Motley- Culture- March 2024

The Motley Crew The Motley Crew

Ronan Keohane | Editor-In-Chief

Ronan Keohane is a final year World Languages student and the 2023 Global Citizen Award recipient. He wants to promote this magazine as an inclusive space and a creative and intellectual outlet for students.

Kevin Quane | Web Editor

Kevin is a student of physics and as such serves as motleys resident computer person. As a skilled procrastinator, he has become an expert at doing anything but college work. Can regularly be found eating cheese.

Sarah O’ Mahony | Assistant Editor

Features and Opinions

Sarah O’Mahony is a final year English and Politics student. She is currently embracing her transformation into a Swiftie, much encouraged by her housemate.

Conor Hogan | Assistant Editor Current Affairs

Conor is a final year history student who has made a number of contributions to the Motley in previous years. He has an interest in art, reading and politics.

Ciara Browne | Assistant Editor

Creative Works

Ciara, a writer, poet, artist, and fashion enthusiast. Excited to contribute my skills as Motley’s Creative Work Editor, celebrating campus creativity in diverse forms

Sydney Marhefsky | Assistant Editor

Entertainment

Sydney is a final year Arts student studying English and Politics and the winner of the 2022/23 Department of English Undergraduate Awards (2nd Arts). As a horror enthusiast they spend their free time deliberately scaring themself.

Owen Mamo Cooney | Graphic Designer

Owen is a 2nd year Psychology and Computing student. He is passionate about UX design and hopes to work with Nintendo in the future. In his spare time you can find him playing cards or despairing over his python code that doesn’t work.

Jessica Anne Rose | Deputy Editor-In-Chief

Jessica Anne Rose, a final-year BA English student, received a SMEDIAS Award for Feature Writer of the Year in Arts and Culture. Her poetry is featured in various publications, and she enjoys living vicariously through Sims 4 while listening to musicals.

Shannon Cotter | Assistant Editor

Features and Opinions

Shannon is a 2nd year Finance student and has experience working with UCC 98.3FM. Loves watching movies, reading books and working in part-time jobs where she doesn’t actually do anything.

Mary O’ Keeffe | Assistant Editor

Current Affairs

Mary is a final year Politics and English student, previously published by the Organization for World Peace. She’s also the secretary of UCC Scribblesoc and loves all things art!

Ella Barron Carton| Assistant Editor

Creative Works

Ella, a creative writing graduate from the University of Galway, now studying Planning and Sustainable Development, is excited to collaborate with writers and explore diverse storytelling mediums this semester.

Tess O’ Regan | Assistant Editor

Entertainment

Tess is a final year student in Film and Screen Media, with a minor in English. Their writing has previously been published in the Motley and on the Dublin International Film Festival website. Don’t ask them about what their favourite books unless you want a lecture.

Ronan Keohane, Conor Hogan, Mary O Keeffe, Leo Troy, Jessica Anne Rose, Shannon Cotter, Andrew Mason, Lorraine Patricia Casey, Aran Mc Donagh, Ciara Browne, Ellen Ní Chonchúir, Evan Michael Daly, Darren James Keogh, Farahnaz Haidary

Editor’s Desk from the

Culture is one of the most complicated concepts to define properly, and its definition is still widely debated among scholars from a wide variety of disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and psychology. It is a concept that is very subjective and open to interpretation; it is abstract and deeply ingrained in the collective identity of different groups of people. Additionally, I believe that the popular notions of what it truly means to ‘be cultured’ or ‘be cultivated’ as a person are skewed and still substantially shaped by Eurocentrism despite our increasingly interculturally connected world. I have always felt that ideas surrounding what ‘high culture’ means and what categorises something as being ‘high’ or ‘low’ culture are rather myopic or parochial, especially given that we have yet to employ more intercultural and inclusive approaches to studying philosophy. I have always wondered: Does being well-versed in various philosophical or artistic products, with their foundations in Western frameworks (the majority of which are inextricably tied to limiting and eschatological worldviews), indeed qualify someone as a ‘cultured’ person?

Simultaneously, culture is a concept that is sometimes automatically or unconsciously linked to ‘otherness’ or ‘foreignness’ by many. This association may cause us to overlook the everyday culture that surrounds us in

our daily lives. This is something that I take issue with, being a passionate lover of Irish culture, language, music and artwork. This is especially troubling to me given that Ireland is a nation existing on the remnants of a vast and ancient cultural lineage, a culture which we barely salvaged from the tight and unforgiving grasp of British imperialism, the same imperialism responsible for the extinction of many worldviews, especially indigenous ones. This implicit association often causes people to overlook multiple cultural assumptions that we take for granted, which are embedded in the soft-power cultural exports (mainly media exports) of hegemonic nations, which we constantly internalise both consciously and unconsciously.

From a personal standpoint, culture has always been extremely perplexing to me. My multicultural background, my experience living or working in 4 different countries, and my university major, which is Asian studies and Asian language-focused, have all broadened my view of the world significantly. That being said, I always wonder to what extent my mind is limited by them. Given that our wonderful university has so many different people with so many backgrounds, I wanted to use this theme in order to allow for many perspectives to take a foothold in our magazine.

To be completely honest, this

magazine theme predominantly came to mind after I noticed the increase in public debate surrounding the issue of ‘cultural appropriation’ over the years. I was a little bit torn by it. While I certainly agree with many aspects of the argument, and I appreciate that people are becoming more sensitive to the legacy of colonialism and lasting inequalities, I have always wondered to what extent this feeds into an underlying idea that White American Culture should be and remain the ‘assumed’ culture. Widespread arguments often seem to imply, whether implicitly or explicitly, that only White American culture can be widely immersed and embraced by most people. At the same time, I often see that it is popularly believed that the USA or white people in the USA have ‘no culture’. However, I think that this reinforces a binary where White American Culture is the ‘norm’, while others are not and they are the ‘other’. I strongly reject this aspect, and I feel it inhibits genuine cultural exchange. I have always sensed that perhaps this implicitly and unintentionally feeds into an unequal power imbalance, the same power imbalance that many of us are still trying to address and combat adequately.

Random opinions and waffling aside, I would like to thank all contributors for their wonderful contributions! :)

A Perspective on Finnish Education, Equality, and

Wellbeing

Introduction:

Can you briefly introduce yourself, highlighting your background in education and any specific roles or experiences that relate to alternative approaches?

My name is Alma and I’m a final year World Languages student here at UCC. I was born and raised in Finland and went through my schooling in the Finnish education system until I moved here for college. My education followed the basic Finnish formula of 6 years of primary school starting at age 7, 3 years of what you could maybe call lower secondary school and 3 years of (voluntary) upper secondary school. The only difference to most students was that I studied mostly in Swedish for the first 9 years in a Swedish language immersion class, like a Gaelscoil but it was just one class per year and otherwise the school was Finnish speaking. We got the exact same education as other students, just through Swedish in most subjects. Swedish is also an official language in Finland, and everyone has to start studying it at the latest in 6th grade, so getting my education in Swedish gave me a head start in learning it a lot better than most Finns do. I did also take ethics instead of religion classes due to growing up nonreligious, which at the time wasn’t that popular, but is gaining traction within less religious families.

Finnish Educational System Overview: How would you describe the key principles of the Finnish educational system? In my opinion some of the key principles are equality, long-term success and student well-being. Education is free all the way through university, meaning that most people will have access to as much education as they want to undergo. Once you leave mandatory education, you will have to pay for materials and a student healthcare contribution for university, but there is no tuition on any level. Through mandatory education all materials and school lunches are provided for free in the hopes that no student is left behind due to a lack of resources. There are some, although not many, private schools in Finland, but they do not differ from public schools in any meaningful way, I did not even know for the longest time whether the schools I attended were public or private. Every school is mandated to have the same quality of teaching and resources, which is of course hard to maintain, but is something that the system tries to keep in place to make sure everyone gets the same quality of education. On top of that, I have never heard of a gender segregated school in Finland, and I don’t think any exist today. It was always the expectation and the norm for everyone to be in the same class, and it was strange to me coming to Ireland that so many people have studied in schools segregated by gender. I think especially for someone nonbinary like myself, a gender segregated school would have caused a lot of stress, and I’m glad we were all mixed together.

Where the other two in my opinion come in, is concentrating on the quality of learning instead of just the quantity. I was taught very early to not just memorise by heart and how to actually commit something to longterm memory. We also weren’t expected to learn large amounts of information super quickly, which made it easier to not overwhelm yourself with work. Of course there were still times when studying was hard and there was lots to remember, but as a principle it was more important to take the necessary time to learn things well instead of simply memorising them.

In your opinion, what makes the Finnish approach to education unique compared to other systems?

I don’t know if it’s quite as unique as it’s sometimes made out to be, I think there are a lot of similarities with some other countries, especially other Nordic ones. But what I think has made it successful is the focus on not overwhelming students with work and letting especially younger children have enough time to play and relax. In the first few grades I would rarely have more than three or four hours of classes in a day and the homework I was given never took much time. Obviously the amount of classes and work increased as I got older, but it never really felt like I was drowning in work other than during exams. I can’t remember a time I would’ve had more than maybe an hour’s worth of homework, for example, and even that would be rare. There was also a big emphasis on not just learning information by heart to regurgitate it in an exam, but to find ways to actually retain the information. There are no standardised tests until the last year of upper secondary school, so for the duration of mandatory education there are no nationwide exams that you would have to stress about. Teachers are also very respected in Finland and it’s pretty hard to become one, so the quality of teaching is usually fairly high. There is still a problem with low pay for many teachers, especially the ones teaching at lower levels, but because you

need a competitive master’s degree and specific teacher training to teach a subject in Finland, teachers are usually very knowledgeable and knowhow to teach effectively. Not always, of course, but I personally had way more good teachers than bad, at least.

Personal Experience in Finnish Education:

Can you share your personal experiences within the Finnish educational system? What level or type of education were you involved in? Like I mentioned before, I did 12 years of education in Finland. The first 6 years are called “low school” (alakoulu) in Finnish, and that’s obviously where the foundations for studying are built, during these years we have the same teacher for most subjects (excluding music, P.E., languages etc.) who usually stays with the class for the entire 6 years so it can become a very comfortable environment, depending on what kind of teacher you get of course. The next 3 years are, confusingly enough, called “high school” (yläkoulu) and that’s when each subjects gets its own teacher and you go more in depth with studying them. After these 3 years there are a few options on where to continue, but the most popular ones are upper secondary school (lukio, literally “a place where you read”) and vocational school (ammattikoulu, “career school”). I went to upper secondary school where we’re allowed to customise what we learn to a large extent, every subject has a specific amount of modules that we have to take, but on top of those you get to choose what to focus on. By the end we take matriculation exams to graduate, everyone has to take either Finnish or Swedish depending on their first language (or Finnish/Swedish as a second language if your native language is something else) and at least 3 additional subjects. That doesn’t seem like much, but each exam is 6 hours long (the native language one is split into two 6-hour exams) and tests you in different areas so you really have to know the subject inside out to get the best grades. I personally took 6 subjects, we’re allowed to split the exams into a maximum of 3 exam seasons (in September and March), so I did two of mine in the autumn of final year and the rest in the spring of final year.

How did the emphasis on student well-being and a more relaxed approach to learning impact your overall educational experience? I obviously don’t have anything to compare it to for the duration of mandatory education, but I do think it helped me in many ways. When I started primary school in Swedish, I did not actually know any Swedish yet and had to both learn a foreign language and make sure I understood the materials taught to us. My mother helped how she could, but her Swedish wasn’t the best, so a lot of it fell on me to just catch up on the language as quickly as I could. Because the learning environment especially for young children is so relaxed and focused on letting kids be kids, I was able to concentrate on learning the language without worrying I would be left behind. For me personally at least, a more relaxing environment also meant that learning the material was easier. I’m very prone to stress and it can really debilitate me, so if I grew up in a more demanding and stressful educational environment, I don’t think I would have been able to learn and grow as effectively as I could in Finland. I’ve always been a pretty quiet, introverted and even shy person, and it was much easier to get to know people and make friends in an environment that left plenty of time for breaks and organically getting to know others without having to be in a 100% study mode the entire time. In some ways it might have hindered how I cope with stress now that I’m in a more demanding environment at college because I never really had to learn how to balance a sometimes overwhelming amount of schoolwork, but I still think it overall had a much more positive than negative impact on me.

Reflection on Top Rankings: Finland is often ranked highly, or even 1st, in global education assessments. In your view, do these rankings accurately reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the Finnish educational system?

I’m no expert on education, but I do think it’s mostly deserved. In recent years the system has deteriorated somewhat most likely due to budget cuts to education, but during the time I was studying there I think it was a good assessment of the system. Some other countries that are ranked highly based on results might not take student well-being into account as much, which is why I think the Finnish system can be ranked fairly high even if the results aren’t quite the best. That added to how affordable (or completely free) education in Finland is, a high ranking is justifiable in my opinion. Is it the best education system in the world right now? Probably not but I’m still glad it’s the one I grew up in.

I definitely think the Finnish system is a little overhyped sometimes, even though I had a very positive experience and it’s mostly a very effective system, it has its weaknesses too. The focus on equality might leave some students either bored or struggling depending on their own strengths and weaknesses, because very little support is given to nurture students who are ahead in a subject, and on the other side getting support when you’re falling behind can be difficult as well, though that is usually more likely to be caused by lack of resources than willingness to help. I’m fairly sure class sizes have also grown in many schools in more populated areas, meaning that teachers have less time to focus on the needs of specific students, and might not be able to provide necessary support if someone is falling behind. Someone else might have more criticism to give, but in the end my experience was positive enough for it to be difficult to come up with any other issues than a few not great teachers and school lunches not always being the most appetising.

Likes and Dislikes:

What aspects of the Finnish educational system did you particularly appreciate or enjoy during your experience?

In upper secondary school I really enjoyed our freedom of choice on what subjects to focus on. I’ve never had much interest in any of the sciences or maths, and it was very freeing to get most of the mandatory classes on those done in my first year and then only do subjects I enjoyed a lot more. It made studying much more enjoyable and limited the amount of stress I was under, because I wasn’t forced to spend all my time trying to decipher chemical or mathematical formulas I had little interest in and that my brain had a hard time grasping. Instead, I could focus on languages and other subjects I had a genuine interest in, meaning that even when studying got stressful it was easier to overcome.

Choice in general is something I appreciated a lot studying in Finland. Upper secondary school is the obvious example of it, but there is a lot of choice even before. We’re allowed to choose an additional language (on top of English and Swedish) already during the first 6 years of primary school, and in the next 3 years the amount of choice only grows. In 8th grade we had an assortment of electives we could choose between, from languages to home economics and geography of specific areas not covered in regular classes. Most of the elective subjects (excluding languages other than Swedish and English) had some mandatory classes, and we could choose to take more of the ones we were particularly interested in. It made me feel a lot more involved in my own education and like what I enjoyed doing mattered, as well as indicating that different interests were all equally worthy.

Were there any aspects that you found challenging or that you believe could be improved?

This is not my own experience, but my brother has some learning disabilities and looking at how that was handled definitely left room for improvement. It never felt like he got adequate support, and part of that might have been the insistence on equality. In it-

self, equality in education is of course a good thing, but keeping my brother in the same classroom as everyone that had no problems with learning without giving him more than a couple hours of individual teaching made it unnecessarily difficult for him to keep up with the work he had. I personally never had any big problems with the system, everything worked very well for me, but watching my brother go through primary school with all these difficulties opened my eyes to the problems with disability supports. This can probably again be at least partly blamed on budget cuts, but it should in general be more of a talking point when discussing the education system. Another aspect that is not really related to my own experiences but what I think could and should be improved upon, is the somewhat unsuccessful integration of people from immigrant backgrounds into Finnish classrooms. People whose home language is something else than Finnish or Swedish do receive specific language education if needed, but from what I’ve understood they’re expected to be able to integrate into a normal classroom as quickly as possible, sometimes leaving them without adequate skills to keep up with work in a language they haven’t had time to become comfortable in. Schools with many students from these backgrounds can then experience a dip in results, lowering the reputation of the school and resulting in Finnish parents not wanting to send their children to the school. This can create a whole loop of racism and prejudice concerning specific schools, which could be prevented if the integration system worked better.

Exchange Program in Iceland: Can you share your experiences during your exchange program in Iceland? How did it compare to your experiences in the Finnish educational system?

I went to Iceland for a year in 2016/2017 as an exchange student and attended an Icelandic secondary school during that time. In many ways, the education system was very similar to the Finnish one with a fairly relaxed attitude to studying and making sure students also have time to relax. It did feel like they had more homework than we do in Finland, but as an exchange student my grades didn’t matter for my education in Finland, so I have to say I did not always pay perfect attention to what were supposed to do, especially with the language barrier in the beginning. What I did find interesting, though, was that Icelandic secondary school often felt a lot like the Finnish “lower secondary school”, or grades 7-9. Partly this was because the school I attended had everyone grouped into class groups that took the same classes instead of the free module choices we have at that level, but this is not the norm in Icelandic secondary schools. I think the biggest reason I felt like I had suddenly moved down a couple grades, was how we were taught. It’s a little hard to explain, but it felt like the teachers were teaching a younger age group than we were, and our independence wasn’t trusted as much as it is in Finland. It wasn’t a big issue and most of my teachers were great, but it was something I noticed very quickly. There was also no free school lunch, which is provided in Finland all the way through secondary school. It wasn’t a big deal, I could just take my own lunch with me or go to the cafeteria to buy food, but the year I spent without free lunches definitely made me appreciate them even more when I returned to Finland. I did love my time in Iceland in every way, though, and I had no major trouble settling into the education system as a Finnish person.

Broader Implications:

From your perspective, what lessons or aspects from the Finnish educational system could be applied to other educational systems globally? I feel like I’ve talked about this so much already, but just making the learning environment more relaxed is honestly what I think most countries should do. I’m only talking from personal experience and maybe a more rigorous system is what helps some people learn more effectively, but in my opinion making sure that the workload doesn’t overwhelm students is beneficial for both the mental health

of students and the effectiveness of learning. Free education is also essential to making sure every person has an opportunity to get the education they want and deserve, and knowing it’s possible always made me wonder why it’s not a more popular approach. Sure, we pay higher taxes than a lot of countries and free education is part of that, but taxes are also proportional to one’s income, meaning that someone earning a low wage pays little to almost no taxes and can still send their child to school without worrying about costs. I really do not see a reason why this would not work in other countries too. Having spent my year abroad in South Korea last year, I talked to some Korean friends about their education, and it all seemed so unnecessarily stressful. They would spend hours upon hours studying after the school day officially ended even as young children, and in the end I don’t think they were really learning that much more than I did in Finland, because a lot of it seemed to have been just remembering things by heart. Rich parents can also send their children to expensive private schools that have a higher standard of education and pay for private lessons on top of that, widening the gap between rich and poor students. University tuition is also fairly expensive, depending on the university and the degree. Observing these differences really confirmed to me my stance on education needing to be both free and as stress-free as possible.

Are there any challenges or limitations that the Finnish system faces that might not be immediately apparent in global rankings?

Something that comes to mind is the fact that even though a key principle of the education system is equality, that’s hard to achieve in a country as big and sparsely populated as Finland. Finland and Ireland have a very similar population (if you only consider the Republic), but Finland is almost five times Ireland’s size with most people living in the south close to the capital Helsinki. This leads to schools in the north and less populated areas in general having fewer students and less funding. I grew up in Helsinki, and in the more affluent west of it too, which meant that the schools I attended were better funded than many others, even though every school is meant to be equal. My “lower secondary school” had specific routes to study through Swedish like me and through Mandarin Chinese, as well as routes that focused specifically on art, music or P.E. On top of that we could choose languages to study from seven different options. This would not be possible in a rural school, where there might not even be enough students to separate all the age groups into their own classes, much less a possibility to offer all these different options. This of course creates inherent inequality in education in different areas, even if the quality of teaching is similar. Migration from rural areas to cities also means schools get shut down due to too few students, and the ones that remain in those areas have to spend a lot more time of their day getting to school farther away and back home again.

Student Perspective:

How do Finnish students generally respond to their education system? Is there a prevailing attitude or feedback you observed during your time there?

I would say most students have a pretty positive view on it. There are of course people who simply don’t like school, and as mentioned before there are definitely improvements to be made in regard to disability supports etc., but from my experience students are generally happy to go to school in Finland as opposed to somewhere else. We’re all aware of the reputation it has globally, and I think there is some pride in that. Someone who had a less pleasant experience than me would probably have a different perspective, but throughout my education I rarely came across anyone having a negative opinion on the system as a whole, just individual teachers or subjects. What many people really don’t like is mandatory Swedish, but I never really engaged in those conversations because for me Swedish was simply the language I was studying in so having to take it as a subject was never a problem for me.

Harmonizing Art, Activism, and cultural Identity

A Conversation with multidisciplinary artist amano

Q1: Thank you very much for joining us today, Amano! Could you introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background, particularly your artistic journey?

Sure thing! My name is Amano, I’m a multidisciplinary artist from Killarney in County Kerry, and I am half-Japanese and half-Irish. My artistic pursuits span songwriting, traditional sean-nós sing ing, and poetry. Recently, I have also started training in a Japanese dance style called Nihon Buyō. I find my musical inspiration in the realms of alternative folk and pop, and I write about things like culture, the land, and belonging. I returned to creative work after 8 years of working and studying in other fields. Beyond the arts, I am often engaged in community and social activism; I’m par ticularly passionate about minority rights, anti-racism, and Palestinian liberation. I got to develop skills in this area, when I was a student organiser at UCC. I work in English and Irish, and while I am not fluent in Irish, a bilingual approach expands my range of expression; certain themes also feel more natural to explore in Irish.

Q2: Can you share a bit about your journey and how you found your passion for both music and the Irish language?

Funnily enough, my journey into music and the Irish language began more or less simultaneously and hand-in-hand. I attended an all-Irish primary school that had a strong focus on music. Some of my earliest memories of friendship and learning are deeply intertwined with Irish and music. While I didn’t have Irish at home, my school involvement in playing music at church, playing the fiddle, singing, and musical theatre ignited my artistic path. I was also shaped by an open home filled with world music CDs and many memorable concert trips with my Mom.

In my teenage years, I experimented with becoming a folk/ pop singer songwriter and shared a lot of my work on YouTube. This interest in music became a semi-professional pursuit that lasted until I turned 20.Reflecting on that time, I realise I had a lot of life and learning ahead of me. While I had a natural stage presence and talent, my sense of self was not fully developed. The stage became a source of identity and validation for me, but I yearned for respect beyond being praised for some thing I was good at. In 2023, a gradual transformation occurred and the walls that had blocked me off from creativity for so many years started coming down. I rediscovered my passion for music, and found the courage to throw myself back into it. My new performance style combines poetry, sean-nós, and my original compositions. One of my proudest moments since coming back to the arts was having my first Irish language poem published by Channel Magazine last summer.

I believe that a cultural reawakening is occurring in Irish music, not necessarily a deliberate move ment but a natural evolution. Artists like Síomha, Clare Sands, and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin em body this renaissance, seamlessly incorporating the Irish language into their work. While pioneers like Liam Ó’Maonlaí and Rónán Ó’Snodaigh opened doors for musical experimentation in the Irish language, there is definitely a new wave rising in the Irish music scene. I’m not sure what the cat alyst was—possibly this reemergence is tied to changes in education or an increase in households fostering the Irish language.

Q3: What drew you to the world of music production and/or collaboration, and how has it evolved for you personally?

I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself as part of the music production scene, but I’ve done a sig nificant amount of collaborations, including my upcoming Irish language project ‘Thread’ with Cork-producer, Kalabanx. This experimental exploration combines hip-hop beats, electronic pro duction techniques, sean-nós, and pop. Collaboration has become a joyful aspect of my creative process, emphasizing music’s central role in the community.

At the heart of every community, music has always been a unifying force for humanity, resonat ing from the pulse of the first-ever drumbeat. Music is a distinct and highly important marker of culture and community. As we grow up, and especially as we become adults, we often lose our ca pacities to play. But the beauty of play is that it is a crucial part of being creative, taking innovative risks and just making things makes us humans first, and artists second. I believe that we should

place more importance on holding on to that spontaneous spirit throughout our lives.

Q4: With the widespread coverage of the genocide currently occurring in Gaza/Palestine, have you explored themes related to solidarity in your music and/or activism, and how have audiences generally responded?

My return to more public life and the world of public performance from a comparatively more private realm coincided with the most recent escalation of violence in Palestine. My friends, connections, and own interests in activism have led me to continually educate myself on the reality of Palestinian struggles, I believe that education and listening is the very first step in grounded activism and contributing to social change. I’ve been using whatever skills I have to contribute to awareness raising, fundraising and encouraging people to join in boycott movements.

Music and poetry connect us beyond language and ideology, sparking powerful moments of unity among creative individuals. I’ve been invited to contribute to several beautiful community concerts over the past few months and while I wish they didn’t have to happen there is so much strength and hope to be found in community at times like these. Protest songs are coming naturally to me these days, and I have drawn significant inspiration from artists like Sinéad O’Connor, who remained steadfast in her message despite all of the surrounding commercial pressures and the multiple disadvantages that she faced for standing up for things that were groundbreaking or controversial in her time.

Q5: How do you see the Irish language contributing to the preservation and expression of Irish identity in contemporary society?

The Irish language arts, especially sean-nós, offer a unique way to explore what a new Irish identity might look like. In sean-nós, there is a thriving competitive scene emanating from the Gaeltacht areas where singers play a vital role in preserving our cultural heritage. Unfortunately, the artform is not very open or accessible, and lacks any form of apprenticeship system for outsiders who may be interested. Learning sean-nós usually starts in childhood but of course this is not something that a lot of Irish people are exposed to at an early age.

When we talk about changing traditions, it can be daunting. People often wonder if traditions should stay frozen in history in the name of cultural preservation. The key is understanding that preservation and transformation can happen together, existing side by side in a delicate balance. Ireland’s postcolonial history instills a fear of loss in us, there is a fear that if we ‘let go’ of our traditions and allow them to transform, then they will be lost forever. This is an understandable perspective given that, as a nation, we have lost so much at the hands of imperialism. Change doesn’t have to mean loss, and we will be the generation to prove that. That being said, I often hear comments suggesting that Irish culture is being ‘diluted’ for immigrants and the mixing of cultures happening all around us. This appears to promote an underlying belief that Irish culture must be static, stagnant and ‘frozen in time’ to possess some type of ‘purity’ or ‘antiquity’. However, I believe that embracing different cultures contributes to a rich overall tapestry without ‘diluting’ Irish identity, so to speak. Culture allows us the potential to transform, while rooting us in the legacies of those who came before us.

Q6: What have been some of your biggest challenges in the creative process, and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge at the moment is honestly maintaining my confidence, especially when writing my own work. Returning to public performance after a prolonged hiatus has proven a tad frustrating, as some of my skills feel rusty. Navigating the process of recording my own demos, recounting my journey, and constantly having to justify my departure and return to music adds to the challenge of self-belief. Redefining myself is an ongoing process. More recently, however, I’ve come to realize that it’s not

solely about me; finding my place in a broader context allows me to let go of the doubts.

My creative ‘full circle’ has also been a journey of ancestral reconnection. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the women in my Japanese and Irish lineages, and I see a stark contrast between their realities and my own. Many of them faced limitations in expressing strong opinions or alternative beliefs, and their dreams and capacities for creative expression were hindered by social and familial norms. Fortunately, in my own lifetime I am gifted with abundant freedoms. I feel that if I don’t embrace those freedoms I’ll be doing a disservice to my ancestors. I believe that if you can orient yourself within a bigger picture, a broader ecology, and not become overly attached to yourself as one unit, you can start to let go of the biggest roadblock there is - your ego!

One thing I’ve noticed in returning to the arts, is that although the communities I work with are incredibly open, supportive and encouraging, I am often the only person of colour in Irish-language-speaking rooms. There is nothing I can really do about this and I have grown accustomed to ‘standing out’ throughout my life. I sometimes worry about opportunities in which I might play the role of a token, rather than as a valued artist. This hasn’t happened to me yet, but I have seen it happen in this industry. I have been blessed enough to grow into myself and recognise that I am ‘different’ in both of my cultures. Embracing the contradictions and curiosities within myself allows me to transcend feeling like a representative for just ‘one side’ or another. My experiences render my perspectives challenging for some people, but perhaps this is also an asset.

Q7: In what ways do you hope your work with GMC Beats contributes to the broader cultural landscape, especially in terms of Irish identity and language?

‘Thread’ is my latest project—a musical endeavour that I envision as something to get people moving with tracks that could find their place at festivals or in clubs. It’s refreshing to bring Irish language music into this scene, as there’s not much of it around. I see this project as a seed that other producers might find interesting to sample or draw inspiration from. We’ve even experimented with sampling a sean-nós song from another artist, blending traditional indigenous Irish sounds with electronic elements.

I aim to stir things up a bit, to push people’s boundaries and perhaps even cause controversy with this project. In the Irish music scene, there’s often a tendency to lean towards deep, romantic, or mythical themes. I want to challenge that norm by addressing lighter topics and other everyday themes more subtly relevant to people’s lives. While the art might take on a life of its own, and could potentially ‘flop’ my hope is that it sparks conversations and challenges perceptions. I want people to see that the Irish language can thrive in various genres and not be confined to traditional expectations.

Q8: What projects or initiatives are on the horizon for Amano that we should look forward to? Any upcoming EPs and projects?

In the immediate horizon, Kalabanx and I have exciting plans lined up. We’re releaseing ‘Southwind’, the first track from the ‘Thread’ EP on Seachtain na Gaeilge in March. As a solo artist, I’m also gearing up to the release of my second single, ‘Incend,’ which I hope to record and put out in late spring. I’ll be participating in the Cork World Book Festival in April, where I’ll be reading some of my written work with the multilingual spoken word collective REIC. My primary focus right now is securing funding, particularly through Arts Council grants and other sources. It’s a challenging process, but I’m optimistic that I’ll secure the practical support I need to continue my creative journey. Embarking on this new phase fills me with excitement, especially the prospect of performing in new venues and connecting with new audiences as well!

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM:

NAVIGATING JAPANESE STUDIES AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN, AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDRE LIM

Q: WHAT INITIALLY SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN JAPANESE STUDIES, AND HOW DID THIS INTEREST EVOLVE INTO A MAJOR FOR YOU?

I honestly was only mildly interested in Japan before entering university as I was only really a fan of Nintendo and One Piece (and Japanese food of course). However, after working part-time at a Japanese supermarket in Singapore, I started becoming more interested in what else Japan had to offer other than pop culture. When I entered university, I was initially a Geography major but had to take an Asian Studies class for my degree requirements. Seeing that the Japanese Studies introductory class was available for selection, I chose it given the increased interest obtained from my part-time job. Over the course of the class, I became fascinated with the way in which Japanese society functioned as a system and its peculiarities. As such, I became very interested in studying Japanese society and customs (It also helped that I got good grades in Japanese Studies classes). Coincidentally, Geography was not working out for me and so I decided to make the switch to become a Japanese Studies major. It was also around this time where I became determined to migrate to Japan in the future and so selecting Japanese studies would have been the most optimal choice to enable this plan. Ironically, it was only after I joined my Japanese dance club that I became more interested in Japanese pop culture; as a Japanese Studies major, I am primarily interested in Japanese anthropology and society.

Q: CAN YOU SHARE THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND YOUR DECISION TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN JAPAN? WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS BEFORE GOING?

I was looking at exchange as a means of determining whether or not I would be able to adapt to a life in Japan, specifically in terms of whether or not I would be able to live independently. Given that I wanted to migrate there in the future, the exchange would serve as a crucial beta test to determine the feasibility of that plan. Obviously, living in Japan as an exchange student is completely different from living there as a worker. However, just determining if the environment would be something I would enjoy and could adapt to easily was reason enough to make the decision to go as my entire plan hinged upon the Japanese environment being appealing enough to drag me away from my home country. Furthermore, networking in order to secure a potential job was also one of the goals I had set for my exchange, something which I did manage to do surprisingly enough. I had few expectations before going to Japan, including having to do a metric ton of paperwork and having my language skills put to the test. Strangely, the main expectation that was defied was my expectation of making more Japanese friends than foreign friends; I was somehow able to make a roughly equal number of both in my time there, which, retrospectively, was a good thing. That being said, I would presume to have less inaccurate expectations going in to this exchange than the average person due to having studied Japan for some time.

Q: IN WHAT WAYS DID YOUR TIME IN JAPAN PROVIDE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF JAPANESE CULTURE THAT GOES BEYOND WHAT YOU LEARNED IN A CLASSROOM SETTING?

Before elaborating on this question, I would first like to state that how much you get out of an exchange in Japan in terms of extracurricular experiences is highly dependent on your language skills; without a proficient level of Japanese

speaking ability, you will only ever interact with highly-westernised Japanese people on a frequent basis. This means that you will not be able to truly experience living as a part of Japanese society as the only Japanese people you can interact with tend reflect more non-Japanese tendencies; I have observed this in many of my own friend groups, wherein many foreign students had extremely poor Japanese. That being said, I had no such problem and so made a large number of Japanese friends who I communicated with in Japanese. I think that of my experiences, the ones that opened my eyes to the side of Japanese culture not taught in classrooms were those that had me interacting with my Japanese friends in a setting with relatively few foreigners. While I would at the end of the day still be a foreigner to them, the fact that I had decent Japanese proficiency made them more willing to interact with me normally without that distinction. And in these interactions, I had a window into the lifestyles of Japanese students and the ways in which they navigate society along with how it differed from my own culture. From constantly engaging in part-time jobs to skipping classes to go hang out with friends, this was a way of life that was diametrically opposite of the one I led and one which I heavily preferred. Being able to personally observe and even partake in that lifestyle (to an extent) as an exchange student gave me a perspective into Japanese way of life of university students that no classroom experience nor interaction with Japanese exchange students in my own university could ever provide.

Q: COULD YOU RECOUNT ONE OR TWO PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES DURING YOUR EXCHANGE PROGRAM THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOU?

As I treat my experiences with my Japanese friends differently from those with my foreign friends, I will list one experience for each to demonstrate how these two different types of relations have culminated in vastly different life-changing experiences. For my foreign friends, the most memorable experience I have had was going out to the club to celebrate my close friend’s birthday. While it may not sound like anything too interesting, it was a pivotal moment in the way I approach things now. That night, while somewhat drunk and having a lot of fun, the realisation hit many of us that we don’t have much time let in Japan (only about a month give or take) and so we began being more adventurous and doing stuff we normally wouldn’t like wandering Tokyo at night and just doing stuff without too much regard for the consequences (a “f**k it, we ball” mentality as I would come to call it). I would say that was the turning point for me in terms of doing things I wanted to do; I was always someone that would shy away from doing certain activities or pursuing certain goals if I felt that they were too

risky or would not be easy to execute. However, that one night changed all of that and from that point, I began to (rather recklessly I would say) pursue any goal I had desired to achieve with a new degree of adventurousness, free of the restraint I had previously imposed upon myself. This enabled me to really maximise the time I had left in Japan, enabling me to do things I would never have even dreamed of like just trekking 2+ kilometres in pitch darkness with a single flashlight to be shared amongst three people in the outskirts of Hakone just to find a convenience store or randomly making friends with Japanese people at an onsen. This really shaped who I am as a person now and that lack of restraint and fear has really allowed me to accomplish so much more than I could have hoped to achieve. For my Japanese friends, the most memorable experience happened the exact same day. I had only slept for two hours after taking the first train home following the night of clubbing and adventuring and then proceeded to holiday to Enoshima island with a group of Japanese students I had never met before as part of a buddy program. Despite being sleep-deprived and unfamiliar with these new people, I managed to bond with them by exclusively speaking Japanese over the course of the day. This was something that I would have not believed possible before that point considering how my Japanese language proficiency sharply drops as a I get physically exhausted. This singular outing was able to show just how far I had come in terms of my speaking ability and conversational stamina (in Japanese) since having come to Japan and finally allowed me to recognise just how much progress I had made and thus became my most cherished memory of my own usage and progress in mastering the Japanese language)

WERE THERE ASPECTS OF JAPANESE CULTURE THAT SURPRISED YOU OR PRESENTED A CONTRAST TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS, AND HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THESE DIFFERENCES?

I would say the biggest cultural phenomenon I experienced was the surprising lack of the embodiment of various stereotypes of Japanese culture in many young Japanese people. While many of these stereotypes are indeed embodied by older adults, the younger generation do not so as strictly. One example is the lack of usage of the concept of , or respect, in many of my friendships. While in the working world it is very common to have to utilise this concept, among most of my friendships, we dispensed with such formalities from the start rather than only doing so once a deeper level of friendship had been reached. I was from the start never addressed with the honorific san despite a) being significantly older than these friends and b) using it myself when addressing them when we conversed in (exclusively) Japanese, which was a pleasant surprise. I did note some of the older students getting offended by this lack of respect directed towards them by the younger students though. This made me realise that Japanese culture is always in a state of flux, as are other cultures, and stereotypes, while not entirely inaccurate, are gradually being rendered at least partially inaccurate. That is not to say that one can dispense with attempts to adhere to Japanese societal norms but rather that one may find that they are not as rigidly enforced as one may expect.

HOW DID BEING IN JAPAN ENHANCE YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE, AND DO YOU FEEL IT HAS INFLUENCED YOUR PROFICIENCY IN JAPANESE?

Ironically, due to the difficulty in transferring credits and my own desire to train my speaking and listening skills by conversing with native speakers, I did not enrol in any Japanese language classes. While I would not recommend this, I did actually manage to fulfil my objective as my ability to use Japanese to communicate with the Japanese students in my non-language-related classes enable me to pick up on speech patterns, new vocabulary and even slang extremely quickly and in large amounts. As such, Japanese people I met later on during the exchange tended to assume I was a grade or two above my actual grade based on my conversation and comprehension skills. Just being surrounded by Japanese speakers, having to listen to and speak the language every day really works wonders for one’s speech. When I got back home to Singapore, I found that most of my peers, while being academically stronger than me in the Japanese language, were extremely poor and speaking and listening to it. Amusingly, my Japanese got worse after not being in a Japanese-speaking environment for so long, a fact which was noted by my Japanese friends upon my return to Tokyo in December 2023. For those wishing to train your language skills, I would suggest focusing on training your speech as you can self-study Japanese at any time but rarely will you get the opportunity to train your speaking and listening skills in such a conducive environment.

HOW DID BEING IN JAPAN ENHANCE YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE, AND DO YOU FEEL IT HAS INFLUENCED YOUR PROFICIENCY IN JAPANESE?

Aside from the fact that I literally took a class called “Cultural Exchange”, I would say that the most common way in which I engaged in cultural exchange was by hanging out with my Japanese friends. Personally, as someone who studies the peculiarities and intricacies of Japanese culture, I cannot help but point out cultural differences between Japanese and Singaporean culture whenever I observe them, which usually sparks some sort of small conversation with my friends about said differences. Additionally, by hanging out with Japanese people, once even having dinner at my friend’s family’s house, the view you get into how they behave, how they live their daily lives, how they think etc. is just so much more than any kind of second-hand information. Obviously, this is contingent upon your Japanese language ability; if you cannot speak Japanese fluently, then you will only

ever make Japanese friends whose behaviours and lifestyles are much more westernised. This is not to discount them as sources of cultural exchange but they tend to deviate from how Japanese people typically behave and think and as such may not provide the degree of cultural exchange one might be hoping for. That being said, just taking the plunge and joining groups of Japanese friends rather than sticking to foreigner-exclusive cliques is really the best way to truly experience the culture in my opinion. As to how this contributed to my exchange experience, it mainly made the exchange a lot more interesting as these cultural exchanges enabled me to experience a greater diversity of things than if I were to have just stuck to talking to foreigners. Additionally, due to the fact that I study Japanese culture as part of my major means that these exchanges really allowed me to confirm or disprove the things that I had been taught in class, which was really interesting since it was the only instance of practical application of theory (or its failure to be applied) I would have in my entire university life.

LOOKING AHEAD, HOW DO YOU ENVISION INCORPORATING YOUR JAPANESE STUDIES AND EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES INTO YOUR FUTURE ACADEMIC OR CAREER PURSUITS?

Well, my plan is to migrate to Japan after I graduate, especially because my partner is Japanese and so my theoretical and practical knowledge concerning Japanese society and how to live there would be extremely helpful in service of this goal. Additionally, having networked both in Japan and Singapore through my major and exchange have

made it easier for someone like me to obtain employment. It also helps that I have, through this major and even more so my experience in Japan, obtained a respectable command of the Japanese language that has made it more easy to adapt to the Japanese environment and communicate with Japanese people.

LOOKING AHEAD, HOW DO YOU ENVISION INCORPORATING YOUR JAPANESE STUDIES AND EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES INTO YOUR FUTURE ACADEMIC OR CAREER PURSUITS?

For Japanese studies, the only two pieces of advice I have are as follows: Please don’t be like me and chose this major without prior Japanese language skill of at least N4 or you will suffer, especially in the classes that actually require high-level Japanese usage. Additionally, network as much as you can or be prepared to have a harder time finding employment after graduation. As for exchange, I have four pieces of advice: Firstly, either go with some prior language capability (ideally conversational level) of the native language of the country you intend to go on exchange or take classes there as it enables you to make more friends with the local students. Secondly, don’t just step but leap out of your comfort zone. Most classes on exchange will be pass/ fail for you so you really will be at your most free during exchange. Take this opportunity to do things you’ve never done or wouldn’t normally do (Within reason, please don’t commit any crimes) as you likely won’t get the chance again. I ran with this mindset in the second half of my exchange (and a bit in the first half) and that really made my exchange experience so much more enriching. Don’t refrain from doing things because you’re scared or lazy or can’t be bothered; you’ll miss out on a lot of great experiences if you keep rejecting offers to do things. Thirdly,

do not stick to just the other foreigners. It may be easier to only hang out with people you can communicate with but as I mentioned earlier, doing so just makes you a long-term tourist and inhibits your ability to experience the country to its fullest. Additionally, if you are learning the local language, making local friends helps you practice a lot. I know many might be shy and hesitant to do so, especially due to a language barrier but if you really don’t have the language ability, at least befriend local students who speak your language. This is the only way to truly experience the full scope of what your exchange destination has to offer in terms of culture. Finally, do prepare in advance with regards to administrative processes, especially in bureaucracy-heavy countries like Japan. Trust me, this saves you a lot of worry down the line, especially if said processes tend to be very complicated.

Armenian

Gothic

By Current Affairs Editor, Conor Hogan

Armenians continue to endure an ongoing saga of tragedy and indignity. The tragedy is in the lamentation of their ancestors, victims of the Ottoman caliphate’s state-sanctioned campaign of mass murder and liquidation of the Armenian people and their identity in the First World War. The indignity is of the narrative of Armenian victimhood which followed, into which the mass exodus of the Karabakh Armenian population from Turkic-Azerbaijan is likely to be woven.

Russian-brokered peace, compelling them to relinquish arms. In return, the Azeri president Ilham Alev extended Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians no offer beyond absorption into Azerbaijan. Undefined language rights were nominally retained, but any constitutional recognition of autonomy for the Armenian population was omitted. The days of the Republic of Artsakh are at an end, with them having concluded one of the last frozen conflicts left behind from the fall of the Soviet Union.

President Ilham Aliyev’s offers of reintegration grant little solace. The spectre of assimilation into a hostile regime – devoid of safeguards for group rights and notorious for habitual transgressions against individual human rights and fundamental freedoms – is hardly an attractive proposition. For Armenians, the fear genocide and ethnic cleansing is instinctual, and justifiably so.

Moreover, the animosity between Armenians and Azerbaijanis runs deep, a hatred rooted in the enduring wounds of the 1915 Armenian genocide. The unspeakable atrocity, while distinct from direct Azerbaijani relations, remains unrecognised by its perpetrators; Turkey, who have welcomed Azerbaijan’s seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh. While not comparable in violence nor in scale, the burning out of most of the enclave’s remaining Karabakh Armenians is likely to become enmeshed in the broader narrative of Armenian victimhood and dispossession. This is an old story. The wounds of the Armenian people have been reopened to bleed once again.

Situated within the internationally recognized borders of southwestern Azerbaijan yet predominantly inhabited and autonomously governed by ethnic Armenians, Artsakh, the breakaway state better known as Nagorno-Karabakh, earned a reputation as a longstanding epicentre of recurrent conflict, a legacy which predated the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The first war in the enclave began in the late 1980s, breaking out among the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh - who were supported by the Republic of Armenia - against the Republic of Azerbaijan, in which period both were still Soviet Republics. Most recently, on September 19th, 2023, Armenian hamlets found themselves besieged by Azerbaijani troops, when some 200 Karabakhi soldiers, along with civilians, found themselves imperilled. Pleas for succour from the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh government fell on deaf ears. Despite protests in Yerevan, Armenia refrained from intervention, while the presence of roughly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers - a relic of the tenuous 2020 ceasefire – likewise stood by. Just 24 hours later, by midday on September 20th, the war had swiftly ended. The prospect of total annihilation forced the enclave to capitulate to a

CULTURAL POLYGLOT: NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL ACADEMIA

Today we are interviewing Sarah O’Connor, a BA World Language student who won the Quercus entrance scholarship for scoring 625 leaving certificate points and has recently published a Spanish grammar book with UCC Library.

1) Can you tell us about yourself, your background, and what inspired your interest in studying BA World Languages?

tion for a possible career in the European Union. I was drawn to the BA World Languages because of the wide selection of languages available and the core modules focusing on language theory and linguistics.

2) Congratulations on scoring 625 leaving certificate points! What a fantastic accomplishment; what strategies do you attribute to your academic success / how do you maintain such high standards?

I’ve always been interested in languages, something I consciously realised when my primary school class learned a little bit of Irish Sign Language. Since then, I have dabbled in the basics of Norwegian, German and Ukrainian, as well as focusing on Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Galician in university. Recently, I have also been learning French as prepara -

Thank you! I think what worked for me was consistency; I started studying in the first week of every school year and tried to keep the study streak going throughout the year. Obviously, this wasn’t a perfect system, and I definitely had weeks where I did very little, but overall, doing a little bit every day helped me to retain the information gradually. However, everyone is different and learns in different ways, so it’s all about finding what helps you understand and study the material you’re learning.

3) Receiving an entrance scholarship and the Mary Ryan Language Scholarship is a significant achievement. How has this support impacted your university experience, and what advice do you have for incoming students who aspire to earn scholarships?

Receiving the Quercus Entrance Scholarship and the Mary Ryan Language Scholarship was a huge boost for my self-confidence (which wasn’t at its highest point starting my first year at UCC) and my bank account. If you’re looking at scholarships, don’t just look at those based on academic merit—there are so many more scholarships on offer

in UCC based on non-academic areas like music and sport. Play to your strengths when applying.

4) How do you manage to balance your studies in Mandarin, Spanish, and Galician? Any tips for language learners?

As every language learner knows, balancing more than one language in your head can be tricky! Luckily for me, my two main languages, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, essentially have nothing in common, so it is easier to separate them inside my mind. However, Galician and Spanish are both Romance languages, so I get quite a lot confused between them, especially if I’ve just gone from a Galician class straight into a Spanish one. I think that anyone looking to learn similar languages should try to achieve a decent level of proficiency in one before moving on to the next one; that might help to lessen the confusion.

5) Galician is a less commonly studied language. What drew you to this particular language, and how has learning Galician added a unique dimension to your linguistic journey?

I first had the opportunity to study Galician in a second-year introductory module, and I loved it so much that I decided to spend the second semester of my Erasmus year in the University of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. While there, I took several modules delivered in Galician and greatly improved my level of the language. Last semester, I took a more advanced Galician module in UCC and built on my knowledge again. Learning Galician and studying the history and culture of Galicia has opened my eyes to the reality of multiple cultures within one nation, which is the case in many countries all over the world. I also love having added another feather to my linguistic bow!

6) How have your studies in Man darin, Spanish, and Galician en riched your understanding of the respective cultures associated with these languages?

The BA World Languages doesn’t just offer language modules; we also get to do lots of culture and history modules about the countries where our chosen languages are spoken. Additionally, the year abroad in one (or two) coun tries allows you to experience the culture(s) you have been learning about in real life. Language and culture

are often intertwined, so learning about and spending time in your target culture helps with improving your target language.

7) With your diverse language skills and academic achievements, what are your future career aspirations? How do you envision utilising your language proficiency in your future endeavours?

In May and June this year, I’ll be completing an intensive CELTA course to train to be a teacher of English as a second language. In September, I’ll be starting the MA in Translation Studies in UCC with a focus on Spanish-English translation. After the master’s, I hope to gain experience as a junior translator in Ireland, and possibly work as an EU translator in Brussels in the future.

8) What advice do you have for your peers navigating the challenges of university life, language learning, and academic excellence?

In terms of university life, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Join clubs and societies that interest you, and if they don’t turn out to be your thing, don’t worry; try something else. With language learning, self-motivation and consistency are critical: you can’t learn a language by cramming the night before an exam. Expose yourself to as much content in your target language as you can, be it TV shows, movies, TikToks or books. Finally, in terms of academic work, strive to be the best you can be, but don’t put yourself under pressure to achieve unrealistic goals.

Journey Through Eire: A Canadian Student‘s learning experience of Literature, Music, and Identity in Ireland

with nico hussein

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to choose Ireland as your first international destination for exploration?

I’m a twenty-one-year-old student currently studying English at the University of British Columbia. I’ve practically lived in Vancouver all my life, and my family and I haven’t traveled very much. I have to admit that that’s sort of the basis for my reason to travel to Ireland. Beyond literature, history and culture, I simply wanted someplace different from where I had grown up my entire life. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though, as Ireland, both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, were highly fantastic and welcoming.

How did your engagement with Irish literature influence your decision to explore Ireland? Were there specific authors or works that played a significant role in shaping your expectations for the trip?

Obviously, as a literature major, I have a great fondness for Irish literature. You can’t discuss Irish literature without mentioning Joyce and I recall specific moments of walking the streets of Dublin recounting scenes happening in both Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist. I think there was one point when I was travelling between Belfast and Derry, and we stopped in this little idyllic town. I kept asking the local residents (jokingly) if they would sign my copy of Ulysses and beginning a conversation on everything Irish literature from there. A more particularly literary moment I experienced was atop the Fairhead Cliff and simply soaking in the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean, awe-inspiring. I most definitely intend to return to the cliffs at some point in my life. Anyway obviously there’s more to Irish Literature, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde are often forgotten for being Irish but both of their novels are among my favourites in regards to ‘classic’ status.

Ireland is renowned for its music. Did you immerse yourself in the local music scene during your travels? What were your first impressions like?

Do the Gallagher brothers count? I’m kidding, truthfully, I wasn’t as experienced on this topic compared to literature. I like the Cranberries, and with Shane MacGowan’s recent passing, I’ve dug more into the Pogues’ work but that’s about the extent on Irish music. I enjoyed the pub scene in Ireland though. I appreciated the traditional musicians

transposing popular music into celtic style. Moving on to your experience in Northern Ireland, can you describe how you approached learning about the historical and cultural nuances of the region?

Is it controversial to say that Belfast was probably one of the best parts of the entire trip? Learning more about the conflict in such an intimate way made my experience in Belfast superb. I first took a black cab tour through the city where the driver narrated the events in such a personal yet unbiased way. I was captivated to keep it brief; through the murals, monuments, memorials and museums I loved how the citizens of Belfast wore their history on their sleeves. They didn’t feel ashamed about it, and they loved talking about their history, on top of literature, music, and culture. I walked away from Belfast with a newfound respect and understanding for identity in Northern Ireland.

Not controversial at all! Belfast is an incredible city. Thank you for sharing :) Overall, how has your experience in Ireland influenced your perspective on the importance of diverse voices in learning about different cultures?

I think this trip as a whole certainly opened my eyes to travel, culture and education. I now see the importance of witnessing personal accounts from locals. Every person in them holds an account or interpretation that is equally important, even more so if it is about something they grew up in or around. In this case, Ireland. It is a doomed effort to learn about something, a place, event, culture or language if one doesn’t take other voices into account. In the future, this shall be applied to anywhere else I travel, whether it be Spain, France, Belgium, etc. The only way we learn is through other voices.

Thank you so much for sitting this interview with us! Before we conclude, is there any advice you would give to students considering educational travel as a means of broadening their horizons?

Given that my experience is so limited, I don’t think I would have much meaningful advice to give. I’m still taking advice from others as I’m pretty new to this whole travelling thing, but the one thing I will say and something I definitely know is that you should spend every waking minute trying to learn something while exploring new parts of the world. That’s what’s truly important, and I hope that helps!

FROM MILAN TO IRELAND: NAVIGATING THE LANDSCAPE OF CHINESE STUDIES AND CULTURE

IN AN ITALIAN AND IRISH EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

Can you start by introducing yourself and sharing your background and interests?

I am Anna Giulia, a final-year Erasmus student from Milan, Italy. My bachelor’s degree is in Language Mediation in English and Mandarin Chinese. I love what I study, and I am more than happy with my decision to take Chinese classes here at University College Cork.

What motivated you to choose Chinese studies as your major? Were there any specific experiences or events that influenced your decision?

Honestly, coming out of a classical studies high school, I did not know what to do. I had been studying Ancient Greek and Latin for five years and needed some fresh air, something different. I always loved learning new languages and I felt like I needed a challenging goal which could also easily give me exciting job opportunities. Chinese looked like a significant challenge. Before going to class for the first time, I had almost no clue what I had to expect. I had never been to China before, and it all looked very different and distant from what I had ever known. It was such a decisive moment for me, and I will be forever grateful to myself for having believed in this dream. Studying Chinese allowed me to grow exponentially and get to know the incredibly fascinating cultures and diverse people living in China.

As a Chinese studies student in Italy, how do you perceive the approach to Chinese studies here compared to what you’ve observed or in your experiences here in Ireland?

I think the general approach is systematically very different. In my home university in Italy, I would go to lectures and not be actually engaged in a conversation in Chinese because the lecturer usually simply just gives out notes and the students are

supposed to listen and write down all of the notes given. In Ireland, lectures are more engaging, the professor will often call on you to answer questions, and there is less distance between teachers and students on a formal level. Here, I have more opportunities to speak and receive feedback. Initiatives such as the Chinese Society are helpful for getting to know other Chinese studies students. Specifically regarding the Chinese language teaching method, I would say there are many more opportunities to delve into the topic and explore which side is the most interesting to you. For instance, my Chinese teacher often brings us specific cultural objects to show us, such as the setting for the tea ceremony, playing cards with radicals, postcards, pictures, songs, and even popular snacks. I find this method of teaching quite heartwarming and fun.

In what ways do you think Italy’s cultural context impacts the study of Chinese culture and language compared to Ireland? Do you believe that there is more of an emphasis on classical texts, for example?

I believe that Italy is more related to the classical mechanisms of civilisation because of its long

history. In the first two years of my bachelor’s in Milan, I had the possibility to study the cultural and historical background of Chinese studies, and it gave me a solid basis for further studies. Here in Ireland, the nucleus is mostly regarding contemporary China, and so far I have been loving it. Personally, I took Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China (CH3304) and really enjoyed the module and learnt quite a lot, I overall appreciated learning about the sheer diversity of China and the various intersectional challenges that different social groups face along with the factual analysis and the critical approach to various different sensitive topics. The lecturer was also very inspiring, and her passion for bringing these topics to our attention radiated.

Learning Mandarin Chinese can be challenging. What difficulties have you encountered in language acquisition, and how have you overcome them?

The most difficult part for me is learning to pronounce words correctly and understanding fast-paced speeches. As I did not have a strong student

community in Milan to join, I found myself struggling with the oral part most of the time. This is a very common problem for foreign language students, and I am confident I will overcome it in the future thanks to the work I am currently doing.

What are your career aspirations, and how do you envision applying your Chinese studies major in your future endeavours?

I would love to work with Chinese every day in the future, and my goal is to apply my studies to a more artistic perspective, working in modern and contemporary art galleries or in auctions in order to deal with European and Chinese relationships. I plan to study contemporary art and its effects on our society and economy. I would say that art management or art markets are my best options. Art does not need words, but I am sure that being able to speak Chinese is a big advantage in this regard, as in many other sectors.

By Conor Hogan

RECLAIMING JEWISHNES JONATHAN GLAZER’S OSCARS SPEECH, THE JEWISH LEFT, AND

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISSENT.

Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization,

Such were the words of Jonathan Glazer on the stage of the 2024 Oscars ceremony. Instead of reckoning with what the director had to say in his speech - that his religion was being used to justify slaughter and barbary in Gaza, that the phrase “never again” is not only a Jewish aphorism, but rather one that must be voiced every time a people are subject to genocide - Zionists distorted his words, as they have distorted the truth, to

Glazer is the director of the Academy Award-winning Holocaust film, The Zone of Interest, a chilling and prescient consideration of the idyllic residence, beside the Auschwitz death camp, of Nazi commandant Rudilph Hess and his wife, based on the Martin Amis novel of the same name. He has made it clear that it is not a film only concerned with remembrance of the Holocaust, but with confrontation of the present. Its purpose is “not to say, ‘Look what they did then,’ rather ‘Look what we do now.’… Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.” Glazer’s ancestry, notably, is Jewish, having fled antisemitism in the early 20th century. With the delivery of his speech Glazer has defied the tightening culture of silence and fear of debate on the issue of the Israeli occupation which has strangled discourse not only in American media, but among the Jewish community. Any opposition is met with a vicious and perverse campaign, from apologists of the evisceration of the culture and people of Gaza, to smear the Jewish left as ‘auto-antisemites’ for objecting to an Israeli state which claims to conduct one of the great crimes of our age in their name. The mention of not only the victims of Israel’s mass slaughter but also those of the October 7th attack did not preclude Glazer from the ritual denigration and indignity which follows such a dissent.

The reactionary right has not met Glazer’s criticisms with discourse, but with vulgarity, and malicious obfuscation of his statement. The editor of the right-wing magazine Commentary, John Podhoretz, tweeted, “By

saying he refutes his Jewishness on the biggest stage in the world five months after the attack on Israel, Jonathan Glazer has instantly made himself into one of Judaism’s historical villains.” This sentiment, on which the emphasis is deliberately misplaced upon the ‘refutation of his Jewishness’ without engaging with its full sentiment, has been unabashedly and flagrantly parroted by various right-wing media. Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor of Newsweek, the hard-right rag which has ceded any claim it may have had as a credible news outlet, tweeted “I simply cannot fathom the moral rot in someone’s soul that leads them to win an award for a movie about the Holocaust and with the platform given to them, to accept that award by saying, ‘We stand here as men who refute their Jewishness…’” The shameless lying by omission is of course apparent. This was the obfuscation.

The vulgarity came from Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs Amichai Chikli, who described Glazer as the “next useful idiot who stuck a knife in the back of his people and in the backs of women who were raped and then shot in the head afterward, in children who were slaughtered in their beds, in entire families who were burned alive. There is no forgiving such vile types’, according to Chikli, ‘auto-antisemitic Jews, from Judith Butler until last night’s idiot, but there is no reason to get excited over the phenomenon, it has accompanied us for generations.’ The common thread is a refusal to engage with Glazer’s argument directly and instead constructing a straw man to lambast in its place. The violent and harrowing imagery so venomously weaponised by Chikli are precisely what Glazer opposed, regardless of whether they are commited on Palestinian, Israeli or indeed any other ethnicity or nationality; that moral consistency and universal humanism still apply to those of the Jewish faith, regardless of the conduct of the Israeli state. Far from refuting his culture, Glazer is in fact reclaiming his Jewishness from those who enforce the orthodoxy that Zionism and Judaism are one in the same, and that to call one into question is to renounce the other.

Glazer stands in the lineage of vibrant debate and diversity of thought within the Jewish left, a tradition now eclipsed by Zionist orthodoxy. Over 450 Jewish professionals in Hollywood, a nominally liberal industry, have since denounced Glazer’s speech. In an era burdened with an Americentric left wing far too often intellectually dishonest and selective in their moral indignation, it is with progressive Jewish thinkers and activists one must seek the authentic pulse of Jewish discourse. Simmone Zimmerman, the Israeli journalist and founder of IfNotNowOrg, an organisation of American Jews advocating an end to US support of Israel’s apartheid system, tweeted, ‘Contrary to the lies & smears of Israel’s propagandists, Glazer is part of a significant, growing Jewish voice across the world that opposes the abuse of Jewish history to justify Israel’s campaign of dehumanization and genocide against the Palestinian people. We are not fringe’. The new wave of a more vocal Jewish left which has emerged since the outset of the war has been heartening, and serves as a reminder of the historical contribution of Jewish radicals to the left, which cannot be underestimated. Without the Jewish leadership of leftist movements in the 19th and 20th century, there wouldn’t be a modern left as we understand it. This is a historical and political fact which has evidently not been lost on those who have sought to supress left wing Jewish rhetoric. An article by the former editor of the Jerusalem Post published last November suggested the total exclusion of anti-war Jewish voices from the very concept of Jewishness. David Zirin, in his Nation article, evokes this tradition of debate, invoking the old adage of “two Jews, three opinions,” which might now be rendered “a million Jews, no opinions,” the consequence of Zionist repression of dissent among the Jewish community.

The manipulation of Glazer’s speech on universal humanism by those who advocate for an Israeli policy of mass slaughter in the tens of thousands is a flagrant display of their ritual perversion of fact as justification for their own moral bankruptcy. Glazer, flanked by his producers, stood on the Oscars stage and embraced the responsibility incumbent on Jewish leftists and moderates to defy the conflation of Judaism with Zionism – a fallacy propagated by those who seek to enforce the acceptance of two conflicting beliefs as truth; that war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.

Populist Plastic PaddiesThe Far Right’s Corruption of Irish Society

by Mary O’ Keeffe

On November 23rd, 2023, the Dublin Riots confirmed what many had long suspected- Ireland has a far-right problem. Just like a group of unemployed racists standing outside a hotel, their hateful attitude has persisted.The Irish Far-Right are no laughing matter, but they are, objectively, pathetic,and deserve to be laughed at. They have earned our derision, and they deserve our disgust.They’re populist plastic paddies, touting the tricolour and tying themselves in Celtic knots in an effort to give some semblance of history to their newly minted ideology.

Ireland has always been unique for our distinct lack of a notable far-right presence in the Dáil. However, as Elections loom, we’ve seen a cambrian explosion of far-right parties. The oldest, the National Party, best known for the high-profile theft of their gold. In 2023, they made headlines when €400,000 worth of gold was removed from their party’s safe, and later recovered by Gardaí. Although later recovered, the party soon fell to infighting, and their then-president was promptly removed from his position of leadership. Like others of their ilk, the National Party is in love with an absurdly cherry picked version of Old Ireland. Their website offers commemorative booklets of their Ard Fheis that are adorned with Celtic and Irish imagery reminiscent of old War of Independence Propaganda photos. One booklet prominently features a 1916 rebel alongside their name, as if the National Party was instrumental in the storming of the GPO. Their obsession with all things ‘Old-Ireland’ can also be seen in Dublin West candidate’s calls for the establishment of a ‘warrior class’. This elite martial arts force would be modelled off of the mythic Fianna, and would presumably defend Ireland from NGOs and gay people (the biggest issues our nation currently faces, apparently).

Despite their tenuous claims to 1916 rebels and Civil War leaders, Ireland has never had a historic far-right presence. World War II saw the rise and fall of Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, a fascist militant group that, amongst other policy aims, wanted to mount an armed invasion of the North and electrify the canals. They made minor gains in local government, but soon fell to infighting. Funnily enough, you don’t see the far-right lay claim to these failed fascists as often as you see them

venerate Pádraig Pearse or Dan Breen as their ideological forefathers. Perhaps the most cringeworthy example of this is Síol na hÉireann, a self-described Irish catholic nationalist group. It advertises Michael Collins hoodies and paraphernalia on its website, although it’s currently only selling two things- its self-produced newspaper and stickers that say “Ireland is full ‘’.

Síol na hÉireann is also notable for its campaign posters, which feature their Ceannaire with his sheepdog. Many are emblazoned with the slogan “Drain the Bog”, a clear reference to the MAGA phrase “Drain the Swamp”. Their canvassing material prominently features the speculative dis-infographic of the “New Plantation”. This blatantly racist and anti-semitic conspiracy theory has its roots in the “Great Replacement” theory, in which majority-white countries are replaced by a non-white “other” in a mass plot engineered by progressive institutions. This line of thought is common in many far-right spaces in Ireland.

By associating this conspiracy with “Plantations”, Ireland’s moral and legal obligations to welcome those fleeing war and persecution are directly equated with the brutal colonisation that millions suffered under for hundreds of years. This is an almost unimaginably nefarious twisting of our history. It conveys a gross misunderstanding of colonialism, and deliberately ignores the one million Irish people that emigrated during the Famine alone. Their status as immigrants resulted in discrimination. According to the US Library of Congress, anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic attitudes in the 1840s resulted in the formation of the nativist “American Party”, who fought “foreign influences” and promoted “traditional American ideals.” Sound familiar?

The Irish Far Right are a stain on our politics, our society and our culture. They butcher our native tongue, and twist our beloved language into something ugly and crude. They distort our history and rewrite it to their liking. They fly the tricolour- a symbol of peace between warring peoples and a rejection of sectarianism- as an indicator of their blatant bigotry. They ignore our decadeslong struggle to escape from oppressive conservatism, and instead do their best to drag us back into the dark ages of censorship and state catholicism. We cannot allow our national symbols, our culture and our history to be corrupted in this way.

Fly the tricolor as a symbol of an Ireland to be proud of- of the republic that fought imperialism and won, the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote and a people who stand with Palestine on the world stage. Strive to fulfil the version of Ireland that the Far Right fear- a country that celebrates strength in diversity, and embraces all citizens equally. Ireland’s transformation from a small island colony to a cultural and political powerhouse is the result of hundreds of years of hard work. We must work even harder to ensure our hard-won progress survives this blight of far-right rhetoric.

Embracing Diverse Roots: A Journey of Identity and Adaptability

An interview with Orkia Abessine

Can you share a bit about your cultural background and the different ethnic or racial identities that make up your heritage?

I come from Sète, France, a place where my family has deep roots. My mother, brother, and sister, like me, were born and raised there. However, my father was born in Oran, Algeria, but he moved to France after a few years. All four of my grandparents were born in North Africa—my maternal grandparents in Morocco and my paternal grandparents in Algeria. So, for me, North Africa is where my ancestors come from. Growing up, I experienced life in a mixed-race Muslim family in the South of France, where both Algeria and Morocco feel equally familiar and significant to me.

In what ways has navigating multiple cultural influences contributed to your personal growth and adaptability?

It became apparent to me that people are more than just their origins. As a child, I struggled to accept my ethnicity and the people from my homeland. But as I grew older, I felt a void within me, a sense of incompleteness that drove me to explore my own culture and my grandparents’ background. Building friendships with those who shared my cultural heritage brought a sense of belonging and relief. However, despite this, I still feel somewhat adrift, caught between worlds, sensing that my journey to self-discovery has only just begun.

At the same time, I’ve come to understand that regardless of where we come from or where we go, our essence remains unchanged. While our cultural backgrounds add layers of richness and complexity to our identities, they do not alter our fundamental selves. Our behaviors, beliefs, and lifestyles may be influenced by our upbringing, but our inner core remains constant across geographical boundaries. In my opinion, individuals with mixed-race heritage possess a unique adaptability that enables us to navigate through various environments with ease. This adaptability, cultivated from a young age, allows us to embrace new countries, cultures, and languages effortlessly.

How do you perceive the attitudes of French society towards individuals who are of mixed-race heritage?

While I have been fortunate enough not to encounter racism or discrimination firsthand, I am acutely

aware of its pervasive presence, as many within my circle have unfortunately experienced it. Despite our French upbringing, we are continually reminded of our origins and made to feel that we do not truly belong. I recently saw a video of a French-Algerian girl saying during a conversation with her boyfriend she said “ I love French cheese, I love my country’s cheese”, to which her boyfriend replied, “ but you’re not French”. This general sentiment is often directed towards individuals of Middle Eastern North African (MENA) descent, like myself.

Arabs, in particular, have historically faced discrimination in France, evident in the socioeconomic disparities and segregation seen in cities like Montpellier, where I currently study. The northern districts are predominantly inhabited by North African communities, often residing in council flats under challenging conditions. Moreover, North African women, especially those who were unable to pursue formal education upon arriving in France, find themselves relegated to menial jobs like housekeeping or cleaning due to the lack of recognition for their qualifications by the state. This systemic bias underscores the perception of our inferiority and the notion that success demands unwavering dedication and effort.

How do you feel about the representation of mixed-race individuals in the media in France? Do you think there is adequate representation?

No, I don’t think so. The representation we see often relies on stereotypes. For instance, in many TV shows, there’s this recurring theme where a white character comes to the rescue of a Muslim woman from her supposedly oppressive family, leading to her symbolic removal of the hijab (looking at you, Elite). And then there’s the portrayal of North African boys as troubled individuals who struggle academically, turn to drugs, and end up in trouble with the law.

But the truth is different. My brother works as an accountant, my mother helps students with disabilities, and I plan to pursue a master’s degree. We’re just regular people. However, if all people see are these stereotypical representations on French TV, they won’t ever see successful North Africans on screen unless we’re causing chaos.

Thank you for sharing! Can you share your experiences within the educational system in France as someone of mixed-race heritage?

I’ve been fortunate not to face discrimination at school, and for that, I’m grateful. However, during history classes, especially when the teacher discussed French colonisation in Algeria, I couldn’t remain indifferent. It stirred up a sense of anger within me because I wanted to emphasise that the Algerian War of Independence isn’t just a distant chapter in history but something that still resonates today. I felt frustrated that the French educational system seemed to avoid taking responsibility for the atrocities committed during colonisation. What about the experiences of my father and grandfather, who still carry the pain of their homeland’s past?

As someone of mixed-race heritage, I haven’t personally encountered bullying or discrimination based on my ethnicity. However, I’ve observed how the French educational system tends to downplay its colonial history and the ongoing impact it has on generations like mine.

Fellas, is it Gay to Have Birthdays?

By Jessican Anne Rose

It’s the day before my Dad’s birthday and between the jigs and the reels I haven’t had the mental energy to venture into town and deal with its shops’ fluorescent ceiling lights and lack of personal space. I take the birthdays of my loved ones very seriously. I want the person I’m buying for to feel like I’ve listened to them, that I’ve thought long and hard about what I’ve bought for them, I want them to feel loved. The ‘Jessica Special’ is usually buying a lot of bits and bobs that the person will appreciate individually and popping it all into one personalised box. This doesn’t really work for the men in my life, however. I thought it might be because what my brother and my Dad are interested in are very niche, but my interests and the interests of my female friends are just as niche and it’s far easier to buy for them. I ask my Grandad for a man’s opinion. He says;

“Does he like golf?”

“No, not really.”

Grandad doesn’t really have any other answers for me and either forgets to give another answer to the question or decides my quest is fairly pointless if Dad doesn’t really like golf. It’s the same at Christmas time, all of the stocking fillers for men are things like penknives, bottle openers, ugly socks, drinking games, unbranded cheap aftershaves with video game characters on them. There’s a lack of personalisation around men’s gifts. I Google men’s birthday present ideas. I am immediately reminded by the search results to specify that it is a birthday present idea from a daughter I am looking for, because I am presented with blow up dolls, shot glasses and suggestive t-shirts. The daughter searches are also fruitless; I am not a young child who can give him a wooden ‘World’s Best Daddy’ plaque, he doesn’t want a cushion that says ‘Dad’s Chair’ and he most certainly doesn’t want one of those mini golf sets you can play

whilst on the toilet. Maybe it’s my general uncomprehending of the male species that makes buying for them so hard, or maybe it’s another cultural masculinity thing that men aren’t allowed to have thoughtful birthday presents.

Being a woman I am too acutely aware of all of the hidden rules and regulations I should be following to be a woman in the ‘correct’ way. It’s ironic how most of these rules have been enforced on us by a patriarchy, yet this same patriarchy now enforces more and more rules upon themselves. It always comes back to the fear of being perceived as feminine, so much so that what being typically feminine is has been completely warped by masculine ideals. Talking about your feelings, not wanting to drink, disliking offensive jokes, wearing a particular fit of jeans, wearing a coat when it’s raining, using a straw: are all things I have heard that make you less of a man. They make you feminine. They make you the worst thing of all, gay.

The whole fear of being perceived as gay thing and that being the worst thing a man can be is baffling to me. As a woman, I have chosen to ignore certain ‘rules’ that I should follow in order to exist ‘correctly’ as a woman, and so do my friends. It hasn’t made any of us social pariahs, and none of us judge each other for it. If women can come to the mutual understanding that certain gender or cultural rules enforced on us are quite frankly, stupid, why can’t men? Men make the rules. Why do they make rules that even make them miserable? Why do I have to log onto Twitter to find that it’s ‘gay’ to carry around a reusable water bottle as a man? Can we all just take a moment to think about something we’ve been told that makes a man ‘lesser’ and refute it? A man is a human, with emotions, thoughts, interests, and preferences. Why are only certain emotions such as anger allowed to be shown in public, deep thoughts kept to themselves, only ‘acceptable’ interests engaged in, the concept of having a preference for anything destroyed because you have to like the same thing?

I’ve bought my Dad his birthday present so I go to pick out a card for him, hoping for a funny one because I know he gets a great kick out of joke cards. The cards listed for ‘men’ have watercolour paintings of boots and cars on them with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ and nothing else. Or there’s a card with a monkey on it with a lewd joke. I pick a card with a giraffe wearing sunglasses on it because it makes me despair at the state of mankind the least. I leave quickly in time to vote in the referenda because it’s International Women’s Day and while I can’t begin to tackle societal expectations for men, I can most certainly continue to tear apart the ones for women. I hope men realise the fire is coming from inside the house someday and only they can put it out.

Lby Leo Troy

In 2020, Playboi Carti released Whole Lotta Red, a seminal album that would shape what rap would sound like for the following years. Carti completely changed his persona, and instead of the laid-back “baby voice” Carti people were familiar with, he exhibited his new sound: screams, shrieks and heavily overblown bass. The album cover was a direct reference to Slash, a zine covering the LA punk scene in the late 70s. Carti raps “I’m a rockstar, I could have joined Slayer” on the aptly titled Slay3r. We can see punk culture’s fingerprints all over this album and through the lens of punk Carti is able to experiment and push boundaries further than it would be possible on a standard trap album. And yet, one can’t help but wonder if this is a blatant appropriation of punk culture. Over the last few years, hip-hop has dominated the charts, completely contrasting the counter-cultural nature of punk. It begs the question- can something be counter-culture if it is the culture?

There is no doubt that rap is political and traditionally left leaning, but that image of rap has somewhat waned in recent years. Hip-hop has left the underground and has instead been swallowed up by the music industry, ready to use its capitalistic skills to squeeze money out of it. Nowadays, you can see Jay-Z’s

A O Is Rap’s Love Affair with Punk Justified???

RocNation managing the Super Bowl halftime show, mere years after he criticised the league for its treatment of Colin Kapaernick for kneeling during the anthem. KRS-One, the rapper behind “Sound Of Da Police”, performed a boot-licking freestyle for Eric Adams, mayor of New York and ex-cop, for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop last year. Drake has an endorsement deal valued at $100 million for Stake, a cryptocurrency gambling site. The DIY aesthetic of early hip-hop has all but vanished and instead the allure of corporate America has gobbled it whole.

APunk is seen in many facets of today’s rap as a way to create an edgier image. Travis Scott is a serial offender in this regard, as he hides his crowd-pleasing, stadiumready music behind the facade of punk. If you know anything about Travis Scott, you know about his legions of fans known as “ragers”. It isn’t uncommon nowadays to see a moshpit at a rap concert, something that would’ve been unheard of less than 20 years ago, and as such these young fans have a much looser concept of what a moshpit really is. Moshpits themselves are nothing to be looked down on. They are a great way to release energy in a new wave of harder hitting rap and are an essential communal experience that should never be taken away from fans. Travis Scott is by no means the first or only rapper to mosh at his shows, but his adoption of a rockstar, devil-may-care persona only intensifies the dangers of the “raging” he encourages. And it’s just that: a persona; attempting to show his edgier side while he secures another brand deal from Nike, McDonalds or even Fortnite.

that would be followed for years to come. The difference between Odd Future and the likes of Travis Scott is that Odd Future fully embraced and had a deep understanding of punk culture. Punk was used as a form of expression, in their lyrics, their shows, their clothes and beyond. Meanwhile, larger artists use these punk aesthetics as branding to tell us that they’re cool too, guys!

OHowever, a cynical overview of punk’s influence on rap doesn’t show the full picture. Rap has completely diversified its image over the last few years and, just like punk in the 70s, new artists have found a niche in rejecting the mainstream music of the Drakes and the Travis Scotts. One of the first groups of the modern era to incorporate punk influences into their act was Odd Future. They created a new cultural phenomenon that incorporated skater-punk rowdiness not seen in rap at the time. Tyler, the Creator referred to Odd Future as a “punk band” and moshpits were an integral part of their shows. Odd Future ushered in a heavier, more intense sound

Rap still has the ability to provoke and go against the culture. It wasn’t long ago that Young Thug posed in a dress for his album JEFFERY (“I feel like there’s no such thing as gender” he said in a Calvin Klein campaign). Gender and sexuality are perhaps one of the last issues that plague hip-hop, so to confront it in such a strong manner was nothing short of revolutionary. Deeper underground, we have artists creating impactful music far removed from the music of the mainstream and more in tune with punk and the original values of hip-hop. For example, Backxwash makes noisy, apocalyptic rap discussing her experience as a trans, black artist that embraces the spirit of punk. To say rap is not punk dismisses a whole subsection of a vibrant scene.

Rap nowadays is split completely in two; between the stagnant, bland sound of the mainstream and the most diverse and boundary-pushing underground that rap has ever seen, and only one of these sides deserve to adopt the punk aesthetic.

berlinale24 A STAR-

STUDDED EVENT WITH IRISH GREETINGS AND CONTROVERSIES AWRY

Out of the Big Three, Berlinale was my last festival to attend. After having an excellent experience with Cannes and Venice the year previous, I was delighted to complete the trifecta and view Berlin’s eclectic group of films that served as this year’s programme.

Contrary to what people may think, press work for festivals tends to start properly the day beforehand. This means following maps, picking up my accreditation badge, scouring the nearby area for food and potential tourist destinations between screenings. Germans, known for their punctuality, embodied this stereotype down to the core with every query sorted in ten minutes or less.

Compared to it’s counterparts, the atmosphere of Berlinale is more relaxed and laid-back. For all it’s professionalism, both attendees and personal will greet you with a smile and offer you every bit of guidance they can give. Press can be a daunting word for people; some tend to picture high-end, flashy outlets with utmost exclusivity and threatening embargos. In reality, it’s a bunch of cinephiles delighted to co-habit with other cinephiles and get paid to watch films in a foreign country sometimes months before it reaches general audiences.

This edition proved a significant year, not only for myself, but also the entirety of Ireland with “Small Things Like These” becoming the first ever Irish Berlinale opener. Reared on the star power of Cillian Murphy, it was unbelievable to think a film focused on the Magdalene Laundries – a tragic period shrouded in shame and secrecy until the 90’s – was being broadcast on such a global scale.

The anticipation for Cillian Murphy also struck sky-high levels, with early campers arriving at eight o’clock in the morning in the hopes of catching a glimpse or, potentially, a picture with him. I was informed by one group waiting in the cold that Berlinale had been a regular trip for them for the past eighteen years – except not for the films. For the duration of the festival, they park themselves outside the Grand Hyatt hotel, folders stuffed to the brim with laminated photos, anxiously hoping they’ll get one signature

or many. More often than not, this year’s actors proved to be accommodating, most notably Sebastian Stan and Matt Damon who went back for doubles. However, some, like Martin Scorsese and Hunter Schafer, walked straight to their cars in an apologetic manner – no time for selfies.

As usual, Berlinale debuted a wide range of films, both national and global. Sitting in an audience with people who make a living on critiques can often be a dynamic experience, much different from your average cinema visit. Reactions tend to be magnified, with uncomfortable groans at the audacious and gory “Love Lies Bleeding” to widespread laughter in “A Different Man.” “That was absolute shit,” a man repeated loudly on the exit of “Another End” only to yell louder when he realised it actually had…another end.

Besides the hijinks of movie-going, the festival was not without its impactful, lingering moments. There was something heart-warming about seeing Rose Glass and Nora Fingscheidt respond to their standing ovations with tears, two women working tirelessly in the industry finally receiving their dues. A sense of unity drove the festival, with endless outrage at the detainment of directors Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moqadam by the Iranian Government for their film “My Favourite Cake,” a feature which detailed the restrictive life of Iranian women. This, to me, is the common theme of film festivals. While they exist to showcase the art and labour of the talented among us, film festivals are, at their core, a place to uplift artists, freedom and the people around them.

However, despite those positive elements, this year’s edition was not without its controversy. With the dismissal of artistic director, Carlo Chatrian, and governmental budget cuts, Berlinale met other media struggles. The festival was derailed with outcries at the invitation of Germany’s AfD, a far-right political party known for its anti-immigrant stance, to such an extent that any representing politicians were hastily disinvited. The event subsequently left a bitter taste in filmgoer’s mouths, with this year’s international jury repeatedly queried on the matter and a number of protests carried out on the red carpet. Controversy was further invoked by the speech of winning duo Yuval Abraham and and Basel Adra who spoke on the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict, leading to cries of antisemitism online with the Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, commenting that “such incidents [were not to] to happen again” at the festival. This was met with resounding backlash from Pro-Palastine members of the public who voiced their support for Abraham and Adra and denounced the festival.

Speaking with one journalist after the conclusion of this year’s Berlinale, his words stuck out to me. “This year’s edition of the festival may be remembered more for its flaws than its films.” And for all my positive experiences there, I can’t say I disagree with him.

A NEW IRELAND

by Andrew Mason

Guns blazing, smoke rising. Imminent death approaching, but it wasn’t enough.

With no guns and few men, the rebellion was bound to fail. But they believed in blood sacrifice, liberty was their grail.

Bullet after bullet, man after man. Those who fought, fought for their land.

The air was thick, and the floor would shake. Bullets would fire, Yet, they’d never break.

They fought for their independence, they fought for their freedom, they fought for their lives; in the end they were beaten.

Guns were silenced, smoke had passed. A new Ireland emerged, Freedom in their grasp.

The Game

by Lorraine Casey

The roar of the crowd rings in his ears, as he sends the sliotar soaring, skillfully skywards, skimming over the bar, He’s in Croke Park, this Sunday morning. The stands lie empty, voids catching the wind, echoing hollow pucks of the hurl, the push is in his heart, adrenaline pumping, majestic strikes propelling the pearl. She drives against the baltic blasts, that hail diagonally from the Atlantic, battling defenders, slipping gracefully past, that All-Ireland win, a dream romantic. The faceless stands do not faze her, She is well-used to the paucity of people, it fuels the steel determination within her, to show young eyes that she is equal.

Muddied and grass-stained, the boots are years-worn, from the forward to the back line, flying colours with roots generations strong, a fiery love and passion, passed through time.

My Classroom

By Ciara Ellen Browne

In the classroom hush, I take my stand, a teacher in a foreign land. With eager minds and eyes so bright, a kaleidoscope of cultures in sight.

From Dublin streets to land afar, my students come, each with a star. Their heritage a tapestry unfurled, in every story, a world.

Yet, the path is fraught with trials to face, navigating customs, bridging grace. For in this melting pot of dreams, lie unspoken struggles, silent screams.

Confessions whispered in hesitant tones, of homes left behind, of lands unknown. I listen, I learn, I hold their truth, in the sacred space of our classroom booth.

With patience as my guiding light, I strive to make their burdens bright. To understand their roots, their fears, and wipe away the stain of tears.

In Ireland’s embrace, I seek to find, the beauty in the diversity of mind. For in each student, a story to be told, a heritage cherished, a heart to hold.

As I stand in my classroom wide, I embrace the journeys; side by side. For in teaching them I learn anew, the richness of culture, old and true.

Spring

By Ellen Ní Chonchúir

I did not mean to feed this yearningfill with famished fuel the burning. embers smouldered, greying flames turned to ash around your name. this earth was parched, these roots all rotten. snowdrop-speckled beads of cotton crumble under beating wingsyou make me scared of all these things. a weight like need comes over me: Persephone- the sweetest seeds burst upon my tongue like stars. pops of pain and spitting sparks. ephemera, ephemeral. your eyes like shards of emeralds. the syrup of your smile so sunny; your sweetness sticks to me like honey. cherry red and turning pink, I blew the bubbles back with ink. dusted brown from soil, your fingers; the pressure of your pulsing lingers. water streams like softening dewdrops of air and glass and you, clear, like what I’ve always known within this bed, our flowers grown.

by Wei Chen

Jordan - Ronan Keohane

A Day In Lahore’s Walled City

by Aran Mc donagh

Conveniently, even if you do manage to get bored in Lahore Fort, one of the world’s most captivating mosques is within walking distance and can even be seen from much of the fort, Badshahi Mosque. The Mosque was built in the late 1600s by Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. Even as a non-Muslim, I was welcomed both to observe the massive courtyard with its tower in each corner and the mosque’s interior, which is beautifully decorated all over. Just sitting inside in itself and seeing how much detail had gone into its construction was spectacular. Easily the most mem-

each entrance.

If you’re going to visit these amazing sights, you will probably spend so much time in awe that there’s no doubt hunger will start to creep in. Luckily, there is a bustling old town just beside Badshahi Mosque. It is packed with delicious street food vendors as well as luxurious restaurants and a variety of fast food, there is easily something here to satisfy anyone’s tastes. More than that the old town has plenty of wonderful craft stalls and shops to browse in for almost anything, moreover you will always find yourself satisfied with prices to say the least, as well as with the service!

orable thing about this place however was the fact that the courtyard floor was so hot from the boiling sun that carpet had to be laid between

Overall, even with such amazing tourist sites in its walled city, I would argue that the best things about Lahore cannot be experienced through a photo or video. Despite Lahore having an abundance of historical sites and beautiful architecture, sometimes it is the people that make a place and in the case of Lahore, all of these things come second to such a kind-hearted and down to earth population, who will without any doubt make your experience of Lahore one worth remembering.

Built in 1566, Lahore Fort is one of the greatest sights in Lahore’s walled city. It is filled with magnificent architecture and intricate tiling and could easily take up an entire day. The most spectacular thing about this Fort full of individual sights with in, is easily the vast stairways which were once used for elephants. Of all the places in Lahore this is one you would crazy to skip.

“So far from home to have a stranger call you, “Darling” And have your guarded heart be lifted like a child up by the hand In some town that just means “Home” to them With no translator left to sound A butchered tongue still singin’ here above the ground.”

Hozier, ‘Butchered Tongue’

Somehow, on December 20th, 2023, I found myself in the 3Arena along with 13,000 others thanks to a last minute Christmas present of a Hozier concert ticket from my mother. That December was freezing cold and reading the news made the weather seem more bleak. I had finished my assignments and had buckled down for an early hibernation, so finding myself amongst thousands in Dublin was unexpected to say the least. Mom

The Grass is Tougher on the Other Side: How I Found Pride in Being Irish

by Jessica Anne Rose

told me the news when I woke up the day before, and after breakfast I went straight back to bed processing the news. Sure, we could be dead tomorrow, she’d said. We could be.

I’d known about Hozier since ‘Take Me to Church’ came out in 2013 because it played non-stop on the radio, and I’d seen adverts for tours he’d done over the years, but I was never explicitly a fan until last year. Eleven year old me didn’t know the meaning behind ‘Take Me to Church’ and its powerful music video never made it onto the music video tv channels I spent my Fridays watching. Twenty one year old me understands the meaning. By chance, a snippet of a single from his album Unreal, Unearth was used in a Tiktok that appeared on my feed, and its lyrics immediately grabbed me. I began to listen to each song Hozier dropped until the album was released, and then listened to the album over and over, obsessing, admiring, appreciating.

One of the many things I adore about the album is the use of the Irish language or Irish colloquialisms dotted sporadically throughout. The song ‘Butchered Tongue’ knocked all of the breath of my body when I first heard it, Hozier poignantly talks about the Angli-

cisation of Irish names, the language disappearing, and how lucky we are to find traces of it around us. I stood in the 3Arena as he opened with the first song on the album, ‘De Selby, Part 1’ the end of which is written in Irish, and stood mouth open as the stadium sang as Gaeilge with their phone torches alight. I had never felt as physically immersed in my own language and culture as I did that night. It felt like coming home to a place I had never been to before.

Growing up, I silently believed that being Irish meant being inferior to Americans and the British. Nobody instilled that belief in me, on the contrary, my uncle once lambasted me in Kildare Village for buying a phone case with a Union Jack on it, but I’d only bought it because it was 2014 and Union Jacks were EVERYWHERE in 2014. I came by the belief by myself watching television and realising that TG4 shows were no match for the ones on Disney Channel, our adaptations of British

I wouldn’t have to automatically assume something advertised wasn’t in Penneys yet because most of the time stock didn’t find its way over to Ireland.

What I found during my very brief stay in London was the reality that it was not my home, and it never would be. I knew nothing. I had no idea how to be an adult, never mind in a different country. I missed the colour green, there seemed to be no grass in London, and every accent made mine sound unfamiliar and wrong. I’m hugely family oriented but had put that aside for the sake of going to the university I wanted to go to in London, but quickly I realised it wasn’t worth it for me. I wanted to see my cousins get older and develop quirks, I wanted to hear my grandparents arguing over the dinner table about something inane, I wanted to walk down a street and have a stranger say “how are ya” to me without expecting an answer. Irish culture is not just what happens on St Patrick’s Day, Irish culture is an innate homeliness that I did not want to live without. London had everything but home. I chose home.

After my short-lived time in London I appreciated everything around me a million times more. To this

Tír Gan Teanga, Tír Gan Anam: What We Need to Admit About IRISH

Contributor Evan Michael Daly speaks to the heart of our national consciousness surrounding the Irish language. Does it really flow within us? Must we do more to fix our ‘rusty’ Irish?

The Irish language has deep roots in the culture of this island. Gaeilge has been at the forefront of every conversation about national identity for centuries, and we’ve begun to romanticise it into something far bigger than a language. If we truly want to speak Irish, to make it a language we keep beyond our Leaving Certificate, we need to admit something: Irish is a language that must be learned, not a genetic birthright.

Irish people have a tendency to feel highly defensive about our language. Gaeilge has become a vehicle for our culture and our history, and it’s easy to see why. For centuries, the slow decline of the language was clearly tied to the invasions, occupations, and starvations inflicted upon this island from afar. We’ve started to understand Irish as something deeper than a collection of words, and it has slowly become a manifestation of Irishness. Even today, a joking insult against the Irish is an insult against a whole culture.

That’s one of the reasons we bristle at YouTube clips of an American talk

show host getting a big laugh out of the fact that the name of some Irish celebrity doesn’t look the way it sounds. These jokes seem to us a mark of cultural disrespect, a symbol of ignorance. Of course it doesn’t sound like it would in English, it’s a different language!

We tend to despair over these people who cannot grasp that we have a language apart from all others. It’s ironic, then, that we are so unwilling to acknowledge that same fact.

Back in 2014, then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny appointed John McHugh, a man who did not speak Irish, to a key ministerial position in the Department of Arts, Heritage... and Gaeltacht Affairs. When it was pointed out that this decision deprived Gaeltacht residents of the opportunity to speak Irish to a minister, Kenny responded that McHugh had “a bit of the language inside him, but it’s rusty.” Lovely.

Here’s the uncomfortable and yet obvious truth we seem so inclined to ignore: Irish people are not born with an inherent gift. We are not born

Gaeilgeoirí, and for those of us not born into a Gaeltacht, any Irish we gain will be through conscious effort.

The belief in this transcendent quality isn’t just something we see in government leaders with far less allegiance to the language than they feign, either. It’s clearly present in the words of the language’s most well-known proponents. In 2020, Manchán Magan concluded his book on the Irish language, “Thirty-Two Words for Field,” with a claim that Irish is “as much a story as a language,” and that even untold parts of this story “linger in the depths of our mind.”

Never mind that the 2022 census tells us that less than 2% of the country’s population use Irish on a daily basis, and that this percentage is even lower than it was a decade ago. Never mind that I myself studied Irish in some regard from the age of 5 until the present and would’ve still struggled to express this article in Irish. All is well, because apparently, the Irish language is deep within me, and echoes in my subconscious.

Imagine if that was how we spoke about other languages besides Irish. If the first thing you learned in Junior Cert French was that you already speak this language, unbeknownst to you. Picture a First-Year German class where you are told that you actually do know some of the stories this language tells, despite the fact you only grew up speaking English.

We all complain, furiously and correctly, that the system of Irish education in this country is deeply flawed. It is obvious that we should prioritise holding a real conversation over memorising a description of how “An tEarrach Thiar” uses imagery. It is equally clear that the grammar system is taught so clumsily that an modh coinníollach has become a running joke of horror amongst survivors of the Leaving Certificate. However, the truth is that none of this will change until we change the national perception of Irish.

How could we hope to reform the way we teach a language, when we have a culturally-ingrained belief that we subconsciously know all about it? Why would we bother correctly teaching a language that we believe already resides within us? If we genuinely want to see Irish grow and develop in this country, we must stop expecting ourselves to deeply understand the language, and start teaching ourselves to speak it.

Irish may be a foundation stone for our modern culture, and it is indeed absolutely crucial that we maintain it. But it isn’t a transcendent spiritual tongue or a deep and inherited linguistic gift. It is a language, and it is one that most of us never develop any real fluency with. It’s clear that we need to start acting like it.

Don’t forget our Cultural Music Ability

Contributor Darren James Keogh doesn’t mess around when it comes to local music and neither should you. Read on to find out why you should support local.

Music has been in our culture right back to the infamous harp that lives and breathes as an Irish symbol right across our government documents, court walls and even a mirrored image of the Harp exists in our 1759 established Irish stout. Irish culture is embedded with literature and music intertwined together showing the world that we are some of the greatest writers and musicians around the globe and all from a small island of just over 5 million people.

Sometimes we forget about all the great musicians that are crawling out of the woodwork in Ireland as we get distracted by the capitalist music world that is pushed into our view from over-watched music apps. These Irish artists need to be noticed in order for our musical culture to keep growing and survive and so we don’t get distracted by plastic butts and auto tuned voices.

Kneecap recently received an award at the Sundance Film festival for their movie based on their own beginning in Belfast. Aside from making waves in the music and movie scene they showed solidarity live on the Late Late Show for Palestine although RTÉ warned them not to, and so what right? No such thing as bad publicity as they say.

Aside from Belfast’s Kneecap, we have bands breaking out of all counties up and down the country this past few years like, Cork’s very own The Love Buzz who played on campus last year, The Mary Wallopers from Dundalk have a new tour announced from March through to June due to their second album release, Dublin’s Thumper who’s album Hot Press called “The most ambitious and arresting record you’ll hear all year” , and what about Derry’s TOUTS who released ‘Shane Mac-

Gowans New teeth’ EP in 2022, just shy of a year before the legend himself passed away. The Murder Capital are supporting Pearl Jam on the 22nd of June in Marlay Park this year for crying out loud, now there’s a support slot from an Irish band under one of the biggest grunge outfits of the 90’s. Inhaler are back from touring their second album ‘Cuts and Bruises’ and Mullingar’s The Academic just released their second album in 2023 ‘Sitting Pretty’ with not 9 or 10 songs like most albums these days but 13 tracks in total.

We must give a mention to one band who have been lucky or unlucky enough to be nominated for a Grammy in 2021, Dublin’s Fontaines DC are just back from a US tour with the Arctic Monkeys no less. Their lead singer Grian Chattan has just been featured on Kneecap’s latest single ‘Better Way to Live’ which they also played on their first appearance on the Late Late Show.

Even if we think about older bands back on the scene: Co. Down’s Ash played Cyprus Avenue last December 2023 off the back of their new album ‘Race The Night’ and blew the roof off the place with great support from Wynona Bleach with their new single ‘Swim In The Bay’ released this year. After the passing of Christy Dignam, Aslan has a new singer, Lee Tomkins who it could be said sounds like Layne Staley from Alice and Chains. The Coronas ‘Best of the Early Days’ just came out last year. The Blades are playing in Cyprus Avenue on September 7th 2024 bringing Mod scene back to Cork, Check these guys out if you like your sideburns long and your Fred Perry polo ironed to death. Roisin Murphy who sat with Tommy Tiernan for a chat and a song recently on his saturday night show is in the middle of her European tour

and is soaking up the love she is receiving for her 8th studio album ‘Hit Parade’.Keeping within Cork city limits here we have the House duo, Fish Go Deep who just released their 4th studio album ‘What I Mean By Beautiful’.

Lets not forget about the lovely wax releases that is Record Store day (RSD) April 20th 2024 now in its 17th year is fast approaching and these are Irish bands that are involved;

• The Cranberries - ‘Bury the Hatchet/ complete sessions’ - 19 tracks total. 2 x LP.

• Dolores O’Riordan - ‘Are You Listening’ - 2 x LP White Vinyl.

• Sinead O’Connor - ‘You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart’ – 30th anniversary’ on 12” Single.

• Thin Lizzy - ‘Live at Hammersmith 16/11/1976’ - 2 x LP.

• U2 - ‘Atomic City’ – Live from Sphere- 10″ Transparent Red with a unique large poster.

• FIZZ - ‘Live At Middle Farm’ - 1 x LP colored Vinyl.

So get down to the independent record stores in Cork like Music Zone where Ray and Shane are sure to help you out with your much needed vinyl addiction whether it’s online or call into the shop. PLUGD records on Cornmarket Street (which used to be in the Triskel Arts Centre) here in the city are getting involved too with plenty of Irish stock on their website and in store. There is also 33 RPM on MacCurtain Street and don’t forget about Bunker Vinyl on Camden place where the basement is your vinyl home. Golden Discs on Patrick Street will also get involved in RSD but hey! they have enough money already right? Remember to queue up early on the morning of the 20th as it is sure to be a crowded one this year with plenty of good releases.

I would recommend all to put aside commercial artists such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and instead to support local bands and musicians. This way you can get the real Irish heritage and breathe in the culture of live Irish bands, records, CD’s and live gigs for half the price of these non Irish pop stars.

Bury the Hatchet - The Cranberries

Are You Listening - Dolores O’Riordan

Live and Dangerous at Hammersmith - Thin Lizzy

Crossing Horizons: Refugees Enriching Cultural Identity

Contributor Farahnaz Haidary, human rights and women’s rights activist, details how the relationship between refugees and their new homes can be symbiotic.

Culture encompasses the beliefs, customs, traditions, and behaviours that shape the identity and way of life of a group of people. It is the lens through which individuals interpret the world around them, influencing everything from social interactions to artistic expression. Cultural encounters occur when individuals from different cultural backgrounds interact, leading to the exchanges of ideas, values, and practices. In the context of refugees and migrants, cultural encounters play a significant role in shaping the dynamics of integration and community cohesion.

Living under adverse and often-life threatening conditions in their home countries, for many, sanctuary seems like the far and, at times, an unreachable horizon. When refugees do embark on their journey to a new country, they bring more than just their physical belongings. They carry with them a treasure trove of cultural heritage, stories, and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Moving to a new country is like stepping into the unknown, crossing the horizon. It’s an adventure filled with uncertainty and challenges, but also with the promise of new beginnings and opportunities. This journey, marked by resilience and hope, serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit. For refugees, it represents a chance to rebuild their lives and create a better future for themselves and their families.

As they settle into their new homes, refugees become cultural ambassadors, sharing the richness of their heritage with the communities they join. Whether it’s through sharing traditional recipes, performing folk dances, or teaching their native language, they invite others to experience the beauty of their culture.

But the exchange goes both ways. Having found sanctuary, refugees need to understand that if they do face prejudice, it may instead be frustration at other issues. This could be anything from the economy, to a housing crisis, to the hardship local people face when finding work or accessing public services for themselves. Bridges of trust and understanding must be built. Refugees also

need to make an effort to embrace the customs and traditions of their new surroundings, blending their own cultural heritage with the diversity of their adopted home. This realist attitude and the fusion of cultures can create a vibrant tapestry of traditions. Here the lines between “us” and “them” begin to blur, and a sense of shared identity emerges.

Refugees inspire us with their resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges they may face – from language barriers to discrimination – they persevere, demonstrating strength, courage, and determination. Their stories serve as a reminder of the human capacity for resilience and adaptation in the face of hardship.

In addition to enriching our cultural identity, refugees also contribute to the social and economic fabric of their new communities. They start businesses, work in essential industries, and contribute their skills and talents to the workforce. By doing so, they not only support themselves and their families but also contribute to the prosperity and vitality of their adopted home.

However, it’s important to recognize that refugees also face unique challenges and barriers to integration. From navigating complex legal and administrative systems, coping with prejudice, to accessing education and healthcare services, they often require support and assistance to fully participate in society.

As such, it’s essential that we provide refugees with the resources and support they need to thrive in their new environments. This includes access to language and job training programs, affordable housing, and culturally sensitive healthcare services. It also involves fostering and building a welcoming and inclusive environment that values diversity and celebrates the contributions of both locals and refugees to creating a collective identity.

In conclusion, refugees play a vital role in enriching our cultural identity and shaping the diverse tapestry of our society. By embracing their stories, traditions, and contributions, we not only honour their resilience and courage but also strengthen the bonds that unite us as a global community. Together, let’s continue to build bridges across borders and create a world where everyone can find a place to call home.

Writers, Photographers, Artists, or anyone who wants to contribute. Reach out to us at the emails below.

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