An Focal (Vol. XXVIII Edition 19) by An Focal ULSU

February October 2018 2019

Edition EditionXXVII XXVI

It Stops Now: mural unveiled for EU campaign to combat sexual harassment BY SHANNON SWEENEY

Representatives of UL Student Life at mural launch. Photographed by Shannon Sweeney.

UL Student Life and The University of Limerick unveil “It Stops Now Campaign” mural. The launch ceremony of the joint project was held at lunchtime on Monday, February 12th. The mural aims to raise awareness of sexual harassment and genderbased violence on campus. Student Life Welfare Officer, Lorcan O’Donnell says: “We are hoping it’s a nice way to challenge people’s preconceptions about sexual

harassment and gender-based violence and encourage positive conversations in the area,” The mural was constructed last Friday evening by student volunteers with sponsorship from the university. The mural is located behind Stables on the walkway between the courtyard and the Glucksman Library. Lorcan says the placement of the mural close by the main bar on campus is

important to the message. “I think it’s fitting as well because bars and alcohol can play such a huge role in harassment and assault, I think it’s important to highlight that as well,” he said. The mural is made from posters with phrases associated with both sexual harassment and slogans associated with the campaigns like “Me Too”. Student Life president, Ciara Jo Hanlon says it’s important for students of

all genders to get involved. “We want it to be acknowledged that this is a campaign around sexual harassment and sexual violence, against people, so it’s great to see students get involved,” she said. The “It Stops Now Campaign” is part of the international Ending Sexual Harassment in Third Level Education (ESHTE) project. The project is lead in Ireland by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) in partnership with other European institutions The project is funded by the European Commission: Directorate-General, Justice & Consumers. The campaign aims to end sexual harassment and violence in third level institutions across Europe. Head of Equality and Diversity, Human Resources at UL, Marie Connolly says that language is important in tacking this behaviour. “It sends a very strong message that we are all together on this, and the campus needs to be safe for our staff and students, our younger students in particular,” she says.

According to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), 2013 “Say Something” Report 11% of female student experience unwanted sexual contact while at college and 31% feel they have been harassed. “It was very frightening for people and so we realised we had to do more,” Mrs Connolly said. Ciara Jo Hanlon says this is a wide spread issue that cannot be ignored. “We can’t pretend that sexual violence and harassment doesn’t happen in third level institutions in Ireland, and we can’t pretend it doesn’t happen here at UL,” she said. The mural is part of a two- part campaign which not only aims to raise awareness, but also educate students around consent. Student Life have so far rolled out 50 consent workshops this year. “We wanted to make a statement that is completely unacceptable. We want to show that we are here to support the victims if they need a bit of help, it’s to send a message to the campus community, students and staff, said Ciara Jo.

What’s inside? Charity Week pg 16

C&S News pg 5

Fuinneamh pg 13

Editorial

TEAM Editor and Designer: Christine Costello News Editor: Gary Feeney Online Editor: Michael Finnerty Contributors: Andrea Sheehan Caitlin Reddie Cathal O’Sullivan Chloe O’Keefe Conor Clohessy Enya McIntyre Erin Dyer Ivan Smyth Jessica Doyle Lisa Diviney Martin Mongan Meghan McEniry Brosnan Michael Finnerty Nicky Anderson Ronan Coughlan Shannon Sweeney

News

Editor’s Note

BY CHRISTINE COSTELLO It is with great pride that I present the newest issue of An Focal. This issue highlights a number of topics we deemed to be in the interest of UL students; from environmental and health issues, to RAG Week and Oscars. Here at An Focal, we make it our mission to give a voice to all students. We seek to sweat the small stuff when no one else will. We wish to represent a diverse student body with endless talents, agendas and vastly varied personalities. All these people, represented in one single newspaper. We are student journalism. The hard work involved in An Focal is often overlooked by both peers and superiors. Speaking on a broader and more universal issue, the role of the journalist itself is overlooked by society as a whole. From the outside, journalism seems to be nothing more than an overpriced alphabet, an industry fuelled by coffee, cigarettes and an old, male editor who vaguely resembles the Tesco own-brand version of Michael Keaton. The news industry is being labelled as dated. Ask anyone what they think of journalism and

they will give an indignant scoff and mutter under their breath, something along the lines of ‘Dying industry… Pointless… Dead.’ The complete opposite is true. Journalism is not a dying industry, but an evolving one. Every day, journalists are exploring new frontiers to revolutionise the way we tell stories. Not only is it an evolving industry, but an industry which society is very much dependent on. In a world where fictitious propaganda is running rampant across the web, spreading like wildfire through mediums like social media. A world where reading beyond a headline is becoming too strenuous for the ever-decreasing attention span. A world where lies breed power and the powerful are redefining the truth. We need journalism now more than ever. To quote a book once considered a far-reaching dystopia, now considered a mirror of society: ‘There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.’ – George Orwell, 1984.

The Battle Rages On: The latest developments in ULSL’s Direct Provision Campaign

BY SHANNON SWEENEY UL Student Life is getting ready for another semester in the campaign against Direct Provision. According to Welfare Officer Lorcan O’Donnell, last semester’s campaign was successful, both on campus and nationally. “As far as I can see, every university in Ireland has a mandate against this, whether through USI or their own student council, so it’s really powerful that is now not just an individual thing but a whole Ireland thing.” Last semester, Lorcan and Student Life President Ciara Jo Hanlon took the students’ concerns to the University’s Governing Authority who have set up a working group. The working group is made up of Lorcan, Ciara Jo, two members of the Governing Authority and the head of Campus Life Services. Campus Life Services (Plassey Campus Centre) are a subsidiary company of UL in charge of

several services on campus including catering and the management of the contract with Aramark. The aim of the working group is to increase the social

This January, Student Life hosted the first meeting of Student Unions from around the country to create a national student led campaign. Student Unions have

responsibility of companies like Aramark who operate on campus (Eden, Starbucks, etc.) Aramark provide services to three Direct Provision Centres in Ireland, including Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre in Co. Clare.

committed to creating a strategy that all SUs could follow if a student was served with deportation papers. “We realised that it could happen at absolutely any moment at UL or any University Sanctuary, so we decided we

want to be proactive as opposed to reactive with this” said Lorcan. Commenting on last semesters boycott, Lorcan says there has been a huge amount of support from both students and staff at UL. “Speaking to students myself who were in line for Subway or red raisins and actually turned around and went the other way, which is fantastic and that’s really heart-warming to see that what you are doing is working and getting across” he said. Last semesters campaign events included the distribution of leaflets on campus, a boycott of Aramark restaurants and toiletry collections for those living in Direct Provision centres in Limerick and Clare. Last week Student Life held a coffee morning for the Limerick branch of Sanctuary Runners. Sanctuary Runners are running groups first set up in Cork in 2017 for people living in Direct Provision Centres and local people to run together and

socialise. The Limerick branch of Sanctuary Runners held their first run at UL last Monday morning. Student Life is planning several events this semester, including another boycott with dates to be confirmed. “If we continue to get students and staff on board and the UL community in general to stop giving their money to Aramark, that Aramark will hear that, the University will hear that, and they will say we don’t want them anymore” he said. Lorcan says he would also love to see the next Student Officers taking up the campaign. “We need to keep the pressure up when we are gone, maybe even when the next student officers are gone so this needs to be embedded into the student psyche that this isn’t going away, and we need to continue to be doing this” he said.

To offer a Health Centre on campus but not a pharmacy is in itself – counter productive: No on-campus pharmacy for UL students BY NICKY ANDERSON HERE at the University of Limerick the student health centre is located in the Main Building on the second floor. The Student Health Centre offers a range of services at discounted price, Monday to Friday for the University’s students. The services range from a regular Doctors visit to an STI clinic, physiotherapy clinic

News

and contraceptive clinic. When a student leaves the Health Centre and is given a prescription, not only is this an extra cost, but a timely task considering UL does not have an on-campus pharmacy. The closest pharmacy to campus is the Castletroy Park Pharmacy which is situated on Plassey Road near the

Here is a list of how long it would take for a student to get from the Main Building (Health Centre) and each of the on-campus villages to the Castletroy Park Pharmacy: Plassey Student Village 5 Minutes approximately Troy Village 12 Minutes approximately Main Building 15 Minutes approximately Drumroe Student Village 17 Minutes approximately Kilmurry Student Village 21 Minutes approximately Cappavilla Student Village 23 Minutes approximately Thomond Student Village 25 Minutes approximately

entrance to the University. Many people may argue that this pharmacy is in adequate distance of the University. However, when you look at the distance UL’s on-campus student villages and the pharmacy you can notice that some students are walking making round trips of approximately 50 minutes from their villages to the pharmacy. If a student has been to the Student Health Centre chances are they are unwell. If they are sick enough to be prescribed medicine which is needed to be bought at a pharmacy – they are more than likely quite unwell. On an average day for an in-health student I

believe these walking times are not problematic, more something that has to be done. Yet, the counter productivity of offering an on-campus Student Health Centre but making students leave campus to buy the medicine they are prescribed, cannot be denied. An unwell student should not be walking almost up to an hour to get medicine. The Student Health Centre is a massive benefit to students, the discounted prices means that they are more likely to visit and its central accessibility is key to its idealness but is there hope for a future oncampus pharmacy in UL?

News In Brief Pitch Perfect: McGuire Opens AFTER eight years of campaigning and two referendums failing to reach the majority vote needed in 2012 and 2014, the McGuire pitches are finally open. These brand new facilities include four soccer pitches, 2 GAA pitches, one grassed pitch, three hurling walls and 1 Golden Mile Run/Walk way are now open for student use. Over half the cost is covered by students with a 36 Euro levy paid each year. The SU President Ciara Jo Hanlon spoke of her delight about the opening of the facilities. “I am delighted the pitches are finally up and running; I think it finally shows the students the fruits of their efforts and the rewards of the current student levy.”

Well, Kid: ULSL Wellness Weds UL student Life, the Student Welfare Officer, and Staff have teamed up to host the Wellness Wednesday events over the next couple of weeks. The student representative body’s newest initiative will run for six weeks until Wednesday, March 6th and is free to students and staff alike. The events are aimed to promote wellbeing, and positive health behaviours on campus and prizes and incentives are up for grabs for those participating. “We hope to encourage staff and students to dedicate just one day of their week to consciously make good decisions that will benefit their health” Welfare Officer Lorcan O’Donnell said.

Honorary rocktorate, Geldof

THE first Winter Conferring Ceremony at the University of Limerick (UL) saw a number of high profile individuals recognised for their contributions to both national and international culture. The first ceremony took place on the 14th of January with Boomtown Rats frontman and humanitarian activist Bob Geldof. UL president Dr. Des Fitzgerald said: “University of Limerick honorary doctorates are bestowed on individuals who have shown outstanding achievement, nationally or internationally, in the arts, sciences, business, industry, the professions, sport, social service or public service.”

News

Give Us The Night campaign seeks to change nightlife laws BY NICKY ANDERSON ‘We need to recognise nightlife’s contribution to the culture of this Island’ – Senator Fintan Warfield to the Seanad, 24 January, 2019. Give us the Night (GUTN) is an independent volunteer group of professionals within the music industry, who are campaigning to bring about a change to the licensing laws in Ireland, with particular regard to nightclubs. Senator Warfield implored the Seanad chamber for ‘justice and equality to come to this House to discuss licensing and how they can rethink this system and have a mature conversation.’ Warfield spoke to the Seanad following a meeting of over 350 people discussing this in The Sugar Club at a Give Us The Night public meeting on 21 January. The thrust of the campaign is simple: The night has barely begun before it’s over in Ireland and GIVE US THE NIGHT is the rallying cry of thousands of Irish as they campaign for changes in the law surrounding Irish nightlife. Under the 2008 Intoxicating Liquor Act, all late bars and nightclubs in Ireland must cease operation at the early time of 2:30 am and the even earlier time of 1 am on Sundays. Not only is this law fun-restricting, but it also deprives many businesses of significant revenue, and in turn depriving the Government themselves of it too. Before the 2008 Intoxicating Liquor Act was introduced, venues could apply for an annual theatre license at a cost of €270 per year if they had music. This allowed them to sell alcohol until 3:30 am. Now if a venue wants to open late, they must apply for a special exemption order (SEO) at a cost of €410 per night.

Sunil Sharpe, renowned DJ and spokesman for the GUTN campaign, says he believes we need an overhaul in our attitudes towards nightlife. Explaining on their website about how we are majorly behind our neighbours the UK and even further behind other major cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, and New York, here are the main aims of the campaign: To support, nurture and reframe the conversation around nightlife and the

night-time economy in Ireland. To highlight the economic value and societal benefits of a diverse and vibrant Irish night-time industry. To contribute to the creation of jobs and sustainable indigenous businesses within the night-time industry, and to broaden employment opportunities for those operating in the creative arts. To ensure that Ireland adopts a more progressive European approach to nightlife, that reflects the wide range of lifestyles and working hours here. GUTN hope to welcome the establishment of a Night Mayor (Maor Oíche) in each major city – theoretically what this individual would do is overview the designated areas nighttime activities. The Night Mayor would work alongside the Lord Mayor of that city, the city council, An Garda Síochána, venue operators, and event programmers

to ensure a happy and safe night time experience for everyone. They want the abolition of Special Exemption Orders – GUTN claim that the system for late bars and nightclubs has failed, with a current drop in exchequer revenue of roughly €5 million per annum since its price increase in 2008. 90,691 SEOs were granted nationally in 2007, while the state estimates that 37,500 were issued in 2017 – a loss for both nightlife and the Government. GUTN aims to promote and create a happy and fair night-time economy that is seen in many other countries that have a commonly recognised timeframe of activity being 6 pm – 6 am. The campaign gained momentum after the announcement of the closure of major Dublin nightclub District 8. This is following closures of similar venues such as Hangar and The Wright Venue. With both Hangar and District 8 being cleared to make space for ‘apart-hotel’ complexes. The massively popular nightclub was host to both incredible Irish and international DJs over its years- including FISHER, Bicep and Ireland’s latest phenomenon KETTAMA. Situated on the ground floor of the Tivoli Theatre it was the nations most prestige dance venue. Other clubs which have closed in the Greater Dublin area include Lillies Bordello off Grafton Street and Club 92 in Leopardstown. With all these important venues closing you can’t help but stop and wonder what the future holds for Irish nightlife – will clubs continue to close, will illegal raves become the norm or will GUTN be the heroes we need?

To ﬁnd out more about the Give us The Night Campaign and follow their amazing work, check them out on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giveusthenight/ Website: http://www.giveusthenight.com/ Twitter: @GiveUsTheNight Instagram: @giveusthenight

First ever UL Entrepreneurship Summit takes place UL Sub Aqua: Ireland’s new underwater hockey team BY PATRICK BARTLEY The semester has been busy, with a successful recruitment drive to gather members for our new underwater hockey team. A total of fifteen members were present for the first night of training after the drive. Underwater hockey is a relatively small sport, but has been gaining traction across the world recently. To play, you wear a mask, fins and snorkel, and use a hockey stick about a foot long. Players use a thick glove made from latex to protect their hand. The puck is weighted to sink to the bottom of the pool and stay there, being passed and moved along the pool floor. The game starts with the

puck at the centre of the pool and the teams at their ends of the pool touching the wall. The teams of six face off across the two ends of the pool, scoring if they can get the puck to touch the oppositions side of the pool. Teams generally consist of three forwards, a centre and two wings and three backs, a full back and two half backs. The pool is between 2 and 4 metres deep, and the game lasts for two fifteen minute halves, but we do a fair bit of training in a metre and a half of water. The game is fast and dynamic, with an emphasis on keeping possession of the puck and out manoeuvring your opponents, while your team either supports you or takes a breath at the surface. Teamwork is key, as you

only have as long as you can hold your breath before you need to resurface, so passing to team mates is vital. A favourite for training is one-breath hockey, where only two of the six on each team can be underwater at a time; another player can dive and take part only after another has surfaced. This develops your skills against others in small numbers, and team work, as if both players on a team surface at once the other team gains an enormous advantage. The intense exercise and short recovery period can be quite taxing, but it is an exhilarating game that gets the blood racing. Training takes place every Tuesday at 8pm in the dive pool in UL Arena.

EMAIL YOUR C&S NEWS

CHRISTINE.COSTELLO@UL.IE

Clubs & Societies News

BY JAMES BYRNE On Thursday the 7th of February, the UL Entrepreneurship Society, with the help of the Kemmy Business School and Enactus UL ran the first Entrepreneurship Summit. This is the first of what they hope to be a yearly event to help highlight the importance of perusing student entrepreneurship at UL. The Summit was opened by Vice President Academic, Professor Kerstin Mey, and Dean of the Kemmy, Philip O’Regan, showing the great support that the university provide to student entrepreneurship on campus. It was then on to Briga Hynes, Head of Management and Marketing at the Kemmy to introduce the first round of speakers. Speakers included Brian O’Callaghan of ‘EcoStraws’, Lorraine McGowan of ‘SoHockey.com’, Kevin Meany of ‘Agent Digital’, Jean McCabe of ‘Willow’, and UL’s own Kevin O’Sullivan of ‘Solopep Ltd.’ The consistent message across all speakers was to know your customer, tell the story of your product, be careful in who you trust with your business. The most important message from each entrepreneur was simple – be passionate about what you are doing, and finally, just go for it. After the fantastic line-up of local entrepreneurs, it was over to Brian Shee, director of postgraduate study in entrepreneurship at UL who is also instrumental in driving student entrepreneurship

forward at UL. Brian had some excellent tips for students, most interesting being the benefits of entrepreneurial behaviour for students seeking graduate employment. Brian stressed the importance of differentiating yourself from other graduates and giving yourself the best chance of success in the future. One direction he points students to is Enactus where he is heavily involved in supporting projects and ensures students that entrepreneurship is not a skill you are ‘born with’. The day continued with two Enactus students, Hugh Butler and Jack O’Connor, who spoke about social entrepreneurship and ongoing projects in Enactus. Jack, who spearheads the Moyo Nua project spoke about his time spent working with locals in Malawi to try improve the planting process. They also gave their top tips for balancing college work and outside projects. Finally, we heard from key support groups such as Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office in Clare, Holmes O’Malley-Sexton Solicitors and the Technology Transfer Office in Nexus. It was then over to some of UL’s own student entrepreneurs to finish out the day and speak about their own experiences. This panel comprised of Gabriel Denys of ‘Hoolie’, Louise Egan of ‘iSpy Clothing’ and Jessica Dino who is involved in various initiatives outside of UL.

6 BY CONALL DE PAOR It is estimated that there are one novemtrigintillion (that’s 10 to the power of 120) legal chess games. No two games are the same. There has been triumph and tragedy, treachery and trickery on every board at the UL Chess Club since it’s re-founding this year. There have been some notable highlights to the year so far. At our first meeting last semester, we did not have enough chess boards for all who came. People from all corners of the college and beyond came to enjoy a game of chess. We went to play against the regulars at the Limerick Lawn Chess tournament. They beat the pants off us, but we enjoyed ourselves all the same. One of our members, Liam, took to playing blindfolded and still managed to hold his own. Mel, the treasurer “Intentionally sacrificed” his queen on the fourth move of one game. Chess is a funny sort of game which looks so slow and inert to the spectator but when you’re

in the game, playing to win, it’s intense. You can get lost in the lines of different plays. You can spend eons considering a move. When the move is good it feels great but, when your opponent reveals with their queen that the move probably just lost you the game, you hang your head in shame and despair that you could have ever been so blind. The Chess Club meets on Mondays at 6 and Tuesdays at 7 in Red Raisin. Monday is when we focus on teaching people how to play and just having fun ourselves, and on Tuesdays we still have non-competitive play, but we also run our 4-player and classical leagues from 7pm to whenever we can’t think anymore. We plan to attend the inter-varsities chess competition this semester and to take on the Limerick Chess League too. So, whether you’re a beginner or a master it doesn’t matter, come and help us make a dent in the one novemtrigintillion chess games there are left to play.

UL Chess Club: Less Stress, More Chess

There are more games of chess than there are atoms in the observable universe...

Sink or Swim time for the UL Swim Club at IVs

Clubs & Societies News

BY CAOIMHE HENNIGAN As charity week approaches, most students the students in the UL Swim Club are entering the most important time in their training this season. The Irish Intervarsity Swimming Championships will soon be held in Queens University Belfast on the 1st March. Over the last few years, UL Swim Club have been within touching distance of taking home the national championship title finishing in both 2nd and 3rd place over the last couple of years. We are in the water four times each week, Monday from 10pm to 11pm, Tuesday 9pm to 10pm, Wednesday from 9pm to 11pm, and Friday morning 8am until 9am. These training times will remain the same right the way up until competition time first at Irish Intervarsity’s where we are tipped as one of the teams to win.

It will be important to execute a high standard of swimming at all training sessions which can and will be done through a series of short sharp race pace sets or taper leading up to the big occasion. This year we have large group of 30 swimmers heading to Belfast all competiting in various different events. According to the coach, Padraic, training will continue as usual where all the swimmers will be expected to keep a high standard of swimming in training. He also told us how he believes the swimmers are reacting to the news and what is expected of them. “The swimmers are well aware of what is expected of them and indeed what it means to put on the UL Wolves swim cap with most of the swimmers dealing with big occasions like this on a regular basis, it will be business as usual.”

UL sociologist Dr. Sindy Joyce makes history as Ireland’s ﬁrst Mincéir to graduate with PhD BY MARTIN MONGAN Dr Sindy Joyce became the first Mincéir (Traveller) to graduate with a PhD in Ireland. The Newcastle West native is a graduate from the Department of Sociology at The University of Limerick. Dr Joyce urges Travellers to take the opportunity that they are given to fulfil their potential and to continue their education. “I’ve mixed emotions - on the one hand it’s really great, especially being a woman and breaking that glass ceiling, but it’s sad too that it has taken this amount of time for someone from my community to be a PhD.” Dr Joyce said. Dr Joyce believes that there is inequality and gaps in education that must be filled.

It’s good to have people from my community getting a PhD; It’s been quite a difficult journey, but it’s good to finally get here,” she added. For her PhD, Dr Joyce interviewed 40 Travellers from Galway about their experiences integrating with the settled community in Dr. Sindy Joyce receiving her Phd. the city. Photographed by Sean Curtin, True Media. “I brought groups of young Mincéirs Dr Joyce believes that Galway on walking tours of the city City was the most ideal city to and observed how they use carry out her research because the spaces, what routes they “Galway is known to be one took and why they took them of Ireland’s most multicultural - probably to avoid negative cities and has a large mixed encounters.” She said.

ethnic population.” She also observed how the Gardaí govern the area. The young Travellers interviewed claimed they were subjected to “continuous

checking, stopping and searching without any particular reason for it.” She also found there is an “institutionalised stereotype” of Travellers embedded in the settled community, which is usually negative. Dr Joyce wasn’t impressed with the results of her research and believes that Travellers are dealing with everyday racism and tactics must be created to avoid it. During her time studying at UL, Dr Joyce received a number of awards such as the Irish Research Council postgraduate scholarship, and the University of Limerick FAHSS Dean’s Scholarship, and AHSS Registrar’s Scholarship Award.

Ireland’s Fall: Irish representation gets off to a disastrous start in 2019

Conor Clohessy gives his opinion on the recent slew of negative media coverage surrounding the Irish... 2019 has not been kind to the Irish so far. With our actors being branded racists, our sports stars speculated to be involved with gangsters and drugs, and our people in general nicknamed “inbred leprechauns” by foreign musicians, January wasn’t the greatest month for Irish representation abroad. American rapper Azealia Banks made her hatred of the Irish people known after a dispute on an Aer Lingus flight. It was reported that Banks (27) was holding up the isle of a plane she was taking from Gatwick to a Dublin gig. The terms Banks used in her Twitter and Instagram tirades

Features

included labels such as “f****ing ugly” and “defective.” The 212-star made it known that she was “happy the Irish were quarantined on an isle” and claimed that most Irish people “can’t talk or write,” likening them to “barbarians.” What began as a simple dispute that had to be defused by someone doing their job turned swiftly into an outrageous display of racism. Banks then went on to claim that black people are not capable of being racist and added that she was being “bullied” by the furious Irish people commenting on her bigoted posts. After her rant, Banks attempted

to contact MMA champion Conor McGregor and ask him to “help her.” Interestingly enough, McGregor is as much a topic of conversation as Banks when it comes to harming the global perception of Irish people. The beloved front man of the Irish sporting world is quickly becoming a stain on the Irish reputation, following attacks on rival competitors, several charges of assault and harmful rumours surrounding drug-use and other misdemeanours. Coming to our final story, actor Liam Neeson recently revealed to the Independent that he spent four or five days looking for a

black person to attack. This came following the rape of someone close to him by a black man, and Neeson said: “It shocked me, this primal urge I had.” While Neeson was called out for his actions, many defended the “Taken” star for his honesty

and his remorse over the ordeal. His bravery to admit something that obviously took its toll on him was seen as something to be proud of by some. I found the reception of Banks and Neeson’s comments very telling, given how they ended up as two sides of the same coin. These events have certainly damaged the Irish image as of late, and hopefully there will be less controversy as the year progresses.

Features

Fight for your accommodation rights Now is the time of year when most students must start thinking about their accommodation situation for the next academic year (September 2019 - May 2020). There are many decisions as students we must make, none of which are easy. You may need to have awkward conversations with current housemates or friends surrounding the topic, a tough reality of growing up. One conversation which shouldn’t be awkward is the conversation with your landlord. If you decide to move into off-

Features

Nicky Anderson breaks down everything you need to know about your rights as a tenant..

campus accommodation the most important thing to do before your search is research your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Whether you’re looking for a single room or are with a group of friends looking to rent a whole house – being informed about your rights and responsibilities but also your landlords rights and responsibilities - is something

that will stand by you through what could be a hard or long process. A landlord is the owner of a property who leases or rents it to another person. The person who rents the property is a tenant. The agreement between the landlord and tenant is a tenancy. According to the Residential Tenancies Board Ireland (RTB) - here

are the main rights and responsibilities you have as a tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act (2004). Also highlighted in the table across are the rights and responsibilities the your landlord set out by the RTB. NOTE: If you are renting a room in your landlord’s home while they also live in the property (“digs”) you are not covered by landlord and tenant legislation.

The dangers of ‘Fast Fashion’ and how your shopping trends affect the envionment BY LISA DIVINEY Fast fashion has taken over the fashion industry, with online clothing lines knocking off other designers and using cheap fabrics and cheap labour to make a profit. Producing clothes in this manner does not only effect small designers that have their designs knocked off but it also has a massive effect on the environment. The fashion industry is one of the main consumers of water. By 2030 experts estimate that the consumption of water by the fashion industry will increase by 50% to 118 billion cubic meters and its carbon footprint will increase to 2,791 tonnes. It is the second largest polluter, after the oil industry. There are ways to ensure that the effect of fast fashion does not create this damage. The climate is close to being irreparable and the fashion industry is one of the main contributors to this issue. Many brands and retailers are already attempting to minimise their impact by using sustainable cotton initiatives to reduce water consumption, energy and chemical use. The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. However, it is also up to us as consumers to ensure we play our part in minimising the damage to the environment. Fashion consumption by consumers has reached its peak with the rise of fast fashion brands. The general population seems to have and insatiable need to always have the newest trends in their wardrobe, creating overconsumption in the industry as consumers chase the latest ‘trend’. However there are ways that the damage can be reduced. Firstly we need to understand that most of the items you are buying brand new can be bought second hand. Charity shops are a goldmine if you give yourself the time to search through the racks. Branded streetwear can be found at a fraction of their retail price, so you are saving money and saving the planet at the same time. Although it may be more expensive to buy but try to go for brands that use organic fibres, such as Bibico and Thought. These brands believe in creating clothes that do not harm the environment and use only organic method to create the clothes.

Lifestyle

I know this may be shocking but you can wear the same outfit twice. There is absolutely no reason to be splashing the cash in a new outfit every time you are going out. Re use your clothes, they are meant to be worn. Realistically no one is going to pay attention to the fact that you are wearing the same outfit again, if you think about no one is paying that much attention to our lives. Pick up a needle and thread. So what your pair of jeans have a tear, sew it up or bring it to a seamstress. You are supporting a local business and keeping what probably is a perfectly good pair of jeans out of the landfill. Instead of throwing out you clothes try and sell them. Depop makes selling clothes so simple and it’s a way to make a little extra cash. Your clothes will find a

new home and will be reused. Recycling clothes is so important if we are going to do our bit to tackle the damage that the fashion industry is causing to the environment.

Guide to Chemsex HEALTH WELLNESS AWARENESS

BY NICKY ANDERSON CHEMSEX is the term given to the use of drugs before or during sex, most commonly by gay or bisexual men. The idea is to experience a more ‘europhic’ feeling during sex and is achieved by taking a drug known as ‘G’. ‘G’ can refer to GHB (gamma-hydroxybutrate), also known by its street-name liquid ecstasy, or GBL (gamma-butyrolactone). Both drugs are illegal and have potentially very serious dangerous effects. GHB is a central nervous system depressant and reported positive effects of it include - euphoria, increased sex drive, and tranquillity. Negative effects include : sweating, loss of consciousness, nausea, hallucinations, amnesia, and coma, among other side effects. People take GBL with the hope of improving athletic performance, sleep, and sexual performance/pleasure. They also take it for relieving depression and stress, prolonging life, promoting clear thinking, causing relaxation. The serious possible side effects of GBL include - the inability to control the bowels, vomiting, mental changes, sedation, agitation, combative

ness, memory loss, serious breathing and heart problems, fainting, seizures, coma, and death. The interesting relationship between these two drugs is that GBL is actually converted to GHB in the body after it is swallowed. Meaning although many people may think GBL is safer than GHB, they both have the same very serious potential side effects. Other drugs used for Chemsex are: crystal methamphetamine, ketamine and mephedrone. The UK has seen a number of men die as a result of overdosing. The practice has been gaining traction in Ireland over the last number of years. In 2016 a paper compiled by Dublin-based researchers was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, which assessed the prevalence of chemsex, associated behaviours and STIs among attendees at Ireland’s only MSM-specific sexual health clinic over a six-week period in 2016. Of the 510 respondents, one in four (27%), admitted to engaging in chemsex within the previous 12 months, and half had taken two drugs during their last chemsex experience.

Placebo Pills: FHSR report dispels myths surrounding seven-day contraception pill break BY JESSICA DOYLE HAVING a “period” while on the pill is not necessary, a report by the FSHR (Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare) has confirmed. Standard combined oral contraceptive pills come in packs of 21 sometimes with seven added placebo pills - and are designed to allow for a seven-day withdrawal bleed where women experience what seems like a regular period. The FSHR has found that there are no health benefits to this and that taking the pill uninterrupted for 28 days can eradicate symptoms associated with the “period” such as cramps and headaches. Ms Claire Kearns, Clinical Nurse Manager at UL’s Sexual Health Clinic, is not sure that students on

Lifestyle

the pill will want to skip their period. She said: “Girls are obsessed with having their period and they associate it with not being pregnant.” The FSHR also suggest that taking the pill continuously for the full month can minimise the risk of unplanned pregnancy. Nurse Kearns believes that the heightened risk of pregnancy will still be a factor with the pill as a method of contraception as it is user dependent. She said: “The pill is very user dependent regardless of whether you take it for 21 days or 28 days. Unlike the bar or the coil or LARCs (long-acting reversible contraception) which are not user dependent. [The pill] depends on how you take it – consistency is key.”

It is now the aim of the FSHR to lobby pill manufacturing companies to provide monthly-supply packs. These new medical guidelines have prompted people to ask why the seven-day break was imposed in the first place. John Guillebaud, Emeritus Professor of Family Planning and Reproductive Health, rejected the “sub-optimal” way the pill has been prescribed to women in the last 60 years. Professor Guillebaud told The Telegraph: “The gynaecologist John Rock devised [the break] because he hoped the Pope would accept the pill and make it acceptable for Catholics to use. “Rock thought if it did imitate the natural cycle then the Pope would

accept it. When his campaign to get the pill accepted by the Pope failed, he just simply stopped being a Catholic.” One UL student commented: “Another example of the Church controlling women’s’ bodies. I can’t believe it!” Nurse Kearns said: “The concern always was that your risk of endometrial cancer would be elevated and so by having the break, the thinking was you were shedding the endometrial layer of the uterus. In actual fact the action of the hormone progesterone is doing that anyway.” Asked what she thought about the new findings another UL student said: “I would probably consider taking the pill for a full month if they start making packs for it.”

Fire Looks, Fashion and Deﬁning Femininity: The rising popularity of student Drag Culture

BY ENYA MCINTYRE Fashion is undoubtedly one of the greatest tools for selfexpression known to exist. In the words of Alternative Miss UL 2018 champion, Ryan Hanton:

However, when people discuss fashion, more often than not they put people into boxes: Black? Goth. Pink? Girly-girl. Mini-skirt? Slut. So much attention is given to the divisions created by fashion, that

we forget about the bridges made. Nowadays fashion and social media seem to go hand in hand, without one the other wouldn’t survive. A world without Instagram would mean no bloggers down your neck telling you to buy another cute outfit you don’t need. And a world without that cute outfit would mean no cute Instagram post. Point proven. So, what are all these influences achieving? Aside from the obvious increase in vanity and decrease in your bank account funds, fashion influencers also creating communities. Within these online, fashion ommunities, Ryan explains: “the focus isn’t on who’s a man and who’s a woman but

Drag Queen winner of 2018: Ms Indigo Australia photographed by Maria McSweeney

Lifestyle

who has the most fire look”. He continues: “Gay, straight, male, female, drag queen, MUA; it’s not a diverse group. It’s a group of artists and people interested in fashion”. This new fashion community phenomena can be seen clearly in the popular rise in Drag culture worldwide. Through the infusion of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’ into mainstream media, drag has taken a massive increase in popularity, attracting a large following of people irrespective of gender or sexuality. Recently, Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) hosted their second annual Drag Show. Co-organizer, Stevie Cody gives an insight into the reasoning behind the drag show and the importance of fashion to him: “I started making clothes because I couldn’t afford

to buy the clothes I would feel comfortable in”. The student refers to fashion’s function as a “voice” for people: “Someone so quiet you’d see in college would never even open their mouth and then you see them on a night out with this get up that makes your jaw drop to the floor and you’re just like, this is where all your expression is. This is where your voice is, it’s not lost”. Despite being in a college where “straight people are the minority”, Stevie explains: “There’s still new young gay teenagers coming here from small places. I know people who would be totally different here then they are at home”. It is for this reason, amongst others, that Stevie and cofounder Emily Conlan decided to create an all-inclusive fashion show: “We wanted to make a

safe space where people can come and enjoy themselves”. Ryan reiterated much of this, reflecting on his own coming out and how his discovery of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’ brought him to a greater acceptance of himself. “Just knowing that you’re not alone, you’re not a freak to everyone is such a powerful thing for any outcast”. The theme of inclusivity is central in drag events across colleges, including queens of all genders. “I think drag queens remind women they are valuable and worth talking about outside the context of getting a man and that’s why so many women, straight and gay alike, find themselves gravitating towards drag,” says Hanton. Ryan also discussed the importance of the male MUA functioning almost as a reversal of drag: “While in the drag scene we’re seeing women celebrate how gay men traditionally expressed femininity and trying it themselves, we’re seeing gay men step into the beauty blogger world and celebrate how women traditionally expressed their femininity”. “I think the wall between those two is crumbling and it’s becoming one community where all people are coming together to express themselves with makeup and sequins and it’s beautiful and uplifting to see”. Although, the proud young man admits it’s not always this sunny being an open member of the queer community, he is quick to note: “I do definitely think fashion is better at bringing people together than separating them.” “People are serving looks constantly and I think that’s amazing, like it’s so common now to have people coming up to you like “I love your outfit that’s amazing”. One thing all parties can agree on is that fashion isn’t about who’s a man and who’s a woman, but who has the most fire look.”

Letter from the Fuinneamh Editor 2013 was a simpler time. Macklemore was inexplicably the biggest rapper in the world, the notion of Liverpool ever being a serious title-contending team seemed like a fever dream, and Netflix releasing House Of Cards on their streaming service looked like a weird experiment at best, and folly at worst. Cut to 2019, and Netflix is as ubiquitous in the media landscape as any studio, some of television’s most critically acclaimed and beloved shows are original creations of the service, and Roma, a film that was purchased by Netflix, is the odds-on favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars. The idea of a nascent streaming service becoming an awards season powerhouse seemed somewhat remote at the outset of the decade, but we’re now at the cusp of a revolution in the film industry. But let’s look at the bigger picture here. Granted, Netflix is busy giving some of Hollywood’s most prominent creative voices like The Coen Brothers, Alfonso Cuaron and Martin Scorcese free reign on what they release, but without any metric of its commercial success by means of verifiable streaming figures, it’s worthless. You may remember that Netflix stealth releasing The Cloverfield Paradox was touted as a “game-changer” in terms of big-budgeted movies debuting online instead of a cinema, but the history of films shows that expanding too quick can be the downfall of a studio – just ask Cannon or United Artists. Netflix claims that 45 million people watched Bird Box within a week of its December release, and they claimed that Kurt Russell vehicle The Christmas Chronicles had the same viewing numbers as a 200 million dollar opening weekend – but there is no way of proving those numbers. Netflix’s marketing people throw out those numbers when it suits

them or paints them in a positive light but won’t give numbers when they cancel shows like Daredevil, or how many people watched Bright, but turned it off after 15 minutes. A cautionary tale for Netflix to follow is Dreamworks. They got into the business to challenge the old guard of the classic Big Six Hollywood studios, but went bust within 15 years after a series of financial overruns, too many cooks in the kitchen, and perhaps most crucially, they were trying to perfect or better a formula that had worked for nearly a century before that. Netflix transformed the television landscape forever because it captured lightning in a bottle – people want to watch one episode of a show after the other, but film watching is a different beast altogether. Netflix, and to a lesser extent Amazon, trying to change the status quo may be a brave and bold endavour, but when you have so many past historical failures staring at you in the face, it seems hopelessly naïve to think that Netflix will do any better. When Roma wins Best Picture in a few weeks, it’ll be dubbed as a paradigm shift and the launch of a bold new era in films. People said the same thing when Orion won 4 Best Picture statues in 7 years, and Dreamworks won 2 in a row in 2000 and 2001. - MICHAEL FINNERTY

Academy Awards 2019 Who will Win and Who should Win This year’s Oscars cycle has been perhaps the most controversial in years. Fuinneamh editor, Mike Finnerty gives his top picks in each of the major categories... BEST PICTURE WILL WIN: ROMA SHOULD WIN: ROMA

Roma winning Best Picture would be a historic moment in film history in more ways than one. This is a fork in the road moment for the industry, as Internet behemoth Netflix gave Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuaron free reign to make whatever he wants – and he makes a black-and-white domestic drama, entirely in Mexican Spanish. A win for an internet company and a win for a foreign language film would send ripples through the film industry as we know it – it could be a bad thing for the industry or a good thing, but it’s a shot in the arm the industry needs before they actually give a superhero film a Best Picture statue. Here’s hoping Roma can succeed where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fell short in 2000.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WILL WIN: A STAR IS BORN SHOULD WIN: BLACKKKLANSMAN

A Star Is Born is this year’s La La Land. The populist favourite, a coronation for its director, and it boasted songs that lodged themselves into the public consciousness. It seemed a slam-dunk for a sweep until better films came along. But the one major category it might win out of sympathy is in Adapted Screenplay. This is the most interesting category of the night, as BlackKlansman has been gaining momentum all awards season, and a win here for Spike Lee would be the classic Oscar choice. It would be poetic that 30 years after being disgracefully snubbed for Do The Right Thing, he makes his most blatantly political film yet and takes home the statue. Do The Right Thing, Academy, and give the Oscar to Spike.

BEST DIRECTOR WILL WIN: ALFONSO CUARON SHOULD WIN: ALFONSO CUARON

Much like Phantom Thread winning Costume Design last year, this is most foregone conclusion in Oscar history.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY WILL WIN: GREEN BOOK SHOULD WIN: FIRST REFORMED

The idea of the director of Dumb and Dumber winning an Oscar for screenwriting should be more exciting, but sadly it’s for a deeply bad film. The Original Screenplay category has become a fun place to see weird, outside the mainstream films get a day in the limelight and this year’s role is occupied by Paul Schrader’s First Reformed. The Academy didn’t nominate Schrader for Taxi Driver or Raging Bull, and they would probably be very keen to rectify that mistake. Plus, Green Book winning TWO Oscars? There would be riots in the streets.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS WILL WIN: REGINA KING SHOULD WIN: REGINA KING

Another category that is bulletproof – put the house on Regina King. Barry Jenkins turning into the director that wins solid TV supporting actors Oscars has been one of the decade’s most defining narratives in film, and Regina King would be yet another excellent choice. Seeing as Rachel Weisz already has a win in this category, the unwritten Oscar rulebook dictates you give the award to the respected character actress who has never been nominated.

BEST ACTOR WHO WILL WIN: RAMI MALEK WHO SHOULD WIN: RAMI MALEK

For its many, many faults, Rami Malek makes Bohemian Rhapsody at least watchable, and the Queen performance at Live Aid and the re-enactment in the film shows you how perfect Rami Malek nailed the legendary Freddie Mercury’s quirks and tics. The Academy loves giving people acting Oscars even though the film they star in is terrible (see also, Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, Leo in The Revenant, Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady) but you can’t blame Rami Malek for how bad Bohemian Rhapsody is – he’s the only good part in it.

SUPPORTING ACTOR WILL WIN: MAHERSHALA ALI SHOULD WIN: SAM ELLIOT

Much like Rami Malek, it isn’t Mahershala Ali’s fault he’s great in a bad movie. Mahershala Ali going two-for-two with Oscar wins would be nice, but Sam Elliot arguably deserves it more. He’s been solidly working since the 1970s, has worked for everyone from The Coen Brothers to Ang Lee, and of course, turned in an Oscar-worthy performance 30 years opposite Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse. Ali will no question get another shot at adding to his Oscar haul, but from the romanticist point of view, it makes perfect sense to give the Oscar to Elliot – if only for his moustache alone.

BEST ACTRESS WILL WIN: GLENN CLOSE SHOULD WIN: OLIVIA COLMAN

Another category you can call right now. There is no way in hell that Glenn Close is losing this category. She’s now a seven-time nominee, and The Academy doesn’t want to make the same mistake they did with Peter O’Toole and not give a legend of the screen a competitive Oscar. Which is a shame, because the idea of Olivia Colman going from Peep Show to Oscar winner within 15 years would be hilarious.

What to look forward to in 2019 BY CAITLIN REDDIE 2019 is looking like a wonderful year for all things entertainment. From music, to movies, to books, we have a busy year ahead of us. Here’s everything that must not be missed in 2019, so grab your calendars and mark the dates! We’re set to see a number of cinematic gems hit the big screen in the next coming months. For all Disney lovers like myself, I’m sure you’ll have heard already about the live-action adaption of the widely loved ‘Lion King.’ This adaption stars a musically iconic cast including Beyoncé Carter and Donald Glover, who are often seen in

the charts. We also have ‘Us’, from the same director that brought us ‘Get Out’, ‘Us’ is another Horror/Thriller with a fantastic cast that is highly anticipated. We can also look forward to the final film in the Avengers saga, ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ which has Marvel fans everywhere on tender hooks. Finally, Quentin Tarantino will be bringing us back to the 60’s this year with his star studded ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.’ On the TV front we have the final season of the beloved ‘Game of thrones.’ With a huge fanbase I’m sure viewers will be devastated knowing this is the final end-

ing of a fantastic series, however all the more reason to tune in as I’m sure we’ll be seeing the show go out with a bang. Netflix will be hosting the second season of ‘You’ and ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,’ two quirky and eerie shows that shot to popularity late last year. We will also be seeing the return of the popular ‘Rick and Morty’ series for all those with a dry sense of humour, as well as massively popular Netflix original ‘Stranger Things.’ On the music scene, 17 year old Billie Eilish has taken the world by storm, with a number of her singles featuring in the top charts, and her new album ‘When

we all fall asleep where do we go?’ is set to come out on March 29th. More highly anticipated albums of the year include Bastilles ‘Dooms Day,’ Kanye West’s ‘Yandhi,’ and Lana Del Rey’s ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell.’ Books you have to add to your reading list for 2019 include ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Wood, a follow on from the award winning ‘Handmaids Tale,’ and ‘The Chestnut Man’ by Soren Sveistrup a fast paced gripping crime thriller. So, with all this to look forward to, it seems that 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting year, with plenty to do and not enough time to do it all.

Film Review: Velvet Buzzsaw BY ERIN DYER

Set in a world full of greed, narcissism and lies, Velvet Buzzsaw is Netflix’s new star-studded horror film that is leaving many scratching their heads. In the contemporary art scene of Los Angeles, art and supernatural forces collide when a mysterious mans death brings his unsettling art into the hands of big-money art dealers. The film follows the art critic Morf Vandewalt, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, a well respected L.A. art critic who has the power to destroy artists with a bad review and his colleagues in the art world. This role is vastly different for Gyllenhaal as he plays an inherently flawed, pompous man who has no issue ruining careers. Gyllenhaal’s character becomes entangled in a relationship with an aspiring gallerist (Zawe Ashton), who’s working with an established dealer (Rene Russo). Supported by talented actors such as John Malkovich, Toni Collette and Tom Sturridge, the film has all the makings of a quality, mind-bending movie that watchers will have fun trying to understand. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy the film is set in the same world as Nightcrawler and it is easy to see the similarities through the morally corrupt characters portrayed in both films. However while fitting companions for their portrayal of characters, the

difference in the films lays in the setting of each. Buzzsaw portrays a glamorous, lavish life filled with money and sex while Nightcrawler shows the gritty, crime-filled side of downtown L.A. While the film is inherently a critical view on the cut-throat world of art and the people who work in high-end art galleries, there is no sense that it is a criticism of the art world itself. Gilroy successfully conveys to the viewers that it is not the world of art that is flawed, rather those who abuse the world for their own gains all the while having no actual interest in the art itself. Gyllenhaal clearly has a lot of fun in his portrayal of the ridiculous Morf, the subtle comedy clear in his overreactions throughout the movie. The calibre of the actors throughout the movie is something special and many of them are a joy to watch on screen. Toni Collette’s almost Anna Wintour portrayal of the art consultant Gretchen makes for an enjoyable experience for the viewer and it is clear the actor had a great time playing an utterly unpleasant character. However, the films flaws lie in its, at times, confused telling of the story itself. The viewer gets lost in the many subplots present in the films complicated world and at times it seems the film loses sight of it’s own purpose. When the film actually gets down

to the gory bits, much of the films nuanced satirical portrayal of the art world is lost in it’s unoriginal methods of scaring us. Tension is lost as somewhat stereotypical methods of the horror genre are employed over and over. For many the “scares” are lacklustre and the movie maintains a more tense atmosphere than a scary one. I do wonder if that is meant to be the way the movie is be- whether the horror is not meant to lie in the supernatural but rather in the actions of those who are present in the world around us. Many of the individuals are horrible people, and at their core is nothing but a selfservicing need to get richer through deceit and deplorable acts. Maybe the real horror of Velvet Buzzsaw is not the killings or supernatural art, but in fact the portrayal of the humans who are associated with high-end art dealings. A scary thought indeed

Your Guide to UL Charity Week BY CATHAL O’SULLIVAN

Most importantly, play your part!

Work in Week 5

From the start Charity Week was always about raising and giving and some students were even unaware that this was the root of the partying focused week. Thus, it has been rebranded Charity Week to bring back the focal point being, the raising of money to donate towards the nominated charities. From The Nearly Naked Bounce to multiple different eating competitions, there is numerous ways of getting involved. You can also donate by attending the in-house Stables events; from Chaz and Shee to Smash Hits, the Stables during RAG is certainly not one to be missed! And for the love of God when you pass a volunteer with a bucket, throw your coinage in you’ll only lose it and every little bit counts towards the nominated charities.

Charity Week falls smack bang in the middle of the semester, and often times assignment due dates and midterm assessments coincide with this. You certainly don’t want to be caught trying to finish an assignment that’s worth a chunk of your grade whilst hungover and missing out as all your friends party with Paudie. That would just be silly. Want some advice? Have a dry week in Week 5 and do work, you’ll thank us during Charity Week.

It’s a marathon not a sprint

Go big or go home!

What was gearing up to be a marathon last year, only turned out to be a sprint for most. This year, we have it on good authority from Evelyn Cusack that no weather conditions are going to get in our way from finishing the whole race. Pace yourself when it comes to the drink but have a good time all the same, you don’t want to be sick at the thought of drink by Tuesday. But, if you want our advice, hit up College Court, take the leap and venture to The Moose for a Charity Week breakfast in a pint glass with a creamy head. Take naps here and there to gear yourself up again for the nightlife and there’s no shame in taking a day off if that’s what you need to finish the race and do Charity Week right.

It’s not often in your life that you will be in a situation like Charity Week. You can drink as much as you like (within reason) and have everyone be on the same level as you. And make as big a fool out of yourself as you like without any judgement. So, buy those extra three jagerbombs and put yourself forward for the hypnotist, because before you know it you’ll have no more RAG Weeks left and you’ll surely be kicking yourself for the what could’ve beens!

O’Keefe writes about the true meaning of Charity Know Chloe Week with a break down of this year’s selected charities... Your Charities! This year the University of Limerick Student Union have chosen the amazing charities that are; Rape Crisis Midwest, Clare’s Wish Foundation, Limerick Suicide Watch and the Peter McVerry Trust. Having previously raised substantial amounts of money for the assisted charities, UL hopes to follow the same path as previous years. The aim of the week is, of course to raise money for worthy charities, and this year it is no difference, with UL choosing four very different, but very important charities. Speaking to An Focal, Fundraising and Awareness Officer of Rape Crisis Midwest spoke of how honoured they were to be a chosen charity for the Charity Week,

“Not only will this partnership bring in much needed funds allowing us to continue delivering support services to survivors of sexual violence, but it will also lead to a raised awareness level of our centre with the student population in UL which is hugely important.” Rape Crisis Midwest was founded in 1980 by a group of men and women who were concerned about the lack of services for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. To this day, the organisation is still policing a vision of a society where all forms of sexual violence is upheld. In doing this, they try to raise as much awareness as possible, and commits to providing an equality of services and care to everyone, regardless of age, gender, race etc. Limerick based suicide prevention

group, Limerick Suicide Watch are equally as happy to be on board and gaining financial assistance in patrolling between the four bridges in Limerick City. The main focus of this particular organisation is to keep their eyes on the river and identify as well as support those om distress and/or may be contemplating suicide. Again, another truly important topic to be raising awareness through. The service is wholly voluntarily and depends on volunteers and money, as it is aiming to patrol the river 7 nights a week in the near future. The Peter McVerry Trust is a charity that was set up in 1974 by Fr. Peter McVerry who envisioned to reduce homelessness and the harm caused by misuse of drugs and social disadvantages. It began in Dublin, but since then the trust has launched in Limerick, working with Limerick City and County Council to identify and respond to housing needs. Clare’s Wish Foundation is known to

be the only Irish charity that has granted adults with life-limiting conditions, with a mission to continue to grant the wishes of adults who have terminal medical conditions to enrich and enhance their quality of life. These granted wishes provides respite from the normal routine of hospitals, doctors, and treatments. Clare’s Wish Foundation aims to make wishes that have an ever-lasting impact on the whole family, and creating memories along the way, these experiences include, “a spa weekend for a woman suffering from cancer, a helicopter ride for a man suffering from MS and a family break for a terminally ill mother,” speaks Founder, Fundraising Executive and Wish Granter, Kevin Clancy, of Clare’s Wish Foundation. Charity Week takes place Week 6 of this semester (February 24- 29). All these charities are very worthy charities focusing on very worthy causes, so be sure to be charitable this Charity Week!

LITERATURE:

Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman BY CONOR CLOHESSY An old woman who saw the moon being made, a babysitter with a monstrous smile, and a foreign evil freshly disturbed - Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a stunning masterpiece of magic, mystery, and at its core, family. The author of Coraline, Stardust and American Gods to name but a few, Gaiman is no stranger to presenting the reader with a thorough exploration of humankind’s need for acceptance. At the centre of the story is a middle-aged man returning to his rural family home, only to unlock memories long forgotten in the depths of his own mind. He remembers a certain family of ambiguously-aligned women that lived down the road from him, speciﬁcally Lettie Hempstock, a wise girl who has been eleven for a long time. Although the workings of supernatural beings (of which there are many) is just as mysterious, the story carries a grandiose universe-building which is truly phenomenal for such a limited page range. What is remarkable about The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Gaiman’s ability to bring back the night terrors we had as children and throw us back into the deep end of our old fears. This mainly comes in the form of Ursela Monkton, the nameless main character’s villainous babysitter … whom he believes is actually a worm that came home in a hole in his foot.

Bizarre, I know, but bear in mind this is Neil Gaiman I’m writing about. The decision to not name the narrator (or any of his family mebers) is exceedingly clever, as I couldn’t help but imagine my own siblings and parents while reading. Regarding this over-arching theme of acceptance in many of Gaiman’s tales, it is never more prevalent than when reading about a child who thinks the entire world is going mad around him. In American Gods, the old deities have lost their inﬂuence because of a lack of faith in them; in Stardust, the protagonist goes on a quest to prove himself to a woman who doesn’t deserve his time; in Coraline, the tough little girl is sent into the arms of a demonic alter ego family that accepts her for who she is. The shift in antagonistic motive lends to this theme as well, with the main baddie not wanting to destroy the world, but rather to belong to it in a way that they do not perceive to be bad. It all comes down to one thing - love. Listed on the New York Times Bestseller List as #1 Hardcover Fiction, and Book of the Year 2013 at the British National Book Awards, among other prestigious prizes, The Ocean at the End of the Lane kept me embarrassingly engaged the whole way through, and I would genuinely give it a 9.9/10.

Book Review: The Woman in the Window By A.J. Finn MEGHAN MCENIRY BROSNAN Following the recent scrutiny of author Dan Mallory (Pen-name A.J. Finn) and the upcoming motion picture starring Amy Adams, I decided to take a peek into the biggest selling ﬁction title of 2018. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman, lives alone in New York City, trapped in her home with bottles of wine, black and white movies and last, but certainly not least, the zoom lens she uses to magnify the minute details of her neighbours’ lives. Estranged from her husband and daughter, Anna immediately becomes ﬁxated on the picturesque family that have just moved

in nearby. And in true but predictable fashion, nothing is as it seems. When she hears a scream from her neighbour’s apartment, Anna witnesses Jane Russell stagger into view with a knife in her chest. However, when the police investigate, they introduce her to Alistair Russell and his wife, Jane – a woman Anna has never seen before. How could this be? Is Anna being gaslighted? Taking inspiration from Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on The Train, The Woman in the Window is a smart twist on the unreliable narrator. You never know if you can trust her, making the ﬁrst-per-

son narrative grow increasingly claustrophobic as the plot slowly unfolds. Beneath the heavy plot, there’s a layer of cultural enjoyment for lovers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Part of this fun is playing spot-the-reference. Anna references Rear Window multiple times throughout. Anna watches Vertigo so keep an eye out for doubled blondes. Anna watches Gaslight, so who’s trying to convince her she’s crazy? Her murdered neighbour is even named Jane Russell, a reference to the late Hollywood actress. The heavy referentiality here is good, but fans of the genre will likely spot the big twists before they are

revealed. You can binge read this book, but you don’t necessarily do it to ﬁnd out what happens next. You know what happens next. The movie already exists. More satisfying is the subplot of Anna battling her agoraphobia. The mystery behind her trauma emerges in one horrifying set piece. Again, you’ll see the reveal coming from miles away, but it makes for a far more chilling tale than any of the cliché scares that drive the main story. It’s not mind-blowing. It’s not life-changing but The Woman in the Window is page-turning goodness.

Let’s talk about Sex (Education) baby! Netflix’s new original series is one of the most honest teen shows of recent years. Sex Education portrays all the trials and tribulations of puberty and growing up in a very real, very accurately awkward way. Teenage years can be a confusing and difficult time for most, and this show acknowledges that completely and delivers it with humour and sophistication. The show stars Asa Butterfield as Otis, an awkward teenager. What Otis lacks in sexual experience he makes up for in knowledge attributed to growing up with a sex and relationship therapist mother (the incredible Gillian Anderson). Otis’ sexual knowledge proves useful when helping the school bully with his own sexual problems. An opportunity to use this knowledge is spotted by bad girl Maeve (Emma Mackey), who convinces Otis to start up a counselling business with her as a way to earn money by helping their peers with any sexual problems they have. Despite his very complicated relationship with sex and his own sexuality, Otis quickly learns that he is very good at giving advice, and helps many classmates work through their struggles and problems. Creator Laurie Nunn’s first attempt at television is refreshing and original. She uses stereotypical characters but develops them far beyond their tropes, the gay best

Andrea Sheehan talks about the importance of the Netﬂix Original, ‘Sex Education’ for its honest portrayal of modern adolescence... friend with deep emotional struggles, the ‘jocks’ with fears and anxieties, and the mean girls with their own complex emotions and storylines. One of the strongest character arcs we see is of Otis’ best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), who struggles to find himself in a racist and homophobic world as a black gay teenager. Eric’s exuberance, flamboyance and humour shine across the screen, and his struggle with self-affirmation is inspiring. Although it is set in modern Britain and filmed in the Welsh countryside, the series feels heavily inspired by a John Hughes-esque 80’s American style and has no clear sense of location or time. This gives the show a universal feel, and highlights how much the teenage years can affect everyone in similar ways, no matter where, when or who they are. Many teen programmes in today’s society centre on glamorous, well dressed, sophisticated teenagers who seem to have everything figured

out (we’re looking at you, Gossip Girl and Riverdale) but Sex Education highlights how in reality this is not always the case, particularly when it comes to sex and relationships. Although often awkward, the

“

Teenage years can be a confusing and diﬃcult time for most, and this show acknowledges that completely and delivers it with humour and sophistication.

discussion of sex in the show is honest and natural, which strikes a contrast to the taboo nature of the subject in Ireland. The show deals with some difficult topics such as abortion in a very real and delicate way. To this day the majority of Irish schools are Catholic, and as a result of this are very lacking in the sexual education department. In many schools

contraception can’t even be discussed, as any contraception that is deemed to be ‘unnatural’ (contraceptive pill, condoms, coil etc.) are against the Catholic beliefs and therefore cannot be taught. Not only is this extremely dated thinking, it is also dangerous, as the risk of STD’s and pregnancy are definitely something everyone should be aware of. Many Irish students have received little to no sexual education in school, and therefore can struggle with problems and have questions when they do become sexually active. One hour of SPHE a week is absolutely not enough education for young teenagers, and this subject doesn’t even continue to Leaving Cert years when it’s needed the most. Things are getting better, slowly but surely, and it is so important that we can learn to be open and honest in our discussions and teachings around sexual health and education. Maybe Sex Education is exactly what we need to encourage people to be more comfortable and open to talking about sex, to teach us that there is nothing to be embarrassed about, and learn to leave the taboo in the past, where it belongs.

TV Review: Season Three of True Detective stays true to roots BY CONOR CLOHESSY It has been 5 years since True Detective first graced our screens with its emphatic first season starring the dynamic duo Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The crime anthology series produced by HBO found well-deserved success at the BAFTAs, as well as nominations at the Golden Globes and the Emmys. The dark atmosphere that came with the debut season was what garnered most of its traction, with a storyline based around the dismantling of a backwards, Satanic cult in Louisiana. With stellar performances from the all the cast, in particular McConnaughey, the series would find it terribly difficult to ever reach the same popularity. This was proven in 2015 with the star-studded Season 2, which ended up getting savagely slated by critics as a bitter disappointment compared to its

predecessor. Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Rachel McAdams, Vince Vaughn and David Morse - what could possibly go wrong with a cast like that? It seems that most of True Detective’s fans were looking for a carbon copy of the first season, and when they received a well thought-out, police corruption drama instead of a slightly-horrific thriller, it wasn’t well received. However, I for one believed that Season 2 did not deserve the dismissal it suffered. After a short hiatus, Season 3 is now airing, starring the recent Grammy winner Mahershala Ali, as well as Michael Rooker and Stephen Dorff. Returning to its roots, the third season has enjoyed a great reception - HBO must have listened to its die-hard fans, as this time around the show reminds the viewer a lot more of the first season, while still maintaining its own unique style.

The journey of African-American cop Wayne “Purple Haze” Hays is presented to us throughout the racially-charged eras of the 80s, 90s and present day … all while his mind deteriorates through Alzheimer’s. The Vietnam veteran and expert tracker goes between the three beautifully balanced timelines, picking through lost memories in a desperate attempt to solve a case that never left him - the disappearance of two children. As the series goes on, we are constantly reminded of writer Nic Pizzolatto’s innate skill to show all angles of a high-profile case, and this is showcased better than ever with the broad cast in the new season. With only two episodes left in this instalment, things are really heating up, and I would recommend lovers of drama or appreciators of brilliant acting and directing to give it a watch.

Album Review: thank u, next

BY ERIN DYER It’s only been six months since the release of her smash hit album “Sweetener” and the queen of pop Ariana Grande has just released her follow up album “thank u, next”. The recent turmoil the star has faced in her personal life provides the singer with a lot to touch on in this album, and she certainly does it in her own unique way. From the release of the hit single “thank u, next” audiences knew Grande wasn’t wallowing in her pain, rather embracing the events of the last year and cele-

brating herself for coping with them. Heavily influenced by R&amp;B, this album is a departure from her usual “bubblegum pop” and conveys an entirely different message to fans about her approach to life and loss. Grande no longer sings about survival, instead her narrative has changed to that of acceptance. Just six-months after Sweetener, the album opens new wounds in Grande’s life all while singing about ex’s and friends in a respectful, playful way. This album is a perfect follow up to Sweetener and it opens a new chapter in Grandes life, instead of the “everything will fix itself ” attitude from the last album Ariana now tackles issues with a tone of intimacy that isn’t lost on the listener. Even those who aren’t familiar with the stars music, Grandes name has been in the public eye a lot over the past year due to a torrent of misfortune in the stars personal life. Many of the tragedies in her life have been extremely public events and the singer doesn’t shy away from these in her songs. Instead, throughout her music audiences are now able to gain more of an understanding into the emotions behind the words just from knowing the events in her life.

Resonating with audiences far and wide for its embodiment of resilience, love and happiness, Grande manages to connect with her fans on a level different to her other albums. Grande successfully blends vulnerability with her stunning vocal talents meaning each song is different to the last. Emotional moments aren’t lost in this album, “Ghostin” the artist shows that she still mourns the loss of the late Mac Miller. In a simple one voice, one melody track Grande conveys her heartbreak even before she speaks on the track. We also understand the artists difficulty in expressing her grief as she was in a very public relationship at the time. In stark comparison “7 rings” brings with it an air of indulgence and fun. Singing about the lavishness of her life, Grande boasts of her riches stating “I see, I like it, I want it, I got it.” This album, while cheesy at times, provides each listener with one Instagram caption worthy lyric after another. Each song pairs easy melodies with sublime vocals and while the subject matter may be dark and depressing at times, Grandes upbeat attitude allows us to celebrate usually dark emotions in new ways.

Smoking Ban Whilst I commend the University for the attempt at making a healthier campus for all, with the Smoke and Vape free initiative they introduced a couple of years ago, it’s time to admit it’s been a complete failure. In pre-ban times most people appeared to smoke while moving from building to building. Consequently, you may have to pass by a few smokers while moving about the campus but, as you were moving, it wasn’t too bad. Now, it just seems as if all the smokers in college have unified, divided themselves into equal groups, and disbanded on the entrance to almost every building on the campus. Step outside the front door of the main building and there’s sure to be a group of them puffing away. Outside the Foundation building, puffing away, Kemmy, puffing away. God forbid you should step outside the library. It’s like a contestant re-emerging on an episode of Stars in their Eyes. Tonight Matthew I’m going to be - covered in cigarette smoke. While the University tried to do a commendable thing, we need to now realise its failed. Make a few designated smoking areas around the campus where people who wish to smoke may go and they rest of us don’t have to enter buildings through a wall

Letters to : r o t i d e e h t Smoking Ban #2 Dear Editor, I’m writing to commend the University on their no smoking initiative and think it should be introduced to every campus in Ireland. It’s a vile habit that destroys the campus with litter and turns it into a toxic learning environment. Why should we be punished for other students’ bad life choices? UL has become one of the most prestigious campuses for sporting and health sciences and to allow smoking, or even sell cigarettes would go against everything students are taught. That said, I do think it should be implemented better as I still see students smoking outside the library and during international night - Even with security nearby! The authorities don’t seem to care about their duties and turn a blind eye to smokers. How can we pride ourselves on being a smoke free campus if no one is following the rules?

Sweaty SU Common Room Dear Editor What is the story with getting a few air fresheners in the common room upstairs in the SU? Like, seriously. Do we need to get a petition going or something? I’m sick of trying to go up and have a game of pool or munch on a wee bag of meanies with a a can coke, landing up there and feeling like I’ve walked into a sweaty armpit that someone has vomited on. I mean it’s just not on lads and ladies. You can pick up shower gel down the road in Aldi for about 89 cent people. And a can of antiperspirant for about a euro. Two euros lads and ye will smell like a princesses knickers for the week. Get on it folks. As much as I would like to believe everyone will follow my advice, I feel like it falls on the Student Union to purchase a few air fresheners. Even if ye stick a tenner a day aside from the budget and buy four of five of them car air fresheners. You know the ones that look like a Christmas tree. That Black Ice one is a beauty. It’s gotten to stage where I’m forced to eat my lunch in the Red Raisin.

Brexit: The best show on TV? Dear Editor, Have you seen this TV show called Brexit? It’s really good! It takes place in this country called England, they think they’re the most important people in the world, but in reality, they’re just deluded anarchists who only end up hurting themselves. I love that there’s a new twist in every episode, there have been some great character development (the Jeremy Corbyn character clinging onto his job despite being terribly unqualified is hilarious!) and the memes on Ireland Simpsons Fans about the show are really funny. The Theresa May character is getting a bit one-note and repetitive, (she says

the “I will respect the will of the British people” at least once an episode,) but I think the writers are going to write her out pretty soon anyway. I would love to see Boris Johnson’s character put in charge, imagine the hilarity that would ensue and the banter he would have with Jeremy Corbyn. Boris Johnson is like Newman to Theresa May’s George Costanza, he’s always trying to one-up her, and she gets really annoyed about it. The best bits of the show is when 600 characters are together in one really small room, and this one guy starts screaming like a metal singer trying to

get everyone to shut up, I hope he gets his own spin-off show. His catchphrase “Mr. Speakerrrrrr” is a really great quote, I can see that appearing on t-shirts and mugs with his face on it. There was an episode recently where Theresa May’s character had a really embarrassing defeat, but Jeremy Corbyn got overconfident and tried to get rid of her, those vote episodes are some of the best episodes of TV you’ll ever see. The season finale on March 29th will be up there with the ending of Breaking Bad or The Sopranos; the world will stand still to see how it plays

out. I hear that the producers know that the show is really popular and they want to keep the show going on beyond March 29th, but I don’t see how that will work. Will it just turn into The Simpsons where it runs for too many seasons? The American version isn’t half as good (there’s this character called Donald Trump that started out funny, but it got old fast) but it’s at least watchable, it’s like how the English version of The Office is better than the American version. Signed, Pol É Thick

Want to have your say? Why not write to the team at anfocal@ul.ie

Ashbourne Final: Match Report UL v UCC UL 3-8 UCC 0-8 BY IVAN SMYTH University of Limerick has won four Ashbourne titles in a row for the first time in the college’s history as they defeated University College Cork in a physical encounter. Goals at the beginning of each half set UL up for a fourth consecutive Ashbourne Cup and fifth in six seasons at the Mallow GAA Complex. This was the fourth year in a row that the sides have met in the showpiece event, with UL winning the three previous encounters. The defending champions made a dream start when Rebecca Delee scored a goal with 50 seconds on the clock. Waterford player Beth Carton played a diagonal ball into space for Limerick woman and she placed the

sliotar underneath UCC goalkeeper Aoife Walsh to give UL the perfect start. A free from Carton put UL 1-1 to 0-0 after two minutes. The teams then traded points as Niamh McCarthy and Chloe Sigerson put over for the skull and crossbones, while Caoimhe Lyons and Clare Hehir responded for UL. Tipperary’s Sarah Fryday struck a nice score and Carton added two further frees to give UL a 1-5 to 0-2 cushion after 12 minutes. UL would fail to score for the next 20 minutes as Sigerson pointed a 45 and Blackrock’s Haley Ryan added two frees to reduce the deficit to three points. UCC added another point as UL were struggling for scores but Beth Carton pointed a ‘45 on the stroke of

half time to hand UL a 1-6 to 0-6 lead at the break. Another Hayley Ryan free in the 34th minute gave the Cork side the opening score of the second half but with 37 minutes gone, the decisive moment of the game occurred. A Carton free dropped short and UCC goalkeeper Aoife Walsh opted the bat the ball instead of catching it, the breaking ball fell to Hannify and the Galway woman created enough space to hand pass the sliotar into the net to give UL a five point lead. After a ten minute spell of no scoring, Hayley Ryan pointed a ‘45 and Cork All-Ireland winner Hannah Looney narrowed the gap for UCC. However, the Limerick college finished stronger with Roisin Howard pointing before a well-worked Rebecca

Delee score made it 2-8 to 0-8. UCC tried desperately to break down a resolute UL rearguard but to no avail and in third minute of injury time Hannify was able to grab her second goal with a fine finish with the last play of the game. UL: Roisin Breen, Ciara Grogan, Mary Ryan, Laura Loughnane, Aoife Keane, Aoife Hehir, Rebecca Delee (11), Ciara Murphy, Andrea Keefe, Sarah Fryday (0-1), Beth Carton (0-4, 3f), Roisin Howard, Caoimhe Lyons (0-1), Niamh Hannify (2-0), Mairead Burke UCC: A Walsh, R Phelan, L O’Sullivan, C Daly, A Landers, L Callanan, M Lynch, C Sigerson (0-4, 3f), F Neville, L Coppinger, H Looney (0-1), K O’Keeffe, H Ryan (0-2, 2f), N McCarthy (0-1), C McCarthy.

First in Northern Hemisphere: University of Limerick To Host Tag Rugby World Cup The University of Limerick has been chosen to host the 2021 Tag Rugby World Cup - the firstever iteration of the tournament to be held in the Northern Hemisphere. The announcement was made within the last hour at Plassey House, and Mayor of Limerick City James Collins has said that Limerick hosting such a big event is a “big deal” for the city, and is a

Sport

“game-changer” with regards to Limerick’s pretensions towards hosting further international events on such a scale. Mayor of Limerick City James Collins enjoying the festivities at this morning’s announcement The tournament will take place entirely on the university grounds. Matches will be played on the pitches, players will rest in the on-campus

accommodation, and they will “get a haircut on campus if needs be” stated Stuart McConnell, director of the Tag Rugby Association. The tournament will take place in August 2021, and over 3000 players are expected to take part, and they will bring friends, family and fans with them to Limerick. This is the first version of the tournament to be held in the Northern Hemipshere - all previous versions of the tournament took place in Oceania - and Stuart

McConnell stated that “the right choice was made in bringing the tournament to Limerick”. It is estimated that this will be a boost of 5 million Euro to the local economy, and according to Karen Brosnan of the Shannon Chamber, the legacy of the tournament “will be felt by all ages, across the continent of Europe”. President of The University of Limerick Dr. Des Fitzgerald speaking at this morning’s event The President of UL, Dr. Des Fitzgerald spoke at this morning’s announcement, and said that the fact the University of Limerick was chosen to host the tournament is a testament to the “vibrant grassroots movement” of tag rugby in Ireland, and was proud of the “diversity of participants in the tournament”. He also went on to state that at 10 University of Limerick alumni, past and present, were part of the wider Irish panel that played in last year’s tournament in Coff ’s Harbour, Australia.

The director of the Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA) Simon Bewley said that today is a “very proud day” and a “perfect way to celebrate our 20th anniversary as an organisation”. Mr. Bewley founded the organisation following a trip to Australia in 2000, and has been seen as the figurehead of the Irish love affair with tag rugby. The Director of Sports at the University of Limerick David Mahedy was also beaming with pride after the announcement, stating that this backs up UL’s claim to be “Ireland’s Sport Campus”. He stated that it may be well and good claiming that title in the marketing of the University, but the fact that UL can back up such claims by hosting this tournament, the World Down’s Syndrome Swimming Championships and the Community Games on campus backs up the claims - and no other campus in Ireland can claim that title.

Aoife Keane to savour success: An Focal Interview UL camogie captains following fourth Ashbourne Cup win Ivan Smyth interviewed UL’s Ashbourne Cup Joint Captains Aoife Keane and Claire Hehir about the team’s victory. On Sunday 10th February the Ashbourne Cup team created history when they defeated UCC to win the college’s fourth Championship in a row. At the heart of that victory were half backs and joint captains Aoife Keane and Claire Hehir. Keane said: “Everyone is on a high after the win. We are embracing this victory as winning an Ashbourne title requires a lot of hard work and focus.” The team lost their senior camogie league final to Waterford IT by six points last November. Keane has hurled in the college for four years and this was the first time she tasted defeat in UL colours. The Inagh-Kilnamona club woman stated: “We said afterwards that our sole focus was on the Ashbourne Cup and we would do everything in our power to reach the final and try win it. The loss was one of the driving forces behind the team

UL Camogie team 2019 Ashbourne Cup winners. Photograph source: Camogie.ie

this year.” In the Ashbourne final UL enjoyed a dream start when Rebecca Delee scored a goal after 50 seconds. They went 1-5 to 0-2 ahead before not scoring for 20 minutes with UCC closing the gap to two points. Hehir insists that the team never panicked and believed that the team were mentally tough enough to grab the

UL Camogie team 2019 Ashbourne Cup winners. Photographed by Ivan Smyth.

Sport

victory. The centre back said: “We knew they weren’t going to lie down after conceding the early goal so we had to keep playing and I think we did. Weathering that storm was key to winning the game.” The third year Biomedical Engineering student played alongside fellow clubmates Keane and midfielder Andrea

Keefe in the final. The pair realise how important their club has been in developing them as players and giving them the opportunity to represent UL. Keane said: “Every player starts off with their club. Our club amalgamated in 2012 so myself and Claire were big rivals at first but now we have a very close friendship.”

The Ashbourne Cup semi-final and final are played over one weekend which is physically demanding for the players. Instead of complaining about playing high intensity games back to back, Keane insists that having the games played over one weekend makes the competition unique. The Science Education student stated: “We love to be playing in games like these. Our set up is very professional so it makes it a lot easier for us to go out and focus on our game.” After winning an Ashbourne Cup in each of her four years in college, this was the wing back’s final campaign with the team. So what is left to do for her now? She said: “I have to get over this semester first. It’s all about enjoying the moment. I have to catch up on the study but it’s fantastic to be in the position we are right now.”

FEATURE INTERVIEW: SPEED SKATER RYAN MCANUFF

Ivan Smyth spoke to Ryan about skating, medicine and running a business. Ryan McAnuff is not your average medical student. He was born in Canada but is speed skating for Ireland and combines running a business with trying to become a doctor. The Toronto born medical student has represented Ireland in short track speed skating since 2016. The 24-year old’s grand parents lived in Belfast before moving to Canada. He has held dual citizenship from a young age, like the rest of his family. His aim is to represent Ireland on the world stage but he also wants to inspire children to take up the sport. He said: “When I’m finished speed skating, whether it be in the next year or ten years, I want the next generation of kids to be able to represent their country in this sport.” Speed skating involves competitors racing each other around a track. Short track speed skating involves representatives skating in Olympic size skating rinks while for long track, the competitors race on a track that is the same size as a running track. Ryan competes alongside his younger brother Seán, who currently lives in Canada, with the pair representing Ireland at the European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Holland last January. The older sibling lives in Limerick but he cannot train on ice in Ireland which makes preparing for major competitions difficult. He stated: “We have no permanent speed skating rinks in Ireland. We hope this changes in the future but for now we make do with what we have.” He was unsure whether he would compete in the Championships due to his lack of training on ice but he returned to Canada

Ryan and Seán McAnuff representing Ireland. Photographed by Ryan McAnuff.

“I want the next generation of kids to be able to represent their country.” for Christmas and practiced. The hard work paid off as he broke the national record time that he had previously held for the 1,500 metres. He recorded a time of 2:14.413 which was more than three seconds faster than his previous best. The inability for him to train on ice is problematic but McAnuff is keen to look at the positives. The speed skater has access to facilities in UL, Limerick and Dublin to help keep him fit for the demands of speed skating, plus he is hoping that a permanent ice rink will be opened in Dublin sometime in the future. Himself and Seán trained in Holland two years ago and they would fly over to Dublin every week for a two-hour training session with children in ice rinks that were opened for the Christmas period. He stated: “The problem for us

is the fact that it is hard for kids to be attracted to it when they can train only once a week for seven weeks.” The Irish-Canadian is the third oldest of four siblings. Patrick and Conor are the oldest while Seán is the youngest. The firstyear student admits it can be tough competing alongside a sibling. He laughed as he said: “I am the older of the two so I always try to be better than him.” “We were very close growing up and we push each other to try and constantly improve.” The Irish Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) contacted the brothers about representing their grandparents homeland in 2014 and they came over in early 2015. At this time, ice skating was the only sport that the ISAI represented in Ireland.

The pair volunteered to coach people from the ages of 3-60 to speed skate before the International Skating Union (ISU) granted Ireland provisional membership for speedskating. Since then the brothers have both represented Ireland in major championships and World Cup events. Ryan stated: “The ISAI are really good for getting funding from Sport Ireland. In some countries you only get €1,000 for costs, which is very little as equipment, accommodation, tournament expenses and other things need to be paid for. We do pay for things ourselves but luckily we have a great support system around us.” The World Championships are taking place in four weeks time in Sofia, Bulgaria. Such is the demand placed upon him by his studies he will not be competing. It is left to Seán to fly the flag

when the Championships take place from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th March. Ryan is listed as an alternate athlete which means he will attend the three days of racing and may compete if athletes pull out. He said: “Unfortunately I won’t be racing at the Worlds. Even though the event is three days long, I would need to take the week off college to prepare and train. I dream of becoming a doctor so in 10 years it will all be good.” He owns a company alongside Seán in which the pair make fitness workouts for teams and individuals. The pair established Elite Performance Training after creating an Instagram account showing their workouts in January 2015. Ryan and Seán are both certified personal trainers. Since then @elite_performance_training has grown to over 22,000 followers while they also post fitness videos to YouTube. The certified personal trainer said: “It is tough to co-ordinate the fitness videos. We Facetime a lot but it is difficult with him being in Canada due to the time difference. We make it work though.” His aims are to continue studying to become a doctor, grow Elite Performance training and most importantly inspire the next generation to consider speed skating for Ireland. The 24 year old stated: “If I retired right now, what would happen to speed skating in Ireland? That is the problem. I want people of all ages to see us and consider taking the sport up.” The path he has chosen is unique but he is hoping to forge a path for future generations to follow. Watch this space.