Get into Debt Funding Third Level Education Chris McCahill, News Editor

UCC archaeologists unravel enigma of Ireland’s Iron Age diet Chris McCahill, News Editor A project led by UCC, the first ever project of this kind in Ireland, has seen a team of international archaeologists reveal evidence about the diet of Iron age man in the south east of the country.

The evidence came from a variety of sources, including things like animal bones & seeds found in numerous excavations, revealed the food grown, cooked and eaten in Ireland over 2000 years ago, and has resulted in some experimental reconstructions of the Iron age cuisine in Ireland.

Dr Katharina Becker, an Archaeology lecturer here in UCC, commented on the findings: “we have identified evidence of settlement, as well as arable and pastoral agriculture, indicating that communities were thriving in the southeast of Ireland.

The apparent lack of archaeological sites dating had previously created mystery around this period,” “The animal bones and seeds recovered from road and gas pipeline excavations provide direct evidence of farming practises and the diet during the Iron Age, dating as far back as 2700 years ago. Cattle and pigs provided dairy and meat, barley was a staple, and we also have evidence of a variety of wheats, including spelt, emmer and naked wheat.”

The ‘Seeing Beyond the Site’ project, benefitting from the Heritage Council INSTAR funding grant, has been compiling information recovered from any such archaeological excavations carried out in the southeast region of Ireland, initially done during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period but also including more recent excavations.

The investigations were carried out by UCC specialists in later-prehistoric archaeology & paleoecology in connection with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which is financially supporting the project, and was joined by an international research team including Specialists from Bradford University Warwick University & UCD. The team employed cutting-edge modelling techniques to examine the findings against previous data collected on the study

of pollen records preserved in lakes, bogs and other areas in the southeast. It was initially thought that no such records would have survived from that time period in this part of the country, given that activities like peat cutting & agriculture would likely have destroyed them, yet the team managed to recover a core from a lake which stretches right back to the end of the last ice age (approximately 11,000 years ago).

Dr Ben Gearey, also an Archaeology lecturer here in UCC, said that “the analysis of lake sediments which have accumulated over thousands of years allows us to identify the actual pollen grains from the plants that people were cultivating during prehistory. We can date these sequences using radiocarbon dating and compare them to the archaeological evidence of settlement and agriculture,” In order to further its investigation into how farmers turned raw ingredients into meals during Ireland’s Celtic era, the team linked up with artisan baker Declan Ryan of Cork’s Arbutus Bread and with experts from the Cork Butter Museum & Cork’s Public Museum. Recipes used will be based on the range of charred grains & seeds that represent the remains of the actual foodstuffs grown by prehistoric peoples that were preserved in the soil for over two millennia.

The results of the experiment were twofold: Iron Age bread making, done with barley (a lower gluten cereal that did not offer an easy rise), and traditional butter making methods. These were made available on 20th of August during Heritage week, which gave visitors a first-hand experience of the procedure used to process grains & make butter in the prehistoric iron age era. The archaeologists’ methods, used to analyse cereal grains and animal bones found on these digs & excavations, were also explored in some hands-on sessions.

“We want to give the public the opportunity to see for themselves how archaeologists and environmental specialists connect and make sense of the minute pieces of evidence found on archaeological sites to reconstruct the stories of people’s lives,” added Dr Becker.

Results of a study conducted by the Irish League of Credit Unions, which surveyed over 1000 Irish adults through the marketing company iReach, found that over 60% of Irish parents get into debt funding third level education for their children.

Of those surveyed, 70% said they really struggle to cover the cost of their child’s third level education, with 62% of family budgets being adversely affected by the registration fee for third level institutes.

USI President Annie Hoey remarked that the survey merely found what the USI had been arguing for years: “the survey reflects what we’ve been saying time and time again.”Ms.Hoey also referenced the results of the survey, and surveys conducted by the USI when she stated that “third level education is causing a huge financial strain on young people and families. Almost two third of family budgets have been adversely affected by the third level registration fee – which, at €3,000, is the second highest in Europe.

USI research conducted in June shows that 58% of students miss meals, 39% go hungry and 34% go without heat. The research released this morning from the Irish league of Credit Unions shows that families are also feeling the pinch. Publicly-funded education benefits everyone, including families, not just those receiving the education.”

The research further revealed that 87% of parents are supporting their children through college, contributing an average of €447 a month per child to cover the costs of third level education. Furthermore, 4% of parents responded that they had/will have to approach a moneylender to cover costs. USI representatives say that this is a reflection of how determined families ^ parents are to send their children to University, as they know it’s the start of a brighter future for their children.

In light of this report Ms.Hoey once again called on the government to reduce registration fees and increase student supports, all of which was recommended by the Cassells report. Hoey argued this would not only help young people & their families across the country, but would also help to strengthen Ireland’s overall workforce; people being better educated & highly skilled would help the economy by enabling people to earn more, and put more back into the system.

“It’s a no brainer” and “a win-win” said Hoey, “If politicians prioritise education, they will have a better, stronger

workforce able to earn more, in higher tax brackets; and they will also gain the support of the people who vote them in.

Prioritising education is prioritising the needs of the people.”

Further survey results: Parents are saving for an average of 8 years for third level costs, saving on average €8,150 73% of parents really struggle to cover the cost of their child’s third level education 62% of family budgets have been adversely affected by the third level registration fee (marginal fall from 64% in 2015) 67% of students are extremely worried about finding suitable accommodation for the academic year 65% of students living at home compared to 62% in 2015, paying average of €376 on average in rent Students living outside the home spending €1,048 euro per month, those living at home spending €530 per month 68% students work throughout the academic year to fund third level education, working on average 17 hours per week.

Around the Universities: UCD: UCD Pro-Choice group is to have representation at the March for Choice as it attempts to co-ordinate students interested in the Repeal the 8th movement.

The UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland aims to promote ‘China-Ireland’ cooperation in business, education and commerce.

NUIG: Students who faced repeat exams in NUIG this autumn faced an increase of €100 in fees following an announcement earlier this year in February.

QUB: Queen’s University Belfast has opened a new School of Law. The development cost approximately £20m, and the launch was attended by First Minister Arlene Foster & Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness TCD: An investigation has been launched following a series of breakins and thefts in cars packed around Trinity Campus.

NEWS

ISSUE 01| UCC Express

To knee or not to knee:

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Quarterback’s protest sparks debate over racism and patriotism Ciaran O’Halloran - News Writer Just prior to a preseason game with the Green Bay Packers, Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers backup Quarterback, refused to stand for the American national anthem. Kaepernick’s protest, against what he calls “a country that oppresses black people and people of colour” has created significant furore and debate in the NFL. He further stated to NFL media that: “to me [Kaepernick], this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” This statement was made in reference to the number of high profile shootings of unarmed black people by police officers in various American cities. In recent times Kaepernick has become more opinionated on social media in relation to racial issues in the United States.

“to me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

The debate has raised the divisive issue: what is an appropriate form of protest?

Kaepernick has received support from various fellow NFL players since beginning his protest. At the time of writing 18 African-American players, derived

from the Broncos, Rams, Dolphins, Patriots & other teams, have either kneeled, sat or raised a fist during the American anthem before their respective week one games, and it is likely that these protests will continue as we go into week two.

Celebrities, athletes, and, most notably, President Barack Obama, have all come out in praise of Kaepernick & his right to protest. However, this opinion isn’t shared by all Americans; in a recent poll

by Reuters, 61 percent surveyed said that they do not “support the stance Colin Kaepernick is taking.” Kaepernick has also received significant backlash from certain sectors of the American public, as well as members of the NFL, in recent weeks; Kaepernick was booed at the remaining preseason games he briefly played in, and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was quoted as saying “…there’s plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesn’t involve being disrespectful to the American flag.” In contrast to Kaepernick’s actions, as a sign of unity the Seattle Seahawks players linked arms during the National Anthem prior to their season opener. “I think it’s a terrible thing,” added Republican nominee Donald Trump. “and maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try. It won’t happen.”

Drafted in 2011, Kaepernick was the poster boy of the NFL; with a number of college football awards he had a promis-

ing career ahead of him. His professional career peaked when he reached Super Bowl 47 in 2013 with the 49ers. Since then, however, Kaepernick has been a player on the decline, more often than being found on the bench rather than on the field. Poor performances throughout last season & recurrent injuries has led many to believe his starting position has been permanently taken over by Blaine Gabbert. It raises the question among many people about what his genuine beliefs are, or if his actions this summer are a cry for attention now that he is a backup quarterback at a struggling team.

Protesting the American national anthem isn’t a new phenomenon, and Kaepernick isn’t the first African-American athlete to take a stand (or in this case, a kneel). In 1995 there was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf; despite being a promising basketball player with the Denver Nuggets, Abdul-Rauf has faded into relative anonymity. His decline is attributed, by many commentators, to his controversial

protest during the American national anthem. At the start of the 95-96 NBA season, Abdul-Rauf chose to sit during the anthem, in protest of the American flag, which he called a “symbol of oppression, of tyranny.” He was suspended for one game, but two days later the NBA decided to allow him to simply stand with his eyes closed & his back turned during the anthem. However his career never properly recovered and was traded to Sacramento at the end of that season.

Despite all this controversy around Kaepernick and the team, the 49ers managed to easily shutout the LA Rams on Monday night with a score of 28-0, though Kaepernick himself watched the entire game from the bench. At time of writing he’s not expected to be selected as starting QB against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night. Whether the same fate awaits Kaepernick as met Abdul-Rauf yet remains uncertain.

Irish Universities Falling in World Rankings Due to Budget Cuts, say Union of Students in Ireland Chris McCahill, News Editor NUI Galway is alone in climbing the QS World University Rankings while other Irish Universities take substantial falls.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is pointing towards budget cuts, increasing numbers of students and high ratios of students to teachers.

State Funding to the education sector has been slashed in recent years, with funding cut by up to a third since 2008, representing a fall from €1.4 billion to €923 million. Academic staff have also reportedly fallen by over 10,000 to just less than 8,000 over the same period. In addition to this, the amount of third-level students have increased by almost 40,000, now numbering over 190,000 across the country, with that number

being expected to be increased further over the coming years. A contributing problem is the collapse of permanent academic positions being offered & the rise of temporary or contract work for academic staff. Senior Counsel Michael Cush conducted a government-commissioned report that outlined as many as two thirds of lecturing staff in some third level institutions who are temporary or on contracts.

“ the amount of third-level students have increased by almost 40,000” Commenting on the issue, USI President Annie Hoey said that “Irish Universities falling in world rankings is directly linked to budget cuts, rising student numbers and high student-teacher ratios.

Student numbers have increased by 18% and the rise of zero-hour contracts to employ academic staff doesn’t encourage or attract people to the profession. This has a negative effect on the quality of the teaching, the quality of the learning and the quality of the institutions. The consequence of under-funding the third level sector has been revealed again and again in the QS World University Rankings and it’s time for the government to act now – by reducing the student contribution fees by a minimum of €500; investing €140 million in higher education; and reinstating postgraduate grants.”

Related to problems, USI launched its own pre-budget submissions on September 6th outside Leinster House, and proposed a minimum €500 reduction in fees, a €140 million investment in higher education and the restoration of post-

graduate grants. Ms.Hoey remarked that the government needs to match the talk of economic recovery with financial investment in third-level education.

A recently published report on ‘Investing in National Ambition for the Future’ identified funding for higher education as an “urgent” need, requiring €600 million over the next five years, in addition to an extra €100million for student support services. The USI, citing this report, called on the government to immediately commence with this additional funding & investment on a phased basis to ensure that support services can be improved, but also to ensure the quality & participation levels in the Irish third level educational system.

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FEATURES

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

The Eighth Amendment Méabh McMahon,Staff writer The situation as it stands in Ireland is that abortion is illegal under near-

ly all circumstances under the Eighth Amendment, which guarantees equal rights for the woman and foetus. This includes women who are pregnant as result of rape or incest, or who are carrying an unviable foetus. A woman who has an illegal abortion in Ireland can face up to 14 years in prison, and healthcare workers who advise women to seek abortions can face criminal charges.

There are some limited circumstances where abortion is permitted under the status quo; namely, when a woman’s life is in real danger, from a medical emergency or threat of suicide. However, qualifying for the procedure is immensely complicated: Two physicians, one obstetrician and one specialist in the field of the relevant ailment must agree that the woman’s life is at risk, though in medical emergencies a single physician will suffice. In layman’s terms, if a woman with cancer wanted an abortion because she wanted to continue chemotherapy, she would have to consult two doctors, a doctor who specialises in pregnancies, and a doctor who specialises in cancer treatment.

Due to the difficulty in qualifying - or even being aware that one could qualify - there were only 26 legal terminations carried out in Ireland in 2015.

Medical emergencies are complex in any circumstance, and intervening as soon as possible to prevent further distress and danger to the patient is usually good practice. However, because doctors are bound to “preserve unborn life as far as practicable,” it means that they are forced to wait until the woman’s life is in real danger before they intervene. The dangers inherent to such a law became apparent to the public in 2012 after the death of Savita Halappanavar. Ms Halappanavar had begun to miscarry her foetus, and requested an abortion, but was denied one on the grounds that the foetus still currently had a heartbeat. She subsequently died of preventable septic shock due to the delay in intervention. Savita’s death must shatter any claims that the 8th Amendment protects both woman and foetus, and that it creates a high standard of maternal care. Instead, it shows that the law conflicts doctors and endangers women.

The United Nations and the Europe-

an Convention on Human Rights have both spoken out on the issue of abortion in Ireland, specifically in reference to fatal foetal abnormality. This is the instance where a foetus is so severely disabled as to not be able to survive outside of the womb. Numerous women have claimed that they were discriminated against as pregnant women, as no other person with such a serious medical issue would be denied care and advice. The UN found the law cruel and degrading as it forces women to choose between carrying a dying foetus or travelling abroad for an abortion. Both the UN and the ECHR called upon Ireland to, at a minimum; make the procedure

‘it shows that the law conflicts doctors and endangers women.’ by which women qualify for abortion safer, quicker, and more accessible.

Due to the extreme difficulty of procuring a legal abortion in Ireland, over nine women travel everyday to the UK to obtain one, totalling 3451 in 2015, according to the Irish Family Planning Association. However, this figure is likely an underestimation as not all women provide their Irish addresses at British abortion clinics, and some go even further afield than the UK. While the twitter account @TwoWomenTravel recently reminded the public of the physical and mental toll that this jour-

‘ it is not two women travelling, but thousands’ ney takes, we must remember that it is not two women travelling, but thousands, and most of them go alone, as the trip is expensive.

There are thousands of personal tragedies created by Irish abortion law, but perhaps the most well-known is that of the X case. X was a fourteen year old girl who had been raped by her neighbour, and wished to travel to England to obtain an abortion. Before leaving, X’s family had asked police if the foetal remains could be used as evidence of rape. Upon hearing about the planned abortion, the Attorney General sought an injunction to keep her in the country. The case was brought to the Supreme Court, but X ultimately miscarried before it was resolved. X’s rapist was convicted of statutory rape and he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, of which he served 3. He was then convicted of sexually-assaulting another

15-year old girl in 2002, and was sentenced to another 3 and a half years.

It is worth remembering that if X had procured an illegal abortion in Ireland, she would have faced up to 14 years in prison.

There are lesser-known tragedies too, that deserve to be heard. One occurred in recent years, when an unnamed foreign national claimed to be raped in her home country attempted to travel from Ireland to the UK for an abortion, but was arrested upon arrival for illegal entry. Diagnosed as suicidal, the woman went on a hunger strike, but the HSE obtained a High Court order to hydrate her. The baby was delivered via caesarian section at 25 weeks. Another case occurred in 2014 when a legally braindead woman who was in the early stages of pregnancy was kept on life-support despite her family’s wishes. The High Court finally ruled 25 days later that the machine could be turned off.

It is often argued that abortion has deeply negative effects on women’s emotional health. It would seem intuitive however, that it is the stigma around abortion in Ireland that causes distress. It is a legal system that violates the wishes of rape-victims, of teenagers, of the dead and those fighting cancer that causes distress. We are asking women to flee their own country at extortionate cost, and make them undergo a procedure when they are alone, scared and face huge stigma when they come home, so much so that many stay silent. Removing these factors would significantly decrease any mental trau-

ma caused by abortion.

There is increasing pressure for change in Ireland, and the government has called upon a citizen’s assembly in October to debate whether a referendum is necessary. It must be clear by now to all that it is necessary.

‘It is a legal system that violates the wishes of rape-victims, of teenagers, of the dead and those fighting cancer that causes distress.’

There are those who will always fundamentally disagree with abortion on moral grounds, and that is a legitimate view, and one we as a country must face head-on. We must discuss if your morality can stop someone else’s mother, their child, their sibling from receiving the care that they need. There will be arguments about ‘abortion-on-demand’, as if teenagers who have been raped use abortion services like they do Netflix.

Do not allow those words to cloud what is really going on. Ireland is currently failing those who have been raped.

It is failing those who are carrying babies that have no chance at survival; but more than that, it is failing the thousands of citizens who flee year in, year out to bleed on hotel sheets in foreign countries because we are not brave enough to look this issue in the eye.

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Au-Pairing or Exploitation?

you 6 hours; puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Aoife Nic Gearailt, Eagarthóir Gaeilge.

If you’ve ever wanted to work in the sun, learn a language & culture by living with natives while making a lot of new friends, then au-pairing is definitely the job for you. Along with those 3 wishes, you’ll also be granted a few children, a strong chance of sunburn and a definite chance of getting lost, both navigation-wise and translation-wise.

Finding a “host family” is simple; finding a good host family is another thing. For me, a friend had au-paired for my host family’s relatives, so badda-bing baddaboom, job sorted; it was easier than finding someone to have pre-drinks with on a Thursday night! Others go through agencies like Au-Pair World, which would be the most popular: these service is like window shopping - enter your country, the country you want to work in, and how long you want to work in said-country.

You’re matched with families whose criteria matches yours and the rest is magic! One friend I made in Madrid said he picked the family that suited him the most - which had one well-behaved adolescent boy, above average pay, free Spanish lessons, his own bedroom and living room.

Who said beggars can’t be choosers?

‘Finding a “host family” is simple; finding a good host family is another thing.’

The kids are the real challenge. I was lucky enough to get the craziest, most welcoming family in Spain; the kids were so helpful and enthusiastic when it came to my Spanish, and just as enthusiastic about FIFA and fighting. As scary as it seems, you need to show them who’s boss. After a full-on fight on my second day of work, and showing them how angry I can get, there was a lot less fighting. Don’t be afraid to draw the line - ban the PlayStation, turn

off any tablets & TVs, make them go outside, force the dreaded English lessons on them; be firm, get angry, but know when to be angry. The correlation between anger frequency and effect are negative.

Living with a family that you have never met before, and spending nearly every day with them is more intense than the partying during Freshers Week. Adjusting my meal times to those of my Spanish family was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, with breakfast at 10am, lunch at 3pm and dinner at 10:30pm. No snacks! In Ireland, I am the snack queen: I snack between snacks, so for me this was an absolute killer, so make sure to buy yourself a packet of biscuits, some rice cakes, chocolate and have them stored in a place in your room for emergencies - you will thank yourself for it later.

Pay & working conditions can be an interesting affair; AuPairWorld.com have recommended that au-pairs work for a recommended 30 hours a week, for a minimum of €70 a week. From my personal experience this summer in Spain, this is far from what actually happens. My hours were supposed to be from 9am until 3:30pm, 5 days a week, for €60 a week. Okay, sounds decent; now throw in a couple of days (a week!) where texts were coming in at 3pm saying that someone wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, with 10 & 12 year old boys who physically fought each other at home, oh, and a language barrier as well.

No matter how many hours you work, the income stayed at €60, even when you were paid late (as happened more often than not). The most any of my circle of 10 au-pair friends in Madrid were paid was €120 a week, something nobody had ever heard of an au-pair getting paid before.

Ever. The average for an au-pair was €80 for, let’s say, a 40 hour week. That works out at around 50c an hour. You would have had to have worked 12 hours to get into Havanas, your daily Starbucks will cost

Chances are your host family will be going on holidays, which means a free/paid travelling experience. You are completely immersed in your host country’s culture, and get to see how natives spend their holidays. In my case I got all of this, plus 9 kids between myself and another UCC aupair, for nearly all of the waking hours in a full week, in the lovely blistering humidity of Huelva, in the south of Spain. Throw in a few tantrums, parents who were MIA and a case of heatstroke (gifted to yours truly) and you have the recipe for an unforgettable week. Think of a Leaving Cert holiday, just for 40 year old parents. Bar those hiccups it was truly an unforgettable week, and probably the best way to learn about the Spanish culture. And all while getting a tan!

Make the most of every second of your time off. Get out of the house as often as you can and make friends, and Facebook usually will have a page dedicated to AuPair meetups in your area: ait like Tinder, but less romantic. Dedicate your weekends to travelling, like I and so many other au-pairs have done; transport in Europe is a lot more efficient than it can be here in Ireland, so take advantage of that and go for it!

Madrid is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, city I’ve ever travelled to: the atmosphere is electric. Nightlife doesn’t kick off until midnight, and doesn’t stop until the metros restart at 6am, if the parties end. Madrid is architecturally breath-taking: for me, watching the sunset by the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio de Real) made all the cons of Au-Pairing so worth it. Rowing in Retiro Park’s lake is a must, as well as with shopping on Gran Vía, visiting the turtles in Atocha Train station & Plaza España (and its hidden Chinatown) and so much more. Live the double life of au-pair and romancer, and have the ultimate Lizzie McGuire adventure.

Au-pairing is an experience that I would only recommend if you have the personality to match a pair of DocMartins: sturdy, stubborn and strong. You must also really have the desire to be thrown into a culture and something completely outside of your comfort zone. It changes you for the better, makes you into a well-rounded and confident person. And when your host-Dad is running around the beach drunk in a tutu, and your host-Mum is sunbathing in the nip, just remember: you’ll be back in the Boole before you know it.

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Religious Services in Cork Roman Catholic Honan Chapel Mass Times: Sunday: 12.00. Monday – Wednesday: 13.05. Thursday & Friday at 8.30am.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, The Lough Sunday: 9:30 and 12.00. Saturday: 12.00 and 19:00. Weekdays: 10:00.

Church of Ireland St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Eucharist: Sunday: 8:00am (Said) 11:15 (Choral). Weekdays: Monday – Saturday 12:00.

St Anne’s – Shandon Eucharist: 9:00 & 10:15 (No 9am on 4th Sunday of the Month).

Methodist Cork – Ardfallen, Douglas Service: 11:30 Presbyterian Holy Trinity – Summerhill Sunday Service: 11:45 Religious Society of (Quaker) Summerhill South Sunday Worship: 11:00

Friends

Unitarian Princes St Sunday: 11am Buddhist Dojo Gyo Riko Meditation Times: Monday: 7:15, Thursday: 19:00, Friday: 7:15 (Arrive 10mins before start).

Islam Cork Islamic Cultural Centre – Tramore Road Fajr 5:00 Dhuhr: 14:00 Friday: 13:45 Maghrib: 5 Minutes after athan Isha’a: 23:00 Cork Dawah Centre – Shandon St Fajr: 20 min after Athan Dhuhr 13:00 Asr 15:00 Maghreb: 5 min after Athan Isha 19:00

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FEATURES

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Politics: How to Play the Game (and Lose) 1997

Eoin Doyle, Staff Writer 2016 has been an interesting year for politics, to say the least. Here at home we’ve seen a general election that managed to both shatter the status quo, and yet simultaneously reinforce it by returning a Fine Gael government; albeit a minority one. Abroad we’ve seen the UK vote to leave the European Union on the back of what is now coming to be accepted as a movement built on lies; “Brexit” lead to the main two parties, Conservatives and Labour, tearing themselves apart, with David Cameron’s resignation and the challenge to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour leadership from Owen Jones rocking Britain. Meanwhile, in the United States we’re still witnessing one of the strangest presidential election races of all time, one that seemingly takes a new twist & turn every day. The political sphere as a whole seems to have completely given up on maintaining any semblance of logic or straightforwardness.

“ We’re still witnessing one of the strangest presidential election races of all time ” Naturally enough for politics there’s a lot of anger, dismay, disappointment and apathy coming from those who are now finding themselves on the wrong side of democracy, having to go along for the ride that

cy has not sided with them has seen them attempt to create a situation in which politics is a non-continuous entity. That is to say that political movements are entirely about creating one moment in which a movement is ultimately proven right. This can never be allowed to be the case as it goes against the idea of progress as a whole. If one is to lose in politics that does not mean that politics itself is redundant, nor should it mean that a decision taken is not one of value.

“Much has been said of the US Presidential race as a battle of the lesser of two evils. ”

others have set out for them.

What’s interesting isn’t the fact that this disappointment exists among those who have lost, but the reaction among those who have won when confronted. Democracy by its very nature will create winners and losers; it’s always to be expected that those who lose will cry out how they were right and mistakes have been made.

What has changed, it would seem, is that society has completely forgotten how to handle this situation. We can see it in the United States among Bernie Sanders supporters, who for the most part found a new

David Cameron’s resignation

passion for politics, igniting a leftist movement that hasn’t been touched since the presidential reign of Roosevelt, and Hillary Clinton supporters creating a toxic environment in which all discourse was completely disregarded.

“Democracy by its very nature will create winners and losers;” In the wake of Clinton winning the Democratic nomination, Sanders was quick to reassure his supporters, sending a message that the fight was not over.

Unfortunately, the interpretation of this message seemed to be to maintain this toxic lack of discourse, continuing personal attacks. Instead of creating something to take forward and build, it seems the idea of building for the future, like Sanders would have hoped, has been disregarded in favour of holding onto the anger caused by the past. Instead of biding time and solidifying a movement, the order of the day has been to whine and demonise others. The justification for this would actually be quite humorous if it wasn’t almost tragically ironic; those who are

so highly proud of their liberal views that they can’t tolerate those who are more conservative, are going as far as labelling all levels of conservatism equal. In the Express last year I wrote about the possibility of Sanders supporters of creating a situation in which Clinton’s campaign could be derailed.

Since then we’ve seen Sanders supporters claim the actions of the Clinton campaign be equal to the anti-muslim & anti-immigrant sentiment of Trump.

Much has been said of the US Presidential race as a battle of the lesser of two evils. By continuing to use such phrasing there is a strong possibility that the labels placed upon a candidate will become the reason for voting, as opposed to the proposed policies and their effects. We can see already the anti-Clinton sentiment as people refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils due to such a label implying that Clinton is inherently evil. The inability to lose has caused blindness among some as to what the purpose of playing the game is in the first place. The way the landscape has been changed by those who reject that democra-

This idea that somehow those who lose in a vote should inherently have a right to avoid the outcome of a vote can be seen after the outcome of two very different referenda, the Marriage Equality Referendum in Ireland and the Brexit Referendum in the UK. In both cases there have been many on the losing sides who have called for a second referendum to be held or for the result of the first referendum being regarded as invalid. Political movements cannot exist in a snapshot of time, they are ever-changing entities which must adapt to the political realities in which they exist. Defeat in politics should never be seen as a finality, especially if a movement is seen to have grown significantly before being defeated. As long as there are people there will be politics, there will be people who disagree on almost everything. To treat politics as such, ultimately leads to the impression that someday politics will end after we’ve somehow fixed every problem ever without creating new ones.

“As long as there are people there will be politics”

FEATURES

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

9

can compare stats and fight bosses together. It’s a really nice way to motivate yourself on the days that adulting seems too hard.

Trello (iOS, Android, desktop) Trello is a very versatile app, as you can use it just for yourself, or you can add members to use for group projects. It’s based on lists with cards. The lists can be called anything but I like the ones on the website sample: ‘Ideas’, ‘To Do’, ‘Doing’ and ‘Done’. You can swap cards between lists, add people to certain lists and it updates in real time so everyone is on the same page. It’s much more efficient than trying to email what you have done to everyone, especially that guy who checks his email once a week; Dude, you’re in college now. You have to check it every day.

Apply Yourself Mary Collins, Features Editor So you’ve survived your first week back in college, and you’ve totally gone to all your lectures, right? RIGHT? Didn’t think so. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things after summer, especially when there are so many friends to meet in coffee dock, so many nights out you can’t possibly miss, and so much to do in general. If you’re one of many finding it hard to get back into the rhythm of your degree, (y’know, the reason you’re in college) then fear not! There are some handy apps out there to help you.

My Study Life (iOS, Android, desktop) This is a personal favourite of mine and, for someone as horribly disorganised as I am, it’s been a lifesaver. You put in term dates, when your holidays are, add lecture times, due dates for assignments/ exams etc. You can set tasks or to-do lists, and you then get reminders on what you have left to do. Could you do all of this on your phone already? Yes, but it is incredibly convenient to have it all in one app, as opposed to scrambling

through each app to find where you left that last note about the assignment that was due last week.

Forest (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, desktop) Forest is an app that combats the smartphone addiction so many of us have fallen into. In Forest you plant a seed that slowly grows into a tree over a period of time that you can adjust. If you exit out of the app to go into another app before your allotted time passes, your tree withers and dies. You can earn rewards, unlock more tree species and track your progress. It’s actually really fun!

Habitica (iOS, Android, desktop) Habitica is an app that basically turns your life into a game that you can win.

The mundane everyday tasks you have to do become monsters that you have to battle by completing them. When you complete a task you have set in the game, you win awards and coins you can use to upgrade your avatar/accessories. If your friends download it, you

Surviving College Quick-Tips If you’re reading this you’re likely either a Fresher or just fresh back to UCC after a long Summer. Here’s how to keep on top of things and get ahead of the game.

R We Still On Time (iOS, Android) On the topic of group work, it can be hard to organise people It’s incredibly hard to organise people to show up on time, at the same place, to discuss college work or indeed, any kind of work (I’m not bitter. Not bitter at all). The premise of the app is extraordinarily simple: You add members to an event at a specified time and place. They get reminders about the event, and can let you know if they are on time, running late, or simply not coming. Simple, but so useful.

Get to know your lecturers It’s easier for your lecturers to help you out if they know who you are.

Send them a quick email, have a chat after a lecture or just say hello when you pass them in the hallway.

Wordfail (iOS, Android, desktop) Words are hard. You might think that, like Donald Trump you know words: you have all the best words. I can tell you, from listening to the PhD candidates who correct your assignments, you have nothing. Nada. You’d be surprised how many people forgo grammar, syntax and common sense when the ‘assignments panic’ kicks in. Wordfail was made by two professors who were sick of seeing poor English in assignments.

It’s great for upgrading your vocabulary and confidence in your writing in a fun accessible way.

Know your campus Take a good walk around UCC, know the buildings & the walkways. So when you need to find the Safari Annex at 9 on a Monday you know where you’re going.

A Soft Murmur (Android, desktop) Are you a final year stuck next to the most obnoxiously loud housemates/ neighbours on the planet? Yeah, it sucks; I had some before that used to sing karaoke at 4 am. Instead of listening to the deafening cries of a girl running after her boyfriend yelling “CAN I JUST TELL YOU ONE THING?!” this app lets you listen to an array of soothing background sounds. Think waves, rain, white noise, and all those stereotypical sounds. I still don’t know if she told him that one thing, so I guess it worked for me.

Get Involved...but not too involved Getting involved in your club or society of choice can be great fun, and a good use of your time, just don’t let it take precedence over your degree

Find a place to relax For some people, the Common Room is the place to be; for others, it’s the Main Rest or the Chaplaincy. I like walking by the river by the Glucksman. It’s good to have a go-to place to destress before you might need it Know who can help The Students’ Union, the Budgetary Advisor, the Health Centre, the Disability Support Service, the Mature Student Office, Peer Support, the Counselling Service and many more departments & services in UCC are here just to help you. Know where they are, know who to go to and use them if you need them.

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10 1997

FEATURES

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Writing about Writer’s Block (How Meta?)

Mary Collins, Features Editor “Writer’s block” is awful. As I sit here at a desk in the Kane and listen to the hum of keyboards whizzing around me, I feel ever more inadequate. It’s like being in an exam you didn’t prepare for: you turn over the paper and stare dumbly at the questions, then you look up and everyone around you is writing furiously. That sinking dread, the urge to bang your head off the desk until something happens, it’s overwhelming. I’m currently blaming my inability to come up with an article on the fact that it’s bloody freezing and I can’t type because my fingers are too cold, but that won’t last for long.

Wikipedia kindly refers to it as “a creative slowdown”, but it feels like so much more than that. It’s like I can feel the gears in my brain grinding to

a halt, but can’t find the blockage. There is a range of emotions that go along with it; anger, fear, numbness.

“the urge to bang your head off the desk until something happens, it’s overwhelming.”

Apparently, there are several types of writer’s block. The inability to come up with an idea; having several ideas with none of them panning out (my current predicament), having an idea but having no idea where to start, and being in the middle and having no idea where to go next. The most infuriating one, in my opinion, is the one where you have almost everything wrapped up, but have no idea how to end it; being able to taste freedom, but being not quite there. I like things wrapped up in a nice lit-

tle package, neat and simple. A conclusion is always my go-to manoeuvre, but sometimes that just isn’t appropriate. Coco Chanel famously said “before leaving the house, look in the mirror and take one accessory off”, but I can’t bear to leave pieces feeling unfinished. They haunt me, like spirits with unfinished business.

There is a huge difference between writers block in creative writing and academic writing, creative writing generally isn’t my kryptonite in that regard. It doesn’t work for everyone, but I just keep writing half paragraphs and chapters on things that pop into my head and eventually something sticks on long enough to become an article; but academic writing? It tears me apart. I spent so long telling myself that I was bad at it that I can’t believe anything else. Presentations and pub-

lic speaking? Easy! Yet even sitting to write an assignment usually leads to anxiety and tears. Not ideal for someone doing their postgrad with no plans to leave college anytime soon. I had an old supervisor effectively tell me that perfectionism is the death of productivity: and she was absolutely right, but it doesn’t change my desperate need for everything to be right, to be just so before submitting.

“It’s like I can feel the gears in my brain grinding to a halt, but can’t find the blockage.”

Hopefully by the time anyone sees this my writers block will be a mere memory, and I’ll be well on the way to academic success. From where I am now, I doubt it, but a girl can dream…

besides, there is always another assignment, another deadline, another chance to conquer the demon. I just wish mine wasn’t so damn relevant.

“I had an old supervisor effectively tell me that perfectionism is the death of productivity” When writing about any sort of difficulty in life, I also have a horrible need to end these rants on a hopeful note. In that vein, I’m going to break out of my self-imposed box. I’m going to forgo a conclusion, and leave it unfinishe-

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

You’re Here, You’re Queer... Now What?

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NBs, to other trans students who might be worried about passing (and the awkward bathroom encounters associated with that), no matter what shade of trans you are this can be a lifesaver. Now not all buildings have them, but enough do that you won’t have to go too far to find one.

Niamh O’Reilly - Staff Writer So you’ve survived the dreaded Leaving Cert, and the stress-hell that is results & CAO offers - congrats! We’re all very proud of you... unfortunately, the stress doesn’t end there: you’ve got lectures, assignments, housemates and about 22,000 new people to get used to. This, in itself, can be daunting, but it’s that bit more stressful if you are, as Cork people would say “one of them quares”. Fear not though, my young LGBT amigos, I’ve got you.

My name is Niamh O’Reilly and, in addition to being a writer for the UCC Express, I’m the Campaigns Officer for UCC LGBT Society; I’m one of a group of students & staff whose job is to make sure that your college experience is as easy and pleasant as possible. I’m also involved in various other LGBT groups around Cork and Ireland. I’ve spent the past couple of years being a bit of a queer hack, but even then I found college daunting. I was out as queer/ bisexual before coming to college, but at the start of college I also came out as non­ binary transgender. I’m not going to lie to you, it was a bit scary, but very worth it.

With all this coming out experience, and queer hackery, I’m going to give you my top advice for having a gay old time in college as an LGBT student (see what I did there? I’m hilarious).

“I’m not going to lie to you, it was a bit scary, but very worth it. ” 1.Come Out, or Don’t: Universities are well known for being rather liberal and LGBT friendly places, so a lot of people tend to come out during their time in uni-

versity. If you want to come out now is an ideal time to do it, but don’t let anyone make you feel like you have to. Everyone comes out in their own time: some people are 16, some are 40, some people don’t ever come out, and that’s all okay; there’s plenty of support here for students who are coming out, but no one worth your time will begrudge you for waiting.

2.Try new things: You’re in a new place, with new people and, more than likely, a new living space. It’s a prime opportunity to try things you’d fear being judged for at home, whether that be binding your chest (safely, please), wearing makeup, dressing in a more feminine or masculine way or shifting someone of your own gender; go for it. UCC has over 20,000 students, and yeah, some of them may judge you, but there’s so many that you’ll definitely find a bunch of new friends along the way who’ll support you no matter what.

3.Join the Clubs & Societies: Get involved! Okay, so I’m a bit biased here, but UCC LGBT is a great society if that’s your sort of thing: we do weekly events and info stands, regular socials, we’re incredibly trans friendly (name and pronoun circle at the start of all events), and try to have something for everyone. Also we’ll need a first year rep, g’wan, you know you want to. You’re not limited, obviously, to the LGBT Soc: there’s over 100 societies and over 60 clubs to choose from, so find what works for you and have fun (just don’t forget to go to lectures).

4.Take Advantage of the Facilities: Fun UCC fact for you all: UCC has gender-neutral bathrooms in nearly every one of its buildings. This can be a godsend for all my fellow trans folks out there; from fellow

5. Practise Safe Sex: Look, I get it; you finally move to a city after years of being the only gay in the village, this may be the first time you have a proper chance to ride all around you - but please, don’t let your boundless sexual energy distract you from being safe. STIs are shit craic, condoms are readily available around campus (and usually free), and you can find out how to fashion condoms into dental dams (safely) with a quick google search. Also, always important no matter your orientation: ALWAYS GET CONSENT BEFORE GETTING SEXY. Mental safety is as important for great sexy times as physical health.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Help When You Need It: Remember that team of people I mentioned at the beginning? The people whose job it is to make sure that you have a good time in UCC? I wasn’t exaggerating: if you need help, these people & organisations are here for you; no problem is too big or too small. The Health Centre (that yellow building on College Road) does free STI testing, the Students’ Union has a specific LGBT Rights Officer (that’s me!), and a Welfare Officer who is able to talk if you have any problems at all. We’ve got counsellors, doctors, budgetary advisers and plenty of external groups nearby ready to look after you if needs be. Please, if you need any help, don’t be afraid to ask.

UCC SU Welfare Officer ­ welfare@uccsu. ie UCC SU LGBT Rights Officer lgbtro@ uccsu.ie UCC Student Health Service 021 4902311 UCC Student Counselling Service ­counselling@ucc.ie UCC LGBT Society ­lgbt@uccsocieties.ie Cork Gay Project info@gayprojectcork. com Linc (Women’s Centre) ­info@linc.ie LGBT Helpline (limited hours) 1890 929 539 Cork Sexual Violence Centre ­info@sexualviolence.ie Samaritans (24/7 support) Free-call 116 123 Basically, enjoy yourself, mind yourself and be yourself. I believe in you.

Alternative Study Venues Know where to go when the library gets packed around exam times IT Labs There are several IT Labs around UCC, get to know where they are: Boole Basement, Kane, Food Science Building, Student Centre, WGB etc.

The Main Rest The Main Rest (that big food hall by the Boole Basement) is typically packed to the rafters between breakfast & dinner, but after food stops serving it can be a decent place to get some work done.

City Library The Library on Grand Parade can be a great place to get some work done, entry is free and there’s of course the access to books you might need.

Café Eco Located between the city’s main thoroughfares on Winthrop Street, Café Eco is Cork’s main 24hr café. Just make sure to maybe buy more than just the one cup of tea in 24hrs.

Outside If it’s ever not-raining, snowing or just being generally terrible outdoors, doing a bit of study in the fresh air is good for you, whether it’s in the President’s Garden, Fitzgerald Park, Bishop Lucey Park or a field near your gaff.

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FEATURES

The Facts About Sexual Assault 1997

Méabh McMahon - Staff Writer

tended the SATU in Cork in 2015 were male, and yet male victims of sexual violence are often overlooked or have their experiences de-legitimised. Similarly, gay and bisexual men are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted than their straight peers, according to Rape Crisis Network Ireland, and yet there is little-to-no acknowledgement of this fact, or efforts to make society safer for these groups. It is incredibly pressing that we see further services created for students of all genders & sexualities, both in Cork & nationally, in order to help survivors and prevent further abuses.

Sexual assault is a difficult subject for many people. Although we are aware that assaults continue to occur at shocking rates both in Cork and nationally, most of us are sorely lacking in information on what to do if we, or someone we know, is sexually assaulted. It is partially the graveness of the subject, and partially the stigma that still exists around anything sexual in Ireland, that prevents frank discussion about this issue. This information gap is dangerous, as it means people are not aware of the services they can avail of, and it makes the process of going through them even more terrifying.

The first thing to know is that if you are sexually assaulted, you should attend a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) as soon as possible. An SATU is a specialised unit where you can get a forensic medical examination, which will gather evidence in case you decide to go to the Gardaí; after seven days it becomes difficult to obtain usable evidence. The SATU in Cork is situated in the South Infirmary hospital, and most people who go there are referred by the Gardaí or by groups like the Sexual Violence Centre Cork. However it is important to note that the SATU will not send any forensic evidence onto the Gardaí without your consent, which means if you do not want to report your assault for whatever reason you can still access the care you need.

When you attend a SATU you will meet with a forensic clinical examiner; a Garda will be present if you intend to report the crime to them. You will be asked to recall the events as best you can, your clothes will be tested, and urine samples, blood tests, hair & nail samples, and genital & anal swabs may all be taken, depending on the nature of the assault. It is important to note that you may stop the process at any point if you no longer feel comfortable, and there will be personnel there to give you support throughout.

“It is important to note that you may stop the process at any point if you no longer feel comfortable ” As well as gathering evidence, the unit will provide emergency contraception if necessary. Commonly known as the ‘morning after pill’, emergency con-

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

“71% of the people treated by SATUs in Ireland last year were students.”

traception is effective at preventing pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected sex. The pill works by preventing ovulation, which means that it stops your ovaries from releasing an egg so that it cannot interact with sperm. This means that emergency contraception prevents pregnancy and is a form of birth control, and it is not equivalent to an abortion pill, which terminates one.

You may also be advised to take preventative medicine that reduces your risk of contracting an STI after unprotected sex. This may include post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, which is an antiretroviral medicine that is taken after potential exposure to HIV. PEP is taken in emergencies, and is not intended to be used as a regular measure to prevent HIV. People who wish to reduce their risk of contracting HIV should instead take a PrEP, which is the preventative version of the same kind of medicine.

People under the age of 18 need a parent or guardian present in order to consent for them going to a SATU. This is quite a burden to place on young people, however, who may be deeply uncomfortable in confiding what happened to them to a parent, for fear that they may be blamed for it. It also could

be logistically difficult, as the parent is unlikely to be present at the time of an assault, and needs to be contacted & brought to the unit, all of which needlessly draws out the ordeal for that young person. We should consider whether it would be helpful to lower the age of medical consent to 16 or 17 in these cases.

The Sexual Violence Centre Cork is another service which provides counselling to survivors and their families, and will accompany them to the GP, hospitals, clinics, Garda stations, and court if the survivor so wishes. The Centre helps people after rape, sexual assault and child abuse, no matter how long ago the incident occurred. It is a free and confidential service, and is located at 5 Camden Place.

All of this information is incredibly pertinent to students in UCC given that 71% of the people treated by SATUs in Ireland last year were students. This highlights the enormous need for more outreach to be done for this group, and for ways to make the student experience safer. While the UCC SU’s website has advice under Welfare on emergency contraception, it does currently lack on information on assault & what services survivors can avail of. We must also note that 11% of people who at-

It is also noteworthy that of the people who attended SATU’s, 44.1% had consumed alcohol, and 11.1% of them drugs. It is important for us to be aware of these risk factors in order to make nights out safer for men and women.

Students will continue to drink & take drugs, and we must acknowledge that reality while striving to make those situations as safe as possible. For these reasons it is critical that students understand consent, and that someone who is intoxicated or who has taken drugs cannot consent to sexual acts.

Campus-wide consent classes, or workshops by groups like the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, would help instill these values into all students, and make nights out safer for all.

“someone who is intoxicated or who has taken drugs cannot consent to sexual acts. ” Sexual assault is traumatic, but there are people out there who want to listen, who want to help you. Only by breaking the silence can we give survivors the support that they need, and reduce the risks for vulnerable groups going forward. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, freephone the Sexual Violence Centre Cork on 1800 496 496, who will guide you through the process and give you the support you need.

GAEILGE

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Ré Na Gaelinne Laura Nic Mhathúna, Alexandra Philbin, Aoife Nic Gearailt

Is iad An Cumann Drámaíochta agus An Chuallacht na dhá chumainn a chuireann an Ghaeilge chun cinn anso i UCC. Spreagann siad daltaí uilig a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid agus a fhorbairt, i tslí beomhar, taitneamhach. Baineann an Chuallacht, agus a chlub comhrá leis an teanga labhartha a treisiú agus An Cumann Drámaíochta leis an Ghaeilge ar stáitse.

An Flying Enterprise Ag Fall-Úint?

Aoife Nic Gearailt, Eagarthóir Gaeilge Mar tá a fhios ag gach mac agus iníon máthar beo faoin chuspóir a thit amach idir an teach tabhairne,An Flying Enterprise, agus a n-íar-fostaí le casadh an mí anuas. D’éirigh Cormac Ó Bruic, 23 ó Chorca Dhuibhne, as a phost mar maoirseoir beara sa teach tabhairne, lonnaithe ar Cé Ó Sulleabháin. Chuir an bhainisteoireacht cosc air an Ghaeilge a bheith á labhairt agus é i mbun oibre. Dúirt Fionbarr Ó Sé, bainisteoir den Flying Enterprise, leis go raibh scairt caointe curithe isteach ag custaiméirí ó thaobh an theanga a bhí i núsáid aige ó am go chéile - an Ghaeilge. Thóg Ó Bruic seachtain chuige féin lena bhreith a thabhairt maidir lena fhostaíocht. Faoi mar a tharlaíonn, le linn na seachtaine sin, fuair an maoirseoir a P45 ón Flying Enterprise. I raiteas a d’fhógair an teach tabhairne,

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luadar nach raibh lá ruim acu Ó Bruic a scaoileach óna phost - ach é sin go díreach a tharla agus a rinneadar.

Luaigh Ó Bruic,agus é faoi agallamh ar “An Saol ó Dheas” ar Radio na Gaeltachta, go raibh neart oibritheoirí ag obair san bheár ó scairt tíortha difríula.

D’inis sé don chlár nach raibh sé as áit do é féin agus dá chomhghleacaithe leas a bhaint as a dteangacha dhúchasacha agus iad i dteangmháil lena chéile.

Dúirt sé gur bhain sé úsáid as cúpla focail le custaméirí dá mba rud é go raibh an Ghaeilge ar a dtoil acu agus dá mbeadh suim acu inti, roimh dó an Béarla a úsáid. Dhearbhaigh Ó Sé gurb é an Béarla teanga gnó an teach tabhairne, agus gur ar nós éide oibre a bheith á chaitheamh acu. Luaigh sé go raibh “language code” i bhfeighm acu agus go rabhaídís san “hospitality business.” D’eagair an eagraíocht Gael Taca fordhear-

bhú ar an 11ú de Méán Fómhair chun tacaíocht na Gaelgóirí a learú agus a neartú.

“We’re all Europeans” a d’fhógair Ó Sé, ach is léir go bhfuil sé imithe as a chuimhne gurb í an Ghaeilge teanga oifigiúl na hÉireann, agus an Béarla an teanga tháineastach. Is cuid lárnach í dár noidhreacht agus dár bhféiniúlacht. Cuireadh an iomad bac uirthi leis na céadta anuas chun an cosc céanna a ghearradh uirthi inár tsochaí ilchultúrtha, nua aimseartha, thar a bheith forbartha. Mealann sí na mílte turasóirí bliain i ndiadh bhliain, ag feabhsú ár stád eacnamaíochta , firic dodhearmadta i ndiadh an gearrchéim a thit amach ag tús an dara míle bliain. Ní dheanfaidh muintir Chorcaí nó Gaelgóirí Chorcaí dearmad ar an scanal seo le fada an lá. Mar a chuirtear ar ár gcluasa go minic, tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.

10 Focail - O’Rahilly Building Where are we now? - Cá bhfuilimid anois?

Do you know how to get to…? - An bhfuil a fhios agat conas a rachfainn go dtí…?

Where’s the map? - Cá bhfuil an mapa?

Have we enough time for Coffee Dock? - An bhfuil i ndothain ama againn ar faidh café?

We are lost - Támid caillte Corridor- Pasáiste Classroom - Seomra ranga Window - Fuinneog Reception - Oifig fháiltithe Lift - Ardaitheoir

Bunaíodh An Chuallacht sa bhliain 1912. Ó shin is iomaí duais atá buaite acu, ar nós “Cumann Gaeilge na Bliana” ó Glór na Gael, sa bhliain 2009 agus 2010. I rith na bliana eagraíodh imeachtaí éagsúla chun an Ghaeilge a spreagadh i measc na scoláirí anseo sa choláiste. Mar shampla, thosaigh an bhliain seo caite le turas go Cill Airne, Contae Ciarraí. Bhí oíche den scoth ag gach duine agus iad ag céiliúradh trí mhéan na Gaelinne. Chomh maith leis sin, ghlac an Chuallacht páirt sa chomórtas ‘Comhrá 24’, iarracht taifead a bhriseadh maidir leis an comhrá is fuide as Gaeilge. Bhí ar na mic léinn Gaeilge a labhairt don lá ar fad, agus d’éirigh leo gan dabht. Bhí ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge’ an eachtra is mó don gcumann anuraidh, mar is gnáth. Eagraíodh cuardach craiceáilte agus tráth na gceist, agus ar ndóigh, chríochnaigh an tseachtain le Bál na Gaeilge. Oíche leictreach a bhí ann! Is léir go raibh bliain iontach ag an gCuallacht, agus tá an cumann ag iarraidh an rath seo a bheith aige agus a bhaint amach arís.

Mar sin, tá imeachtaí nua le plé ag an gCuallacht don bhliain seo chugainn. Beidh bliain níos fearr arís ag an gcumann. Leanfaidh an ‘Club Comhrá’ ar aghaidh gan dabht. Is seans é sin chun Gaeilge a labhairt uair amháin gach seachtain le scoláirí eile. Is féidir bualadh le daoine nua agus an teanga a chleachtadh ag an am céanna. Tá súil ag an oifigeach forbartha leis an gCuallacht, Alexandra Philbin, go spreagfaidh an eachtra suim sna daoine nach bhfuil líofa sa Ghaeilge go fóill an bhliain seo. “Is féidir le haon duine dul go dtí an club comhrá. Níl muid ag lorg daoine le Gaeilge fhoirfe amháin. Táim ag iarraidh daoine nua a fheiceáil, b’fhéidir tosaitheoirí ina measc. B’fhéidir níor thaitin an

Ghaeilge go mór leo sa scoil, agus ba mhaith leo tús nua a fháil in áit atá an Ghaeilge beo. ” a dúirt sí. Má tá suim ag aon duine sa chumann seo, is féidir leo níos mó eolais a fháil ar an leathanach Facebook, An Chuallacht UCC. Beidh an t-eolas ar fad faoi ghach imeacht an bhliain seo ann gan mhoill.

An bhfuil paisean agat don Ghaeilge? An féidir leat tú féin a shámhlú ag aisteoireacht ar chlár de chuid TG4? Más féidir, is é an Cumann Drámaíochta an cumann duitse! Cuirtear fáilte is fiche roimh gach éinne a bhfuil fonn orthu dul i mbun aisteoireachta linn. Sa cumann, ní gá Gaeilge líofa a bheith agat, nílid ró bhuartha faoin Tuiseal Ginideach nó an Módh Coinníollach!! Ní gá go mbéadh go leor taithí agat ar an stáitse ach oiread. Is cumann an fháiltiúil agus cairdiúil é, a thugann seans do chách a bhfuil fonn orthu a bheith i mbun aisteoireachta. Is féidir trial a bhaint as na triallacha a bheidh ar siúl amach anseo sa seiméastar. Is bealach iontach é an aisteoireacht chun do chuid Gaeilge a fheabhsú agus chun aithne a chur ar chairde nua sa choláiste.

An bhliain seo chaite, léiríodar dhá dhráma, ‘Cití’ le Siobhán Ní Súilleabháin agus ‘Grace,’ a bhí scríofa leis an stiúirthóir, Michaela Gleeson. Léiríodar an drama ‘Citi’ san Amharclann Granary sa chéad seimeastar, agus bhí an drama ‘Grace’ ar siúl sa Gaol i gCathair Chorcaí. Dráma faoi shaol Grace Gifford, bean Sheosamh Pluncéid, a bhí ann. Taistlíonn siad i gcéin is i gcongar chun drámaí a léirú. Dhá bhliain ó shin, thaistil an Cumann go Páras chun dráma a léiriú i bhfleadh drámaíochta a bhí ar siúl san Ollscoil Notre Dame. Tá go leor rudaí suimiúla i ndán don Cumann an bhliain seo. Beidh siad ag léiriú dráma eile dár ndóigh, agus beidh sé sin ar siúl i mí Marta. Os a choinne sin, tá sé ar intinn acu taisteal go háit dhifriúl chun dráma a léiriú. Beidh aoichaointeoirí againn i rith na bliana chomh maith. Go bunúsach, má tá suim agatsa san aisteoireacht, tá cúpla focal agat, agus má tá tú ag iarraidh neart craic a bheith agat le muintir an Chumann Dramaíochta, tá fáilte romhat bheith páirteach leis an gCumann! Beidh an Cruinniú Cinn Bliana ar siúl ar an 28ú Mhéan Fomhair. Tabhair like dóibh ar Facebook, agus beidh tú in ann na himeachtaí go léir a fheicéail!

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FOOD

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

3 Places to buy food that aren’t the Supermarket

Making food isn’t just the Tesco Value Section.

Xander Cosgrave, Food Editor

Welcome to the first issue of this year’s UCC Express and, importantly, the first Food Section since its untimely removal in the ancient past of two/three years ago. Most of what we’ll be showing you this year is a selection of different recipes and food ideas, but this week I think it’s important for all of you who don’t know how to feed yourself in Cork to get a crash course on where to go. So for all you visiting students, freshers, and people who have decided to diversify their diet from chicken rolls who want to find the best places to get food, or at least the places that aren’t major chains, here we are. Most of the stuff I’m going to talk about here, and for the rest of the year, you can get in Tesco or Lidl (you can even get spices in Tiger, which was surprising news to me) which are both easily acces-

sible in the center of town, but the places here could be better value, are definitely higher quality, and usually have a wider range of stuff.

For simplicity’s sake, I’ve included directions based off of the nearest pub.

The English Market.

It’s in the Center of town, literally, right in the middle. *Sigh* There’s entrances beside Voodoo and Mutton Lane.

No really, the English Market is one of the best of its kind in Europe, and it is actually pretty great for students too, not just for the bourgeoisie hipster elite that have taken over farmers markets. It has interesting shops and places to get that little bit of extra tasty stuff when you can afford it, with the Real Olive Co. being a stand-out, but it also holds all your staples at a reasonable price. Indeed, it is probably cheaper to buy any meat here than it is at the supermarket, with some of the

butchers offering family packs that will feed you for a week. Plus, when you have someone over you can talk about going to the market and seem all cultured.

The Quay Co-op Literally right beside The Flying Enterprise center, and just over the pedestrian bridge from Deep South.

Ah yes, ‘Healthy People’. The Quay Coop is half health food store, half Veggie restaurant which makes it: A) a good place to buy lentils, and B) a good place to go for breakfast when you will literally throw up at the thought of bacon. Don’t underestimate the usefulness of lentils, they bulk out curry and soup like no one’s business, and they’re an excellent source of protein and fiber without being awful, like bran flakes. Beyond all this you can buy almost everything you need dehydrated, and then they will last you for the entire year no problem. So when you don’t actually cook anything anyway at

Recipe of the Week: Bread Serving Size; Jesus I have seen one person eat all this bread.

It’s mostly a matter of ratios.

You’ll need; A reasonably sized bowl.

A tray Upon which things can be baked. A baking tray, so to speak.

A Knife 3 Cups flour 1 Tablespoon yeast 1 Tablespoon salt 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 Cups water More flour to knead.(approx 2 cups) Optional A little oil.

How to Make Bread. The Most basic staple of Western Civilisation for Millennia.

You would not do well in a zombie apocalypse let me tell you.

1. Add 2 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt to a large bowl and mix them.

2. Add the 2 cups of water to the mixture and combine to form a spongy dough, it’ll look kinda gross, this is fine.

3. Let it settle for a minute, have a cup of tea, and then put in another two cups of flour. You might need more, so keep it to hand.

4. Knead it, this will require muscles, so it may take some time, but if you’ve got good strength in your wrists, you should be fine. (Kneading is basically forming it into a ball, and folding it onto itself, turning it, and repeating, You watch GBBO,

you know) Knead it until it’s springy, and it’s not sticky.

5. Either flour or oil up your baking tray, shape the bread into an approximation of a loaf, and leave the bread to prove for at least 45 minutes, but up to two hours is helpful, to make sure it rises as much as it can. When it’s risen do a few cuts on the top so it looks cool.

6. Place dough into a pre-heated oven at approximately 200 degrees C for 20-25 minutes, you may have to turn it once at ten minutes so it cooks evenly. To check that it’s cooked, stab it with a sharp knife in the middle and see if it comes out clean.

Or it’ll be a rich brown. Either way, once it’s done, take it out so that it can sit, and wait at least 15 minutes to start cutting it so it can rest. It’ll be hard to resist.

Tips.

Fresh bread is the greatest thing ever, and people pretending to be coeliacs, who you don’t want to hang out with. (I have yet to meet a real Coeliac who doesn’t look at bread like they want it inside of them) You can make this bread dough into pretty much anything: small rolls, doughballs, more stuff, I’ll teach all that later. Just nail how to do this before we go crazy.

least the stuff won’t be rotting in your cupboard & stinking up your kitchen.

Jia Jia Market.

Up the road from Rising Sons, across from the Bodega.

Okay, so lentils and sun dried tomatoes aren’t your thing. How about buttloads of noodles? Literally buttloads of them. If that’s the case, then my favourite place to go is the Asian Supermarket on Cornmarket Street. You can buy all of the assorted stuff you need to make asian cuisine in here, including Soy Sauce that is hella cheaper than anywhere else, insane hot sauces and 8 billion prawn crackers (at least). If you want to step away from your comfort zone for flavours but don’t want to burn through a load of cash, this place is the place for you; just don’t buy anything green because it’s probably wasabi flavoured, and if you’re Irish, you’ll smell it and immediately die because it’s sooooo spicy.

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Volume 2

Editorial

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A new year always brings the promise of a new beginning (even if time itself is an illusion) and, in a lot of ways, that’s true.

We’re going to be learning new things; taking on new roles; meeting new people.

However, we’re habitual creatures at the end of the day, and within a few weeks, we’ll have settled into our routines and those wild days of our youth will be a mere three-month-old memory.

When I was 16, I bought a small, purple octopus. Not a real one, of course: he’s made out of felt. He also wears a top hat and a monocle to compliment his little brown moustache. His name, for obvious reasons, is Poirot.

Now, I purchased Poirot with the best of intentions. At the time, I genuinely thought this was something worth investing in. Now, I’m not so sure. As adorable as he is (and he is adorable), Poirot’s spent the last three or four years sitting on my bookshelf, just looking pretty and not really contributing anything to society. He is, for all intents and purposes, a functionally useless paperweight. I should get rid of him.

I digress. My name is Lauren Mulvihill, and I’m editor of Byline for the upcoming academic year. You’ll be able to find me here on the inside cover each issue.

Byline is your go-to place for arts and entertainment (within the confines of the UCC Express, at least) and we’ve got an A1 team working to make sure that it’s at the top of its game this year. It’s shiny; it’s new; and not to toot our own trumpet, but it’s going to be pretty dang good.

Or, at least, that’s how life will go if we let it. Routine is good for society – we literally wouldn’t be able to function without it - but what is life without a bit of nonsense? Poirot may sit on my bookshelf and do nothing but make me smile, but that in itself is reason enough to justify his tenancy. Likewise, don’t let yourself start to take things too seriously as the year progresses and your routine becomes more rigid. College can be a pretty insular community, so make sure you’re not sacrificing your own sense of self in the process of joining it. Do silly things, be kind, and burst your own bubble every once in awhile. Never regret something that made you smile. Find your Poirot.

Anyway, here at Byline we’ll be delivering all sorts of arts and entertainment to the UCC campus throughout the year.

Our writers and editors are made up entirely of UCC students, so if you have a knack for writing or just want to give it a lash, you can submit an article online at uccexpress.ie, contact our section editors individually - or drop me an email at byline@uccexpress.ie.

This is the beginning of what we hope is an outstanding college year. So, finally, and most importantly: welcome back!

Lauren Mulvihill

HOROSCOPES

with Mystic Greg

Aries (Mar. 21st - April 19th) The collective term for people of your sign is ‘Arian’. Say that out loud. Yeah… don’t organise a brotherhood for people of your sign and you should be fine.

does that make you feel?

Taurus (April 20th - May 20th) You enter the ORB looking for ORB 1.89. You cannot find it. You take a left, then a right, then another left, just like they told you. There is nothing. You turn to leave but cannot find your way out. Everything smells like starbucks and nothing makes sense.

You’ll never find the Goblin King now.

Scorpio (Oct. 23rd - Nov. 21st) Feeling sad, frustrated, stressed, angry? Just remember that all the doggos and puppers of the world believe in you.

Gemini (May 21st - June 20th) You seem like the type of person who unironically likes the song ‘Wagon Wheel’ by Nathan Carter. I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

Cancer (June 21st - July 22nd) You think no one saw you step on the crest, but I did. Mystic Greg sees all.

Enjoy the sesh while you still can. You can’t have lovely cans when you’re pregnant.

Leo (July 23rd - Aug. 22nd) If a billion Leos and the sun have a fight, who would win? Well done Leos, a winner is you. That’s a lot of Leos.

Virgo (Aug. 23rd - Sept. 22nd) Your sign literally means ‘the virgin’.

The stars are calling you a nerd. How

Libra (Sept. 23rd - Oct. 22nd) Bernie lost bro, get over it. Also you share your star sign with Éamon DeValera. Yikes.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22nd - Dec. 21st) Sagittarius? More like ‘Sad-gittarius’, amirite ladies, amirite? Seriously though, your birth stone is a petrol station, that’s kinda sad bro.

Capricorn (Dec. 22nd - Jan. 19th) Do people ever try to squish your birthday and Christmas together because of how close they are? How many Capricorns must suffer at the hands of Birthmas before this cruelty is stopped?

Aquarius (Jan. 20th - Feb. 18th) Wasps are going to be inexplicably drawn to you this week. May gosh have mercy on your soul.

Pisces (Feb. 19th - Mar. 20th) You tell a pun so bad this week that someone actually slaps you. Was it really worth it? (Heck yeah it was, sick pun bro *high 5*)

Fiction Sunrays in a Teacup Amy Grace

Delicate and simple, you tingle at my lips, Whisper sweet secrets of sound minds to relieve the child in the vastness of mentality.

Momentarily.

You are the elixir of peace, the tranquiliser, Unspecific taste to my generalised ache.

Gently inject through my body, Capture, pull, throw, knock, bruise me with silence, And in my reposal, give Impetus to imperfection ~

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Editor - Sophie Mckenzie

Aquarium Sophie Mckenzie Better to meet a friend at the aquarium than any park Soft blue meeting halls and a tide-slosh of small crowds Schools of chatter and curious glances glint on glass A volunteer wizard tells me how the rays will dance As long as you don’t splash, give them time But I’ll drift eventually, over to a snug familiar corner

Where the lights are dimmer, the glass thicker Here, old friends peer lazily from halfpipes Turn the head, acknowledge and retreat Many times before, I fancied I could coax a smile Or twist some tangibly happy shape from them Now I realize only that I am still annoyed That they don’t sell dolls of them in the gift shop.

Cork, 2016 Claire O’Connor The singing bells of Shandon start to ring the evening mass And the river harmonizes with some sighing water-grass The shopfronts hum a steady waltz and car lights blink in time To an endless pulse of music built

from fraying, cobbled rhyme Dancers leap down Plunkett’s Street and skip past the cafés Buskers keep the rhythm as they practise their pliés Fitzgerald’s Park is swaying to a thudding, distant tune And improvising students reel beneath an autumn moon.

CEOL AGUS FUAIM Sophie Mckenzie

Duirt an filiméala: Do chan mé nuair a rugadh mé Agus gan séis, gan fonn Níl ionat ach guth Do fhreagair an faoláin: Do chaoin mé nuair a rugadh mé Agus ós cionn búir na tonnta Tá saoirse san fhuaim.

The nightingale said: I sang when I was born And without melody, You are only a voice The gull answered: I cried when I was born And over the bellow of the waves There is freedom in noise.

Humour

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Education: Student claiming they’ll “get their life together this year” lying to themselves Politics: Everybody’s an expert on US politics, apparently Campus Life: UCC ensure Boole not forgotten by unveiling a statue right outside two buildings already named after him News: Media biased towards each side equally Science: People who are rude to waiters officially the worst kind of people, confirm scientists Literature: Modern writers more condescending than ever (that means they talk down to people) TV Listings BBC One, Wed @ 8PM: “If I can’t have it, nobody can”: watch Sue Perkins carry out shocking mass cake-sabotage on the Great British Bake Off

Local woman struggles to find anything nice to say about co-worker Lauren Mulvihill - Humour Editor A local woman has admitted to finding it extremely difficult to find anything nice to say about her co-worker, our sources have revealed.

Mary Kiely (22), an employee at a popular Cork-based café chain, has been working alongside Pat McGee (24) for over three months. Speaking to our reporter, Miss Kiely revealed that she is under “enormous pressure” to behave “civilly” towards Mr. McGee, as her other co-workers don’t seem to have a problem with him.

“Miss Kiely revealed that she is under “enormous pressure” to behave “civilly” towards Mr. McGee” “There’s just something about him,” she explained in hushed tones. “Everybody thinks he’s lovely, but there’s just something about him that I don’t like.”

According to Mary, the greatest difficulty tends to come while on break with other co-workers, who seem intent on singing the praises of Pat McGee. Hidden micro-

phones picked up on phrases such as “great craic”, “lovely young fella” and “so genuine” used in conversation in reference to Mr. McGee. “Oh, he’s a character, alright!” Mary Kiely was quoted as saying. “Specifically, that one character you really want the author to kill off, but he keeps coming back.

Chapter after chapter. There he is.”

Mary explained that revealing her dislike for her co-worker may turn her into a social pariah, and that she fears being labelled “petty”. She therefore feels obliged to pay him compliments when others do so, and has referred to the situation as an “existential crisis”.

“But, y’know, he can make a great cup of coffee!” Mary adds, raising her voice as a regular customer walks past. “When the mood takes him, that is.”

“very pleasant, but I think she’s right; there’s just something about him”.

An undercover reporter posing as a customer attempted to interact with Pat McGee, to discover whether or not Miss Kiely’s behaviour was justified. She described

Mr. McGee as being “very pleasant, but I think she’s right; there’s just something about him”.

“Oh, sure it’s great working here,” Pat revealed to the reporter during conversation. He was noted as maintaining a permanent smile throughout. “It just challenges me in the right way, y’know? Being able to give back to the community is what I thrive on, and being in a leadership position allows me to step outside of my comfort zone.” Pat paused here to remind Miss Kiely, who was mopping the floor, that one of the tables had yet to be cleaned.

“He definitely has leadership qualities,” Mary noted once Mr McGee had left. “I mean, look at the way he takes charge of literally any situation he finds himself in, regardless of whether he needs to or not.

And he’s only condescending when there are customers listening!”

Unfortunately for Mary Kiely, she is likely to be sharing a workspace with Pat McGee for the foreseeable future. When approached for a closing statement, she had the following to say.

“I suppose he’s grand at the end of the day – because that’s when I get to go home and I don’t have to interact with him anymore.”

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Editor - Lauren Mulvihill

Reeling in the Years 2017 - A Year Ahead Dorian Deville - Humour Writer Reeling in the Years is a fond favourite of most Irish people, in that it’s an actually decent RTÉ production and it is made of nothing but nostalgia. The show went on an indefinite hiatus in 2010 after the broadcast of the highlight show for the year 2007, to allow for time to move on & allow for proper historical context. In a bold new move, RTÉ have commissioned the UCC Express to report the news as it happens...before it happens. So without further ado... Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of all ages; Dorian Deville and the UCC Express proudly present to you: Reeling in the Years 2017.

January Main Story - Vermin Supreme Elected US President Song - We’re (Nickel) Back Again, by “Too Bad” Chad Kroeger While many political commentators of 2015 & 2016 had resigned the US Presidential Election to being a two-horse race between Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate, and Donald J. Trump, the Republican Party candidate, they were too quick to wave off a third party candidate.

Despite the popularity of Green Party candidate Jill Stein with former Bernie Sanders supporters, meme-factory Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson’s bizarre optimism and former Independence Party member Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura’s assertions that a shady New World Order organisation would seize power publicly (despite an earlier statement where he stated they already ran the world behind the scenes anyway), perennial ‘joke candidate’ Vermin Supreme was elected in a landslide victory. Working on a platform of Free Ponies for every American, many claimed it was this that ultimately led to the win for President-elect Supreme, whereas others claim it was more a loss for the two major parties than a win for this plucky independent. Indeed, many pinpoint the moment that, following Hillary Clinton falling victim to pneumonia, Donald Trump developed a case of cholera in another attempt to one-up his rival.

Also in the news: the bee population of the earth shows a small increase.

February Main Story - Ireland Houses All Refugees Song - Editing Deadline Blues, by The Expressionists For most of 2015, and all of 2016, the news was full of horrific images of refugees fleeing their native, war-torn lands only to be lost at

sea on makeshift rafts or living in dreadful temporary accommodation facilities. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny makes a decision midway through the month to offer amnesty for the immigrants & refugees of the world in Laois. The charitable act by the small island nation inspires the democratic powers of the world to reevaluate their positions on international relations, leading to the end of all global wars. Speaking to the Express, the office of An Taoiseach simply stated that they had “forgotten” about the midland county, and thought they had to use it for something before 2022 or it’d go back to Britain.

Also in the news: Rumblings at DMZ in Korea as rumours circulate in North Korea.

Bressie is appointed Taoiseach of this rag-tag government, pledges to solve the overcrowding crisis by getting everyone to go for a walk.

Also in the news: the buzzing noise increases, as black pulsating clouds move towards Asia from all corners of the globe.

March Main Story - War breaks out in Africa Song - Hava Tequila, by Papa Daddy

Everything’s just...kinda good? The world is stunned, or I guess they would be if they weren’t too busy chilling out. A stout combination of free ponies and good vibes means people aren’t really up to much, especially things like crime, war and accounting. An Taoiseach Bressie declares May “National Chill-Out” month, as he sets off on world wide tour with President Supreme. They are expected to head up a worldwide peace summit in Seoul, Republic of Korea in mid June.

Also in the news: Dude, do you know how sweet it is to have your own pony? They’re, like...so cool. Also, no real bee sightings, or that weird buzzing noise

Following a rapid de-escalation in all conflicts across the world, News Corp head honcho Rupert Murdoch discovers a shocking drop in ratings of news programmes, and a collapse in sales of newspapers worldwide.

In a desperate ploy for ratings, a small-scale invasion was launched on the African nation of Djibouti. While Mr.Murdoch initially denies any involvement in the invasion, he does remark that if the war doesn’t increase ratings then at least people might find the name of the country humorous enough to sell newspapers.

Results are disastrous, as President Supreme extends his free pony policy to the rest of the world, and soldiers on both sides of the conflict are too busy frollicking through meadows; this was also the primary reason for the collapse of newspaper sales.

Also in the news: A large buzzing noise comes from the direction of Pyongyang, confusing military strategists and locals alike.

“soldiers on both sides of the conflict are too busy frollicking through meadows;” April Main Story - Bressie Wins Snap Election Song - Amhrán na Feen, by ‘Big D’ Eoin D While the move to adopt all the world’s refugees was heralded as a great humanitarian move all around the world, it wasn’t a successful domestic policy for Taoiseach Enda Kenny, as Ireland’s new citizens realise how much of a gowl he really is & now represent a somewhat overcrowded voting block. An election is called for later in the month which is won by a collection of independent candidates. Musician, life-coach and first-time TD

“Musician, life-coach and first-time TD Bressie is appointed Taoiseach of this rag-tag government” May Main Story - Everything’s Pretty Class tbh Song - 4’ 69” by Durty Biy John Cage

“An Taoiseach Bressie declares May “National Chill-Out” month,” June Main Story - North Korea disrupt peace summit Song - Ain’t None of Your Bizniz, by Barry B. Benson The Global Peace Summit in Seoul is interrupted by Kim Jong Un & North Korean forces. The North Korean army display the speed & agility of a small flying insect of some kind, taking all security forces by surprise.

Kim Jong Un discards his mask to reveal he’s been a cloud of bees this entire time, explaining the gradual drop in bee population in the last few years. The North Korean dictator (who, again, is a cloud of sentient bees) seizes control of the television cameras and declares that Planet Earth has been an alien YouTube prank social experiment this entire time. The bees fly into the sky as most people say they don’t really understand how they got away with it, and many believe all of humanity were simply actors. As the last bee leaves the earth caves in on itself due to the weight of all the ponies. Oh well.

My Accommodation is Haunted: A Theory

By Lauren Mulvihill I like a building with character. I like a house with old carpets and exposed walls and the odd speckled mirror or two. It’s a sort of antique.

I’ve never believed in ghosts or anything along those lines, so the implied creepiness of such a place isn’t likely to put me off; throw a few flowers here and there, maybe a nice lamp, and then you’re upcycling. Saying that, if I was that way inclined, I’d definitely say my student accommodation is haunted.

A few stains here and there are obviously to be expected in a house that’s been the exclusive domain of students for God-only-knows how many years, and so that in itself isn’t indicative of hauntedness. All I’m saying, is that the red stains on the ceiling of the upstairs bathroom are suspicious. Of course, it could just be some kind of problem with the pipes. Maybe the plaster has rusted. I don’t know. All I’m presenting here are facts.

Then, there’s the cat. Oh, yes. There’s a cat. A witchy animal if ever there was one. Now, I’m not a cat-hater: in fact, I admire their confidence and intelligence (sometimes. I’ve also seen cats get stuck in bowls, which just goes to show that you really can’t generalise). That’s why I’m inclined to trust the one that seems to refuse to come anywhere near our house. It gets about halfway down the back garden, and then runs away. You could say that, since this is when one of the residents here goes out to try and make friends with the cat, we’re actually startling it, but y’know who’d like you to believe that? The ghost. The alleged ghost, I mean.

Let’s talk about the golf ball. A mysterious golf ball has materialised at the bottom of our stairs, just under the dials that control the heating. I mean, I’m not a melodramatic kind of gal, but could this be an insidious plot by some manner of golfing ghost to break my ankles if and when I get up in the dead of night to adjust the heating?

It’s impossible to know for sure, but I’ll freeze to death before I give that ghost the satisfaction of seeing me slip on a golf ball- ...supposed ghost.

Your immediate reaction may be to point out that I can turn on the light in the hallway, thereby making sure that I see the golf ball in this case. That’s the next thing: there is no lightbulb in the hall. Could that be the result of negligence on behalf of us and/or our landlord? Perhaps so.

But I think a far more entertaining idea is that there is a golfing, murderous ghost haunting my accommodation who happens to dislike modern technology, which is why they’re sabotaging our lightbulbs and sometimes making the Wi-Fi cut out. At least, that’s what I’d say if I believed in this sort of thing.

Film & TV

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Movie Recommendation

Conor MacNeill – An Upcoming Regular of Irish Film show is penned as a comedy, Paul Abbott (the creator of the show) can use very dark themes in writing, and that is certainly the case in the newest season of the show – but Conor said that it was great fun having a bit of lighter tone and a fast pace to switch it up from his other work during the year.

Looking at how busy his year has been, I had to ask how he has coped? For Conor, the whole experience is exciting as he gets to work on three great shows at the same time - but he’s looking forward to time off for a week or two!

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping – do yourself a massive favour and see this while it’s still in cinemas.

New shows to watch on Netflix: Narcos Season Two came out recently, I’ve been watching Mr Robot, but Narcos sounds good if you like South America, Americans stopping drug rings, and crime lords with moustaches.

Just out: Bridget Jones is in cinemas right now, it’s likely similar to the other ones, just less Hugh Grant. And The Infiltrator is also out, it’s about South America, Americans stopping drug rings, and crime lords with moustaches….wait a minute!

Person of the Hour: Rami Malek – I won’t get to tell you how good Mr Robot is this semester, and season two is finished this week, so you should watch Mr Robot please, I’m going to make an article at some stage about how Mr Robot is the best show on TV at the moment, so shout out to that future article.

As a 28 year old actor MacNeill is still young, and offered the following advice to students who might want to follow a similar path to him. “You’re always learning, y’know,” he said, “but make sure you’re 150% sure that you want to do it.” Conor said that acting itself is a dream, but the in-between period of working on shows and films can be difficult as the competition is so intense. Work can be stressful and difficult to find – but the end goal is key!

Aaron Frahill - Film & Television Editor Irish Film is arguably at the strongest point it has ever been. With Room (directed by Lenny Abrahamson) taking Oscars and Golden Globes, and Sing Street receiving very high universal acclaim, Irish film comes at a high standard nowadays, and Conor MacNeill doesn’t stray from this standard. MacNeill is a 28 year old actor from Antrim, and I sat down with him recently to talk about his busy year, which has seen him land roles in the Netflix original “Siege of Jadotville”; BBC’s third season of “The Fall”; and Channel Four’s “No Offence”, which were all filmed this year.

“The Siege of Jadotville” follows the story of Irish UN peacekeepers in the Congo in 1961 and the efforts of the UN to help get the soldiers out of there. Conor plays a character who was the main source of contact between the peacekeepers and the UN. While Conor didn’t get to work with Mark Strong, as they didn’t have any scenes together, MacNeill spent nearly all his scenes with Jamie Dornan, who he described as having “such an incredible approach to work. He’s really diligent, and hardworking”. Conor added that Dornan was great fun on set, which was really important due to the intensity of the film.

Jadotville is a lesser known Irish event: even Conor didn’t know about it until he

read the script, and he felt that it was such a “huge” event in our military history and the lives of the soldiers, describing how amazing it was that they held out for so long with no lives being lost. The release of the “Siege of Jadotville” later this year on Netflix will hopefully shine a light on this lesser known piece of Irish history.

On the note of history, Conor mentioned a film he had written as part of the Irish Film Board’s project “After 16”. He described his take on history by saying “we have to look back before we can move forward”.

Another thing Conor has been working on has been the third season of “The Fall”, and while he was fairly tight-lipped on the show, he said that “all I can tell you is that it is class”. MacNeill said that, as a fan of the show, it was exciting to get to read the script to see the role he would have and how the plot is going to unfold. Conor also joked about starring alongside Jamie Dornan again, saying “we can’t leave each other alone”. The first teaser trailer for “The Fall” just happened to drop after my interview with Conor, and can be found online now!

“You’re always learning, y’know, but make sure you’re 150% sure that you want to do it.”

MacNeill considered it a privilege to unexpectedly end up acting for the summer on Broadway, where he featured in Martin McDonagh’s “The Cripple of Inishmaan”.

The show received six Tony award nominations, so experiencing this whole other type of life in New York was “incredible”.

When looking at his inspirations growing up, Cork’s own Cillian Murphy was an actor that MacNeill was always very impressed by – “the reason I’ve actively wanted to pursue acting when leaving school was Cillian Murphy”, he commented, saying that seeing Murphy in “Disco Pigs” was amazing and that he is constantly brilliant. He also said that his friends inspire him massively, alongside people like Jamie Dornan, Charlie Murphy, Shannon Keeley, David Wilmot, and Sarah Green.

“the reason I’ve actively wanted to pursue acting when leaving school was Cillian Murphy”, “all I can tell you is that it You’ll be able to find Conor MacNeill on is class”

The final show that Conor has in the pipeline is Channel Four’s “No Offence” which will air its second season sometime in 2017. Conor commented that while the

your screens on Netflix’s “Siege of Jadotville” and BBC’s third season of “The Fall” later this year. Channel four’s “No Offence” will be released in 2017.

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Batman 1992

terror, of passion, of hurt, who does not fight for vengeance out of love for the craft, but of a boy hurt from Joe Chill’s rage.

Dylan O’Connell - Sports Editor

“across the infinite earths, who would finally tame the Bat?”

It is hard to find a day and time where things simply worked. As an artist, whether your craft is engineering finely worded pieces of lore, or sketching & aligning destroyed figures on stretchers on a canvas, it is never a question of “getting it right.” There is no moment where something clicks; something gives and we have a vision: the image from our heads clear, defined, absolute.

25 years ago Bruce Timm and Paul Dini resurrected Batman and galvanised a hero. In Batman the Animated Series we were painted a picture of a dark art-deco Gotham City reminiscent of 1930’s New York, forever placed in Autumn with shadows running rampant; against the backdrop of the vibrant neon 1966 Batman, which exploded with colour, this wasn’t just a statement of artistic intent, but a vision. This was Batman.

Created in 1939, Batman transcended the boundaries of the simple panel and into American folklore, becoming an American folk hero. Reflecting his audience, Batman became a catalyst for dynamic storytelling,

While the show’s legacy speaks for itself (an Emmy Award and a reputation never disputed on Top 10 lists) Batman here was cast in stone: Kevin Conroy changed the game in introducing a dual voice for the Bat; Mr. Freeze, once a cheap gimmick, now a tragic hero worthy of a Shakespearean verse; Joker rattled our childhood insecurities through Mark Hamill’s excellent characterisation; Harley Quinn has been woven into Pop Culture bibles; Renee Montoya was an LGBTQ pioneer in DC Comics.

ranging from the zany 1950’s B-Movies on Planet X to being an effect social commentator of the 1970’s. However, in the constant identity crisis between shadows and discos, Batman as an intellectual property was a mystery in itself: across the infinite earths, who would finally tame the Bat? In Batman, the Animated Series, Batman

became Batman. A ‘rogues gallery’ was showcased that introduced the world to the iconic Harley Quinn, as well as people like Renee Montoya, while defining the character of the Joker through former Skywalker, Mark Hamill.

It was a fluid influx of self-definition that brought us the Dark Knight: a creature of

“Harley Quinn has been woven into Pop Culture bibles;” And it’s the show which changed my own life. The show which taught me, the writer, the joy of storytelling and strong, dominant visuals. It was a show which was a friend to a lonely five year old. 25 years on, Batman the Animated Series is a tombstone and a testament to the superhero cartoons.

The Past, Present & Future of Distribution John Thompson - Film & Television Writer The constant evolution of how we access our entertainment is always an interesting, almost unpredictable guessing game, with sure-things flopping unexpectedly and bizarre ideas gaining steam. It can be particularly interesting in an Irish context, especially when looking back at the long, dark days of “two channels, and maybe a dodgy static-y feed of BBC 2 if you wiggle the aerial about” era.

The past is littered with things that, looking back, seem hilariously redundant; things like Laser Disks, Betamax and HD DVDs seem like they couldn’t really succeed. I remember my dad winning a handheld television in a USA 94 World Cup competition: the screen was the size of a wristwatch, the overall unit was huge & chunky and it cost several hundred pounds. Nevermind the fact that you could buy a large flat-screen television for the same cost, but why would you honestly use that when Tony Cascarino is literally the size of an ant?

There’s a line in Tropic Thunder where one

character talks about how it doesn’t matter what medium Hollywood studios back because the winner is decided by whoever the porn industry backs. While that was true in the 80s & 90s with VHS and DVDs respectively, the impact of porn distribution on physical media has undoubtedly been felled due to the advent of the internet as a platform over the last 10 years. The Internet has changed distribution in literally every way; that seems like an overly obvious statement but it’s indescribable how much it has changed media. For example, in the 90s you might hear of a film coming out in America and just presume it wouldn’t reach Irish shores for a few months (if at all). The same could be said for television shows, ‘debuting’ on Irish television years after they’ve finished broadcasting in its native land. Now, however, there’s an onus for a relatively direct release all around the world for major productions because if they don’t then you can easily find it or find out about it online.

“The Internet has changed distribution in literally every way;”

Film theatre distribution, except for the time of release in foreign markets, really hasn’t changed, with home media being the main money battlefield. Netflix has changed the minds of companies & artists in such a way that Xtra-Vision, a former titan of film rental chains, has been reduced to a series of vending machines. It’s also changed minds when it comes to pricepoint, in that it shows that people are more willing to pay a low, flat monthly fee than a per-use cost. This is also represented by the fall from grace of the Pay-Per-View industry when it comes to combat sports & professional wrestling.

“Xtra-Vision, a former titan of film rental chains, has been reduced to a series of vending machines.”

So where do we go now? A large part of me wants to say it’s some bizarre 3D CGI virtual reality goggles, but that’s not going to happen. People are doing some cool things with VR, including that 360° video of 500 Simpsons episodes playing at once, and there’s

something to be said for VR experiences for sports games & live events, but VR isn’t going to be the major player in film & TV. Netflix, too, may be on the way out, with content rights fees rising continually, and with productions companies & television channels like HBO, Hulu & WWE making their own Netflix-esque platforms, then it may be the beginning of the end for the one-stop-shop content provider. Streaming media is undoubtedly the future, and with a large amount of media being consumed on mobile platforms, I could see a company like Amazon or Roku making a tablet just for streaming, possibly with a subscription package grouping a lot of these services together. Without other apps or telephone abilities, this tablet could be a cost-effective way for people to access these services for the first time, or on a consistent basis.

So the future of media distribution is a centralised streaming mobile platform, but then again, someone once thought the betamax was the zenith of our abilities, so just watch Sony release a giant crab monster that beams re-runs of Murder She Wrote directly into our brains that revolutionises the film & television world.

Interview

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Interview: Gavin James Cailean Coffey - Music Editor Sitting in one of the highest suites of the Clarion hotel, looking down upon the Lee on one of the hottest days of the summer, Gavin James is in a pensive mood. 2015 was one of the busiest and most rewarding years of his life, and the way things are going it seems like 2016 will be no different. Thinking back over his career, there is one memory above all others that will be very hard to displace.

“The highlight would have been Croke Park with Ed Sheeran,” he says, stroking his trademark ginger beard and talking in a way that you can hear the smile in his voice before looking. “It was mad, it was so scary, so scary; but it was great.

It was so much fun, man. I loved it, it was great.”

Gavin James does, undoubtedly, have a lot to be happy about. His debut album “Bitter Pill” was recently awarded Irish platinum Certification, having been bought over 15,000 times. The titular single was in constant radio rotation upon its release, and the newest remix of his song “Nervous” by Mark McCabe is being played and requested in nightclubs and bars throughout the country.

“It was mad, it was so scary, so scary; but it was great.”

Looking back on his career, it’s clear that it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Gavin’s first taste of success was in 2013, when he released the song “Say Hello” independently. It was commercially successful and got Gavin nominated for a Choice Music Award. However, 2 years can be a long time for a follow up release, and with

the clock constantly ticking there must have been a period when he thought his glimpse of fame had passed? “I dunno, see, I went over to Europe and all that and did a tour with James Blunt, and I just kept touring and touring and touring, and gigging and gigging and gigging. I wasn’t releasing anything because it was always, like, a plan to release an album, but it just never really came about because of all the touring, and just waiting around a lot for the right label; waiting for all this stuff to happen and that. When ‘Say Hello’ came out and kinda kicked off over here, that was the first time anything’s ever happened for me ever, y’know we released an EP, we played the Academy in Dublin and a whole Irish tour off the back of that one single and from doing that, that was literally just doing an EP and just putting it out randomly.”

There was, however, a scrapped album that he admits “didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I wasn’t really happy with the sound and luckily enough I got to scrap it, which was great. It would have been bad.”

While there may not have been a studio album, a live album was put together almost on a whim. “I thought the best w a y

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TOUr DATES:

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Gavin James with Ed Sheeran

20th Oct. Glasgow, Scotland 27th Oct. Paris, France 28th Oct. Zurich, Switzerland 5th Nov. Wangels, Germany 6th Nov. Nijmegen, Netherlands 8th Nov. Vienna, Austria 10th Nov. Amsterdam, Netherlands 11th Nov. Toronto ON, Canada 13th Nov. Allston MA, USA 14th Nov. New York NY, USA 15th Nov. Washington DC, USA 16th Nov. Toronto ON, Canada 17th Nov. Chicago IL, Canada 18th Nov. Minneapolis MN, USA 21st Nov. West Hollywood CA, USA 22nd Nov. San Francisco CA, USA 9th Dec. Dublin, Ireland

to get the music across was to just give it back as raw as possible and just do a live gig, especially in Whelans, ‘cause I love Whelans. It’s a great spot. And yeah, I was just thinking I’ve been doing these gigs for years and the crowd that I had accumulated from the gigs and I was more or less thinking that I may as well just release a live album and if it doesn’t go well or it does go well, it’s grand.” “Live at Whelans” was released in January 2015 and quickly exploded across the world as independent radio stations in the U.S. picked up on it and started to play it almost continually, with a cover of the song “The Book of Love” picking up massive acclaim both in the U.S. and throughout Europe.

“I thought the best way to get the music across was to just give it back as raw as possible” “That went mad!” Gavin recalls, laughing, his smile broadening with every passing

Sam Smith only helped the cause.

With his happy-go-lucky approach to music and a loveable persona, there’s no questioning the reason behind the multitude of famous friends. He can count the likes of Kodaline, Taylor Swift, Hozier, Sam Smith and James Corden as personal friends, but it’s a fellow red head that really helped him push his career to new and exciting heights. When Ed Sheeran tweeted saying that record labels were missing out if they ignored Gavin James, it attracted a lot of attention and almost instant recognition.

“That was the big thing at the start, he got me for the Croke Park Gig,” James says, in reference to Sheeran’s Dublin gig last summer. “He’s just such a nice lad and I just bump into him every so often and we just chill, have a few drinks and have a small jam.” Asked about his relationship with Hozier, he reminisces about meeting him early in his career at a 2FM session and remembers he knew he would be a success when “he played ‘Take Me to Church’ and I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my God’.”

second. “It went to the US and it got me a deal with Capitol Records crew, “I just bump into him evwhich - it did the job, it was grand. That ery so often and we just live album did the job.” It certainly did, chill, have a few drinks and it got James invited onto the bigand have a small jam.” gest chat shows in the U.S. His red hair and his tall stature made him instantly As his momentum rolls and rolls, it looks recognizable and gained him a massive like there are no breaks on the horizon. following. Touring with Kodaline and James is set to play Electric Picnic and nu-

merous other festivals around the world, before going to the U.S. in November and finally ending the year to an Irish Crowd on the 9th of December. So, what’s next on the path to world domination?

“I’m gonna do a lot of travelling and hopefully I’ll have an album, or there’s a lot more singles and stuff to bring out in the next few weeks, but yeah I haven’t really thought about it. It’ll be grand,” he laughs, looking out the window onto a gorgeous summer day. Who are we to doubt? The world is his oyster and Gavin James, smiling as ever, is ready for whatever it offers.

“I’m gonna do a lot of travelling and hopefully I’ll have an album,” Gavin James' debut album, Bitter Pill, is available now. It can be purchased on his website (www.gavinjamesmusic. com), Amazon and iTunes.

MUSIC

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Album releases: 1) Bruce Springsteen – Chapter and Verse (September 23rd ) 2) Passenger - Young As The Morning Old As The Sea (September 23rd ) 3) Slaves – Take Control (September 30th) 4) Bon Iver – 22, A million (September 30th) 5) Green Day – Revolution Radio (October 7th) Beginers guide to : Drake Marvins Room (Extended Edition) Shut it Down (Feat. The Dream) Best I ever Had Headlines Take Care Make Me Proud (Feat Nicki Minaj) Pound Cake (Feat Jay-Z) Hold On We’re Going Home Legend Too Good Best New Albums: We Move – James Vincent McMorrow Blonde – Frank Ocean Birds In The Trap Sing McNight – Travis

Eden- I Think You Think Too Much Of Me Cailean Coffey - Music Editor EDEN, the electronic singer-songwriter from Dublin, has had a year to remember. His EP “End Credits” gained momentum after spreading across the internet, and has been praised in all corners of the globe. His first ever tour sold out; a tour that included shows in New York, Paris, and Australia, as well as Dublin. To top it off, he was signed to the label run by Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun. What more could you ask for as a 20-year-old who started making beats in his bedroom?

His recent release “I Think You Think Too Much Of Me” has only added momentum

to his already blistering career trail. The EP - at only 30 mins I think that counts as an EP - features both new & previously released songs that have been reworked. The addition of the Gnash verse on previous fan-favourite track Fumes was inspired, and the new song ‘Sex’ has the anthemic feel of a classic rock band. Out of all the songs, however, the true gem lies in ‘Rock + Roll’; a slow, electro/guitar based, emotion stirrer that is sure to leave many in tears.

An impressive, precise and catchy EP from an artist we are guaranteed to hear a lot about in the next few months. As the most exciting Irish act since Hozier, there is a lot of his story yet to be told...

Picture This – Picture This EP Cailean Coffey - Music Editor

Hudson Taylor Announce Cork Gig Cailean Coffey - Music Editor The Irish acoustic duo Hudson Taylor have announced a Cork date as part of their latest Irish tour. The brothers, Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor, are set to play Cyprus Avenue on the 27th of October. The band have played venues across the country, including the 3 Arena, and are well-known for their live shows forming a major part of their identity.

The band, originally from Dublin, began when the brothers started busking on Grafton Street at a young age. They began

to release YouTube videos of their performances and, in 2012, released their debut EP, which went to #1 on the Irish iTunes chart. The band toured with the EP, playing small shows and gathering their own fanbase. In November 2015 they released their Debut Album “Singing For Strangers”, which went to #3 in Ireland and number #24 in the U.K Tickets for their Cyprus avenue show are €22.50 and are on sale now on their website Hudsontaylormusic.com. A limited number of tickets will be available at the venue.

A year ago Picture This didn’t even exist, but now they are one of the fastest growing bands in Ireland. The songwriting combination of Ryan Hennessy and Jimmy Rainsford has proved to be a storming success, with their very first single ‘Take My Hand’ flying up the Irish singles charts. Their debut EP, the “Picture This EP”, flew to number one on its first week of release. The EP itself is a very honest, very emotion-filled take on love and life in the 21st century. The emotional weight is undeniable, moving you to bang your feet & laughter, and then to staring out the window, wondering what you’ve done wrong in life. Their vocals intertwine as well as any two could, and while they do have pop clichés in the lyrics, it’s hardly noticeable, and is rare enough that it’s passable on a first EP. Most of the attention will be on the lead single, but the song that I feel will really stand to them will be ‘Let’s Be Young’, a song asking people to forget technology and have a good time without it. What does the future hold? Only time will tell - but things can only get better from here.

Save Us Daft Punk

By Aaron Frahill - Film & Television Editor Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, also known as Daft Punk, are some of the biggest recluses in all of music, with their last music release being in 2013 with ‘Random Access Mem-

ories,’ receiving five Grammy Awards.

Daft Punk’s legacy can sometimes seem underwhelming in comparison to the esteem they are held in, yet their success & influence can be more than quantified, leaving a clear pattern throughout their career. “Random Access Memories” would be a near perfect stopping point, but we’re

at a point in music as a whole where we need the robots to come back to again redefine a genre they have continuously rebranded.

To understand the relevance of Daft Punk in a modern context we must first look to the past. Homework, released in 1997, was

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Continued From Last Page.... extremely short time scale for making the album showing that Daft Punk were Human After All, and that is something listeners, on a grand scale, missed. What followed Human After All was Alive 2007, their world tour; this tour is the reason every concert you go to has lights flashing all over the place. The words “production value” took a new form once Daft Punk played a set at Coachella in 2006.

Disappearing into the darkness again, they returned with the soundtrack for Tron Legacy. This was like a genesis for the pair – utilising an orchestra for the first time in their career, and it proved to be the biggest leap in their adaption of style & tone, ultimately building towards Random Access Memories. Random Access Memories was the culmination of everything they had released, paying tribute to their influences, namely the incredibly influential Giorgio Moroder & Chic, and blended all types & genres of music into one album. Random Access Memories told several stories, finishing with Contact, which one could be compared to a description of the robots leaving Earth; if that was a finishing point for the duo, it would be close to perfection.

The album left a lasting impression, showing that dance can be perfectly blended with all forms of music, that we don’t need to be restricted to the EDM genre.

Daft Punk’s debut album, and reflected a completely different appearance from what they are now: for one, they weren’t yet robots, but were heading down that path. Daft Punk became part of a musical wave, joined by the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, etc. that brought House music to the forefront of dance on a global level. Homework was a victory for music, reinventing what had become the norm, and gave Daft Punk more than monetary gain – they now had control. They could do what they wanted going forward, even becoming robots; making a persona separate to what they were in reality gave them an unrivalled image.

“They could do what they wanted going forward, even becoming robots;” Four years later Discovery proved to please the masses, sacrificing their intense ro-

botic tone for a softer, lyrically-focused album, and Discovery instantly raised their profile among industry leaders in EDM; the adaptation in style showed that Daft Punk were something to keep an eye on, something to anticipate. The album’s popularity outside of their native France allowed them to become relevant among a large American audience, and lead to them becoming a global force. The unique thing about the album was the animated feature film that accompanied it – Interstella 5555, which acted as a roadmap for the album, lending a visual element to it.

Discovery was a big influence for upcoming artists, such as Justice, and Kanye West (Side note: Daft Punk co-wrote All Slaves, which is an absolute tune).

The masks gave Thomas and Guy-Man a degree of separation from the public eye, and allowed them to go about their normal lives again after Discovery, and with that degree of anonymity they took a break

from being Daft Punk. They returned with Human After All in 2005. Human After All was made, produced, finished & ready to be released within a six week period, which caused the style of the album to fall somewhere between Discovery and Homework, but far enough from Discovery that mainstream audiences felt alienated. In hindsight the album is looked upon more fondly (especially after Alive 2007). The album title was a play on words, with the

“The words “production value” took a new form once Daft Punk played a set at Coachella in 2006.”

What am I trying to prove by tracing through their past? That by constantly reinventing themselves, they affected the whole industry around them, especially when it needed to be changed. EDM as a genre currently is stuck in a pattern of repetition, and if we look at what Daft Punk have done in their history, their albums change the makeup of music itself, massively influencing artists like Skrillex, who wouldn’t be a DJ if it wasn’t for Daft Punk (take that as you will). Rumours loom of a new album, and possibly another tour considering it’s the ten year anniversary of Alive 2007, and twentieth anniversary of Alive 1997. Does this actually mean they will come back? Who honestly knows, as they’re both in their forties, have families, and are likely incredibly wealthy. The obligation to come back is to save the quality of music, and something tells me that means a lot more to them than anything else.

GAMING

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New Releases Darkest Dungeon The hit PC dungeon-crawling stress simulator is now coming to PS4 and Vita. As if college wasn’t stressful enough, now you can get stressed that your game characters are too stressed.

And with the Vita, you can even take your stress with you!

Galgun: Double Peace Released last month on PS4 and Vita, it’s now coming to PC. Stop waves of female classmates from confessing their love to you by shooting them with pheromones to make them experience “euphoria”. It’s fun for the whole family!

FIFA 17 Not much to say about this one. If you like FIFA you’ll probably want this one. I hear it’s got a story mode this year where you play as a guy called Alex Hunter.

That’s a bit weird.

The Limitless Unrealised Potential of No Man’s Sky

By Jonathan Soltan - Gaming Editor When No Man’s Sky was first revealed in December of 2013 it took the world by storm. It immediately set itself apart from mainstream games with its colourful look and soft aesthetic. Not only that, but the game promised seamless space travel across a functionally infinite number of planets that were all as large as you would want them to be. It was the sci-fi game everyone had always wanted; it was certainly the sci-fi game that I had always wanted. On top of all of this the game was being developed

by Hello Games, a very small studio known for the Joe Danger series. This was shocking, not because the Joe Danger games weren’t good, but because they were so much smaller in scope than No Man’s Sky appeared to be.

Going from 2D side-scrolling style games - as good as they may be - to making an entire 3D galaxy populated with an infinite variety of plant & animal life is quite the leap for any studio to make. However, Hello Games were confident that they could pull it off with their own proprietary algorithms that would build the worlds for them, meaning they wouldn’t have to design planets, flora or fauna themselves.

Everything seemed well in hand, but almost three years later the game has come & gone and people barely seem to remember it, let alone still play it. For a game that boasted essentially infinite content you would expect people to still be enjoying it, not eagerly awaiting the next game as if the ‘biggest one ever made’ hadn’t just been released. So what went wrong?

In my opinion the main reason for the (to put it politely) less than stellar reaction to the game is that everyone just let their imaginations run wild in anticipation, and then expectations just

got out of control. I was absolutely guilty of this at first as well; as soon as creatures that vaguely resembled dinosaurs showed up in a trailer I was all in; Dinosaurs in space - how could I not fall in love with the game instantly? Just nevermind that nobody knew what playing the game even entailed at that point.

“Dinosaurs in space how could I not fall in love with the game instantly?”

The game was also the subject of an insane marketing push by Sony, who presented it as a huge, AAA game, despite the fact that it was being developed by a relatively tiny team who had never attempted something on this scale before. As such there was no way that the game would ever have the level of polish that one would expect from a game with a AAA budget.

Not to say that the team behind No Man’s Sky weren’t skilled, but a team of 200 can do a lot more than a team of 20.

Another part in the relentless hype machine was the gaming press at large, with many outlets getting caught-up in the hype just as much as the general public; it created the perfect storm of overblown expectations, as everyone was caught in a positive feedback loop.

Finally, we get to the main culprit: the developers themselves. Of course, none of the above things did anything to help the situation, but this whole thing could have been avoided if the developers had simply delivered the game they promised, or at least something closer to it. In a monster post on Reddit, one user compiled an exhaustive list of all the features that were either shown or talked about that never made it into the final release of the game, including the very feature-rich day one patch. One of the

major things that was cut was that physics will actually impact things in the game. For example: this would mean that planets would have different strengths of gravity, which would impact what can live & grow on the planet. It would also change what elements you could find on said-planet. This never made it into the game. The games trading system is also vastly simplified from what was promised, and is also mostly redundant given that most resources can be found on every planet.

Along with those large discrepancies, there are small things like rivers not making it into the game, or planets with rings not making it into the game. All of these things compound on each other to make it feel like the developers were out to trick us. Nobody outside of a select few people really knows what went on behind closed doors to make the final game so different from the game that was shown off in videos & demos and that was talked about so fondly by the developers.

Of course, none of this matters if you actually enjoy the game; I myself enjoy the game quite a bit as long as I have a podcast to listen to while I play. And although I haven’t played too much lately (Deus Ex is just so much more fun), I fully intend on making it to the centre of the galaxy at some point, even though I know that it will be immensely disappointing.

For my money, though, the main takeaway from this whole situation is a lesson that people should have learned a long time ago: don’t pre-order games. There’s no need. People should wait until the verdict is in on whether the game is good or not, and then pick it up.

Then we would never get into situations like this where thousands of people are ranting and raving, demanding refunds. Sometimes a game being “good enough” just isn’t good enough.

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Editor - Jonathan Soltan

PS4 Pros and Cons

By Jonathan Soltan - Gaming Editor

Sony recently held a little conference where they finally announced the PlayStation Neo, now officially called the PS4 Pro. The announcement has been a long time coming; regarding this particular item, Sony has been leakier than a sieve. It’s set to be released on the 10th of November, and will cost €400. Alongside the Pro, a new slimmer PS4 was announced, simply called the PS4. This will be the standard PS4 moving forward, and it’s actually already out at a cost of €300.

Given that the original PS4 only launched in November of 2013, this short turnaround between consoles seems rather premature. Of course, back in the days of the Megadrive we had the Sega CD and 32X, but those were add-ons to the console you already owned, and were priced as such; the same could be said for the Nintendo 64DD and the Expansion Pak, and there was a de-

gree of sense to them, as ridiculous as they may seem now with the benefit of hindsight.

This is not the case, however, with the PS4 Pro. Though it does boast an upgraded GPU & CPU, allowing for limited 4k gaming, improved PSVR functionality and improved framerate with certain games, the price seems very steep. If it was simply a case of buying a €150 box that I could slap onto my current PS4 then I would seriously consider getting that; but to spend €400 to buy something that I essentially already have is out of the question. That would be like if the only way to get the DLC for a game was to buy the whole game again at the same price you paid for it, but this time you get a little extra.

Though it may to seem like it, I actually don’t care about these new features all that much. My trepidation stems from the fact that I am incredibly worried that instead of games being made for the base PS4, then

beefed up for the Pro, games will instead be designed for the Pro and then made to work on the base PS4. The official directive from Sony is to target the base PS4 and then work from there for the Pro, but some developers and publishers will undoubtedly ignore this and just do whatever they want.

We already saw this exact situation when

Nintendo released the New 3DS. Hyrule Warriors runs acceptably on the New 3DS, but on older models it drops so many frames that it’s basically a slideshow. I doubt that the situation will ever get that bad on the PS4, but with developers already making games that perform far less than optimally on current hardware, I don’t think it’s too much of a leap to see them leaving the old PS4 in the dust.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Brings Back the Lost Art of Verticality zon. Rarely, however, are these worlds actually populated with that many interesting things to do.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided certainly isn’t the biggest game, but it is definitely one of the most densely packed. It accomplishes this by actually using vertical space in its level design.

Instead of just building out, the developers instead built up and down as well. In the game’s hub of Prague there is a highrise building that extends eight or nine levels into the sky, with multiple levels underground too. You can traverse all of this using vents, stairways and lifts. If that building was simply a sprawling warehouse all on one level it would make for a far less interesting environment.

“Instead of just building out, the developers instead built up and down as well.”

By Jonathan Soltan - Gaming Editor

ment complex, and now I’m in a section of the sewers filled with noxious gas.

Playing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided I often crawl through an air-vent and emerge at the other end having no idea in hell where I am.

And that’s not just down to my abysmal sense of direction - it’s because, when I entered that vent, I was on the second story of an apart-

Since the dawn of time, whenever developers show off their games they can’t help talking about how big their world is; about how it takes ‘X number of minutes’ to walk across the whole thing, and how you can totally climb those mountains you see on the hori-

It’s a shame that the last game that I can think of that did this was Mankind Divided’s direct predecessor, Human Revolution. Although that game was a bit more limited in its scope, due mainly to the technology available at the time, it still managed to have areas where there could be something interesting to find just above & below you.

The main benefit of the verticality is in al-

lowing the player to approach a situation in multiple ways. For example: to get into this building you could just talk your way past the guard, or knock him out, but you could also jump on top of a neighbouring roof and climb through a second story window, or maybe you found a code earlier which allows you to open a basement door in the sewers.

Playing this game also got me thinking about the Assassin’s Creed franchise. For a series built around climbing, the verticality really doesn’t offer much in the way of choice. For the most part, climbing onto a roof just means that you’ll perform an aerial assassination later-on rather than simply stabbing your target in the gut. How much more rewarding would it be if exploring an environment like a good assassin actually payed dividends in the form of an easier, stealthier route to your target, and not just a slightly different entrance into the same room as the front door?

Of course the same could be said for any number of games, not just the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I don’t want every game to be designed the same way as Mankind Divided.

I’m just a bit disappointed that level design in games is seemingly stagnant, and developers are only focusing on one thing. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.

Autumn Fashion Lookbook

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Editors - Kenneth Nwaezeigwe and Iris Maher

fashion

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Editors - Kenneth Nwaezeigwe and Iris Maher

Seen On Campus Iris Maher, Style Editor Freshers Week: a time to reinvent your style, or hope no sees how truly hungover you are.

Chokers! - the return of the nineties trend that just won’t leave us.

Nike runners - another re-emergence of an old trend. Although, are trends ever new anymore? I wore these babies back in primary school. Best aspect about them? Comfort Leather jackets - I myself am guilty of this, but I don’t think we will ever be rid of them. Add some sunglasses and you could be an extra in “Grease” A UCC hoodie - after years of wearing a uniform and complaining about it, we voluntarily decide to buy one?

The classic “I didn’t go home last night” - need I say anymore?

Minimalism: Is Less Really More?

Iris Maher, Style Editor What is minimalism exactly? To put it simply, it’s minimal, and back to basics, nothing extravagant. The goal being to look effortlessly stylish in almost boring clothing.

In the ever-changing world of fashion, this one trend has simmered under the surface for a few years now. Not only present in fashion, it has crept into interior design, art and lifestyle choices. Minimalism is all over social media right now, with Instagram accounts dedicated to having the perfect streamline appearance of black, white and grey colour schemes.

“Vetements”, a Paris based company, are perhaps the embodiment of the minimalist phenomenon; they aim to provide the wardrobe staples with a slightly edgier twist - some of the clothing being oversized or asymmetric with jagged hemlines. Their collection of simple hoodies are nothing extraordinary, but come with a hefty price tag.

“Lounge pants” (a.k.a tracksuit bottoms) are also featured.

Minimalistic fashion was also seen during New York Fashion Week at DKNY Spring/ Summer 2017. We usually see Spring/Summer collections containing brighter colours & a much more lively vibe than what was seen here; models showcased dark, berry-toned lips, coordinating with the dark blues & blacks of the clothing. Of course, we did see cream/white clothing, but the material was a lot heavier than expected, more suitable for Autumn/Winter.

On the high street, H&M (in Opera Lane, for

you Freshers) have been in the game of minimalism for quite some time now without even realising it. They have an entire “basics” collection where you will find items to suit this very style, in all of the main theme colours: black, white and grey. They also cater for work/office wear, where you can purchase a clean cut shirt. Team this with some high waisted jeans and you may have just nailed this look. Though it’s a tad bit more expensive, Cos (upstairs in Brown Thomas, St.Patrick Street) have beautiful dresses around the €60 mark that will whet your appetite for minimalism.

One of the main benefits of this style is that it’s interchangeable, since baseline colours of black, white and grey will always work together. If money is tight, or you’re not quite sure if it’s your thing, it’s quite easy to recreate this style at home with what you already have.

Minimalist style is great for us students as little effort is required, especially for 9am starts! A simple black t-shirt, jeans, and runners or boots,you have an instant outfit.

With regards to the Vetements style of minimalism, a plain tracksuit co-ordinates are your new best friend: comfort and fashion combined.

A lot of the pieces associated with this trend are timeless. In the great debate of whether you should purchase quality or quantity when it comes to your wardrobe, quality wins out. It may be best to invest a little more money in a shirt or top that’ll last through multiple washes, but it’s down to personal preference. If you swing with the new trends every season, a trip down to Penney’s will be

the best option for you.

Although I’ve previously mentioned the primary colours of this trend, the occasional block of colour makes an appearance.

Whether it be a pair of loafers or runners, the occasional splash of colour adds a little extra something to this trend.

“Minimalist style is great for us students as little effort is required, especially for 9am starts!”

Minimalism is not exclusively linked to fashion, however: influencers such as Rachel Aust have channelled this trend into a lifestyle. Aust has a series of “minimalist” videos on her YouTube encouraging others to declutter their lives in more ways than one.

Her beliefs filter right down to the people she associates with; if someone is impacting her life in a negative way, Aust has no problem removing them from it.

When it comes to her interior design habits, students could take a leaf out of her book, her house only containing what she “needs”.

Living away from home probably means less space to store your things, so think pragmatically when bringing your clothes, books and other necessities. You are not moving away forever and will definitely be heading home to visit your family in the near future.

Is less really more? Personally, I’m on the fence. Remember you do not have to commit to the same style just because you wore it last week. College is great for experimentation when it comes to fashion.

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ENTS

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Society Events

Centre Welcome Night - Feminist Society - 7pm, Electrical Engineering L1 Weekly Rehearsals - Choral Society - 7pm, Geography Lecture Theatre Screening: Disney/Pixar’s Brave - Mythological Society - 7:30pm, Kane G19

For up-to-date listings go to Lowdown.netsoc.co, with new events announced every day Tuesday 20th: Annual Sorting Ceremony - Harry Potter Society - 1pm, Aula Maxima (Quad) EGM / Get Involved - Journalism Society 6pm, West Wing 6 Netsoc VR Gaming - Networking, Gaming and Technology Society - 7pm, Student

Wednesday 21st: Model UN: Tackling The Syrian Crisis - IR Society - 6pm, Council Chambers (North Wing) Welcome Workshop - Musical Society 6pm, Conn A (Connolly Building) EGM and Screening: Shaun of the Dead Film Society - 6:30pm, Boole 4 Garden Party - Environmental Society 7pm, Polytunnels UCC (Carrigside) US Elections 2016 - Gov-Pol Society 7pm, venue TBA Screening: Star Wars - The Force Awakens - SciFi Society - 7pm, Boole 3 Quiz Night & Social - Africa Society - 7pm, Kane G19 Dramat Variety Night - Dramat Society 9pm, The Sextant

Thursday 22nd: Eddie Hobbs: Impact of Brexit - Economics Society - 2pm, Devere Hall Dean Strang, Steven Avery’s Attorney Law Society - 2pm, Boole 1 Screening: Indiana Jones - Archaeological Society - 6pm, Boole 5 Learn to Build a Website in 30 Minutes NetSoc - 7pm, Blackstone Launchpad (Library) Weekly Gaming - WARPS - 7pm, Electrical Engineering L1 Info Night - Surgeon Noonan - 7pm, Brookfield G10 Friday 23rd: Dramat Goes to SLSD - Dramat Society 7:30pm, Reidy’s Wine Vault & Bar Eid Celebration & Potluck - Islamic Society - 5pm, Western Gateway Building Monday 26th: Weekly Meeting - Sinn Féin Society - 6pm, Student Centre EGM - Music Society - 8pm, Boole 1

Club Training Times:

For more up-to-date listings, including additional training times, go to sport.ucc.ie/ timetable Mondays: Aikido - Hall 2, Mardyke Arena - 4:30pm Badminton - Hall 2 & Hall 3, Mardyke Arena - 6pm Basketball - Hall 2, Mardyke Arena 8:30pm Boxing - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 8:30pm Chess - Aras na Laoi, G18 - 6:30pm Cricket - PBC Sports Hall - 6pm Dance (Beginner Jazz) - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 7:30pm Darts - New Bar, UCC - 7pm Fencing - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 7pm In-Line Hockey - PBC Sports Hall - 8pm Judo - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 8:30pm Kickboxing - Hall 3, Mardyke Arena 8:30pm

Mountaineering - Climbing Wall, Mardyke Arena - 8:30pm Powerlifting - Elite Squad Gym, Mardyke Arena - 8:30am Rowing (indoor) - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 4pm Rugby (Ladies) - Squad Gym, Mardyke Arena - 7:30am Soccer (Ladies) - Synthetic Pitch, Mardyke - 8pm Squash - Mardyke Arena - 7:10pm Waterpolo - Mardyke Arena Pool - 10:30pm Tae-Kwon-Do - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 8pm Tennis - Sundays Well Tennis Club - 7pm Trampoline - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 5pm Ultimate Frisbee - Synthetic Pitch, Mardyke - 4pm

Tuesdays: Athletics - Mardyke Arena Running Track - 6pm Dance (Beginner Irish) - Studio 4, Mardyke Arena - 7:30pm Juggling & Acrobalance - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 9pm JuJutsu - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 7:30pm Karate - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 6pm Kung Fu - Studio 5, Mardyke Arena - 8pm Olympic Handball - Hall 1, 2 & 3, Mardyke Arena - 4pm Olympic Weightlifting - Elite Squad Gym, Mardyke Arena - 3pm Powerlifting - Elite Squad Gym - 5pm Rugby (Mens) - The Farm, Curraheen

Road - 6pm Soccer (Mens) - Synthetic Pitch, Mardyke - 4pm Swimming - Mardyke Arena Pool - 7pm Sub Aqua - Mardyke Arena Pool - 10:30pm Volleyball - Halls 2 & 3, Mardyke Arena - 6pm Wednesdays: Archery - Electrical Engineering L1 - 7pm Aussie Rules - The Farm, Curraheen Road - 6:30pm Basketball - Hall 3, Mardyke Arena - 7pm Canoe - Mardyke Arena Pool - 10:30pm Cricket - PBC Sports Hall - 6pm Dance (Beginner Hip-hop) - Studio 4, Mardyke Arena - 8:30pm Equestrian - Mardyke Arena Track - 7pm Kickboxing - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 7pm Motorcycle - Workshop, Cooperage (Sundays Well/North Mall) - 7:30pm Soccer (Ladies) - The Farm, Curraheen Road - 6:30pm Table Tennis - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena 5pm Thursdays: Aikido - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 4:30pm Dance (Advanced Jazz) - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 8pm Fencing - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 7:30pm Juggling & Acrobalance - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 9pm JuJutsu - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 7:30pm Karate - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 6pm

EGM - International Relations (IR) Society - 8pm, Geography Lecture Theatre Tuesday 27th: Screening: The Devil Wears Prada - Journalism Society - 7pm, Boole 4 Japanese Language Class - Japanese Society - 7pm, Boole 3 Weekly Rehearsals - Choral Society - 7pm, Geography Lecture Theatre EGM - Feminist Society - 7:30pm, Boole 6 Wednesday 28th: McCann Fitzgerald Educational Visit Law Society - 7pm, Hayfield Manor Hotel Branch Meeting - Labour Society - 7pm, venue TBA Thursday 29th: Philosoph EGM - Philosophical Society 6:30pm, KaneG20 Weekly Gaming & EGM - WARPS - 7pm, Electrical Engineering L1 EGM - English Society Society - 7:30pm, ORB 1.23

Kung Fu - Studio 5, Mardyke Arena - 8pm Powerlifting - Elite Squad Gym - 5pm Rugby (Mens) - The Farm, Curraheen Road - 6pm Swimming - Mardyke Arena Pool - 7pm Trampoline & Gymnastics - Hall 2, Mardkye Arena - 4:30pm Weiqi (Go Club) - ORB 1.01 - 7pm Fridays: Boxing - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 5pm Canoe - Club Shed, Mardyke - 2:30pm Dance (Mixed Piece) - Studio 7, Mardyke Arena - 9pm Olympic Handball - Hall 1, 2 & 3, Mardyke Arena - 5pm Ultimate Frisbee - Hall 1, 2 & 3, Mardyke Arena - 3pm Weekends: Badminton - Hall 3, Mardyke Arena 12pm, Saturday Fencing - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 4pm, Saturday Judo - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 2pm, Sunday Karate - Hall 1, Mardyke Arena - 2pm, Saturday Rowing - National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods - 8am, Saturday & Sunday Waterpolo - Mardyke Arena Pool - 7pm, Sunday Tae-Kwon-Do - Studio 1, Mardyke Arena - 2pm, Saturday

CORK DEPARTURES

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Departing Cork Bus Station 40 GALWAY BUS / RAIL STATION EVERYDAY

EVERYDAY

1625 1725 1825

0725 0825 0925 1025 1125 1225 1325 1425 1525

MONDAY TO SATURDAY

1625 1725 1825 1925 2055

0725 0825 0925 1025 1125 1225 1325 1425 1525

SERVES SHANNON AIRPORT. ARRIVES LIMERICK BUS STATION.

ARRIVES GALWAY BUS STATION.

KILLARNEY / TRALEE

LIMERICK BUS / RAIL STATION / SHANNON AIRPORT

0830 1000 1130 1230 1330 1430 1530 1630 1730

SUNDAY

1900 *0830 2030 1030 1230 1330 1430 1530 1630 1730 1900

2030

ALSO PICKS UP AT: - UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CORK. ARRIVES KILLARNEY BUS STATION & TRALEE BUS STATION *JUNE-AUG ONLY.

40 DUNGARVAN / WATERFORD MONDAY TO SATURDAY

0840 0940 1040 1140 1240 1340 1440 1540 1640

SUNDAY

1740 0940 1840 1040 1940 1240 2040 1340 1440 1540 1640 1740 1840

ARRIVES WATERFORD BUS STATION. *COLLEGE TERM ONLY.

*1940 2040

DUBLIN / DUBLIN AIRPORT

DUBLIN / DUBLIN AIRPORT DIRECT

EVERYDAY

EVERYDAY

FRI & SUN

0800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

0830 1030 1230 1430 1630 1830

0830 1030 1230 *1330 1430 *1530 1630 *1730 1830

SERVES DUBLIN AIRPORT ALSO SERVING: FERMOY, MITCHELSTOWN, CAHIR, CASHEL, DUBLIN (BUSÁRAS) & DUBLIN AIRPORT ARRIVES DUBLIN (BUSÁRAS) AND DUBLIN AIRPORT (ATRIUM ROAD)

SERVES DUBLIN AIRPORT. * SERVES DUBLIN CITY ONLY.

For more information or to book a ticket online visit www.buseireann.ie

Expressway_CORK_A5_new.indd 1

09/06/2015 11:56

if you would like to advertise with the UCC Express, please contact Rob on info@uccexpress.ie

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PHOTOS

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

ISSUE 01| UCC Express

Photos curtusry of Emmet Curtin Photography

PHOTOS

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SPORT

ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Real Football, Real Fans?

Dylan O Connell- Sports Editor “Well, is that it? Have we seen the moment passed? Would it might have happened, will it happen? Hoolihan, AND BRADY IS THERE ROBBIE BRADY BRINGS US ALL TO OUR FEEL IN LILLE NO MORE THAN IRELAND DESERVE!” I cannot help but write that and smile.

On 22nd of June 2016 the Republic of Ireland beat three time world Champions Italy to qualify for the last sixteen of the UEFA European Championships. In what was a flurry of emotion, the nation lost its mind. In two short weeks we had absconded the odds and gathered four points off of the self-entitled, “Group of Death”

Tea Time Filler: Shane Daly Butz to Represent Ireland Dylan O’Connell, Sports Editor UCC AFC Shane Daly Butz has been selected to represent Ireland Amateurs in this year’s Region Cup. Since joining from Cork City U19, Shane has enjoyed excellent fortunes at UCC where he has excelled on the pitch and continued to develop, with this a fine reward for the UCC man. He will be joined on the squad by UCC alumni Brendan O

Connell, Andrew Gannon, Brian Murphy and Hughie O’Donovan Ireland are in a group with Macedonia, Slovenia and Gorgonzola, represent Italy.

The 30 sides who enter at this stage are joined by the two teams from the preliminary round. These sides are divided into eight groups of four, with the winners of each mini-tournament earning a place in the finals

Old Eyes, New Challenge Dylan O’Connell, Sports Editor Stepping away from the playing field and into the dugout, UCC Sport is delighted to welcome former Cork Captain Sean Óg Halpín and Tom Kenny to the Freshers coaching panel ahead of the 2016 season.

Behind the dugout the former Cork stars will be assisted by Fitzgibbon Cup winners Stephen Moylan from Douglas and JK Bracken’s Shane Bourke, with Ballinacurra man Martin Walsh also helping the selection committee.

Upon hearing the announcement, UCC Hurling Club President Dr. Paddy Crowley was ecstatic, commenting that “we are delighted that such an experienced group of sportsmen will be involved with the training and development of a new breed of college hurler this year.

Over the years UCC GAA Club has promoted, in both codes, countless numbers of young players and has overseen their sporting progression and development.

Sean Og, Tom and the rest of the lads bring a wealth of experience which can only be good for those they will coach.

UCC GAA has a philosophy of developing players throughout their time in the University so they can contribute to their clubs and counties long after they have finished playing in the famous Skull & Cross bone jersey” Meanwhile, UCC Gaelic Football Club has announced a new management committee to take charge heading into the new season. This will be the second spell at UCC for the former Cork, Nemo Rangers and Castleisland Desmonds star Christy Kearney, and the former Sigerson Star is rearing to go.

Mr. Kearney will also be joined by Charlie McLaughlin, Finbarr Nyhan and two former College players: Adrian Greaney, captain of the centenary Sigerson Cup and Cork County Senior Football championship-winning 2011 UCC team, as well as Eoghan Buckley from the same victorious UCC side.

For years we waited for such a moment.

Ever since Robbie Keane’s heroics passed Khan in South Korea we became a nation starved of success. Neither of the Irish teams managed to qualify for a major tournament between 2003 and 2012. We became the, “King of friendlies” and never anything more.

While critics are quick to lay into any given manager at the time; with Steve Staunton taking an increasing amount of rap for his stint in charge, sometimes we need to take our foot off the gas, look away from the motor ways and at the rea journey that bestows us. The journey of Irish football is not the qualifiers or group stages of major tournament, or following Celtic as they thump Rangers, it is getting out there, grabbing your scarf and supporting your local football club.

If you look at Euro 2016; the stand out Boys in Green all came from our ranks.

Sheamus Coleman began life in the Bit of Red at Sligo Rovers, James McClean first tore it up at Derry City, Wes Hoolihan a God at Shelbourne, and our very own Shane Long at Cork City FC. It is here our team was born. Not on the plane to England or a Grandmother’s wishes, but on our own local terraces.

It is a situation which the Irish Womens National team has harnessed and works in tandem with the Women’s National League. Currently eight players are on the Irish Women’s National Team, stemming from Niamh Reid Burke at Shelbourne to Emma Hansberry at Wexford Youths.

On the other side of the sexes; there is a growing disparity between the men’s national team and the League of Ireland, which was highlighted through former Republic of Ireland Giovanni Trapattoni admitting, “There is no league in Ireland” Currently at present Dundalk FC have more points in a European campaign than Manchester United while Cork City

FC progressed through three qualifying rounds in the UEFA Europa League.

Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers is knocking on Martin O’Neill’s door to make an appearance while Cork City FC striker Seani Maguire has been scoring for fun for both club and on Under 21 level. Despite these slow signs of progress, the league is languishing. Gates receipts are somewhat of a gamble for most clubs as a regular support is huge question with some of the biggest and best supported clubs enduring the hardships with gates reaching from 7,000 to 2,000 within three days.

Gates receipts are the foundations of any club. Lights have to be paid for, players need a wage, and people need to make a living. We are not a country with superstar players on £330,000 a week cruise around week in and money is thrown around like a spoiled child and his toys.

Clubs are family.

Breaking away from narrative, Cork City FC is my local club. Some of my earliest memories are watching the green white of the Rebel Army knock it around in Turners Cross with my Grandad in tow.

Together we found a mutual love of the club down the road. Not a television programme on Sky Sports, rather the players we see on the streets, meet in the pubs, and console when times are tough. This is our league.

What I want to say is this. It is easy to sit on the high stool and cheer on Manchester United and Liverpool while giving out the Ireland are woeful and you want the good days back. That’s not supporting football. That is not supporting Irish football.

Supporting the green means rainy nights down in Turner’s Cross in a league cup match, following the flood lights to Dalymount Park, surviving hours on a bus to Dundalk and scrounging at pennies for you ticket.

What I want to ask, is for you to go out there. Support the grassroots of football in Ireland, at the cracked foundations and built up our terraces once more. The days of dancing in the streets of Lille may have been the caviar, but settle down and tuck into the bread and butter of your local leagues. Whenever you are like me and draped in the Red and White scarf my Granddad bought (to which I have sweat, cried and slept on), or born Shannon side with the new comers Limerick FC; go out and support your local.

Only then, with a thriving competitive league can we move forward and produce and support young players. Wear your colours with pride and let’s really be the greatest fans in the world.

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ISSUE 01| UCC Express

Up for the Cup Dylan O’Connell - Sports Editor Meanwhile the side’s Under 19s also recorded a 2-0 victory over St. Patrick’s Athletic to lift the Enda McGuill Cup in Cork.

In a windswept Turners Cross, it was St.Pats who started the game the strongest when on-loan Everton winger Steven Kinsella broke down the wing, but his cross was just out of forward Aidan Keena’s reach as the ball rolled wide.

City responded well when Denzil Fernandes intercepted Rory Feely to tee up Alec Byrne, who had his shot land just wide of the post. Minutes later a free kick by Garan Manley into the Shed End rounded the wall and forced an excellent save from Pats keeper Eric Donnelly. City continued to pile on the pressure, but a well drilled Pats defence left the City attack frustrated, ending in a weak shot by Garan Manley straight into keeper Donnelly’s arms. Pats responded well but couldn’t muster any proper attempts on goal, with their best efforts coming from Rory Feely, whose chance went well over the bar, and Steven Kinsella, who was within millimetres of converting a corner.

City’s attackers combined well when Aaron Drinan linked up with Denzil Fernandes, but before the winger could find space Johnston Lunney cleared his lines. Yet, the Rebels pressed and soon Drinan was involved in another chance when the midfielder brought the ball down to winger Chiedozie Ogbene who shot well, but his shot was well saved

by Eric Donnelly. It was Pats who finished the half the strongest when Pats broke when Aidan Keena set up Johnathon Lunney whose shot was blocked

by Conor McCarthy, with the ball falling to Pat’s Captain Fuad Sule who shot well over the bar.

Both sides were locked at 0-0 at the break, with the pace of Cork City FC being thwarted by a well drilled Pat’s back four.

As the skies opened and the rain leaked down, the referee sounded for the restart. City began the half replacing Ross Welch with Daire O Riordan. From the whistle City pressed, and within seconds won themselves a free when Nathan Benson fouled Ogbene just outside the area. Both teams struggled to control the area, and a goalmouth scramble led to a Pats break. On the opposite side, Darragh Mackey was fouled in front of goal, gifting Pats a free kick. Up stepped Rory Feely who shot well into the Shed End and wide. Pats quickly brought on Tory Carey for defender Benson and

switched to a flat back three.

The tensions were soon broken when substitute Daire O Riordan forced a corner off of Conor Kane, which was drilled in by Conor McCarthy; 66 minute played.

Pats responded well to the set back, and enjoyed a good display of procession, which built to Steven Kinsella shooting into the hands of David Coffey in the City goal. Pats pressed and the substitutions of Darragh Markey for Jamie Lennon and William McAdams for Johnathon Lunney promised fresh legs for the Pats midfield who dominated the centre of the park. Against the run of play, any hopes of an equaliser were dashed when Cork City broke thanks to Chiedozie Ogbene in the closing minutes who tore down the wing only to be brought down inside the area by Ciaran Kelly; penalty Cork City. Up stepped Aaron Drinan who fired into the right hand side; low and well passed keeper Donnelly.

Late on, just as the referee was about to blow for full time, Gary Buckley found an acre of space and chanced his arm from 30 yards out to seal an impressive win for the Rebel Army.

Rebels Reign Supreme:

The Shelbourne Ultimatum:

The moment however continued into mid-week, as Cork City clashed with Shamrock Rovers in Turners Cross last Friday evening in the SSE Airtricity League. City continued this fine run of form with a dominant 3-0 win over their Tallaght rivals. Sean Maguire first found the back of the net when he was fed through once again by Stephen Dooley, and he slotted it into the right hand post and the ball teetered in. Despite a barrage of Rovers pressure late on, a late penalty call sent Greg Bolger up who fired it well into the top corner.

As the results steam rolled in, Cork City Women FCs cup dreams came to a halt last Saturday afternoon in Bishopstown as league high fliers Shelbourne ran out 4-0.

City started well with Lauren Homan winning a free kick early on, which Maggie Duncliffe took. The effort rounded the wall but was excellently clearance by Noelle Murray. However, this early flurry for Cork was settled when Noelle Murray found space in front of the post and hammered it home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. City re-

37

sponded well with Lauren Homan running down the wings only for her cross to be gathered up by McQuillan in goal for Shells. Murray was at the end of yet another goal for Shells as she crossed it in for Creagh to head it in to send Shells 2-0 up. City tried to force a goal just before the break when Lauren Homan gathered the ball from a corner and with a cool head produced a fine volley for the chance to only go just wide.

In a sleepy second half, City pressed for a break but any chance of a fight back was quelled when Noelle Murray crossed to Alex Kavanagh who fired home for 3-0. Late on, as the game wound down, Shells grabbed a late fourth when Noelle Murray headed home from a corner t round off an excellent display for Shells.

Full time score 4-0 at Bishopstown and City bowed out of the Cup.

Tea time Filler: UCC Dominates Munster Hockey Dylan O Connell, Sports Editor Last weekend, UCC dominated the Munster Under 21 hockey team as they travelled west for the Interprovincial Hockey U21 tournament in Portrane. The squad included seven UCC players, including Captain Saoirse O Leary (Commerce and Irish).

The squad included Rachel Foley (Occupational Therapy) Niamh O’Leary (BIS) Claire O’Sullivan (Mathematical Sciences) Kate Murphy (Nursing) Beck Dannagher (Commerce) Emma Barber (Sports Studies & Education).

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ISSUE 01 | UCC Express

Table of Results: Premier League

Week in Review: Cork City FC

Darragh Walsh, Sports Writer

Cork City FC returned to winning ways this week, with the Rebel Army putting eight goals passed Shamrock Rovers while the Under 19’s side lifted the Enda McGuill Cup at Turners Cross.

High Five in Tallaght On Friday the 9th September, Cork City took a trip to Tallaght to face Shamrock Rovers in the quarter final of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup. A tasty derby game this one was on paper, but to almost everyone’s surprise, it was the Rebel Army who ran away as the deserved victors on a night where Shamrock Rovers were trashed 5-0.

It certainly didn’t take City long to break the deadlock, as a Pirlo-esque pass from Garry Buckley in the 3rd minute broke the young and inexperienced Rovers defence, latching on to the grateful legs of Sean Maguire, who calmly rounded the keeper to score. It may sound like an easy goal

for Maguire when reading about it, but the angle in which he scored from was just incredible.

Throughout the next few minutes the young Rovers side responded excellently, and pushing the City defense on numerous occasions.

That was until the 12th minute when excellent work from Wicklow-born Steven Dooley set up Garry Buckley on the edge of the box, who finished superbly into the top corner. Surely will be a contender for goal of the tournament.

Despite a few efforts from City and Rovers, the game didn’t see its third goal until the 33rd minute, as lovely work from Dooley once again, linking up with Gearoid Morrissey & Maguire, the latter of which unselfishly played a beautiful weighted pass to Karl Sheppard (formerly of Shamrock Rovers), who finished without effort. 3-0 to City going into the break.

With City coming out for the second half, the game was all but over, but City certainly didn’t seem to agree.

The game quickly became 5-0 to the Rebel Army, as Maguire bagged himself another brace to ensure his hat-trick before the 50 minute mark; a beautiful hat-trick from Maguire, the same man who scored twice earlier on in the week for the u21 national team. I’m pretty sure that if Maguire keeps playing in this form, we’ll be seeing him represent the Irish Senior team soon enough.

As the scoreline for City increased, the pace of the game ultimately dropped, and the game ended at 5-0 to City; however, I don’t think you’d see many City fans complaining about that. A losing scoreline of 5-0 at home seemed somewhat unrecognisable to any Rovers fan, the side having not experienced a defeat of this magnitude in many, many years.

Rovers’ 33-year wait for glory in the FAI cup goes on as City stroll into the semi-final. The Rebel Army will find out their next opponents on Tuesday as the draw takes place.

More to follow.

1

Man. City

5 5 0 0 15 4 11 15

2

Everton

5 4 1 0 10 3 7 13

3

Arsenal

5 3 1 1 12 7 5 10

4

Chelsea

5 3 1 1 10 6 4 10

5

Liverpool

5 3 1 1 11 8 3 10

6

Man United

4 3 0 1 7 3 4 9

7

Tottenham

4 2 2 0 7 2 5 8

8

West Brom

5 2 1 2 6 5 1 7

9

Leicester City

5 2 1 2 7 7 0 7

10

Hull City

5 2 1 2 6 7 -1 7

11

Middlesbrough

5 1 2 2 5 7 -2 5

12

Watford

4 1 1 2 7 8 -1 4

13

Crystal Palace

4 1 1 2 3 4 -1 4

14

Swansea City

4 1 1 2 4 6 -2 4

15

Burnley FC

5 1 1 3 3 8 -5 4

16

Bournemouth

5 1 1 3 3 9 -6 4

17

West Ham

5 1 0 4 7 13 -6 3

18

Southhampton

4 0 2 2 3 6 -3 2

19

Sunderland

4 0 1 3 3 8 -5 1

20

Stroke City

4 0 1 3 2 10 -8 1

SSE Airtricity League: 1

Dundalk

24 19 1 4 53 15 38

5 8

2

Cork

23 15 6 2 41 10 31

5 1

3

Derry City FC 27 13 10 4 36 20 16 4

4

Rovers

26 14 4 8 35 23 12

4 6

5

Sligo Rovers

25 10 7 8 32 29 3

3 7

6

Galway United 26 9 7 10 31 29 2

3 4

7

St Patrick’s Athletic

25 10 4 11 30 29 1

3 4

8

Bohemians

26 9 5 12 24 30 -6

3 2

9

Bray

26 8 6 12 23 34 -11 3 0

10

Finn Harps

25 6 5 14 17 41 -24 3 2

11

Wexford Youths

26 5 4 17 24 48 -23 1 9

12

Longford Town

27 2 7 18 21 59 -38 1 3

9

MAN OF THE MATCH: Sean Tables continue on next page Maguire

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ISSUE 01| UCC Express

Stan Wawrinka Shocks Novak Djokovic to Clinch US Open title and his third Grand Slam

court I won. I’m completely empty.

I had to bring everything I had and there was so much emotion. This is something I have never had before.

My goal is to give everything I have and be the best I can be.”

Chris McCahill, News Editor Just as he did last year in the French Open final, Stan Wawrinka shocked Novak Djokovic to win a Grand Slam Final, as he won his first US Open title.

The swiss star and current world number 3 maintains his 100% record in Grand Slam finals and now is only short a Wimbledon title to complete his career Grand slam.

Wawrinka rebounded from losing the first set to sweep the next 3 and took the match in just under 4 hours in Flushing Meadows, winning 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.The win also keeps his remarkable run in tournament finals alive, winning 11 in a row since January 2014, his last final loss before that was against Nicolas Mahut in

June of 2013.

It now brings Wawrinka’s grand slam tally to 3 (the same as Andy Murray) however unlike Murray who requires French and Australian Open titles to complete his Career Grand Slam, Wawrinka only requires a Wimbledon title, something he could be in a strong position to achieve given he has made two consecutive Quarter Finals appearances in 2014 and 2015, a performance best for him.

An emotional Wawrinka said after the match that he put everything into the tournament. Before this tournament, he had reached two of the previous three US Open semi-finals.

“I came here without expecting anything but every time I stepped on

The win for Wawrinka brought with it Qualification for the ATP world Tour Finals, joining Djokovic and Murray in London and secures his fourth consecutive appearance there, having reached the semi-finals the past three years. The win also adds Wawrinka to an exclusive group of players, becoming only the fifth man in the Open era to win multiple major singles crowns over the age of 30, joining greats such as Laver, Rosewall, Agassi and Jimmy Connors. Wawrinka is now the oldest Grand slam champion since Agassi in the ‘03’ Australian open and is the first man to win his first three majors at different events since Agassi.

Moreover, Wawrinka is the first US Open champion to save a match point en route to the title since Djokovic in 2011. He turned aside one against Daniel Evans in a fiveset third round victory. Despite the win, the Swiss remains in third place in the World Rankings, although he has closed the gap on Andy Murray in second place.

Continental Tires Womens National League: 1

Peamount United

9

2

UCD Waves

8

3

Galway WFC

7

4

Shelbourne WFC

5

5

Wexford Youths WFC

4

6

Man United

0

7

Tottenham

0

SSE Airtricity League: 1

U.L. Bohemian 1 1 0 0 41 10 31 1 0 5

2

Ballynahinch

1 1 0 0 35 13 22 1 0 5

3

Ballymena

1 1 0 0 25 19 6 0 0 4

4

Naas

5

Old Wesley

1 1 0 0 23 20 3 0 0 4

6

U.C.C.

1 0 0 1 20 23 -3 0 1 1

7

Galwegians

1 0 0 1 13 18 -5 0 1 1

8

Shannon

1 0 0 1 19 25 -6 0 1 1

9

Buccaneers

10

Dolphin

UCC Sport Partners with Local Children’s Hospital Dylan O’Connell, Sports Editor

UCC Sport and the Clubs Executive are proud to announce that they will be supporting the Cork University Hospital Charity’s Children’s Appeal as their official charity partner this year.

Every year, over 30,000 children from across Ireland attend the Children’s Unit in CUH. The hospital is a specialist centre for children with a wide range of illnesses including Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes and Epilepsy to many other conditions and illnesses. The Children’s Appeal has the aim to refurbish the Unit, which has not been improved since 1978, with providing a much needed upgrade and capital programme to create state-of-the-art facilities and acquire modern equipment for the unit. Students and alumni are encouraged to get involved and support such a great cause.

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1 1 1 0 0 18 13 5 0 0 4

1 0 0 1 13 35 -22 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 41 -31 0 0 0

Quercus Focus: Tom Devine Name: Tom Devine Age: 21 Course: Medicine Sport: Hurling County: Waterford Club: Modeligo Position: Midfield Honours: Munster Junior Club Hurling Championship- 2014 Waterford Junior Hurling Championship2014 National Hurling League 2015

While speaking on the announcement, UCC Sport was ecstatic, commenting that, “The CUH Charity is a fantastic local charity and we hope that you will join us in our efforts to raise as much money as possible. You can support this

very deserving cause by helping us with our fundraising activities throughout the 2016/17 academic year. Alternatively, you can make a donation on the charity’s website where you can include “UCC Sport” in the message box if you wish”

Munster Under 21 Hurling Championship 2016 All Ireland Minor Hurling Championship 2013 All Ireland Under 21 Hurling Championship 2016

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UCCExpress.ie | Volume 20 | Issue 01| September 20th Tuesday

Niamh McCarthy competing in the F40/41 class discuss, an event she won silver in at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics (PHOTO: Luc Percival/Sportsfile)

UCC At the Paralympics Dylan O’Connell- Sports Editor

sia’s Raoua Tlili.

Carrigaline native Niamh McCarthy has claimed a discus double for Team Ireland last night when the Corkonian captured silver in the F41 Discus Final in Rio de Janeiro last night.

This medal is a huge testament to the hard work & dedication of the BsC Biological and Chemical Sciences Student, and her continuing rise to prominence at the top of her sport.

Following on from the successes of fellow Cork woman Orla Barry, who won silver in the F57 discus event, Ms. McCarthy made it a double for Team Ireland when her penultimate throw of 26.67m was enough to secure herself a second place finish, just behind Tuni-

Niamh admitted she originally tried the sport out “for the laugh” following a talent search in UCD following the 2012 Olympic Games. In just three years competing in the discus, the 22 year old has won Bronze at the 2015 IPC Atletico World Championships in Doha be-

fore moving on to winning Silver in the IPC European Championships in Athens, setting a new European record at the latter. Now aged 22, Ms. McCarthy has an Olympic Silver Medal to add to her collection Away from the field and into the water, UCC Chemistry alumnus Patrick O’Leary became the first para-canoeist to represent Ireland at the Paralympic Games, finishing sixth overall. Born in Glasheen, Mr. O’Leary was diagnosed with bone cancer during his Leaving Certificate year in 1991. Several years

of treatment & operations ensued and, eventually, Pat lost his leg to the disease in 2011. Now the father of two divides his time between a full time job at the School of Science in NUI Galway and rowing in the waters of Mollycullen.

This year’s events will be yet another stepping stone for the canoeist, who had previously come first in the ‘B’ final at the Paracanoeing World Cup in Germany last May. Preview: Inside -Interview with Conor MacNeill, UCC Fall in QS University Rankings, Where to Buy in Cork