UCC Express

EXPRESS

UCC

Tuesday, 07 January 2014 | www.uccexpress.net | Volume 21 | Issue 8

The best of the year to come Inside Verge

VICTORIES, DEFEATS AND DRUG CHEATS

GATHERING MOSS P14

P10

Picture: Darragh Kane

Quercus aims to grow ‘mighty oaks’ Eoghan Lyng | Arts & Literature Editor @EoghanLyng

Musician Breffni Molloy, Fergus McAuliffe, environmental science researcher, and Clare and UCC Hurler Shane O’Donnell at the launch of The Quercus Talented Programme

Students raise over €60,000 for charity in first term Stephen Barry | News Editor @StphnBarry

Fundraisers by charitable societies, the Students’ Union and other groups have yielded in excess of €60,000 since August for both local and international charities.

With large-scale fundraising drives taking place over the Christmas period, charitable causes were to the forefront on street-corners across Cork. Among those on the streets were the Surgeon Noonan Society choir, who also performed on Today FM. Run voluntarily by fourth year medical students since 1977 in memory of UCC graduate Tim Noonan, the society has raised €44,000 in the past five months. This included a total of €11,000 raised during the Jazz Weekend.

With a goal of raising over €100,000 across the academic year, Surgeon Noonan’s proceeds will

go towards rural hospitals in SubSaharan Africa, where the students will subsequently go on placement next summer.

The recently founded UCC Hope Foundation raised €5,050 in term one while Cancer Society collected €3,000, €1,200 of which was raised in advance of February’s Relay for Life which has a fundraising goal of €50,000 this year.

Homeless causes benefitted through the Simon Society (€1,763.72) and St. Vincent de Paul Society (€1,699), with November’s SVP Homeless Week raising €1,163.50.

The Societies Guild estimates that societies raised €192,771.60 for charitable causes over the 2012/13 academic year based on what auditors declared.

Other fundraising societies included Islamic (€1,680), Friends of MSF (€1,000) and Barnados (€700), while SUAS and Engineers

Without Borders reported focusing on development programmes and awareness raising in term one.

Meanwhile the Students’ Union estimate that their Charity Fight Night will total around €5,000. This figure will be shared by Breakthrough Cancer Research and the Cork University Hospital Children’s Ward. €1,086 was netted by the Haiyan Fundraiser for the Red Cross in an event which was held in collaboration with the Hot Beverages Society and members of the Filipino community.

Over €500 was also raised by other SU fundraisers for the CUH Children’s Ward and Movember.

In the weeks before Christmas the UCC Security team raised €1,800 with a Christmas Candlelight Walk through main campus in aid of Abbey’s Wish to Walk.

Meanwhile a UCC staff member and ultra-runner took on a ‘Twelve Marathons of Christmas’ challenge in

the shop window of Mahers Sports on Oliver Plunkett Street.

Jo Fearon ran 42.2 kilometres on a treadmill each day from the 13th to 24th of December, while setting a Guinness World Record in the process for the challenge which was inspired as a healthier variation of the twelve pubs of Christmas.

The Programme Manager for Agri-Food Development, Fearon completed each of the 12 marathons in less than four hours, covering over 500km in that 46hour period on the treadmill.

However the marathons were timed to fit into her breastfeeding schedule for her four month old daughter Liadán.

The extreme endurance test was undertaken by the mother of two in aid of the neonatal ward of Cork University Maternity Hospital, and raised €12,169.60.

University College Cork has launched a new scholarship scheme which will offer gifted students up to €10,000 per year. Titled ‘The Quercus Talented Programme’, the scheme offers students an opportunity to apply for scholarships in a number of areas such as sport, academia, innovation/ entrepreneurship, creative and performing arts and active citizenship.

Quercus (the Latin for acorn, following the mantra of growing from an acorn into a mighty oak) has evolved from the popular High Performance Athlete Entry Scheme (HPAE) which was initiated last January. The HPAE`s award ceremony took place last month as part of the UCC Sports Scholarship Awards.

The ceremony awarded six students, including nineteen year old Mallow native Doireann O’Sullivan, a two-time All-Ireland champion in Ladies Gaelic Football. Alongside O`Sullivan, Luke Hickey (race walking), Phil Healy (athletics - 100m & 200m), Adrian O’ Sullivan (basketball), Gary Wilkinson (hockey) and Andrew Harrington (rowing) were also awarded the inaugural HPAE Sports Scholarships for 2013/14.

The HPAE scheme received great demand as eighty students applied for the venture.

Launched by UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy, the scheme proved so successful it has been been rebranded as The Quercus Talented Programme. The Quercus announcement was intended to complement and coincide with the Entrance Scholarships Awards, which were announced on December 3rd.

“At UCC, we believe in creating an environment in which academic excellence can be combined with opportunities for personal development and independent thinking,” said Dr. Murphy.

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Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

EDITORIALS

INSIDE TODAY

The Power of witter

Welcome Back Folks!

Gender in Film

Audrey Ellard Walsh | Editor @AudreyEWalsh

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

Ar ais ag Kate Moss coláiste…

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GAEILGE

Des Bishop – In The Name of The Fada Tá clú agus cáil ar Des Bishop ar fud an domhain ach go háirithe, tá na hÉireannaigh an-cheanúil air. Tá bua an ghrinn aige agus taitníonn a ghreann go mór linn. Is as Nua Eabhrac do Des, ach tháinig sé go hÉirinn nuair a bhí sé ceithre bliana déag d’aois. Shocraigh sé síos i Loch Garmann lena chlann agus d’fhreastail sé ar an méanscoil sa cheantar áitiúil. Ina dhiaidh sin, chuaigh sé go dtí Coláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh agus bhain sé céim na hÉalaíona amach i stair agus i mbéarla.

D’éirigh leis cáil a bhaint amach ag scaipeadh an gháire. Rinne sé roinnt sraitheanna teilifíse do RTÉ mar shampla, The Des Bishop Work Experience i 2004 agus Joy in the Hood i 2006.

Ach i 2007, rinne Des cinneadh chun sraith nua darb ainm, In the Name of the Fada, a chruthú do RTÉ agus chaith sé an bhliain iomlán i gConnemara ag foghlaim na Gaeilge. Nuair a d’fhreastail sé ar mhéanscoil, ní raibh an Ghaeilge á dhéanamh aige mar ábhar Ardteiste. Nuair a d’éirigh sé níos sine, d’fhorbair sé suim sa teanga a fhoghlaim. Mar sin, thóg sé an deis chun í a fhoghlaim agus chun buairtí na ndaoine óga ó thaobh na Gaeilge de a thuiscint.

D’fhan sé le clann ina dteach ina labhraíodh an Ghaeilge ó mhaidin go hoíche. Thug siad cabhair agus spreagadh dó dálach is domhnach.

Ba chabhair mór é a bheith i dtimpeallacht lánGhaeilge chun éisteacht le fuaimeanna na teanga agus chun fhoghlaim ó na Gaeilgeoirí dúchasacha féin. Anuas air sin, ghlac sé páirt leis an bhfoireann peile sa cheantar chun cairde a dhéanamh leis na himreoirí agus chun caint leo as Gaeilge.

Le linn an tréimhse ama a chaith sé sa Ghaeltacht, d’fhreastail sé ar an méanscoil inti. Cuireadh é i rang na hArdteiste agus d’ullmhaigh sé do scrúdú na Gaeilge a dhéanamh. Ní dhearna sé staidéar uirthi nuair a bhí sé i scoil, agus mar sin bhí fonn air an scrúdú a dhéanamh cosúil le formhór na ndaoine eile. Rinne sé a dhícheall chun éirí leis sa scrúdú – rinne sé an béaltriail agus an páipéar scríofa ag bunleibhéal, agus d’éirigh leis grád A1 a bhaint amach. Ní raibh sé ach tar éis cúpla mí ag foghlaim na teanga ag an bpointe sin!

Chomh maith leis sin, d’fhreastail sé ar Choláiste Samhraidh mar is ghnáth do dhéagóirí an lae inniú. Bhuail sé le Michéal, príomhoide an Choláiste Lurgan, agus ghlac sé páirt sa chúrsa ann – chuir sé aithne ar dhaoine nua, d’fhoghlaim sé Gaeilge sna ranganna, chuaigh sé go dtí na céilithe agus d’imir sé sna cluichí spóirt. Bhain

Seachtain Chultúir na hÉireann

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Tá Seachtain Chultúir na hÉireann ar siúl i rith na seachtaine seo ón 18 go dtí 21 Samhain. Líontar í le h-imeachtaí éagsúla timpeall an champais atá eagraithe ag Oifigeach na Gaeilge, ag TradSoc, ag an gCumann Drámaíochta agus ag an gCuallacht. Céiliúradh atá i gceist chun ár n-Éireannachas a léiriú trínár gcultúr.

Is deis iontach í chun taitneamh a bhaint as gnéithe éagsúla de chultúr na hÉireann – i measc na n-imeachtaí a n-eagraítear, tá seisiúin ceoil, dráma as Gaeilge, scannán Harry Potter as Gaeilge, agus dar ndóigh, céilí! Ní Sheachtain Chultúir na hÉireann a bheidh ann gan chéilí ach UV

Céilí atá i gceist i mbliana! Críochnófar an tseachtain le Tóg Amach Mé agus ceolchoirm san Old Bar. Coiméad súil ar leathanach d’Oifigeach na Gaeilge chun na sonraí a fháil.

Má tá Gaeilge agat, tóg an deis i rith na seachtaine seo chun bualadh le Gaelgeoirí eile agus aithne a chur ar dhaoine eile a bhfuil suim acu i gcultúr na hÉireann chomh maith. Is minic a bhíonn atmaisféar iontach ar fud an champais le linn na seachtaine seo agus a dhéanann mic léinn iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt. Mar a deirtear: Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste!

sé sár-taitneamh as agus bhraith sé gur tháinig feabhas ar a chuid Gaeilge le linn an chúrsa.

Ina dhiaidh sin, chláraigh sé le cúrsa Gaeilge a dhírigh ar chruinneas na teanga agus ar an ngrammadach. Bhí air béaltriail eile a dhéanamh chun caighdeán aird a léiriú do na múinteoirí.

Thuig sé go bhfuil grammadach na Gaeilge casta go leor agus d’amhaigh sé nár thaitin an ghné sin den teanga leis. B’fhearr leis a bheith ag labhairt na teanga, gan a bheith buartha faoin ngrammadach.

Lasmuigh den seomra ranga, bhain sé triail as áiseanna eile chun a chuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh.

Bhí dúil aige an t-amhrán, Jump Around, a aistriú go Gaeilge agus le cúnamh charad, chruthaigh siad Léim Thart. Is minic a chuireann sé an t-amhrán sin i láthair ar an stáitse chun taitneamh leis an lucht tacaíochta. Is slí éifeachtach é an teanga a fhoghlaim trí úsáid an cheoil. Chomh

Abair as Gaeilge é!

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

maith leis sin, d’éirigh sé ina aisteoir ar feadh lae nuair a chuaigh sé ar Ros na Rún chun ról beag a líonadh! Ón taithí a bhain sé amach sa Ghaeltacht ar feadh na bliana, d’fhorbair sé tuiscint níos doimhne faoin tuairim coitianta a bhíonn ag daoine óga i leith na Gaeilge. Is minic a chloistear daoine ag gearán faoin Modh Coinníollach agus faoin dTuiseal Ginideach, agus an réiteach nuair a bhíonn tú amhrasach chun séimhiú a chur leis an bhfocal!

Cuireann sé greann le struchtúr na teanga agus na rialacha a bhaineann leis an ngrammadach. Mar shampla, déanann sé gearán ar na slithe difriúla chun uimhir a dó a úsáid; ag cóireamh daoine, ag cóireamh rudaí, ag cóireamh i nginearálta.

Musclaíonn sé gáire sa lucht éisteachta mar go dtuigeann siad cé chomh chasta is atá an teanga!

Tá na buairtí sin á phlé aige sa sraith mar go bhfuil an t-úafás rialacha ag baint leis an nGaeilge maidir leis an ngrammadach ach tá fonn air an meon sin a oscailt agus fonn úsáide a mhuscailt sa lucht éisteachta chun triail a bhaint as labhairt na teanga.

Tuigeann sé an tuairim coitianta atá ag daoine faoin teanga toisc go ndearna sé an Ardteist agus gur fhoghlaim sé an grammadach! Admhaíonn sé go bhfuil an iomarca béime ar scríobh na teanga, ar litríocht agus ar an ngrammadach, ach déanann sé iarracht tuairim na ndaoine a oscailt chun an teanga a athbheochan agus a chaomhnú! Dar leis, tá sé i bhfad níos deise an teanga a chloisint agus a labhairt mar is teanga álainn í! Iarrann sé orainn iarracht a dhéanamh chun í a choiméad suas.

Chun féachaint ar an sraith teilifíse, tá sé ar fáil ar Youtube. Is fiú féachaint air!

An bhfuil léacht agat ag a haon? Do you have a lecture at 1?

Tá / Níl léacht agam An bhfuil tú ag dul go dtí an rang teagaisc? Are you going to the tutorial?

Táim / Nílim ag dul An bhfuil tionscnamh le déanamh againn? Do we have an assignment to do?

Tá tionscnamh le déanamh againn / Níl aon tionscnamh againn fós (We have an assignment / We don’t have any yet) An mbeidh tú saor ag am lóin? Will you be free at lunch?

Beidh / Ní bheidh mé

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An rachaimid go dtí Áras na Mac Léinn? Will we go to the Student Centre?

Rachaimid ann – We’ll go there Buailfidh mé leat ansin – I’ll meet you then Feicfidh mé go luath tú – I’ll see you soon

The New Corker 2013 in Review ‘Sodomy and Other Trivialities’

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Contributors:

Editor: Audrey Ellard Walsh

Eilis O’ Keefe

Features Editor: Grace O’ Sullivan Deputy Features Editor: Claire Crowley Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin Irish Editor: Rachel Ní hAodha Fashion Editor: Nicole Clinton Fiction Editor: Eoghan Scott Sport Editor: Barry Aldworth Designer: Cathal O’ Gara

Nichola Fennel Martha Ewence Aaron Kieran Noonan Sean O’ Mahony

And speaking of shots *cue required pitch* why not make your resolution to join the Express team?! We’re always looking for new contributors for all of the paper’s sections. As I said, five more issues to put that pen to paper (though it’s much easier if you email us) and share your stories!

Just get in touch with any of our section editors and they’ll pop you on the mailing list. Or you can email me at editor@uccexpress.ie and I’ll pass it along.

Have a great new year, and enjoy this issue.

Colleges in a different universe @StphnBarry

Editorial Staff:

Deputy News Editor: Heather Steele

One semester down and one more to go. So that means seven issues of the Express down and only five more to prepare. Can you believe it?!

Last semester felt immensely long. A two week break at home

Stephen Barry | Deputy Editor

Features 4-6 Photography 14 Fashion 10-11 The New Corker 12 Gaeilge 07 Sport 14-16

Deputy Editor: Stephen Barry

Why not make your resolution to join the Express team?

vegging on my couch with my cat, box of Quality Street and Sherlock box set was more than overdue.

2013 was for me, and for many people I know, a truly awful year.

But I am told that adversity makes you stronger. It has at least given me a world more empathy. I head into 2014 with a resolution to simply view things more positively and make more time for those who matter by spending less time thinking about those who don’t.

Probably not too profound, and certainly easier said than done but it’s worth a shot eh?

Yesterday morning (Tuesday), 95,000 Americans will travel to California to watch to two college sides play a game of American football. The large majority of those in attendance will have travelled over 3,400 kilometres to see the game.

Although the clash of Florida State and Auburn is the season-ending, US version of the Fitzgibbon Cup final, such crowds at these games isn’t a rare thing.

In 2011 the average attendance in the top division in college football was 46,074 across 812 games.

That’s higher than any football league with the English Premier League averaging 34,601 across a mere 380 games that year.

14 of the biggest 15 football stadiums in America house college football teams and in 2010, 113,090 fans packed Michigan Stadium for a regular season game against the Connecticut Huskies.

The fan base for these ties is made up of college students, alumni and local supporters. The games are televised nationally and internationally.

So the big question is ‘why isn’t there anywhere near the same level

of local pride in universities across the Atlantic’?

In Ireland a Fitzgibbon Cup final does well to draw 2,000 people and even in England the Boat Race is the only thing that draws anything like the same tribal fervour or national attention that college football does.

College sports here remain very much a hidden diamond In terms of the quality on show, the NFL requires that to be eligible for drafting into the professional game, players must be three years out of high school, while basketball has recently introduced a similar one year rule. This means that colleges are packed with the ‘next big things’.

However in Ireland the best GAA players tend to go through university with current Hurler, Tony Kelly, and Football of the Year, Michael Darragh MacAuley, in Limerick IT and NUI Maynooth respectively. Meanwhile UCC memorably provided 12 current students between the Cork and

Clare panels for last year’s AllIreland Hurling final.

However without the exclusivity of watching talented players at a college level, it seems that whether college student, alumnus or local supporter, the fans choose to watch these players in their county colours rather than in their university stripe.

I remember seeing a Facebook survey once asking ‘What’s the best college for having the craic?’ in which over 35,000 people had voted; however this sense of pride of place and caring doesn’t seem to translate from the nightlife to the GAA field.

Even in terms of branding, UCC sells branded clothing on campus however my wardrobe has many more jumpers and shirts bought in the city with American college branding.

The game itself is a multi-billion dollar industry, which colleges can generate revenues of anything up to $100m from. Indeed Forbes has estimated that college football is more profitable than Microsoft or Google.

But for now, college sports here remain very much a hidden diamond, played off in midweek and concealed on TG4.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

NEWS

Support launched to help staff deal with distressed students

AROUND THE COLLEGES Stephen Barry| News Editor

Trinity to cut student services

Robert O’ Sullivan | Film & TV Editor

UCC’s Student Counselling and Development service launched a new initiative last month, a DVD training tool called ‘Identifying and responding to distressed and at risk students.’ Minister of State for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People Kathleen Lynch was there to launch the unusual initiative in the Aula Maxima.

The initiative is aimed at not only helping students who need support at an earlier stage, but also at allaying the anxiety and fear of staff members who might feel ill prepared to respond to a student in need.

“Students in need of professional support can be reluctant to seek it out. University staff who are in daily contact with students are very often the first to notice when something is amiss and can play a key role,” said Marian Browne, one of the developers of the programme.

“In responding to students in this way, staff will largely be stepping outside of their typical role, so it is important that they

receive specialised training which optimises the chances of students receiving the support they need.”

The ‘My World Survey’, released

by Headstrong and UCD in May 2012 found that 53% of students reported that they cope well with problems. However some 40% were found to experience elevated levels of depression and anxiety, 21% revealed that they had selfharmed, while 7% attempted to take their own life, but only 3% sought support afterward.

Paul Moriarty, Head of Student Counselling and Development, said that “the fact that 75% of mental health disorders manifest between the ages of 15-24 highlights the need for adequate student support services in the third level sector.”

The DVD does not shy away from the subject of suicide. One part of the DVD challenges common myths associated with the topic, and it says that viewers should not be afraid to ask questions like “Are you thinking of taking your own life?”

Stephen Barry | News Editor

J. Dowling Hurling Scholarship recipients were Cork Senior Hurlers Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy.

Photographed at the launch of 'Identifying and responding to distressed and at risk students’ were Dr. Michael Murphy, UCC President, Ms Kathleen Lynch, Minister of State for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People and Paul Moriarty (Head) of Student Counselling and Development at UCC

UCC GAA Clubs have announced that their jerseys will display the logo of the depression charity Aware stitched on their sleeve. The logo will be displayed on the jerseys of the college’s senior male and female teams in the 2014 Fitzgibbon, Sigerson, Ashbourne and O’Connor Cup championships. In addition, proceeds from the gate of the recent Higher Education Hurling League final between UCC and CIT went to Aware.

December in Brief

Research Centre to offer Insight Insight, a Research Centre for Data Analytics has been announced as a joint-venture between UCC, DCU, UCD and NUIG. The Science Foundation Ireland research centre has received a landmark €88m investment (€58m from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and €30m from its industry partners) and a will unite 30 industry partners and 200 researchers in one multi-location centre. 300 jobs will be directly created from 12 funded spin-out companies over the next six years, as well as a greater number of indirectly created jobs.

Insight will be housed in the Western Gateway Building in Cork.

Sports Scholarships Awarded In addition to the six inaugural High Performance Athlete Entry Scheme awardees, 80 scholarships were awarded to athletes from a variety of sports. The Roy Keane Soccer Scholarships were awarded to Josh O’Shea, Andrew Neville and Lauren Murphy, while the Michael

UCC Physician honoured by NUI Professor J.C. Seamus Davis, a UCC graduate and Cornell Professor, was received an honorary conferring from the National University of Ireland for his contribution to physics. Described as “one of the world’s most accomplished physicists” by UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy, Davis was the first physicist to observe a quantum mechanical phenomenon through sound. In the past decade, David has also invented a means of visualising quantum ‘matter waves’ of electrons.

UCC researcher chairs international consortium Dr Gordon Dalton is the chairperson of the recently launched International Consortium of Research Staff associations (ICoRSA), an international syndicate which seeks to provide a unified voice for groups which represent researchers globally. A senior research fellow in the Beaufort Research Centre, Dalton is a part of the steering group

Professor J.C Seamus Davis pictured at the Honorary Conferring of the NUI for the group which is particularly interested in influencing policy to allow for increased career prospects for researchers.

National Student Engagement Survey announced A fully national, system-wide survey of third level students will take place

in the coming months. Initiated by the Higher Education Authority, the Irish Survey of Student Engagement will be carried out in collaboration with Irish Institutes of Technology, Universities and the Union of Students in Ireland. Results from a pilot survey revealed that 72% of participants reported positive relationships with teaching staff while half believed they were solving complex real world problems in their studies either quite a bit or very much.

“Measuring student engagement and learning is complex, requiring multiple approaches and this national student survey is another important step forward,” said Dr. Michael Murphy. “At UCC we undertake student surveys at the module, school and university level and these results help us to deliver improvements for students through research-led teaching and learning.

UCC welcomes the opportunity that this annual survey presents to target the key issues and trends effecting student engagement within the Higher Education sector over a longer time frame.”

A 10% cut in funding allocations for capitated bodies in Trinity College across two years will take almost €60,000 in funding from bodies such as Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC), Central Societies Committee (CSC) and Trinity SU. The cuts were decided by the Planning Group responsible for the 2014-2019 Strategic Plan in a meeting on the 26th of June 2013. However the cuts were not recorded in the minutes of this meeting which featured no student representation. It is estimated that the DUCAC will lose €17,690, the CSC will be cut by €17,916 and €16,229 will be taken from the TCDSU budget while the Graduate SU and Trinity Publications will also lose out.

Town to meet gown in Limerick

Plans by the University of Limerick will see 500 students to be based in a city centre campus. No location has yet been selected although the Opera Centre site in the city, once planned for the largest shopping centre in Munster, is seen as a frontrunner. The €62m plan, which is part of UL’s wider €224m 20142018 strategy, also includes a student residential complex with the capacity to house at least 400 students. However interest from Limerick IT and Mary Immaculate College in having a presence in the student village could see those plans expanded. This plan would create 690 construction jobs and 290 full-time academic positions.

UCDSU suffers first disaffiliation A UCD student succeeded in his efforts to be removed as a member of the college’s Students’ Union. After an elongated dispute, a meeting of the SU’s Independent Appeals and Disciplinary Board (IADB) agreed to Samuel O’Connor’s request after he felt no longer represented by the SU. This was due to the SU’s recent adoption by referendum of a pro-choice stance. O’Connor, a spokesperson for UCD Students Against Abortion, will not be refunded his membership fees however, as this money is not paid directly to the Union, but via UCD through the student contribution.

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Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES THIS WEEK IN

FEATURES

The Power of Twitter

P5

P5 EU Defence With whispers of political instability, Sean O’ Mahony comes plays defence

The Resolution Constitution Grace O’Sullivan | Features Editor

2014 has well and truly set in at this stage, the Christmas spirit has once again subsided and been replaced by the usual bitter, selfcentered, mé féiner attitude we’re all guilty of. This brings me to the good old faithful business of resolutions. As with every year this is a customary element of the New Year – aside from copious amounts of Champagne, a loving kiss with a partner/awkward kiss with some stranger – is the business of resolution making.

Now I’m not one to judge or anything but I reckon you thought about them for erm, two days max, and now they are long gone and you’ve moved on? Well, this is where I come in – here are a few common resolutions, and solutions to getting back on the bandwagon:

good but you don’t have to go hell for leather at it – take it handy. Yes, Mo Farrah runs 120 miles a week but he’s an Olympian – a few kilometers every week would set you well on your way to running a 5/10km. Never mind the body – imagine the boasting material you’ll have: and oh lord think of the carbs!

Be a Better Person

I’m all for being a good person, as mammy says “it costs nothing to be nice.” This one really does deserve the most effort I think.

Picture a scene where everyone was nice all the time – there would be so much less tension and aggression in the world. Again I’m not saying you need to save the rainforest to be a success at life – but take the small steps, say thank you or smile – who knows you might like it?

Fitness

Perhaps the world’s number one resolution – there’s surely a statistic about this somewhere but, well, effort. This is understandable as everyone overindulges at Christmas – you go from eating stuffing and turkey, to stuffing your turkey baby into your jeans (still guilty of it).

By now you may (like me) realise that doing fifty sit-ups won’t give you a six-pack over P6 night – yes I checked the next morning. One protein shake won’t give you the body of a fitness model, and buying all the overpriced Strasbourg Reflections gear won’t get you into shape when it’s still Eilís O’Keeffe reflects hanging in the wardrobe.

I hate being the bearer of bad news but on insights gained and the only way to make this resolution work is lessons learned by getting up off your selection box bum and making shapes. Okay so this is all well and

P6 Gender in Film Martha Ewence discusses the gendered nature of the movie industry

GROWING NEW YEAR

UP

Claire Crowley discusses growing up and embracing this semester

Save Money Wishing someone a “happy and prosperous New Year” has more meaning in today’s society then ever before – especially when everyone is scraping money together to live – and by live I mean scrape by.

Many of you may have decided it was high time to save some money, especially after reenacting “big spender” over the last few weeks. My advice to making this one work would be not to make money your motivator, yeah save a few bob where you can but never forget about being happy, at the end of the day they can’t bury you with it. So why not have that extra coffee, meal out, or trip here there and everywhere. I’m a big believer in life being too short to bother with worrying about the picture. Once you’re happy things tend to fall into place.

Well, there you have the main resolutions that have probably well and truly been forgotten at this stage. The number one piece of advice/ bull I can offer is to not get too hung up on changing your whole life – as long as you don’t go out of your way to hurt others, be true to yourself and have the craic, you’re doing okay.

omeone asked me during the Christmas holidays how I felt approaching my final semester in college. I had to correct them, as I’m not in final year yet, and have three semesters ahead of me before I have a degree. But it got me thinking. I know a lot of people who are in their final year, either in their undergraduate degree or their masters. The future, for many of these people is uncertain, and soon they will have a little piece of paper claiming that they are qualified. How crazy is that? This time next year I will be in this scary position, trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. But that’s 2015’s problem, and as we settle into the new semester, a truth has hit home. Come September, a lot of my friends will be gone from UCC, heading on to a new chapter in their lives, and in one way, I envy them. I would love to be finishing college this semester and starting afresh. But, I’m also scared of what will happen when I finish that final exam in May 2015, and am suddenly released from UCC, its familiarity, comforts and coffee dock. Over the Christmas holidays I met up with friends who I hadn’t seen in a while. Some live abroad and came home for the holidays, others live fifteen minutes away from me. It hit me, that the older I get, the less of my friends I see. Sure, texting, Skype and Snapchat can fill a void, but there’s nothing quite like catching up with someone face to face. Is this what adult life is really about? Fleeting meetings and shouted “How are you?” on nights out? If this is being an adult, I want a refund.

But, seeing as the new year has arrived, I thought I could turn this negative into a positive,

or at least fill my designated word count. So, as a new semester, and a new year begins, with many of you trying to keep your new year’s resolution, think about the people around you. The friends you should see more often. Whether you’re in first year or final year, make time for others as often as you can. Meet those friends who you should see more often. College is about finding out who you are as a person and creating memories, so why not do that with the people who you should see more often? I know that it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, especially when deadlines are looming, and suddenly you haven’t seen one of your best friends in four months. Living abroad may be the only option after graduation, so use this time wisely, while you have it. When we leave UCC, we will be expected to be mature and responsible people.

We will no longer be the lost fresher, the smug second year, or the overworked third/fourth year.

You should enjoy this semester as much as you can, with the onslaught of college balls, rag week etc, there’s something for everyone in the second semester. Including exams…they can’t be escaped.

They ARE for everyone. As for proper New Year’s resolutions, this is the first year I have ever thought about them seriously, and I have thought of a few goals that I would like to have achieved by this time next year. One resolution is organisation, which, I think, a lot of students can relate to. I was better this academic year (so far) than I was any year, but my aim is to improve this before my exams in March.

Yes, you read that correctly, March. For me, this semester only lasts from January to March, and I certainly intend to make the most of it.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

FEATURES

The Power of

Twitter

Aaron Kieran Noonan | Features Writer

Before I start this, I feel I should probably admit my bias toward Twitter. Last summer I went on a J1 to San Francisco and suffered the plight of every J1 student. As the saying goes, I had too much month left at the end of the money. One night in particular I had three slices of cheese for dinner, dipped in hot sauce. Naturally, to vent my frustration at squandering my precious dollars on everything but the necessities, I tweeted something inconsequential along the lines of “So hungry, so poor” Within a half hour, two large pizzas arrived at my apartment door, free of charge.

In those interim thirty minutes, a girl named Keira living in Dublin, who I had never met before, saw my tweet, asked me for my address and the address of my nearest Dominos and ordered pizza online, to be delivered to my place in San Francisco, all the way from Dublin. She basically saved me from assured starvation, all thanks to Twitter. I’ve met her in real life since, in the murky Copperface Jacks. I was fairly inebriated and forgot how old I was when she asked me (I’m twenty-two, not twenty-one as I thought), so I imagine I was a bitter disappointment in real life and she regrets sending me pizza!?!

It might sound like an overstatement when speaking in terms of pizza, but Twitter is powerful.

Interestingly, its premise makes it sound anything but.

The name itself makes the platform sound trivial, to “twitter” is to make an inconsequential sound, and the idea of saying something of value when confined to 140 characters sounds unrealistic. But the beauty of Twitter is the simplicity of its design. Before you roll out of bed on a Monday morning, you can learn exactly what is happening in the world. In two minutes you can scroll through a series of tweets and become informed about events that are taking place in real time. If a terrorist attack has happened anywhere from the United States to Somalia, you can immediately find eyewitness descriptions, photographs and journalistic accounts. If Ireland score a try against the All-Blacks and you’re missing the match because you’re stuck in traffic, you’ll immediately find eyewitness descriptions, photographs and journalistic accounts. If Jennifer Lawrence falls over while going to pick up her Oscar, you’ll immediately find eyewitness descriptions, photographs and journalistic accounts (and probably a few .gif images to boot). You get the point. No longer are we required to spend lengthy periods reading long-form articles searching for elucidation about what is happening in the world after the fact; now we follow them in real time, and if we’re in the right place at the right time, we contribute to them.

Twitter is not without its critics, but often these criticisms are uninformed and unfounded. The idea of reading about what someone had for lunch in 140 characters or less does indeed sound unappetising, but that’s not what Twitter is for. Many people set up a Twitter account and immediately follow their favourite celebrities only to be disappointed by how uninteresting they are. I did this; I followed Stephen

The underpinnings of a united Europe have their birthplace in the fractured, beaten and tattered remains on Post-war Europe. Alterio Spinelli, viewed as one of the founding fathers of the European project and an ardent federalist espoused theory in 1943 thusly “If a post war order is established in which each State retains its complete national sovereignty the basis for a 3rd World War would still exist.” Talks of Ireland losing and regaining her sovereignty are accordingly ultimately reductionist. At the heart of the European Ideal is the concept of a mutual ceding of national sovereignty for a common purpose.

Our role in the Eurozone crisis has not won us many friends in Brussels. Our arrogance internationally, borne from the unprecedented success of the Celtic Tiger economy was built on foundations of sand.

More prudent states had to grin and bear our arrogance as we spent and spent while failing to legislate appropriately for white-collar crime, regulate our banks and fuelled an unsustainable property bubble.

Our wealth was ultimately illusory. Like Icarus our Government flew too close to the Sun. European unity, is ideologically to the benefit of our Continent. Africa, today is often sneered at as a Continent plagued by dictatorship and war. Eurosceptics point to legitimate flaws in the democratic structures of the European Union and indeed make salient points about the power balance inherent in having a common currency uniting small economies with some of the most powerful in the world. But the fundamentally nationalistic sentiments and right-wing rhetoric which informs these criticisms is unsavoury to say the least, in light

Bombings event, a missing student named Sunil Tripathi was misidentified on Reddit and Twitter as the culprit, and an online witch-hunt led thousands into believing he was responsible. It turned out not to be the case, and the student was found to have later died in circumstances completely unrelated to the bombings. Reddit subsequently apologised for fuelling the suspicion of his involvement, which had spilled over onto the Twitter-sphere. Furthermore, in April 2013, the Associated Press Twitter account was hacked and reported that the two explosions had occurred at the White House. The account was immediately suspended and statements were released to retract the untrue statement, but the damage had been done. That single tweet, online for only a few minutes, had caused the stock markets in the United States to plummet after giving the impression that America was under attack. Incidents such as these demonstrate the sheer power of Twitter. As a tool, it has immense influence. In the right circumstances, a single tweet can inform, or misinform much of the world.

Now in its eighth year, Twitter has yet to make any money, but it is increasingly obvious that it will remain a mainstay in the social media world. It is often unfairly compared to Facebook, as content on Facebook rarely moves beyond a few hundred friends, whereas content on Twitter can reach millions if the tweet is interesting or relevant enough.

Facebook is an excellent tool for staying in touch with friends, but Twitter works far better for spreading important information. While my pizza experience was a fluke, and probably represents the kindness of strangers more than it does the power of Twitter, the fact remains that Twitter is immensely influential.

It has the power to inform like nothing else ever invented, no matter what your interest.

To truly understand the precious nature of freedom having never experienced anything else is in my view impossible. In Ukraine protestors are currently fighting against monumental corruption in a State which uses increasingly dictatorial methods to quash its political opposition. Belarus, increasingly viewed as a pariah state by the West and the only European State which isn’t a member of the council of Europe serves as a grim reminder to other former Eastern Bloc States of the road less travelled. It stands as an aberration from the norm of increased civil and political freedom and economic liberalization brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union and cemented by the acceptance of newly democratic States into the heart of Europe by the Nice Treaty.

Much of what the EU does is boring and regulatory. We hear precious little in the media about developments in any of the EU institutions in our media. Beyond the short-to-medium term economic decisions made will have on our Domestic Economy. In many ways this is understandable, but it give rises to a reductionist view of the European Union. We need to stop looking to Brussels as either a piggy-bank to be taken advantage of or as bondage which limits our freedoms. Such a narrow focus clouds the picture of the genuine successes European cooperation has graced us with.

What is desperately sought in Ukraine is the boring dullness of a society governed by the Rule of Law. We are truly privileged in this country to have never experienced life in a society which applies justice

arbitrarily to suit the political ends of any single Government.

It is inappropriate to view the EU as a sinister Machiavellian entity merely because the Bailout was designed to restore stability to the Eurozone at great expense to ordinary citizens. The failure of the European Project would have a far greater toll than a long-term cost to our economy and wealth. The EU is neither a get out of gaol free card for poorer nations, nor a mere leech on the wealth of richer economies. It is a bulwark for the protection of the long-term goals of intra-Continental stability and the creation of a Continent of citizens who are equal before the law.

As citizens born free we may never truly appreciate the benefits of what we take for granted. But the freedom to elect our own leaders, to work where we want and limitations on State’s respective national interests for the common good of our Continent are the invaluable principles at the heart of our society.

For as long as the European Union strives to protect these values and the fundamental freedoms of her citizens its benefits will far outweigh the fiscal cost to any and all nation states.

Our Continent’s past is a bloody one. Strict adherences to nationalist interests have too often led to death and destruction. In this regard unfettered nationalism has failed unequivocally. Self-limitation of power and the limited ceding of sovereignty have created an imperfect Union, built on compromise and mutual respect of one another’s cultures building on our shared continental heritage. The EU is a cornerstone of our Continent’s unprecedented peace.

To reject it is to ignore the huge societal progress that membership has granted to its citizens, in particular in countries with no long standing democratic tradition.

As long as the European Union protects the citizens of Member States equally, and strives to uphold the Rule of Law, I am a firm and fast supporter.

“

The real-time aspect of Twitter is what drives it.

Defending our Imperfect Union Seán O’Mahony | Features Writer

Fry for ages. I have nothing against Stephen Fry, in fact I quite like him, but we don’t share the same interests. When he would tweet about a play he’s doing on West End, I would immediately skip over that tweet because it is obviously of no use to me. The trick to Twitter is to carefully curate who you follow.

Personally, my interests lie in American politics and current affairs, so I follow a lot of American journalists and news outlets. If Obama is giving a speech on healthcare reform, all I need to do is search the hashtag #healthcare or #obama as he is speaking and I’ll immediately find real-time reaction to what he is saying. If football is your passion, you’ll find real-time reaction to any given game in real-time by searching the relevant hashtag. This is hugely powerful and informative.

The real-time aspect of Twitter is what drives it. In April of last year, two Chechen brothers exploded two pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and wounding hundreds. The Boston Globe (@bostonglobe) was first on the scene because it was covering the marathon. Its Twitter account, along with the Twitter accounts of its staff members, served as information points for those affected by the bombings. Countless tweets flooding in from several accounts were amalgamated on a live-blog page on the Boston Globe website.

With each new snippet of information coming in, Globe reporters could update the Boston public and the wider world about what was happening, and this became more important as the city went into lockdown as the situation turned into a manhunt.

Of course, real-time updates means less time for verification of facts. As a journalist tool, Twitter can be a double edged sword. During the Boston

of the depths of darkness that unfettered nationalism can and has ultimately conspired to bring about, in our Continent’s past.

The resurgence of right-wing rhetoric holds sway with an increasing number of Europeans as growth splutters and the capacity for social mobility has reduced significantly. This ultimately isolationist tendency effectively ignores the pitfalls which have shown themselves inherent in this nationcentric mind set. That Europe, like parts of Africa today, was a Continent perennially ravaged by war and dictatorship when short-term national advantage was at the heart of public policy must never be forgotten.

Awarding the European Union the Nobel Peace Prize last year has been dismissed as political opportunism in popular thought. The European Union is increasingly views as ineffective, unfit for purpose and placing ideological considerations ahead of practical realities. It would be very easy to dismiss this acknowledgment of the successes of the European Union. However while it is necessary to criticize the elements of the European Union which do not work, equally it is of the utmost importance to contextualize its successes. Even when viewed as a piece of political theatre it must surely be admitted that there have been major successes achieved through culturalexchange and economic liberalization over the past number of decades.

Our wealth was ultimately illusory. Like Icarus our Government flew too close to the Sun

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Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES

An Erasmus Diary: Reflections on a Whirlwind Semester Half-way through her Erasmus year in Strasbourg Eilís O’Keeffe reflects on insights gained and lessons learned

t is rather a cliché to say that “time flies when you’re having fun” but I must admit that this age-old adage does hold a grain of truth. I was in a state of disbelief when I boarded the plane home, unable to grasp that it had been three and a half months since I last set foot on Irish soil.

Being home and relaxing over Christmas gives me time to reflect on the whirlwind that has been the past three and a half months and particularly to consider what I have learnt while living in France.

1. Strategic packing Those pesky baggage limitations mean that trying to fit your life into a suitcase is a rather stressful affair. Make smart decisions – remember that although the threat of a cold winter is looming in the background when you arrive at your chosen destination it will probably be 30 degrees and sunny. Unfortunately I made this mistake and had to live with the uncomfortable consequences for three weeks! One of the advantages of a small room (10m x 10m exactly) is that it doesn’t take much to give it a cosy appearance – a nice bedspread and some posters on the wall and it will soon start to fell like home!

2. Remain optimistic – and persistent!

4. Be brave I strongly believe that lack of confidence is the greatest barrier to speaking a foreign language with fluency. It takes a great deal of courage to converse with a nativespeaker but it certainly pays off (if only for the fact that you’ll learn a great deal of useful slang not normally taught in language classes!). From speaking to other Erasmus students I have come to the conclusion that it is probably a good idea to have a Tandem partner – a native French Martha Ewence | Features Writer speaker who would like to practice their English. New Years Resolution No. 1 = find one!

Developments in the way in which Hollywood views and treats women have been made. However, to say that 2013 has been a good year for the movie business in their portrayal of women is to be grossly deluded. In 2013 it was announced that Swedish French bureaucracy is rather infamous and a large degree of cinemas were to examine films and gender bias within those patience is required in dealing with it. My entire first month films with the Bechdel testing model. was devoted to navigating the vagaries of living in a new What does this mean? Well, it means that films that are country – from registering at the university to signing up for more inherently gender biased will be rated on this basis as the rent allowance granted by the French government, I rarely well as how violent of explicit they might be. As quoted in the had a moment to spare.

Guardian in November 2013, “rarely see‘s a female superhero or a female professor or person who makes it through exciting challenges and masters them.”

Why hello Mr Bond, how can I assist you sir?

5. Patience is key

Moving to a foreign country can be a daunting prospect, particularly when moving to a country where a language other than English is spoken. Don’t worry – the first few months will prove difficult but as your confidence builds you’ll soon wonder how you ever found it hard to follow lectures. While the cultural and language differences will certainly be a bit of a shock you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll adapt – I now find it strange to see shops open on a Sunday! You may even The main reason I chose to study in Strasbourg was the fact that it is home to the Council of Europe and also the seat of find yourself dreaming in French… the European Parliament. This results in several unparalleled opportunities – such as the possibility of meeting the Irish Ambassador to the Council of Europe and of receiving tours Going on Erasmus is the perfect opportunity to travel. One of of both institutions. It also allows the possibility of several the reasons I chose Strasbourg was its proximity to Germany, a internships – many Erasmus students work for an MEP country I had never visited. The border is only 20 minutes away during the week when the Parliament is in session. I chose by public transport and so it is easy to pop over to Germany for to take an internship with a human-rights organisation based some shopping. So far I’ve taken advantage of our mid-term break in Strasbourg, the European Centre for Law and Justice, as to travel to Berlin, undoubtedly the coolest city I’ve ever visited. human-rights law is an area in which I am very interested. I A good train network has facilitated weekend trips to Paris and the have thoroughly enjoyed working for the organisation as it Netherlands. There is also a very good Erasmus Student Network gives me the opportunity to gain experience in legal research in Strasbourg which organises numerous trips for Erasmus and translation as well as some pocket money! I have also students. So far I’ve taken advantage of their discounted rates attended two very interesting hearings at the Court of Human to travel to Munich for Oktoberfest and to see the local wonders Rights with them as well as a bioethics presentation at the of the chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg and the picture-perfect Colmar Council of Europe. Going on Erasmus is not merely about (inspiration for the town in Hayao Miyazaki’s anime film Howl’s going to university in a foreign country and being in Strasbourg, Moving Castle!). Travelling to all these different locations has la Capitale Européenne, has presented me with unparalleled been the most rewarding aspect of my Erasmus experience. They opportunities. say money can’t buy you happiness – but I find that it depends So far, I’ve loved every minute of my Erasmus experience how you spend it! I have been saving for my Erasmus year ever and I’m looking forward to heading back in January for what since I decided to study Law and French and I am certain that I I hope will be another amazing few months (once I get the will treasure the memories formed, whether they be among the masterpieces of the Louvre or the canals of Amsterdam, forever. rather annoying fact of several exams out of the way!). In the I am already anticipating the set of exotic destinations that next meantime I shall take consolation and inspiration from this semester holds in store with plans for another weekend in Paris quote I found while brainstorming a title for this article: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” and several days in Venice!

6. Grasp every opportunity

3. Travel

A way of testing whether not a film is gender biased is to ask three questions of it: 1. Are there two or more women in the film?

2. Do these women take speak to each other?

3. Do they speak to each other about anything other than the men in the film?

If the answer to any of the above questions is best, the film is undoubtedly gender biased. Even if the film in question has leading ladies who do not fall into the above traps, they are still almost always stick-thin, under 50 and conventionally beautiful.

I can think of one talented actress who breaks the mould after a long time deliberating on this and that is Gabourey Sidibe, a beautiful, spirited, powerful actress who looks like a real woman as opposed to some spinach juice drinking L.A control freak like most of her counter-parts. Even the stunning singer Jennifer Hudson had to slim down an unbearable amount to continue what was sure to be a star-studded career anyway.

Why does Hollywood do this to women? Why are artists separated into categories: “actor” and “actress“? Is it because no-one believes a woman can play a man’s role? Cate Blanchett was breath-taking as Bob Dylan and Glen Close was wonderful in Albert Knobs. If women are as talented a men why are directors still type-casting them in silly romantic roles where all the woman obsesses over his finding “Mr Right”. Sweden, I commend you. At least someone is trying to crack the glass ceiling.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

GAEILGE

Caomhnú na Gaeilge trí cheol I rith an tsamhraidh seo caite, bhí an Ghaeilge I mbéal an phobail. Thug muintir na hÉireann aird ar an sár-obair a bhí á dhéanamh ag Coláiste Lurgan i gcomhair athbheochan na Gaeilge. Bhí amhráin á n-aistriú agus á thaifeadadh ag na daltaí ann agus cuireadh iad ar Youtube chun iad a roinn le gach éinne.

Thaitin an t-amhrán, Wake Me Up as Gaeilge, go háirithe leis an muintir agus tháinig cáil ar an gColáiste agus ar a chuid amhrán.

Mar thoradh, bhailigh roinnt ceannairí agus múinteoirí ón gcoláiste le chéile chun banna ceoil nua, Seo Linn, a chruthú. Is iad an t-aon bhanna ceoil amháin in Éirinn a chanann amhráin choitianta as Gaeilge, agus go dtí seo, tá roinnt ceolchoirmeacha déanta acu timpeall na tire, fiú ar fhéile Oíche Chinn Lae i mBaile Átha Cliath. Caithfear a rá gur smaoineamh iontach is ea é chun an teanga a chéiliúradh agus a chaomhnú.

Is léir go raibh tionchar ag Coláiste Lurgan ar mhéanscoileanna ar fud na tíre, go háirithe ar lucht na h-idirbhliana. Tá roinnt físeáin curtha suas ag méanscoileanna ar Youtube mar chuid de thionscnaimh na h-idirbhliana. Ceapaim gur smaoineamh an-tairbheach é sin chun an

Ghaeilge a spreagadh i measc na ndaltaí i slí taitneamhach. Is gléas éifeachtach é an ceol chun an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim. Anseo i gCOC, tá réimse amhráin aistrithe agus curtha suas ar Youtube ag an gCuallacht agus mic léinn ag canadh is ag seinm uirlisí ceoil iontu. Sárobair déanta acu! I measc na n-amhrán atá clúdaithe acu, tá Little Talks, Ho Hey, We Own The Night, Catch Me If You Can agus Give me Love. Músclaíonn na físéan sin suim i measc na mac léinn sa Ghaeilge. Ba cheart go spreagfaí an cleachtadh sin i ngach scoil chun múineadh na Gaeilge a fhorbairt agus a fheabhsú.

Má théann tú ar Youtube agus má chuardaíonn tú amhráin as Gaeilge, tá réimse maith leathan ar fáil agus caighdeán ard ag baint leo. Tá talann ag na ceoltóirí sin agus is fiú an sár-obair sin a spreagadh agus a mholadh. Is áis luachmhar í an ceol chun an Ghaeilge a chaomhnú agus a leathnú ó dhuine go duine. Is cuimhin le daoine focail d’amhrán i bhfad níos fearr ná focail de dhán nó scéal éigin. Ba cheart aitheantas a thabhairt dos na ceoltóirí sin a thacaíonn leis an teanga, a spreagann í, agus a bhíonn bródúil aisti. Is teanga fíor-álainn í an Ghaeilge agus cloiseann sí go hiontach in amhráin.

Ar ais ag coláiste…

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Tuesday

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r cáil & Lit Edito ca clú agus Lyng | Arts l an iomar aige. Tá a ghuth annaigh. go bhfui iontach suimiúla na hÉire anda, Tuigim hara iad ach tá guth r Daltrey, níos guth John fíor ceolm irí timpeall na domhaláinn ar Bono ná Roge Daoine tír deise ná feá ceoltó Cliath sa daoine ón Éirinn. níos láidreBowie agus níos le Átha Dá bhfeic gaolta le in ná David é i mBai U2 i 1980 agus bhfuil siad r Paul MCartney Rugadh cífeá go ic Picnic a ghrúpa Joshua Lennon. dh mátha ag Electr hair The Thosaigh seo. Ruga Kevin Rowland gh Éo. Cé gur seascaidí. hamhráin i gcom chuid tuairimí a Chonaiceas g a thuistí ó Mhaia, Éireannach is na ann h in scríod he“One”, Tá Bono go háirit agus tháini Gallagher i Sasan cheolmhar ag re The ar Tree i 1987. h trí cheol U2agus “Whe tógadh Noel go bhfuil tionch la timpeall na a chur amac Sunday” go bhfuil U2 an fíor naithe cáiliúfé am chun alt Bloody ea é! Is tá .” Ce ar amhrá sé “Sunday No Name tuillte acu, an dtír seo agus in Éirinn. Tá Streets Have an-chuid airgid Cliath. Tá sé sin. agus Átha domhanda hamhranaithe ir Bob na chailiúil i mBaile an ceoltó a scrí faoi Bono fós cónaí ar Dave Fanning agus le cairdiúil Dylan.

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sé t mar fuair Phil Lynot h mé. Ach nach. hin liom rugad gher a chean rac den Ní chuim mbliana sular amhráin t Rory Galla Jimi Hendrix in agus é albam Chum sé bás seach agus bhí oireachta. Bhí Is fiú mór agam air. s are back in town” ab ea é fearr ar tá meas l le “Boy grupaí is Corcannach bhárr a bhua seinteleictreacha agus scoth cosúi . Ba cheann do na Thin Lizzy agus leis de amhráin maith. é an éad maidir le canadh chomh “Jailbreak” na seachtóidí on, Moore ag i sé spreagúil ag i rith oir Gary ne Eric Clapt hiontach domhan ar an seintean ngrúpa. Tá focail i bhí sé go i 1969 i gcoin cáil gcumhacht g sé bás leis thaini igh sé dúais sin béim ar an cheoil ansheinn sé a thuama. Fuair r an Bhua nn sé am gur a chuid curtha ar trua gur chailleama (ní agus cuireaar an uirlis. Tá l a chuid ilge bhfui sin go nGae óg léir The is mór an sé comh chaill a a bhí aige fad- tá sé an-so Slash agus 1986 agus sin nuair a bhí ar y Marr, nuair a cháilúil ag Johnn ní mór díobh he ach guth aláinn daichead bliain sé greannmhar ceoil cloist sé bás i 1995 ach é). Bhí bhraith raibh sé a laghad. olly gur Philomena Edge. Fuair ar Youtube ar Billy Conn Éireannach é leis mháthair cht dúirt ; eistea gurb chomh maithGuinness mar e air. l le sé cosúi níos duibh cumadh agus bhí

Gradam

ESS

| UCC EXPR

sson.

Van Morri Sting eile ná Flowers, cáiliúil nn an (Brandon Ceoltóir gach duine Girl” agus taitnío sé sna Canann n Eyed . Thosaigh srl) “Brow le gach éinne gher, agus b’iad sin Rory Galla saibhreas mar t-amhrán as cosúil le ard seascaidí, bhain sult caighdéan d daoine a oirí. Tá Stone na céad It ceolte agus ”, “And amhránaithe “Sweet Thing Ná bíodh ráin Lately”. ar na hamh Told You cheol toisc gur “Have I lena uid Me” agus eisteacht a deir an-ch í bainíg leisce oraibhh suarach é mar ach é ach duine santacduine drochbhéas Molaim díobh gur in ceol. iriseoirí as a chuid Tá a chuid amhrá eamh taithn a fháil.

Weeks” “Astral filíocht. cosúil le Clancy. ad faoi Liamguthanna dearm agus faidh mé idir é féin h. Dúirt Bob Ní dhéan iontach nÉireannac aige ar fud na Bhí nasc na cha cumhachta guth ba láidreghrúpa, Clancy raibh an sa in.

Dylan go Ghlac sé páirt chuid amhrábhí siad andomhanda. agus agus chan Gay Byrne dó Fuair ag Brothers anda faoi! uid ama a chuid Bhí an-ch fud na domh daoine ar 2009, ach bíonn i eolas ag bocht bás an fear raidió. fós ar an canadh amhráin mar ag n. go rabha again ad h igí dearm agus scríobseo chun an Ná deana léamh irí Is fiú é! leis na ceoltó sular raibh éisteacht éad inár n-aigne.

Caithimid har a choim ceol beom

Eoghan

1

03, 2013 December

ir í C he oltó

2

ear san a chuirt haíochtaí na gníom leo, Is iad iarrthóirí ná: baint ag r i.e. áireamh htaí go raibh a d’eagraíoda al ar ard to • Imeac he imeachtaí ing forw ag freast go háirit a bheith really look díreach ig – I’m i níor leor an Nolla Gaeilge h a bheith n Tuesday mór leis htaí s adfad imeac Novemb a d’fhé tnúth go Christma trí mheá r Gaeilge er 19, himeachtaí Táim ag ritheadh | Eagarthói • Na2013 aon imeachtaí a imeachtaí ceoil, s! hAodha : aghaidh pla in gceist sham Rachel Ní y Christma ge bliain ge, mar na Gaeil rracht an na Gaeil duit! – Happ htain Gradam ann sár-ia ig shona drámaíochta Cois Laoi, Sheac be goBronntar Nolla e a dhéan hOllscoile. you rince, i na dhuin Will ? uid timpeall htaí Sprao bliana ar g i COC a neartú an Dr Diarm • Imeac ge na Nolla Ghaeilge Rachel0 urraithe ag nfar ar an duine h do Lá Pádraig na Gaeil €1,00 Ní hAoa bhron dul amac stmas Day? htaí na Féile dha | Eaga la. Is deis Duais deTá atá i gceist ge dh tú ag UCC Chri acadú únaclú agus na bliana rthóir ar son • Imeac óireachtaí Gaeil An mbei / I won’t) ing out for Ó Mathach Gaeilge • Díosp . cáil Des a dhéantar adh h (I will dheire ge (m.sh go háirit aroibre igh Ní bheid ó Campus sin roimh op ar Corca er? he, tá na Bishcoile, na Gaeil tlitreacha fud andir Beidh / air. chun an méid i • Raidi hneoireacht hÉireannaan-lái dom nuach stmas jump iontach íTá bua iste na hOlls an ghrin í, ge igh an-ch hain táin nó go ge i gColá • Scríb nraige h dráma have a Chri one) na Gaeil i nuach ntas you 19 scríob a agus have ; eanú na Gaeilmór linn.

Do láthai aithea taitníonn il altann arfar tháinig . Tá Is as Nua g agat? nach idirlín one / I don’t GA dtabh na a ghrea sé go chóir a cheiliúradh úsáid Eabh na Nolla ( I have EILGE nn nó ar leatha hta) hÉirinngo rac do Ionaid irt agus déag d’aoiba il geansaí an labha nn agam fílíoc Des, COC agus a s. Shocgannnuair An bhfu próis nó aon chea lena chlan áitritheoirí a ne a sprea raigh sé bhí sé ceithre ach htaí agam / Níl do dhaoi bliana síos i Loch n agusna mac léinn. s dinner Thuam nó • Imeac sa chea Tá ceann d’fhreasta Áras Uí i measc Christma h déanta Garm teanga ntar níl cead il séisteac – to eat ann áitiúil.

Chónaithe, ar leith a bhead comhlíonta stmas tree ar anh,méan dtí Colá g a ithe maith leis má h chur the Chri cadail iste hOllsIna er as adhiai dh Ghrad na Nolla na a bhead am achscoil sin,rate sin, chua deco • Tions céim nair lenaiarrat d’éirigh – to nuair coile ar leith Dinnéar oile agus stmas jump isiú Maid hÉalaíona iú , don a chuaigh sé ina Corcaigh migh tuillte Chri sé goag ge a mha dualgais na hollsc a ainmn g aisteo Gaeil a aird wear D’éirigh Grada sé agus h na líona h – to Nolla an ar Ros na s preseirnts ar feadh bhain tú fhéin h il stair a scríob leis tú goamac bhfui a thairgeodhrsáide ar úsáid heamdh! sé Crann na lae tuairii sc an gháir anncáil a bhain g a chait Ón taithíto buy Christma Rún chun ról duitagus faoi mbéa cheap e. Rinn eile, t amac ní mór isteach meán cuma beag a na Nolla h – a bhain sé e sé roinn do RTÉ léinn ag scaip rla. nnac ag na blian í ah chur Geansaí amach sa macmar h agus eadhA4 t sraith leatha a, d’fho nach Labhartha aisí a cheatuairi sham h/taob Ghaeltach Experienc isteach an pla, e. Tá dháeann a teilifí Gradam Bronntan inae thaob e a líon m coitia rbair sé tuiscint i 2004 áirithThe Des Bisho ar dhuin bhfuil an se nta a bhíon níos doim t ar feadh dó/di. Ba Ach i 2007 dhátaagus Gaeilge. fáth go sprioc Joy in the pr go gcuirfidh Má tá aithne agat iarratas isteach hne n ag Work ntas , rinne Is míníu cén darb ainmteastá Molta il agDes faoin Mod minic a chloi daoine óga i faoin agus aithea ici. sin.Hood i 2006. aíochta shuas, cuir , In theag an cinne leith na duineadh stear daoin moladh chun ann Drám do RTÉ tuillte Name of An óirí liosta t go dtabharfar amh aige/a Ginideach h Coinníolla e ag geará , the Chumsraith ch nua iarrth atá á dhéan eacha gConnemaagus an ITMS ainmn amhrasach, agus an réitea agus faoin dTui n níos chear as an sár-obair , a chrut h sé anachtaFada baill chait h seans hú Cuall bhliaingo mbeid ag fogh d’fhreasta raagus na laim Le linn dó/di Cuireann chun séimhiú ch nuair a bhíon seal gá iomlán nach an il na sé a tréim ach Gaeilge. ar mhéa sin. i á dhéanamh chun cinn rialacha sé greann le struc chur leis an bhfon tú nscoil,na gcumann Nuair a d’fhreastail sé hse ama a chait a aige mar cal! baill ní raibh an h d’éirigh shampla, bhaineann leis htúr na teanga fearr ag ábha Ghaeilge rang na hArd ar an méanscoil sé sa Ghaeltach sé agus an teiste agus t, sé inti. Cuire a fhoghlaimníos sine, d’fho r Ardteiste. chun uimhdéanann sé geará ngrammadach. na sár-ta Nuair a na Gaeilge a rbair Mar dhéanamhd’ullmhaigh sé adh é i feabh itneamh as fhoghlaim . Mar sin, thóg sé suim sa uirth ag cóire ir a dó a úsáid n ar na slithe do scrúd as ar a chuid agus bhrai . Ní dhea difriú agus chun amh rudaí sé an deis teanga air i nuair a bhí sé ; ag thaobh th sé rna sé staid ú Musclaío Gaeilge i scoil, an , ag cóire cóireamh daoin la buairtí Ina dhiai na Gaei agus nn le linn an gur tháinig éar na ndao chun í a ndao scrúdú a dhéa lge de a dh sin, amh e, dtuigeann sé gáire sa D’fhan ine óga chúrsa. namh cosú mar sin bhí fonn a dhírigh chláraigh ine thuis lucht éisteai nginearálta. siad cé ar chrui ó sa scrúd eile. Rinne il le an Ghae sé le clann ina cint.

Tá na chom nneas na sé le cúrsa Gaei chta ilge ó ú – rinne sé a dhícheall formhór na ngrammadach. dteach lge an buairtí sin á phlé h chasta is atá mar go teang mhai cabhair ina t-úafás rialac agus sprea din go hoích labhraíodh scríofa ag bunle sé an béaltriail chun éirí leis chun caighdeánBhí air béaltriail a agus ar aige sa sraith an teang an a!

Ba chab ibhéal, agus a ha eile e. gadh Thui bhain leis aird ag Thug mar a dhéanamh an páipé an ngram baint leis g sé go agus d’éir dó dálac hair mór siad fogh t amach. Ní ar bhfuil grama léiriú do na an nGae go bhfuil madach h is Ghaeilge igh leis é a oscai raibh laim na múin ilge ach grád A1 go leor agus chun éisteaa bheith i dtim domhnach. madach lt teanga ag sé ach tar éis agus chun na Gaei teoirí. éisteachta agus fonn úsáid tá fonn air an maidir peallacht den teang d’amhaigh cht le cúpla mí Chom an bpoin meon lge casta sé nár e a leis. B’fh ag teang te sin! féin. Anua fhoghlaim ó na fuaimeanna na lán- Choláiste h maith leis Tuigeann chun triail a bhain a mhuscailt sa sin earr leis thaitin an ghné a, gan teang Gaeilgeoi sin, d’fhr Sam peile sa s air sin, ghlac rí dúchasach a an lae inniú hraidh mar Lasmuigh a bheith buart a bheith ag labha sin faoin teangsé an tuairim t as labhairt na lucht eastail sé chea is ghná teanga. sé ar ha faoin coitianta . Bhua irt na gur den a toisc go a Chol himreoirí ntar chun cairdpáirt leis an bhfo ngram atá ag áiste Lurg il sé le Mich th do dhéagóirí áiseanna eile seomra ranga fhoghlaim ndea irean agus chun ea éal, príom , bhain madach. go chun a chuid an, agus sé an gram rna sé an Ardt daoine caint leo dhéanamh leis n ann – chuir bhfu sé triail hoide an Bhí dúil aige ghlac eist madach!

Gaei as Gaei na sé sé as ar litrío il an iomarca an t-am go Gaei lge.

Admhaíonagus Gaeilge aithne ar dhao sé páirt sa chúrs hrán, Jumplge a chleachtad béime ar lge agus ine nua, sna ranga n sé a h. sé iarraccht agus ar an scrío céilithe Arou ngrammada bh na teang agus d’im nna, chuaigh d’fhoghlaim siad Léim Thar le cúnamh chara nd, a aistri ht tuairi a, ú teang t. Is t-amhrán ir sé sna sé go dtí d, a a athbh m na ndaoine ch, ach déanann sin i látha minic a chuir chruthaigh cluichí eochan a tá sé i spóirt. Bhaina leis an ir ar eann sé agus a chao oscailt chun n teang lucht tacaíochta an stáitse chun an a labhabhfad níos deise an taitne a a fhog an teang mhnú! Dar leis, hlaim trí . Is slí éifeachtac amh iarrac irt mar is teang a álainn a a chloisint agus ht a dhéa úsáid an h é an í! namh Iarra cheoil.

Chun féach nn sé orain chun í Chomh Youtube. aint ar an sraith a choiméad suas. n Is fiú féach teilifíse, tá aint air! sé ar fáil ar

UCC EXP RESS |

Des Bis hop – In The Nam e

ain Chu

ltúir na

hÉirea

Rachel Ní hAo dha | Eaga Tá Seac rthóir htai n Chu Gaeilge i rith ltúir na Sam hain seac htai ne na hÉir eann seo ón ar siúl timp eall . Líon tar í le 18 h-im each go dtí 21 Céil í atá i gcei Oifi geac an cham pais an tsea taí éags st i mbl an gCu h na Gae ilge atá eagr aith úla ceol choichta in le Tóg iana ! Crío chnó far man n e , Ama ch gCu allac Drám aíoc ag Trad Soc, ag leath anacrm san Old ht. hta ag h d’O ifige Bar. Coim Mé agus Céil iúra ár n-Éi éad súil dh atá agus ag an na sonr aí a rean ach na ar fhái l. i gcei st Gae ilge Is deis nach as a léiri Má chun iont chun ú tríná ach as gnéi rith na tá Gae ilge í chun r gcul the – i mea éags úla de taitn eam h a túr. Gae lgeo seac htai ne agat , tóg an bhai seo chun chul sc na deis irí eile n-im each túr na hÉir nt dhao tá seis bual adh i agus ine eile iúin ceoi eann taí aith ne le scan nán l, drám a n-ea graí tear, na hÉir eann a bhfu il suim acua chur ar a as ndói gh, Harr y Pott er chom bhío Gae i gcul túr nn atma h mait as h. hÉir eanncéilí ! Ní Shea Gae ilge , agusilge , cham pais le isféa r iont ach Is min ic chta in a bhei a linn na Chu ltúir dar a dhéa dh ann ar fud an seac htai gan chéi na labh nann mic ne lí ach UV bhri airt. Mar a léin n iarra cht seo agus deir Gae ilge ste ná Béa rla tear : Is fear r Gae ilgea clist e!

of The Fada

nn

e é!

Seacht

A b a ir a s G a e il g

Fáilte romhaibh ar ais don dara téarma. Tá súil agam go raibh Nollaig dheas agaibh!

Le linn an trí mhí atá os ár gcomhair anois sa choláiste, beidh UCC Seachtain na Gaeilge ar siúl ag deireadh an mhí seo. Is buacphointe na bliana é ó thaobh cúrsaí Gaeilge de! Beidh imeachtaí ar siúl ag an gCuallacht, ag an gCumann Drámaíochta agus ag TradSoc arís. Coiméad súil ar an leathanach atá ag Oifeagach na Gaeilge chun tuilleadh eolas a bhaint amach faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge.

Idir an dá linn, más maith libh bhur gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid agus triail a bhaint as altanna a scríobh, chuirfinn fáilte is fiche roimh éinne a bhfuil suim acu scríobh don leathanach Gaeilge sa pháipéar. Má tá smaointí féin agat, scríobh alt agus seol chugam é ag irish@uccexpress.ie nó má tá fonn ort píosa a scríobh ach gan aon smaoineamh agat faoi thopaic áirithe, seol ríomhphost chugam. Chomh maith leis sin, má tá aon mholtaí agat faoi na slite inar bhféadfaimis an leathanach a fheabhsú, b’aoibheann liom éisteacht leo agus iad a chur i bhfeidhm.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh as an tacaíocht agus as an gcabhair a thug sibh don leathanach Gaeilge sa chéad téarma.

Tá súil agam gur bhain sibh taitneamh as na haltanna a bhí foilsithe ann. Bíodh athbhliain chorraitheach agus áthasach agaibh agus ná déan dearmad, beatha teanga í a labhairt!

An bhfu il Tá / Níl léacht agat ag a hao léacht agam n? Do you have An bhfu a lectu il re at 1? tutorial? tú ag dul go dtí an rang teag Táim / aisc? Are Nílim you goin ag dul g to the An bhfu il ment to tionscnamh le déan do? amh agai nn? Do Tá tion we have scna an assi (We have mh le déan gnamh agai an assig nn / Níl nment / aon We tion An mbe don’t have scnamh idh tú any yet) againn saor ag fós am lóin Beidh ? Will / Ní bhei you be free at dh mé lunch?

An rach aim dent Cen id go dtí Ára tre? s na Mac Léinn?

Will we Rachaim go to the StuBuailfid id ann – We’ ll go ther h Feicfidh mé leat ansi e n– mé go luath tú I’ll meet you then – I’ll see you soon

Ba cheart go dtabharfaí aitheantas chomh maith do cheoltóirí cáiliúla eile, mar shampla, The Coronas,a d’aistrigh dhá amhráin atá acu go Gaeilge, Heroes and Ghosts as Gaeilge agus Éist a Ghrá don albam Ceol ’10. Ina measc, tá amhráin choitianta eile déanta as Gaeilge mar chuid den scéim, Ceol, mar shampla Grá dom Leonadh, Cuimhin Liom, Níl mé ag Bogadh (The Script) agus srl. Téigh ar Youtube chun éisteacht leis an réimse leathan atá ar fáil ann.

Creidim féin go nglacfaidh ceol ról lárnach in athbheochan agus i gcaomhnú na Gaeilge i rith na linne seo. Is áis fíor-luachmhar í agus spreagann sí suim sa teanga. Is gléas éifeachtach é chun cuimhneamh ar an nGaeilge mar fanann focail d’amhrán sa cheann. Caithfimid tacaíocht a thabhairt don amhránaíocht as Gaeilge chun an nós sin a spreagadh agus a fhorbairt.

B’fhéidir go dtabharfadh sé inspioráid don Roinn Oideachais chun é a chur i bhfeidhm i scoileanna ó cheann ceann na tíre chun cur le múineadh na teanga. Ré nua na Gaeilge atá cruthaithe i bhfoirm amhránaíochta agus is sa tslí sin a chreidim féin go n-éireodh an teanga níos nua-aimseartha mar go n-éisteann gach duine le ceol. Mar a deirtear: beatha teanga í a labhairt (agus í a chanadh)!

Abair as Gaeilge é!

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Bí ag éisteacht leo..

Wake Me Up as Gaeilge – TG Lurgan Pompeii as Gaeilge – TG Lurgan Little Talks – An Chuallacht Ho Hey – An Chuallacht Pompeii as Gaeilge – An Chuallacht Some Nights as Gaeilge – TG Lurgan An Laisc Is Mó – TG Lurgan Catch Me If You Can – An Chuallacht Faic na Fride – An Chuallacht Léim/ Léimigí Thart – Des Bishop Éist a Ghrá – The Coronas Heroes and Ghosts as Gaeilge – The Coronas

Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit! – Happy New Year!

Cá bhfuil an léacht ar siúl? Where is the lecture on?

An bhfuil an módúl sin críochnaithe? Is that module finished?

An bhfuil an rang teagaisc sin ar siúl inniú? Is that tutorial on today?

An bhfuil na nótaí agat? Do you have the notes?

An bhfuil tú ag dul go dtí an leabharlann? Are you going to the library?

Tá tionscnamh / aiste le déanamh agam – I have an assignment / essay to do

Seolfaidh mé teachtaireacht chugat anocht – I’ll message you tonight

8

EXPRESS PHOTOS

Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

9

EXPRESS PHOTOS

10

Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FASHION

GATHERING

MOSS

Fashion Editor, Nicole Clinton, chronicles the life of her ultimate fashion icon

campaign and then eerily whispering around a beach wearing nothing at all for the designer’s perfume Obsession. She subsequently fronted campaigns for design houses including Gucci, D&G, Chanel, Bulgari and Yves Saint Laurent among others. Plus her reputation for epitomising London cool continues to make her Rimmel London’s prime-attribute as she orders us to "get the London look".

Yet Moss did not limit herself to modelling alone. In 2007 she designed her first clothes line for high-street giant Topshop where she took inspiration from her own style.

In 2010 she turned to handbag design as she created a range for Longchamp She collaborated with Coty when she started her own perfume line, with her original scent ‘Kate by Kate Moss’ spawning a series of other fragrances. She has also dabbled in musical pursuits, from featuring in music videos for the White Stripes, Elton john and Paul McCartney to actually providing vocals on tracks by Oasis, Primal Scream and Babyshambles. In late 2013, British Vogue announced that Kate would join their team as contributing fashion editor. Editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman explained that "[Kate’s] undoubtedly brilliant sense of style, depth of fashion knowledge and understanding of what makes a wonderful image will be exciting to see on the pages of British Vogue.” This is also a monumental event as it marks the first time that Kate is copying me rather than the other way around.

The Style

f I asked you to visualise a girl with weak, dirty-blond hair, slightly crooked, ivory teeth and moles all over her body, I bet you wouldn’t be particularly impressed. But what if I told you that that lifeless hair framed sultry, hazel, wide-set eyes that perfectly balanced razor-sharp cheekbones? Or that those teeth were oddly complimented by a set of lips with the ideal level of fullness to produce a coveted pout? And then I added that those moles were sprinkled across lightly bronzed skin that covered a closely sculpted delicate figure? The imperfect begins to mold into the “imperfectly perfect”. And that last term is the exact phrase that I would utter to describe the very female whose aesthetic qualities that I detailed above.

Despite having played out the majority of her life in the public eye, she seldom speaks, refusing interviews, thus maintaining a sense of mystery as a person and allowing herself to remain a piece of otherworldly art, open to the interpretation of each photographer and stylist that she works with. She is a fashion icon whose style is emulated by multiple generations and she changed the face of the fashion model with her skinny frame.

She is Kate Moss and as she turns 40 on the 16th January, I look back on her career and life recounting the work, the style, the controversy, the lovers and most importantly, the allure of the last Supermodel.

The Work

Moss’ career began when she was scouted by Storm Model Agency’s Sara Doukas at JFK airport when she was just 14 years old. However it wasn’t until Corinne Day shot Moss for her first high-profile magazine photo-shoot for British magazine The Face, which featured the model roam around topless with an ornate headdress at the young age of 16 that her true introduction into the industry arrived. Day described these photos as "dirty realism" or "grunge".The time of Kate’s fashion initiation aligned with the birth of the grunge era and considering that her alternative look grabbed her the

The Moss style has become akin to the London Look that saw a resurgence in popularity during the nineties, her decade of baptism into the fashion world. It exudes a careless, rocker attitude with punk undertones through black, leather and denim yet it still possesses an undoubtedly glamorous flair. Her look also dabbles in bohemian territory which makes her a key inspiration for the summer festival look. However, the supermodel's style has gone through a few minute developments over the years. Her era of emergence saw the grunge movement take over fashion and music. Grunge could be seen as the rebellion title ‘Anti-Supermodel’, she is still associated with the trend against or ‘hangover’ after the decadent eighties today. Day also shot Kate’s first British Vogue and seeing as Moss’ physical appearance went cover in March 1993 (read more in The against the typical supermodel look of the late Controversy). Moss has since appeared eighties in a similar fashion, she became the on the cover of British Vogue over 30 poster-girl for the new casual look. While her times, demonstrating her significance style still reflects a similar aura, it has matured and power as a British fashion icon. into a more distinguished boho sophistication The editors of this publication regularly today. utilise Kate’s ‘British-ness’ for displays of patriotism on their covers with her channelling English music icon David Kate’s career has been meandering into Bowie in blue and red face-paint or her controversial territory from the very decked out royally in a crown and sceptre. beginning. Her March 1993 British Vogue Her covers range in styles from the model shoot, photographed by Corinne Day, saw slouching over a psychedelic chair naked, to Moss hang out in a her own London flat her silhouette in gold shadows to her simply in a thong and a barely-there vest. The exploiting her definitive gaze. Editors of spread was perceived to be provocative other fashion publications from all corners of not particularly because she was scantily clad but because of the globe began to recognise Kate’s versatility as a model and as well as her appeal to the public and used what she looked like underneath her sparse attire. During the her visage on their covers also. W magazine referred to her late 1980s, fashion models like Cindy Crawford and Claudia as their ‘muse’ back in 2003 and many of the most famous Schiffer were voluptuous, 6-foot tall creatures with Hollywood fashion photographers have been known to give Moss that smiles. Therefore, it shocked the world to see a skinny, same compliment. After the release of her coffee table photo 5-foot-7 teenager with slightly crooked teeth and understated book in the mid-nineties, a fashion critic from The Guardian hair parading around the pages of a fashion magazine in her commented on her unique skill as a fashion model: “She’s underwear. Moss began being blamed for everything from fantastic at interpreting photographer’s ideas, an exceptional inducing anorexia in young girls to promoting drug use trendsetter, a great artist-as-model… one is struck by her through her ‘heroin chic’ look (that last crime being accused versatility, her never-ending, ever-changing ability to put over of her by President Bill Clinton!). I have yet to decipher whether it was out of ignorance or jealous denial that the world clothes. It’s an odd talent”.

However fashion magazines were not the only place assumed that she had to be either ill or a heroin addict to be that one could observe the ‘imperfectly perfect’ Miss Moss. thin (Kate was pictured snorting cocaine in 2005 and did a stint As her status increased, she began collecting a variety of or two in rehab between the late nineties and that point but advertising contracts. At the age of 18, she became the face her early years contain no proof of illegal drug use). Either of Calvin Klein, seductively swaying around Mark ‘Marky- way, the thought that somebody could be naturally skinny Mark’ Wahlberg in nothing but a pair of jeans for a CK jeans was not comprehensible to the masses. While Kate became

The Controversy

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

FASHION with lots of butter.”) But the ordeal perhaps raises questions about whether backlash actually helps the situation. The world’s outrage may have gotten an apology out of the model but all it really did was bring the ‘motto’ to people who might not have seen it in Vogue (the story even made the RTE main evening news) and informed them that pro-anorexia websites exist by stressing how a host of them were using the phrase as inspiration. In fact, if it hadn’t become such a scandal, I wouldn’t be mentioning it here!

The Lovers

the scapegoat for a lot of societies problems (even things that had hardly any connection to her at all like elderly women’s self-hatred) people seemed to ignore the fact that a model cannot put herself on the cover of a magazine or award herself a fashion contract. Editors and design houses recognised her allure and used her influence to sell their product.

Moss’ most infamous controversy has to be the cocaine catastrophe of September 2005 when the Daily Mirror sprawled pictures of the model snorting a substance that appeared to be the class-A drug across their front page. They alleged that she did five lines in forty minutes at a Babyshambles recording session, the band of her thenboyfriend, Pete Doherty . Kate subsequently entered rehab and issued an apology but did not explicitly admit to using recreational drugs. She was later questioned by the police about the allegations but the case against her was eventually thrown out due to lack of evidence (photographs of supposed drugtaking do not hold-up in English courts). She lost many of her fashion contracts following the ordeal which included campaigns for H&M and Chanel, however the scandal did little to injure her career as she was W magazine’s cover girl by November and still appeared in Dior’s ad-campaigns during this period. While Kate reputation as a bad-girl was always part of her draw, the pictures just proved that even one of the world’s most attractive beings could not

Kate’s first relationship after her entrance into the industry was with fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti. However that was just the insignificant starter for what has to be (in my opinion) the coolest, most beautiful and electrifying celebrity union to have ever inhabited earth: Johnny Depp and Kate Moss.

The two cheekboned-ones began their tumultuous romance in January 1994.

Depp, who was most famous from his stint on T.V hit 21 Jump Street and then for ditching the mainstream to ingeniously portray oddball characters like Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, was 11 years older than Moss. Both parties personified the grunge look and lifestyle, with one of the most well-known photographs of them being the ‘leather jackets’ photo where they donned matching black jackets, jeans and long, messy hair.

Their reckless attitude was perhaps what made their love so legendary and interesting.

In January 1995, Johnny threw Kate a surprise 21st birthday party at his LA club, The Viper Room, where he covered the place in fresh roses and balloons and jammed onstage with INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence.

One story alleges that earlier in the

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by trashing the room once she was gone. Rather surprisingly, it was The Who frontman, Roger Daltry, who called security after hearing the commotion from next door. Despite offering to pay for the damage, Johnny was arrested and detained for 48hours, with his official statement to the police claiming that he had been chasing an armadillo that jumped out of the wardrobe, ran around the room, escaped out the window and then left him with the damage. The pair split in 1998 after four years together. I guess their combined presence was just too cool, gorgeous and wild to survive in this mundane universe…

Evidently, Kate needed a break from the madness and moved on to Dazed and Confused magazine editor, Jefferson Hack, with whom she had a daughter, Lila Grace, in 2002.

But her love-life brought her back into the headlines again in 2005 when she began dating the Babyshambles frontman, Pete Doherty. The British rockstar, while respected for his musical pursuits, did quite a host of damage to Kate’s reputation. While she and Depp were no angels, they always maintained a sense of class even in their wildest antics. Her pairing with Doherty on the other hand was a little too rough and ready. They were frequently pictured completely intoxicated and obscenely swearing at each other. This garnered Moss much criticism as it was hardly behaviour suitable for a mother. Proceedings came to a head in 2005 when the cocaine scandal erupted at a recording session for his band and it was this saga that forged the link between Doherty and a particularly low point in Kate’s life. Moss and the troubled rocker ended their relationship in July 2007 and she started dating The Kills guitarist, Jamie Hince, shortly afterwards, marrying him in 2011.

Interestingly, the various romantic relationships that Moss has been involved in give us a snapshot of her image at a given period in her life or career and can even define her style at that time . With Sorrenti she was just being established as a photographic fashion muse, with Depp she was a glamourgrunge wild-child, with Doherty she was a messy rock-chic and with Hince she is glamorously bohemian. But one question remains: can Hince make an honest woman out of her? Let’s hope not as while we definitely don’t want to see her shabbily doing coke again, Kate wouldn’t be any fun if she was pure and innocent!

The Allure

So what makes Kate Moss so exceptional? All models are beautiful but it is that sensually reckless attitude that Kate conveys behind her eyes that gives her that special sense of depth that so many other models lack. It is an effortless and genuine aura that gives her photographs dimension. It’s that thing that new model of the moment, Cara Delevigne, tries so desperately to display, but fails miserably as she just looks bratty and foolish. She can copy everything that Kate does directly- style, antics, work- but she’ll never come close because she just doesn't have the Kate Moss aura. Kate is a once in a lifetime occurrence and that is why she is the last supermodel. There is something about her gaze that you stop to look at. Even in her first photos for The Face, when she sustains a distant glare or childish smile that depicts a teenage purity, there remains something playful or sinful about it, thus producing a paradox, a confusion between the innocent and the bad.

Kate’s appeal definitely possesses a sexual ambiance but what makes it captivating is that her sensuality always manages to remain implicit. Although she regularly goes topless or sometimes even completely nude for fashion shots, her sexuality never comes across as explicit as modern sex symbols like Rihanna or Kim Kardashian. Perhaps this is because her appearance, while constantly the source of speculation for being particularly svelte, is much more natural than we are used to looking at in a world where boob jobs and ass implants are worryingly beginning to control the use of the term ‘sexy’. Kate’s triumph is that she shows naturally skinny girls that you don’t have to look like Beyoncé to be desirable.

I suppose one could claim that Kate Moss is like the Mona Lisa of fashion models. In any given fashion shot, her expression, no matter what it is, conveys some sort of mystery, like she’s hiding a secret and the viewer feels an unquenchable thirst to uncover it. And I really hope she never reveals it, because that would ruin everything.

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All models are beautiful but it is that sensually reckless attitude that Kate conveys behind her eyes that gives her that special sense of depth that so many other models lack

glamorise drug-use. Cocaine was the one product that Kate could not make look good.

Kate’s dark sense of humour landed her in trouble in 2009 when in a very rare interview with Vogue, her answer to the question of what her life motto was was “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. An understandable backlash ensued and she was forced to clarify or retract the statement. While it was undoubtedly a terribly insensitive thing to say, it was probably intended to be an in-joke (considering she was speaking to a fashion magazine) or a poke at her own notorious reputation for being thin (bearing in mind that she wrote in the introduction to her nineties coffee table book “I am just on my way out to dinner to eat a massive steak, loads of very fattening potatoes

night when Kate asked Depp what she should wear, seeing as she wasn’t told where they were going, he answered “Wear like a dress or something”. When she emerged from the bedroom in a floor-length Valentino gown, claiming that was the only dress she had in her closet, he shook his head and told her it was too long for the occasion. Then, he took out a scissors and began to cut the designer creation into a mini-dress! But it had been a notorious event in 1994 that the couple’s hell-raising public image was officially born. Moss stayed with Depp in the Presidential Suite of the Mark Hotel in New York City for one whole day and into the early hours of the next morning.

While it is unknown what was said or done before she had left the premises, Johnny felt the urge to let off some steam

Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

12

THE NEW CORKER

THE NEW CORKER Sodomy and Other Trivialities

By Eoghan Lyng

he sun reflected diagonally from the arse of the naked blonde man, lying head first in the grass. From an innocuous passer`s perspective, they may have thought he was a dead man.

Death from an unidentifiable cause. But when has an identifiable death ever been the interest of a reader? I, myself, would never sniff my nose in the direction of such an inconsequential story.

But there I was, walking as I normally did. It was not the first time that I had seen the muscular exterior

of the blonde man. But it was the first time his bodily components were shoved in my face! Tosser, I thought to myself. He must be either dead or mad. How many other people lie naked in the middle of Mayfair? Bugger all, and that`s the truth of it!

So, there I was, peering at the backside of this vagrant who had both the audacity and the tenacity to sit in the middle of the park with nothing on him but the reflected sunlight. Just another Londoner with the ego of an elephant and the balls of a mouse. But that`s when I caught him with his trousers down. This character was a Russian. I could tell from the shape of his head, the pride in his eyes and the muscles on his back that this guy was a special vodkasian case.

Moscow, I thought. Maybe Leningrad. Or was that Stalingrad?

Nobody ventured towards this blonde, naked feast. So I did. I told him, I did, “Hey matey!

Are you dead or what?

Either way, put on some sort of clothing. It ain`t decent dressing yourself in nothing but your flesh!”

The Russian did not move. He did not change his position. Sugar, I politely said to avoid my editor`s censorship. “This man must really have snuffed it!” But then, a miracle happened. The man started speaking.

“Where am I?” he slurred. “At least you`re not bloody dead” I responded. “You gave me quite a turn, you did. I did not study for ten years in

Oxford to babysit solobrous corpses”. As you may have noticed, dear reader, I, like many who acquired a PHD, bring it up whenever I can, to inflate my satiated ego.

The man noticed his trouser-less legs, then rose to pounce. He strode very elegantly, if any elegance could be ascertained from a naked man that is, and shook my hand. “Thank you” he said. I knew not what to do.

I thought a quick prayer may prove spiritually fulfilling, but practically unsound.

I simply grinned. A very nice grin. A type of grin a sunflower would wear, were it ever to wear a grin.

“I need to ring my mother” he continued. “She will be wondering what I am up to?” “What are you up to?” “Sleeping in a park.

What else would I do clothless? My mother will ask me a similar question, I will tell her I was sleeping in a park.

What else would I do clothless?” I pondered upon that pre-requite of a statement, but ultimately succumbed to its soundness. He was right. He had, in fact, been sleeping in a park. What else would he do cloth-less?

“I am a naturalist writer” he said.

“Conducting research for my next book “Sodomy and Other Trivialities”. Dearie me!

As a man who enjoys being buggered senseless from time to time myself, I felt the urge to point out that sodomy was far from trivial. He sniffed. “If that`s how you take it” he spewed.

Such rudeness! “Well, we all need to take our daily cups of tea” I cried “but whether we drink it with

sugar and milk is entirely the choice of the individual in question”. He looked up.

“Yes” he quipped shrewedly.

“That would make a very endearing title for one of my upcoming chapters.

“Daily Cups of Tea (With Optional Sugar and Milk!)”

That`s the ticket” Fancy that. In spite of all the meta-fictional stimulation a reader and writer gets from that, a tribute of a title simply does not pay the rent. I told him that expected reimbursement. He smiled to me.

“Here`s a tip, my friend. Do whatever makes you happy in life. Even if that means sleeping naked in the park. This piece of advice is worth far more than money”.

With that, he walked away, onto the general London road, when, inexplicably, a lorry rode around the corner and knocked him down; dead. A literary death of celluloid experience, nominally reserved for endless stories looking for a quick exit, I looked at the waste of potential future talent.

There and then, in front of the traumatised lorry driver, I vowed to write a story entitled “Sodomy and Other Trivialities”, emphasising my encounter with this strange, strange man, in the hope of publishing it in a College publication. And what do you know? I still have not found a better thing to do than sleep in the park.

What else would you do when cloth-less?

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2014

HUMOUR

Bullyboys strike at the heart of European project The Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden (or FINDS as their acronym goes) have spoken out for the first time about how they were systematically bullied by other European Union (EU) countries over a period of at least five years. That timespan was pronounced by patterns of teasing, taunting, name-calling and threatening, as well as indirect bullying behaviours such as excluding them from diplomatic meetings for no logical reason.

“It makes them feel good to put us down,” said Finland.

One of the most educated countries in the world, Finland feels that they are victims of their own success.

“The way they treat us has changed in the time since we became successful. Back when we were the lovable financial and societal losers, they seemed to like us but our sustained success has changed things for us.

“I think it has changed them more. I mean we’re still the same cool guys we were before we became a functional social democracy with a strong social safety net and equality across the classes and sexes.

“But I’d restrict female pathways to top corporate jobs in an instant if I thought it

would make Holland and France invite us for cans during lunch at Council like they used do.”

The problems are thought to have begun for the Nordic countries as they used their initial success to mature into economic powers, providing for their people’s wants and needs.

The World Happiness Report revealed that the Nordic countries are all among the topten happiest countries in the world; however this has been tainted by deep-lying feelings of inadequacy and a need to impress.

“We’re the world’s most democratic country and have the highest quality of life,” said Norway who are also the world’s second happiest country, “but we’ve also one of the highest prevalences of clinical depression.”

They call us all sorts of names added Finland. “The worst is when they call us Scandanavians; I mean don’t they know that we come from a different ethnocultural and cultural-linguistic heritage to that of the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden?”

“I hate it when they talk about us behind our back in the EU,” said non-EU member state and most peaceful country on the globe, Iceland. “And they mock us for our 130-person army too. But who’s going to attack us? We can give them fish if that’s what they want. They just need to ask. No need to attack us.”

Iceland withdrew their EU application last June due to the bullying, before telling all about their struggles in recent weeks.

But while the bullies are physically strong, it is believed that their bullying has developed as a reaction to violence within their own country.

Ireland has also been guilty of bullying, but in their case the bullying is believed to be based on snide comments and begrudgery with the aim of increasing the country’s self-esteem.

The bullying starts on a regional level too and in recent times, UCC has reacted angrily to Sweden’s refusal to give them a Nobel Prize.

Letters to Swedish representatives making this request have been ignored as against the spirit of the prize, while Swedish Universities have also been petitioned to favourably rate UCC on Google Reviews.

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Tuesday January 07, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

SPORT

UCD to host Collingwood Cup Centenary Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

The 100th annual Collingwood Cup will be held at the grounds of current holders University College Dublin.

The hosts, going for their third Collingwood victory in a row will enter the tournament at the quarter-final stage to play NUIM. Meanwhile, on the same side of the draw UCC will square off against Trinity College Dublin also in the quarter finals.

The draw has left UCC with a very difficult route to the final, and the Cork side will be hard pushed to repeat their success they had at last year’s tournament.

First Round: Tuesday Feb. 25: DCU vs.

Mary Immaculate; University of Ulster Jordanstown vs. Royal College of Surgeons; Queen’s University Belfast vs. University of Limerick.

Quarter-finals: Wednesday Feb. 26: DCU/ Mary Immaculate vs. UUJ/RCSI; QUB/UL vs. NUI Galway; UCD vs. NUI Maynooth; Trinity College Dublin vs. UCC. The semi-finals and final will be held on February 27th and 28th respectively.

Buckley’s penalty seals win for Academicals Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

UCC Academicals 4 – 3 Cobh Wanderers In early December UCC welcomed Cobh Ramblers to The Farm in a Munster Junior League First Division Clash.

From the outset UCC took charge of the game with the forward partnership of Arnoud Techubane and Kevin Roche repeatedly prying apart Cobh’s defence.

The home side almost drew first blood when, 34 minutes into the game, a James Burke pass put Cian Browne through on goal. However, Browne was unable to hit the target from just two yards out, much to the relief of the away side.

However, just before half-time UCC finally got the break that their play deserved, when Techubane capitalised on a mistake by the Cobh defence and calmly put the ball beyond the reach of goal-keeper Tom Cronin.

Shortly after half time a great passing move by UCC once again stretched apart the Cobh defence when, this time, a pass from Browne put Burke through, and unlike the 34th minute effort this time the ball ended up in the net. After the goal things went from bad to worse for the away side when an already struggling defence lost centreback Ben Dalton for a second bookable offence.

Despite the dual setback Wanders slowly fought their way back into the game, and after a great individual run by Damien Brady pulled themselves to within one goal. That goal shocked

UCC fall short against NUIM Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

An historic day for NUIM Barnhall saw the team host their first ever colours match on the Maynooth campus, against UCC. Seeking to play the role of devil’s advocate and spoil the occasion UCC controlled the match for long passages of time. However, a sensational last minute try gave NUIM the win, in a match UCC will feel they should have won with ease.

After a slow start to the match UCC scored the first points mid-way through the first half.

Starting inside their own half UCC spread the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and back again on several occasions before Sean Óg Murphy crossed over for the game’s opening try. Murphy added the conversion, but a Simon Gillespie penalty reduced the Cork side’s advantage to four points, leading 7-3 at half-time.

From the outset of the second half NUIM looked to flex their muscle and regain control of the match-up. Just minutes after the kickoff second-row Johnny McDermott took possession of the ball and bulldozed over several UCC players before falling short of the line. From their Barnhall kept the ball close to the ruck before Gareth Murray crossed the line to give the home side the lead.

Trailing 10-7 the score seemed to shock UCC back into life as they immediately went on the attack once they regained possession. After a great driving maul Murphy spread the ball wide to set up a Cian McGovern try, which Murphy duly converted to restore the four point lead.

However, the lead proved to be fleeting as a late infringement resulted in UCC losing

the UCC team and they once again fell asleep three minutes later, gifting Stephen Griffin the opportunity to draw the sides level at two goals each.

With Wanderers firmly in control of the game they began to push hard for the win. However, once again the defence left the team down, when a failed offside-trap allowed Mark Muambu to easily slot home UCC’s third goal of the game.

Cobh were not to be denied however, and an 81st minute strike by substitute Dave Quigley left the sides tied once again, with a draw seemingly on the cards.

However, with just minutes left the game threw up one last piece of drama. Cian Browne took control of the ball on the right wing before racing into the Cobh penalty box, where he was rashly brought down by Paddy Brady. From the resulting penalty Darragh Buckley stole a 4-3 victory for UCC, quickly followed by the final whistle much to the home team’s joy.

UCC Academicals: F. Widdashich, H. McCarthy, S. Crowley, D. Buckley, R. McCormack, C. O’Shea, J. Burke, O. Leahy, A. Techubane, K. Roche, C. Browne.

Subs: M. Muambu for J. Burke (62), P. Mills for K. Roche (76).

Cobh Wanderers: T. Cronin, F. O’Connor, J. O’Mahony, P. Brady, B. Dalton, O. Kinsella, S. Griffin, D. Walsh, D. Brady, D. Abbott, L. Doyle.

Subs: G. Brady for D. Brady (62), D. Quigley for L. Doyle (64)

Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

will likely go down as a year of drastic change for the world of sport. Whilst the retirement of Alex Ferguson brought an end to one of the most dominant eras in football history, on the national scale hurling may have witnessed the rise of another superpower following Clare’s AllIreland victory. However, for every story of success or greatness 2013 brought, the year also offered many reminders that life at the top only lasts so long and that reputations are more easily destroyed than established.

From 1999 to 2005 Lance Armstrong was the greatest active cyclist the sport had ever seen. However, as had previously happened to many in the sport, this success brought near-constant accusations of doping, which despite Armstrong’s protestations of innocence stayed with the cyclist even in retirement. After years of fighting these claims, destroying the reputations of many fellow cyclists as well as allowing Armstrong to gain vast amounts of money though libel cases, the 42-year-old finally admitted to using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). In August 2012 the USADA announced that Armstrong would be suspended from cycling for life due to his involvement in “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” After refusing to appeal the findings, Armstrong, in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013, formally admitted to doping throughout his career. Whilst the move brought an end to one of cycling’s longest running sagas, the fact that the record books now list no Tour de France winner from 1999 to 2005 serves to highlight the everlasting

London calling for UCC Rowing Club

Nichola Fennell | Sport Writer

Head of the River Fours, London 2013.

a player to the sin-bin. From the resultant penalty NUIM opted to take a scrum, where the extra player proved crucial as they easily drove UCC back in the direction of their own try-line. With UCC struggling to cope, and after several restarts, referee Mark Patton ran under the goal posts to award the home side the penalty try, and with it a 17-14 lead.

Whilst the Cork side tried to fight back in the dying moments of the match they couldn’t maintain possession, and finally succumbed to defeat. As a result of the defeat UCC fell to 6th place in the league, seven points behind leaders Ballymena.

NUIM Barnhall: S. Gillespie, F. McManus, M. Brown, E. Daly, K. Darragh, C. Winks, R. Holt, D. Jennings, G. Murray, L. Mitchell, J. Campbell, C. McDerrmott, B. Dunne, S. Condon, T. McKeown.

UCC: B. Monaghan, S. Glynn, N. Hodson, C. O’Halloran, C. Barry, S. Óg Murphy, B. Nugent, P. McCabe, K. Stokes, C. Slowey, B. Quill, D. O’Connell, C. Gallagher, D. Nolan, P. Derham.

Considerably later than recent years due to tidal restrictions, the 59th Head of the River Fours took place on Saturday November 30th.

The Head of the River Fours is one of the biggest rowing events in Britain, with the entries restricted to coxless quads, coxed fours and coxless fours.

First held in 1955, the Head takes place annually in November, with the date and start time varying due to the effect of the tide on the River Thames.

Entries are limited to 520 crews, for logistical reasons, with 20 events: 11 for men and 9 for women. It is raced over a four and a quarter mile course on the Thames from the University Stone at Mortlake to the University Stone at Putney (the Oxford/ Cambridge boat race course in reverse).

A UCC RC crew was the only Irish crew to take part in the Head, competing in the Elite Quad Sculls event. The crew of Justin Ryan, Andrew Harrington, David Power and John Griffin, finished 23rd overall, and fifth out of the 14 entries in their event.

This year’s race was won by a Tideway Scullers’ quad, containing four top international athletes: Alan Campbell, Valent

Sinkovic, Aleksandar Aleksandrov and Ondrej Synek.

“I think it is very important to engage with events like this to measure ourselves and motivate the squad.”

UCC RC’s Head Coach Ed Green was pleased with his crew’s performance: “We weren’t aiming for a particular position but executing certain processes that we’ve been working on in training and then see where that placed us. The outcome was a very pleasing result for the crew and club.”

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday January 07, 2013

SPORT

3 1 20

The year that was: Victories, defeats and drug cheats

black mark that Armstrong left on the sport.

Whilst Armstrong bowed out with his reputation destroyed, Alex Ferguson, much to the disappointment of Manchester United fans, announced his retirement shortly after sealing his 13th Premier League win with the club. Having taken over as manager in 1986 Ferguson overcame spats, several suspensions and an infamous fallout with Roy Keane to help guide the club to one of the most successful periods in its history. Whilst United’s fortunes have drastically changed since Fergie’s departure, it wasn’t long before the Scot found himself back in the headlines, following the publication of his autobiography. The book was heavily critical of several current and former United

players, including Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and the current Irish assistant manager Roy Keane.

However, whilst 2013 was a turbulent year in many ways on the international scale, it proved to be a bumper year for Irish sport.

For many years Rob Heffernan had been the nearly man of athletics. On several occasions he had come close to greatness, including a fourth place finish at the London Olympics, but seemed poised to be another “what if” story. However, the athlete who famously relied on the charity of a Cork taxi driver to get home after returning from a tournament to find his pockets empty finally got the monkey off his back at the World Championships in August. In a time of 3:37:56, then the fastest of the year, Heffernan

secured the gold medal in the 50k walk, finishing over a minute ahead of second placed Mikhail Ryzhov. Despite Heffernan proving the individual’s ability to overcome, on the rugby pitch it proved to be an up and down for Irish players.

Before travelling Down Under few people believed that the British and Irish Lions had a realistic chance of pulling out a victory in their tour of Australia.

For Irish fans this pessimism only grew when, with the series tied at 1 win each, Warren Gatland dropped Irish star Brian O’Driscoll from the line-up.

However, these doubts were quickly erased when the Lions team, dominated by Welsh players, picked apart Australia with relative ease to secure a 41-16 victory, and with it the first Lions win in Australia in 24 years. However, whilst the Lions tasted victory, 2013 proved to be a monumental disappointment for the Irish rugby team.

A disappointing Six Nations Championship saw Ireland narrowly avoid the wooden spoon by virtue of point difference, having finished just above France, in fifth place. However, following a dominant 40-9 victory over Samoa in the first of the Autumn Internationals it appeared that Irish rugby was back on track. The good news didn’t last long however, as this resurgence proved to be brief, coming to a swift end seven days later when Australia picked apart Ireland, winning 32-15. As a result of that loss, many Irish fans expected a one-sided match when, on November 24 the All Blacks came to town. However, the famed haka failed to frighten the Irish players as they scored 19 unanswered points, before securing a half-time lead of 22-7. As they went in search of their first ever win over New Zealand, Ireland once again failed to effectively stamp out their opponent as a missed Irish penalty gave the All Blacks one final chance to steal the win. That one chance proved to be one too many as Ryan Crotty crossed in the corner, before Aaron Cruden sealed the Maori win with the

conversion. Instead of revelling in victory the Irish side was left to experience the bitter taste of defeat once again, whilst simultaneously proving that, as a country, once we put our minds to something there is nothing we can’t come agonisingly close to achieving. However, whilst the year will go down as another disappointment for Irish rugby, the appointment of Matrin O’Neill and Roy Keane ushered in a new era for Irish football.

After Giovanni Trapattoni left the Irish post by “mutual consent” Martin O’Neill emerged as the clear favourite for the job. However, with fans fed up of Trappatoni’s defensive style of play the FAI needed to prove its determination to rebranding the image of the Irish football team, and in doing so bring in a new more aggressive style of play. With aggression being a sought after attribute for O’Neill’s assistant only one name ever came up, and despite the lingering drama of Saipan, Roy Keane found himself back in the Irish fold. Whilst just how successful this partnership can be remains to be seen, especially in light of reports that Sunderland players celebrated when Keane was sacked as manager of the club, it appears that the over-reliance on the old guard will come to an end.

2013 has proven that sport, and in particular the adoration that comes with success is quite often fleeting. Whilst Heffernan, Shane O’Donnell and so many more established themselves as sporting icons, Armstrong, like many greats before him returned to the status of mere mortal. Whilst 2013 brought great joy following events such as the Lions victory and the Irish Women’s Rugby team securing their first ever Six Nations, it also brought great darkness with events such as the Oscar Pistorius/Reeve Steenkamp murder trial.

What 2014 will bring remains to be seen, but 2013 delivered highs, lows and drama perhaps more fitting of a soap opera that the world of sport.

Path towards glory laid before Fitzgibbon hurlers Stephen Barry | News Editor

Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Hurling League champions, UCC have been drawn alongside WIT, IT Carlow and St. Pat’s/Mater Dei for the group stages of their Fitzgibbon Cup defence. The Western Road hurlers are bidding for their third title in a row, a feat last achieved by the same side in 1998 when current manager Eddie Enright captained the team.

UCC will be expected to top that group and advance to face the second placed side in group D: NUIG, DCU or DIT. Qualifying in second would meant a tie with the winners of the ‘group of death’ involving UL, UCD and last year’s losing finalists, Mary I. The side have had excellent preparation throughout the winter months, producing

a four-point victory over Cork IT in December’s Hurling League final, and their preparations will continue in the coming weeks in the Waterford Crystal Cup. That pre-season Munster hurling tournament will see a repeat of last year’s Fitzgibbon final in the Mardyke on Sunday week. And should UCC overcome Mary I, a potential semifinal against All-Ireland champions, Clare, awaits.

Later in the year UCC will face Avondhu in the Cork County Championship for the third year in a row, with the sides having shared a win apiece in those contests.

Meanwhile the first year representatives will face UL, DCU or WIT in the quarter-finals

of the Freshers Division 1 Championship, depending on results in the preliminary rounds. That side is looking for their fifth title in a row, having won the past four under new Limerick manager Ger Cunningham.

However they failed to retain their League title after a last minute IT Carlow point saw the Leinster college prevail, 2-14 to 1-16.

2014 may also see repeated clashes between the footballers of UCC and CIT. Losing finalists to DIT last year, UCC face an away trip to Sigerson minnows Trinity

College before facing the winners of Cork IT and IT Carlow in the quarter-finals.

However the draw has been kind to the Leesiders with recent champions (DIT and DCU) and league champions and runnersup (UUJ and UCD respectively) on the other side of the draw.

Towards the end of term the Cork colleges are due to meet in the first round of the Cork County Championship, with the winners to face Muskerry and the losers eliminated.

The game offers a chance for UCC to avenge their previous year’s defeat to the Institute, as part of their bid to regain their 2011 title.

UCC’s Fresher footballers may also face Cork IT in the quarter-finals of the Freshers Championship, depending on the outcome of the Cork IT-DIT opener. A championship title would seal the double for UCC after capturing the league title for the fourth time; although notably the Tomás Ó Sé managed side which beat DCU by a goal featured no Kerry players.

The Sigerson and Fitzgibbon finals weekends will be held on consecutive weekends at the end of February in Queen’s home grounds in Belfast.

SPORT

16 UCC EXPRESS Tuesday January 07, 2013

FITZGIBBON’S PATH TO GLORY

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SEE PAGE 15

SMILING SUCCESS

L-R: Irish Senior international hockey player Miriam Crowley, Clare Fitzgerald, Irish Senior Champion in Shot Putt & Discus, Cork hurling star Conor Lehane and soccer player Josh OShea pictured at the UCC Sports Scholarships 2013/2014 (Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision).

Demons dominance too much for Dubs Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

C & S UCC Demons 89 – Templeogue 59 Seeking to continue their fine start to the season, the UCC Demons hosted Tempelogue at the Mardyke Arena. The game never lived up to the pre-match hype as the home side easily secured a 30 point win, with the match over as a contest long before the final buzzer.

Prior to the start of the match a controversial refereeing decision resulted in a torrent of criticism being levied towards the refereeing body. Within minutes of the opening throw-in it was announced that the appointed referee

UCC took control of the match from the start, with two long distance three-pointers by player/coach Colin O’Reilly knocking the wind out of the Dublin side’s sails.

With Tempelogue struggling to find their shooting form, the Demons stretched their lead to 12 points, at which point O’Reilly took himself out of the game, and stayed on the sidelines for the remainder. Despite O’Reilly’s status as one of, if not the best player in the Premier League, in his new role he has averaged just 15 minutes playing time per game this season. Whilst this strategy has worked well so far, game-rust may become a factor if UCC is forced to lean on O’Reilly for

Prior to the start of the match a controversial refereeing decision resulted in a torrent of criticism being levied towards the refereeing body could not fulfil his duties due to a groin strain.

Amazingly the refereeing body selected a replacement who had not officiated at this level in the last three years. Whilst the replacement preformed ably, questions must be asked as to why events like this are occurring at Irish basketball’s top level.

Despite having some great players on their squad, the fact that this is Templeogue’s first season in the Premier League was evident from the beginning as they struggled to match the fitness and the finesse of the Cork side.

longer spells later in the season.

Following O’Reilly’s substitution the Demons continued to dominate the match, as they maintained a 12 point advantage, leading 2614 by the end of the opening quarter.

UCC continued to control the match throughout the second quarter, where, led by the magnificent shooting of Ciaran O’Sullivan, the home side extended its lead to 17 points.

With a 48-31 lead at the start of the third quarter UCC continued to rotate players in and out at a startling rate. However, despite the

Inside today

Buckley’s penalty seals win for Academicals Page 14

changes it was Templeogue that struck first, as three unanswered scores by Luke Thompson closed the gap.

However, whilst O’Reilly’s tactic of minimising his own playing time has been questioned, his ability to make use of his entire bench once again shone through against the Dublin side, as evidence by the performance of Mark O’Leary. Previously the club had lost many young players due to an inability to give those outside the starting line-up ample playing time.

Having spent much of the season on the bench, O’Leary took full advantage of his opportunity, scoring the final basket of the third quarter, and securing a 14 point lead for UCC at the break.

Despite the one-sided nature of the final result, it could have been far worse for Templeogue as the Demons simply went through the motions late in the game. Whilst Templeogue tried to find a way back into the match the Dublin side was simply outclassed in all aspects of the game.

After the match captain Shane Coughlin heaped praise on his team-mates for their ability to dominate the match from start to finish.

He said “I think we were so dominant that it was hard for our supporters to get involved.”

Central to the one-sided nature of the match was the lack of top senior players in the Dublin side’s line-up, instead being heavily reliant on under-20 stars. Whilst Coughlan noted that Templeogue has the ability to be a top team “if they stay committed to the cause,” he added that being a top under-20 player does not give anyone “a divine right to make it in the Premier League.

With nine wins out of nine UCC has put itself in great position for a run at the title.

However, with games against UCD, DCU and UL to come over the next month the Demons will need to avoid becoming complacent with just two points separating them from second placed Killester.

C & S UCC Demons: S. Coughlan, C. Anon, K. Hosford, B. O’Neill, C. O’Sullivan, D. O’Sullivan, M. O’Leary, N. O’Reilly, L. Colbert, C. O’Reilly Templeogue: S. Carroll, L. Thompson, P. Taylor, S. James, S. Flood, D. Homan, B. Thiessen, S. Fagan, I. Gordon, T. Swiatowy.