UT Radius 9/23

Campus Couture Craze

Eloise Sherrard DEPUTY FASHION EDITOR

In creating Fashion Society’s Campus Couture, Ryan Byrne and Juno McCluskey have ensured that for the last couple of years, the hot topic of conversation every Friday has been the anticipation as to who and what will feature in the ten sacred Campus Couture images on Fashion Society’s Instagram that evening.

Yasmin Ryan, a final year Human Health and Disease student, and Ryan Byrne, a final year Law student, spoke to The University Times on all things Campus Couture. Byrne, as last year’s Fashion Soc Chairperson, discussed how Campus Couture has progressed up to this point, and Ryan, as the society’s new Chairperson for the upcoming academic year, shared her vision for how she hopes Campus Couture will progress from this point onwards.

For the benefit of anyone only hearing about the phenomenon that is Campus Couture for the first time — which includes first years, those living under a rock and STEM students — allow Yasmin Ryan to welcome and enlighten you: “Welcome! We hope the paparazzi catches you this year … Throughout the academic year, our committee members scour the grounds for outfits that catch the eye and each Friday ten of these photos are posted on our Instagram.”

But where exactly did the Trinity craze that is Campus Couture start and how has it escalated to the dizzy heights of popularity that we see today? Ryan Byrne explains that he was selected as a social media ambassador for Fashion Society a couple of years ago and from this he realised he “wanted to make an impact”. He remembers “brainstorming for days on initiatives that we could undertake to gain a bigger following but also include the wider student body”. And he and his friend Juno did just that. Having noticed the TikTok trend where people were asked what they were wearing on the streets, they were inspired to create the even quicker option of taking and sharing photos of outfits on campus, and so Campus Couture was born.

On starting this new fashion journey, Byrne explains that

Alex Payne delves into his (as of yet unwritten) recipe book to deliver an easy approach to a seemingly sophisticated meal to brighten your return to college. Drinks pairings included!

Ella Hussey speaks to the up-and-coming Trinity band ahead of their first gig after their hiatus, at the Grand Social page 5»

Elly Christopher reviews the National Gallery’s exhibition marking the bicentennial of the Royal Hibernian Academy page 8»

Hugh Grant and Brian Cox to Speak to Trinity’s Societies

Eliora Abramson

SOCIETIES EDITOR

Trinity’s three largest societies, the University Philosophical Society (the Phil), the College Historical Society (the Hist) and Trinity College Law Society (LawSoc), have announced their series of guest speakers. From actors to pop stars to activists to politicians, the wide range of speakers hosted by the societies ensure there will be something for everyone.

In a statement to The University Times, LawSoc Auditor Eoin Ryan said “as we celebrate our 90th anniversary, LawSoc is delighted to announce a wide range of speakers with backgrounds in law, politics, and journalism as well as individuals who have excelled in music, performance, and sport. The Praeses Elit Award was founded by former Auditor and President of Ireland Mary Robinson, and we are proud to have a tradition of welcoming outstanding guests who have contributed to public life, societal discourse and most importantly the pursuit of justice”.

Brian Cox is slated to speak to LawSoc on February 2nd. A classically trained Scottish actor as well as a Golden Globe winner and

Emmy nominee, he has catapulted to worldwide fame through his role as Logan Roy in the critically acclaimed series Succession

He is also heavily involved in both Scottish and international politics, and is a strong supporter of Scottish independence as well as a patron of the Scottish Youth Theatre.

The Hist is also bringing a massive name in the entertainment industry, Hugh Grant. Grant has starred in films such as Love Actually, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and is set to appear in the upcoming film Wonka

Actors Simon Pegg and Michael Sheen are also set to speak to the Phil. Pegg is best known for his work in the Mission Impossible and Star Trek franchises, while Sheen has appeared in the Twilight series and most recently the hit show, Good Omens

The Phil also announced Dr Anthony Fauci as a speaker, former Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States. He also served as a lead member on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Other speakers joining the Phil society include Joy Crookes, Philosophy Tube, Hbomberguy, John Mulaney, and Munroe Bergdorf.

Ellie Goulding, Louis Tomlin-

son and Maisie Peters will also be speaking to LawSoc. The ‘Love Me Like You Do’ singer is set to speak on October 17th. Former One Direction member, Tomlinson is set for November 8th and Peters, who recently opened for Ed Shereen on his world tour, will be coming on October 26th.

Also on the LawSoc docket is Chris Mullin, leader of the campaign that fought for the release of the Birmingham Six. Eoin Ryan commented “we are especially committed to recognise people who have made a profound impact on the justice system. The case of the Birmingham Six is notorious for many Irish people and we are so grateful as a Society

to have the opportunity to recognise Chris Mullin’s fight against injustice”. Mullin will be speaking to LawSoc on March 4th - the 50th anniversary of the bombings.

Additionally, Judge Aileen Donnelly and Lady Justice Sue Carr are both set to speak to LawSoc on the November 2nd and February 16th respectively. Donnelly is the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Irish Supreme Court and Dame Sue Carr is the first ever female Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales.

On October 11th, founder of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform, David Norris, will speak to LawSoc. Norris, who overturned Ireland’s anti-homosexuality law with Norris v Ireland, is a social rights activist, Trinity graduate, and the first openly gay person in Ireland to be elected to a public office.

Joining the Hist are politicians Joe Kennedy III and Rory Stewart. Kennedy is a US diplomat, politician, and Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, while Stewart is a former UK MP, academic, and host of The Rest is Politics podcast.

Also joining the Hist are Stella Assange, Leo Varadkar, Lea Ypi, Maeve O’Rourke, Bo Seo, Ash Sakar, Setpehn Bush, Stefan Collini, Dónal Fallon, Marianne Elliot and Roy Foster.

Author of the 2019 Booker Prize

Five of the Best: Dublin’s Museums and Galleries

Ella Chepak

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As a newcomer to Dublin, immersing myself in the city and learning about its history and everything Dublin has to offer was incredibly important. Out of the dozens of amazing choices of museums and galleries in Dublin a select few have had the most impact on me in learning about Dublin.

Dublinia

Dublinia, which is located directly next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, is a viking history museum that boasts several interactive displays, including a viking market you can walk through, thus allowing visitors to fully experience what life would have been like in viking Dublin. Dublinia seamlessly blends interactive displays with

more traditional museum exhibits, such as several viking artifacts as well as two preserved viking skeletons. Detailed histories of these individuals, including their possible appearances in life, are also displayed.

Guinness Storehouse

When you think of Ireland, Guinness often comes to mind, not just because of its delicious taste but also because of its rich history. The Guinness Storehouse is more than just a place to learn how to pour the perfect pint or have your face printed on the creamy top of one in the Gravity Bar. It’s also a place to discover the economic impact of Guinness on Ireland’s economy, delve into the history of this iconic beverage, and explore the story behind its clever marketing. What better way to learn about Dublin than by enjoying Ireland’s most famous beverage, which indeed

tastes better in Dublin!

Little Museum of Dublin

The Little Museum of Dublin is located in the ideal spot across from St. Stephens Green and a three minute walk to Grafton Street. While it does live up to the name of being the “Little Museum” it is

not little in its contents or ability to show the history of Dublin. The museum has wonderful tour guides who can provide fascinating stories behind the objects displayed in the space and leaves visitors with interesting stories and knowledge about Dublin.

winning novel Girl, Woman, Other Bernadine Evaristo will be joining LawSoc on February 29th. Evaristo has made huge strides in the literary world as the first black woman to win the Booker Prize and as founder of both Britain’s first black women’s theatre company and first conference on black British Writing.

Tomi Reichental, Irish author as well as a Holocaust survivor will be speaking to the Phil. Reichental regularly speaks at events as an educator of the horrors of the Holocaust. In 2007, a documentary Close to Evil, was made about his experiences in the concentration camp. In 2011, Reichental wrote his account of his time there in I Was a Boy in Belsen. He is one of two living Holocaust survivors in Ireland.

Caitlin Moran, David Norris, Johnny Sexton, and Lord Alan Sugar will also be joining LawSoc. Lord Sugar, the British magnate and media personality, is set to speak on October 19th, while Norris is slated for the 11th, with dates for Sexton and Moran yet to be confirmed.

Last year’s speakers for the societies included Gloria Steinem, Naoise Dolan and Kodaline. Dates for many of the speakers are still to be confirmed and more names will join the list of those confirmed to be speaking.

GPO Museum

The GPO, housed in an old post office, is the perfect spot for history lovers. The GPO Museum focuses on modern Irish history, starting from the Easter Rising in 1916 and its aftermath. The museum offers several interactive exhibits, allowing visitors to remain engaged while exploring crucial chapters of Irish history.

National Gallery of Ireland

Situated in Merrion Square Park and offering free admission, the National Gallery of Ireland is an absolutely gorgeous space with flowing rooms and impressive architecture, especially in the Shaw Room, which features stunning chandeliers. The gallery houses an impressive collection of artworks by renowned artists such as Picasso, Caravaggio and Vermeer, making it the perfect destination for art lovers.

PHOTO BY HOLLY BROWN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Observations

Musings on the Past Month

Ella Hussey

Iwas excited to start another year of studies, see all my friends and immerse myself back with all things Dublin lifestyle and culture. Suddenly, I found myself greeted by a week filled with rain and a sad looking broken umbrella. I thought to myself “if that’s not a pathetic fallacy for the year ahead, then I don’t know what is”. However, there’s always a silver lining in every rainstorm and yours is this month’s issue of Radius, the

Your Week Ahead

beautifully curated Dublin lifestyle and culture supplement that sits pretty in the middle pages of The University Times

To all the lovely Freshers that are settling into Trinity life or the returning students that have noticed our unexplained hiatus, welcome to the first issue of Radius, we are back and better than ever! You’ll find that this issue of Radius is centered around new beginnings, so it will aid you in all the how-to’s and must-do’s in Dublin. In our Radius, Maisie Greener breaks down the best alternative nights out in Dublin,

A New Age of Literature

Molly Wetsch

DEPUTY LITERATURE EDITOR

Holy Show is an annual magazine that features work from artists and authors across all media, mostly in longform essay format. Tolka is self-described as a “formally promiscuous journal of non-fiction” and covers a wide swath of authors from across the world, as well as highlighting prominent Irish authors.

The exhibition at times felt more like stepping into a hipster’s garden party or an impromptu meeting at the pub with your friends rather than a literary event. Any residual feelings attendees may have had about the stuffiness or highbrow nature of the Dublin literary scene were summarily washed away as you were offered a ‘can’ immediately upon entry and welcomed into a sunny, hidden terrace in the Liberties littered with wall art and filled to the brim with conversation. Step inside the studio and you were greeted with pages ripped directly from the latest edition of Holy Show as well as original art featured in the magazine.

Rob Doyle, author of Here are the Young Men and whose work has been published in the New York Times and the Guardian, read excerpts from his contribution to Holy Show at the event. “Hibernofuturism” follows Doyle’s brief foray into the world of generative AI and chatbots and his feelings about the technology regarding his career, one that has seen countless warnings about the imminent danger AI poses to its future.

In the first line of the article, Doyle thinks about this warning, asking “Who among us doesn’t fear obsolescence?”. But, as it becomes clearer later into Doyle’s research, he is “weirdly optimistic” about the industry he occupies, believing that “today’s chatbot will be obsolete long before I am”.

In conversation with the crowd, Doyle explored the role of AI in a modern Ireland, criticising the “banality” of generative chatbots. “I’ve always had a lust for art that is outrageous”, said Doyle, something that he said he believes AI, at least in its current state, is not able to achieve.

Kimberly Campanello, author and professor of poetry at the University of Leeds, also read her essay “Essential Material” featured in Tolka’s fifth edition.

“Essential Material” is framed as a story from the third person, avoiding proper nouns and maintaining a general air of vagueness. It tells the winding story of a poet at an artist’s retreat in an unnamed town, touching on their struggles with religion, chronic illness and climate change. But, as Campanello made clear in conversation after the reading, the story is staunchly rooted in her life, and the issues raised in the story are her issues. She spoke about the role of religion in dealing with chronic illness as well as the general state of

while Alex Payne brings you the first edition of his new recipe series for students cooking on a budget, ‘The Fast Supper’.

For those of you struggling to adapt to the change in weather, Clara Potts breaks down her ultimate how-to on building a sustainable college wardrobe, while Sarah Murnane rounds up her top banned films, perfect for a cosy movie marathon.

The month of September always brings about new opportunities and change, so bask in our new color scheme and enjoy our new articles.

Our Pick of Events Around Trinity This Week

TUESDAY DUPA AND VISARTS SCAVENGER HUNT CAMPANILE, 2PM

At 2pm, DUPA and VisArts are holding a photography scavenger hunt with many prizes up for grabs – anyone who loves photography or wants to improve their skills should meet at the Campanile on Tuesday with their lenses at the ready!

TUESDAY

OPEN MIC NIGHT

INTERNATIONAL BAR, 8.30PM

For music lovers, TrinityFm, DUMusic and LitSoc are joining forces in the International Bar for an Open Mic Night. The event is BYOI (bring your own instrument) so make sure you don’t leave your guitar, saxophone or triangle at home!

WEDNESDAY FASHIONSOC DEPOP SHOP

THE PAV MARQUEE, 12-5PM

the world, at one point even asking the crowd for a poll on whether they believe in an interventionist God.

“Things are shit and everything’s getting worse”, said Campanello. But she also said, echoing the same sentiments as Doyle from earlier in the event, that she remains hopeful that good writing and good art have the capability to make change. “The artistic process of making, which is a radical act… to me that is the intervention”.

Despite the heavy subject matter and countless questions about the future of art and writing as it’s catapulted into the modern day, both the attendees and the authors were firmly rooted on the side of idealism. As Doyle said after the reading, “great writing can be and should be a site of resistance” against the threats of AI, against the mounting pressure of climate change and politics. Holy Show and Tolka, with their crowd of supporters and talented contributors, certainly made it clear that great writing is alive and well in Dublin.

If you’re looking to revamp your college wardrobe but keep it sustainable – and on a budget! – then Fashion Soc has the event for you. They are holding a Depop Shop from 12-5p.m. in the Pav Marquee, where you can support an array of small student-run businesses and pick something up to sport around campus this semester.

WEDNESDAY BINGO LOCO

THE PAV MARQUEE, 7-10PM

Back at the Pav in the evening, we have the collaboration of the century. Trinity Ents, Trinity SMF, TES and DU Players are coming together to bring you Bingo Loco from 7-10 pm. A night of good music, dancing and pints, the night is also sure to bring great prizes. Bingo Loco is sure to be a memorable moment of your Freshers Week.

Endings: an Exploration of Love, Loss and Masculinity

Sáoirse Goes

DEPUTY EDITOR

As part of this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival, Springheel Productions brings audiences Endings, a concept musical exploring love, loss, destiny and legacy. The one-man show blends original music and lighting effects to create an immersive theatrical experience reflecting on questions of contemporary masculinity. Ahead of the show’s opening, on September 9th, The University Times sat down with Fionntán Larney, writer and performer of Endings, to discuss the production. Following the success of Larney’s first show, BEAT, which sold out in its run as part of the Fringe in 2018, Endings is sure to provide audiences with a thrilling theatrical experience.

According to Larney, Endings is “a one man show with recorded voices, which are offstage”. The story follows Henry, a man in his mid-twenties who, as the Dublin-based writer and actor dubs, “is dissatisfied with his life, he feels like things aren’t going the way that he thought they were

going to go and he feels a little hard done by that”. From this basis, Henry “encounters somebody who offers to make him a deal”, explains Larney, “and that is where the plot kicks into gear”. Larney also notably stresses the musical aspect of the show, which features “heavy electronic produced music”, composed by Glasseyed and Rhoshi.

The development process behind Endings, the writer comments, has “been cooking for a long time, probably over the past three or four years really, to be honest”. Reminiscing on his initial inspiration, Larney explains: “I wanted to make a show that was a single performer show, because I was really interested in the challenge”. “I found it very difficult to write just because of the challenge of being a single performer”, he continues, explaining how the complicated layers of “all the voices and then adding the musical element on top seem[ed] like an awful lot”. Larney then performed the opening 20 minutes of the show at the Scene and Heard festival, which he credits as a turning point, noting that “it was just so helpful, that festival is fantastic for the

opportunities that it gives artists”.

It was at this stage of the development process that Larney brought on director Joy Nesbitt, “who’s been just phenomenal in terms of helping get the show to where it needs to be”, and lighting designer Pedro Pacheco. As Larney further elaborates, this was when “the conversations around the show started and, based on that, it was loads of fun”. Following this step, they applied for the Fringe and assembled the rest of the team, notably with Signe Lury producing, and Lucy Holmes in charge of the marketing and publicity. Despite having a strong team behind Endings, Larney admits that “the scary part for me is that it is still

being developed, it’s not quite finished, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking going into performance with that, but I guess that’s kind of always the way”.

Endings explores themes of mental health and masculinity through a hybrid theatrical medium., These ideas are recurring in Larney’s work, such as in his first show, BEAT, which he describes as “a musical about toxic masculinity”, as well as Black Alley, a series of fiction podcasts recorded over COVID. He explains that “when I was writing them, I wasn’t thinking too much about what they were about, but similar kinds of themes came up”. Larney continues, asserting “I think it’s kind of a reflection of who I am and what I’m

interested in, and I think that theatre is uniquely positioned to have those kinds of conversations in an experimental way”. The experimental mode with offstage voices and music in Endings means that, “it’s unclear whether this story takes place in the world – a heightened version of the world – or if we’re inside the lead character’s head”. For Larney, this is a “really exciting proposition” within theatre.

Reflecting on the challenges he faced while working on Endings, Larney stresses the writing as well as honing in on its themes. He explains that “the themes of the show have been challenging to find a way into that isn’t sort of twee or on the

Dublin After Dark: the City’s Alternative Nightlife

nose, and honestly, I still sometimes worry a little bit about that”. Despite this, he believes that “if you’re writing something true, it should feel like that”, which catalyses the obstacle of writing something that is “entertaining as well as engaging with the world that we live in now”. In terms of highlights, Larney recalls “performing a whole scene and it’ll work and it feels like it’s sitting in the pocket that it’s meant to be in, and that is just the most satisfying feeling in the world”. He also notably credits the collaborative element of working with his talented team, and with production manager Alannah O’Leary, with whom chats about what the show is going to be “can be really exciting”. In Larney’s words, audiences can expect to be “engaged, maybe even to be excited or thrilled” by Endings, as well as to have a “fun time”. With a laugh, Larney adds that “you can expect to see me put myself through the wringer”. A live show featuring exciting original music, which Larney describes as “bedroom poppy, but also quite heavy, but also kind of accessible, but fun”, Endings is not to be missed.

ASSISTANT RADIUS EDITOR

Maisie Greener to begin with. Frustration that your going out options exist either within a 200m radius of campus or on Harcourt Street will surely begin to set in. However, a short scroll through Resident Advisor or Instagram will reveal that a number of committed party throwers and goers are still supplying and seeking musical thrills. Here are five of the best offbeat and original musical nights out in Dublin:

We are all guilty of tarring Dublin’s nightlife scene with the same tired and underwhelming brush. With statistics like four in five Irish nightclubs have closed down since 2000 regrettably committed to memory, it is understandable that this dejected attitude persists among students. What’s more, by the end of Michaelmas term, the nightly circuit from the Pav to Doyles to Chaplins has irreparably lost what little charm it had

Top Floor Music

Top Floor Music dubs itself

Trinity FM’s ‘answer to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts’ and platforming home-

grown talent is their prerogative. Boasting alumni such as Cam Begley, EVIE and The Lovely Good and hosting their performances in intimate and secretive venues across campus, the project has secured a reputation as a purveyor of some of the finest live music in the city. Interviews and photoshoots accompany the sets, providing a super immersive performance. What’s more, tickets are free!

Honeypot Club Honeypot Club launched a little over a year ago and has already exceeded its personal goals. The

electronic club night and community is built on inclusivity and diversity, an ethos that is all too often sidelined or all together disregarded by mainstream clubs. Honeypot’s parties are both by and for (although not exclusively) women, non-binary and queer folk, a welcome change from the typically homogeneous scene.

The Ruby Sessions

The Ruby Sessions are architects of Dublin’s soundscape. The acoustic night’s ostensibly low key and laid back agenda should not be conflated with halfbaked or mediocre talent,

however. The likes of Paolo Nutini, Hozier and George Ezra have descended on the College Street address to treat audiences to unpretentious performances. Since 1999 the best of Irish and international talent has played behind the unassuming exterior.

Dublin Modular

Dublin Modular is as much a celebration of visual art as it is a celebration of electronic music - and everything in between. Equal parts enjoyment and education, previous events have included a Pride Yard Party, DJing workshops and a festival of electronic

music and art ‘Sustain’. Following the community on Instagram is your surest bet at securing a ticket to one of their parties.

Smithfield Creatives

If you fancy being on the other side of the mic, Smithfield Creatives is as welcoming to newcomers as it is to its regulars. Assuming the general structure of an open mic night, 10 minute slots guarantee the evening is not restricted to a single genre or performer. Operating primarily out of Northside’s Dashi, Smithfield Creatives deserves a place in your weekly rotation.

The Return of RECO

Ella Hussey

Suspense grew throughout the crowd as it anticipated the arrival of the Dublin-based alternative band, RECO. In anticipation of their first show back in the Grand Social following their hiatus, the room erupted in cheers as soon as the band walked up from the crowd. Taking the stage under the redhued lights to the sound of The Beatles’ Helter Skelter, Mark O’Loan on lead guitar, Paddy Dowling on drums, Dillion Palmer on rhythm guitar and Johnny Wang on bass electrified the crowd. They entered with a noticeable member missing – frontman and vocalist, Harry Frost, made a dramatic entrance through the side curtain, welcoming the crowd to what would be an exhilarating night.

In conversation with The University Times backstage at The Grand Social, Frost and O’Loan recall the band’s formation, noting how everything seemed to fall into place. Frost recounts, “I have

name, the two bandmates laughed and confessed that “we struggled with a name for ages”. However, O’Loan elucidates: “so basically, there’s this kebab shop on Upper Camden Street called Rico’s”. Frost continues the story about how they had to change the spelling, “there was one particular night we went there and they gave us a load of free stuff because we went there all the time but they gave me

… it was nice to get something heavier”. However much Frost liked the track, the lead singer admits that his parents still “don’t like it”.

Describing the evolution of their sound throughout their hiatus, Frost notes that “our sound has gone through a metamorphosis in the last few months”. He

scene, O’Loan mentions their branding as a “Trinity Band”. “The Dublin music scene is both tiny and big at the same time”, O’Loan continues, “it’s hard to find your spot in it … we are still trying to find our spot. Being a Trinity band doesn’t help because I think they don’t get as much respect as other bands”.

With the majority of the band still students in Trinity, the pair recounted their experience playing main stage at Trinity Ball last year, explaining how they could not believe they were chosen to play. After being voted in by the public, Frost explains that he accidentally found out before it was released, despite admitting that “it was probably the best night of my life”. O’Loan adds: “in twelve months going from playing in someone’s bedroom to playing mainstage at Trinity Ball is just crazy to say out loud”.

The night continued with more unreleased original tracks such as ‘Parasite’, ‘SMS’, ‘Indecision’ and ‘Nutmeg’. The performance ended and the band left the stage to bellows for “one more tune”.

a mate who lived with me in Rathmines and he was having a 21st and was looking for someone to sing with an acoustic guitar. I can sing but I can’t multi-task so I roped in Mark and we played that gig and got a good reception and rolled from there”. O’Loan jumps in, adding that himself and Paddy “were making music and none of us can sing so we found Harry” as Frost jokes that they still can’t sing.

Speaking to the meaning behind the

food poisoning so we changed the name to RECO”.

Opening the show with their hard-hitting debut single, ‘Lifeboat’, O’Loan explains how they knew it was going to be the first single they released: “It was the first song we wrote that was very different to our previous songs”. Frost recalls the first time he listened to the song, noting that “the lads started playing it and I thought ‘this is unreal’, it was so punchy

continues, “before when we first started playing more crowd-pleasing stuff but now we’ve addressed that we want to enjoy what we are playing ourselves”. With the crowd chanting “RECO” throughout their performance, it’s clear that the young band are still very much pleasing the crowd with their music, in spite of their genre change.

The band had noticeably great engagement and interaction with the audience. Bassist, Johnny Wang, threw his jumper into the crowd only to be quickly followed with “give it back”, to a reception

They soon reappeared and performed a rendition of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’.

When asked about what the future holds for RECO, O’Loan replies: “next is probably Electric Picnic, even a small tent. We’ll take anything, even the path on the side”. Frost continues, expressing the aim to “just keep going, we got a roll and see how far we can go with that”.

After a night of hard-hitting tracks, it is clear Frost is an extremely talented singer who is able to captivate the audience with his voice and movement through the space. Between vocals, guitarists, bassists and drums, each element com-

of laughter. Next up was the unreleased ‘Red Light’, which Frost described as “a fun one to play” but different to the two previous songs on the setlist. When asked about their place in the Dublin music

pliments RECO’s undeniable synergy that amalgamates a post-punk indie sound. RECO’s debut single ‘Lifeboat’ is available for streaming on Spotify.

RADIUS EDITOR

“Our sound has gone through a metamorphosis in the last few months.

“Going from playing in someone’s bedroom to playing main stage at TBall is just crazy to say out loud.

« CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

initially, his primary goal was growth for the society to elevate its profile. And it did just that. He continues, noting how the society’s Instagram account became “the fastest-growing society page”. Yet beyond this goal of growth, he expressed how another main aim of Campus Couture was to “Demystify the Fashion Society, making it more inclusive.”

be “a lack of representation from the science faculty”, and expresses that as a STEM student herself, “it would be great to see some TBSI people showing everyone that you can really do it all”. Byrne seconded this opinion, expressing that the society soon realised that it “didn’t represent the entire student body” but ensured that it “was our aim”. He further clarified: “Campus Couture is not just for avant-garde fashion or arts students. It’s meant to capture the trending fashion across the

can actively seek out and feature students from different backgrounds and faculties”. Yasmin Ryan highlighted how these aims have been addressed in the last year through collaborations “with other societies like DU Science for a Campus Couture takeover strictly featuring our STEM students”. She intends to develop the initiative this year, in an attempt to fully reflect style all over the campus, “not only our arts block lodgers”.

Among the students’ weekly whispers, speculating over who will make the cut, there have also been suspicious murmurings that Campus Couture perhaps only accommodates particular people and styles. This might suggest that in some ways, the Fashion Society perhaps wasn’t demystified as much as they’d hoped. Yasmin Ryan admits there seems to

entire campus, including basics and items which resonate with all students, Fashion Soc members or not.”

Byrne sought to reassure detractors, insisting “everything is a learning curve” and that Campus Couture has indeed “evolved to encompass a broader range of fashion styles found across campus” and that in the future, “to further enhance diversity, we

Both Yasmin Ryan and Ryan Byrne shared ideas they have come up with to make Campus Couture even bigger and more inclusive in the coming year, with Yasmin “happy to announce that this year, we’re going to be introducing a new and improved version of ‘Flip The Lens’ to our social media. Have you ever seen someone’s look on campus and wondered, where do they shop? Who’s their style icon? What are their trend predictions? Well, this term we’re going to be on the lookout for people whose unique personal style stands out amongst the crowd. ‘Flip The Lens’ will be giving our members an insight into these creative individuals’ closets and answering all your burning questions. Stay tuned!”

When asked the tricky question of what has been their absolute favourite Campus Couture post up until this point, Yasmin Ryan answered, “My favourite Campus Couture post was on the last Pav Friday of my second year in college. The sun was beaming down and everyone was sitting on the green with their friends. I remember that being such an enjoyable day. We got such great photos that evening.” Ryan Byrne responded by saying that choosing only one post is “challenging, because each one represents a different style and personality. But if my life was on the line, it would be the third picture posted from the Campus Couture post on the 7th of October 2022.” Eagle-eyed viewers will note that this is a picture of Ryan Byrne himself. He really understands the idea of dressing to impress everyone, but most importantly, yourself.

And of course, the interview would not have been complete without asking these two style gurus what their Trinity trend predictions are for around campus this year, before Campus Couture starts back and answers the question itself. Yasmin thinks we can expect to see a lot of “coquette core” on campus, which she explains will look like

“lace, tulle and ribbons everywhere” as well as predicting “the year of the trainer”, namely Adidas Solomons and Onitsuka Tigers. Finally, Yasmin enlightened us with her last prediction of maximalism: “Print on print, statement jewellery . . . Silver Metallics, Wales Bonner Sambas, Cecilie Bahsen Asics.” Ryan Byrne added: “Based on my observations, cowboy boots, ballerina pumps and Sambas are here to stay in Trinity’s fashion scene”.

Yasmin Ryan, as the up-andcoming Chairperson of the society, hopes that this year, Campus Couture “can serve as inspiration for anyone”. She highlighted how college can be “a very daunting place” for students, especially first years.

Imposter syndrome is common and personal style can be hard to find, especially for students coming from schools with uniforms. Yasmin reassures students that college is also a brilliant place to seek out style. “There are no criteria to be met”, she reassures: “We just want to celebrate students for their self-expression through fashion. Even if your assignment is late, your housemate is rude, and you hate your 9am module, put on an outfit that you feel confident in, come to college, and that’s a good start!”

So that’s that. Keep on flaunting your style and expressing yourself fully, wherever on campus you may be, and the paparazzi might just catch you!

“Campus Couture is not just for avantgarde fashion or arts students. It’s meant to capture the trending fashion across the entire campus.

PHOTO BY KEALAN NOONE

PHOTO BY ELLA O’BRIEN

PHOTO BY ELLA O’BRIEN

Recipe

(Almost) No-Stir Risotto with peas, green beans, lemon and mint

Alex Payne

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Makes: 4 large portions

Takes: 10 minutes preparation time, 30 minutes cooking time (40 minutes overall)

Cost per portion: €1.39 (approx.)

Equipment:

• Ovenproof dish. Note: if you don’t have a lid, you can cover your dish as tightly as possible with foil when you put it in the oven.

• Grater

• Weighing scales or measuring jug

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 large white onion or 1-2 small onions

• 2 cloves garlic (or more, why not?)

• 2 vegetable stock cubes

• 900ml water

• 300g risotto rice

• 50g butter, roughly diced (can be substituted for olive oil as a vegan alternative)

• 200g frozen peas

• 100g green beans

• 20g parsley

• 20g mint

• 1 lemon (more if you particularly like the flavour)

• 100g parmesan cheese (can be substituted or left out for vegetarians or vegans, respectively)

• salt

• black pepper

Risotto can be intimidating. How much do I have to stir? How much liquid do I need to add each time and how often? When is it done?! This recipe removes the need for the usual intensive arm workout associated with making risotto but still allows you to produce a seemingly sophisticated (and delicious) meal.

Some form of risotto is thought to have existed in Italy since Arabs first brought rice to the country in the 14th century. There are many variations of it from the North to the South of Italy, with saffron risotto, first made in Milan, being perhaps the most famous.

A fun rumour for you: saffron risotto was first recorded in a recipe c. 1500 when a famous glassmaker, who would have used saffron to colour the stained glass he made, decided to add it to the risotto that was served at his daughter’s wedding!

A note on costs: Initial shops for fresh food can be expensive so meals will cost more than the advertised cost per portion above. However, once you start regularly cooking, you will find that your shops become less expensive – going forward you will only need to buy a couple of items for each meal as your cupboard fills up with leftover foodstuffs from your previous shops.

A refreshing and crisp white wine will pair well with this, such as a French Sauvignon Blanc. For those looking for a non-alcoholic alternative, try some elderflower cordial topped with sparkling water and add some of the leftover mint leaves for a refreshing zing!

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C

2. Measure out the risotto rice – if you don’t have scales, there is often a rough weight guide on the side of rice packets. If you have a measuring jug, 300g dry risotto rice is the same as 360ml worth

3. Dice the onion – the smaller the better, just try to make sure each piece is no bigger than a one cent coin otherwise the onion will still have a raw edge when the rice is finished – and grate/finely chop/mince the garlic

4. Boil the water and pour into your ovenproof dish, then immediately add the risotto rice, diced onion, minced garlic, stock cubes and half of the butter (25g) to the hot water and give everything your first of two stirs (see Step 7 for the second) so it is all mixed up

5. Place a lid over the top or wrap with foil so that the dish is well sealed then shove it in the oven for 30 minutes. Domestic ovens vary so taste it after 25 minutes to check if the rice is cooked

6. Chop the green beans up into pea-sized pieces

7. Finely chop the parsley – stalks and all!

8. Remove the mint leaves from their stem, pile them up one on top of eachother and finely slice

9. zest the lemon – avoid too much of the white layer (pith) underneath the yellow skin as this is very bitter – and then cut it in half so that you can squeeze the juice out into the risotto at the end

10. grate (or not) your cheese of choice on the finest size possible of your grater

11. Once the rice is cooked, add all the ingredients prepared in Step 6, along with the lemon juice and rest of the butter, to the dish. Stir it all together vigorously. The citrus oils in the lemon zest and the herbs will become fragrant in the hot rice, giving off a refreshing smell!

12. Dish up and tuck in! I like to top my bowl of risotto with some more freshly grated cheese, a couple of twists of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Reads

THE HAPPY COUPLE

Naoise Dolan

HARPER COLLINS

Naoise Dolan’s sophomore novel, The Happy Couple, builds on the momentum from her successful debut, Exciting Times. It is a story told from five different perspectives, each with an intrinsic interest in the marriage of a “happy couple”. Luke and Celine get engaged at the beginning of the novel and Archie, Phoebe and Vivian each have their own connections with the two. Of course, drama abounds as the characters grapple with their personal opinions on the relationship. Readers who are familiar with Dolan’s quick wit and profound prose from her debut will enjoy the refreshing representation and Austenesque plotlines.

OLD GOD’S TIME

Sebastian Barry

FABER

Sebastian Barry’s latest novel, Old God’s Time, opens with a hackneyed premise – a recently retired policeman is startled from the peace of his new seaside home by former colleagues asking him to revisit a case. But Barry moves away from an overworked narrative to birth a novel of immense skill. Old God’s Time interrogates boyhood in Ireland during the tyrannical reign of the Christian Brothers. As his protagonist tightropes the thread between reality and imaginings, Barry confronts his readers with the brutality of Ireland’s history. It is a haunting novel about unspent love and the wounds that survive long after they’re inflicted.

THE WREN

Anne Enright

PENGUIN

The Wren is, at its core, a novel about inheritance: of love, of loss, of talent. The novel by Booker-prize winner

Anne Enright follows three generations of women, each with a connection to famed (fictional) Irish poet Phil McDaragh. The narrator Nell – McDaragh’s granddaughter – navigates post-graduation life and love as well as her fraught relationship with her mother, Carmel, whilst coming to terms with what it means to be a daughter. Poetry is mixed throughout the novel and allows the reader to truly immerse themselves in Enright’s fictional Dublin.

Women and the RHA

“It took a century…” reads three statements in Room 21 of the National Gallery of Ireland, a prominent room usually used to display Irish art from the late 17th to early 19th century. Now, though, the room is filled with 59 works, from all the women who have been members of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) during its 200 year history. If 59 seems like a small number, that’s because it is.

When the RHA was given a royal charter in 1823, artists had already been pushing for a space such as it for years. The mission was to create a permanent space for artists to work, learn and display art in Dublin. They also sought to establish Dublin as a prominent city in the European art world.

Throughout the turbulent 20th century, the RHA managed to find a foothold in this new society. However, they retained a reputation for conservatism and remained exclusionary towards women. It wasn’t until 1924 that Sarah Purser became the first full female academician, five years after women were granted suffrage.

Despite Purser’s election, women still did not enjoy equality. Despite their qualifications and high rates of enrollment in RHA schools, very few women were elected to be members until recently. The current president, Dr. Abigail O’Brien, was elected in 2018 and was the first female president of the RHA.

Upon entering Room 21, it becomes very clear just how rocky the path was to equality. A piece by Aideen Barry catches the eye straight away, not because of what it shows, but because of what it doesn’t. On a blank canvas next to the door, she states in small font that she is declining to participate due to a contract the NGI has with a catering company that “profits from direct provision – a system [Barry] believes to be inhumane and undignified”. Her statement sends a message, and it speaks to the issues related and unrelated that this exhibit fails to address. However, the overall feeling of the exhibit is not of protest, but of community.

Hanging next to Barry’s piece are two large canvases entitled “Perfection I and Perfection II”, by Abigail O’Brien. On one canvas is a large heart, embroidered perfectly. On the other canvas is the same heart, but the flip side. There are loose strings hanging down in places, and without its match

hanging next to it one would think it forms no picture. But in O’Brien’s title, “Perfection II”, the viewer can match one to the other, and see the beauty in the perfect chaos.

Moving into the first alcove, Amelia Stein’s portrait of Barbara Warren, another RHA member, hangs unassumingly. Stein points out her favorite detail of the photograph, a slip of a floral sleeve beneath Warren’s paint-splattered tunic, a personal touch. It’s these details that give Stein’s photograph life, despite being black and white. Through Stein’s account of their meeting at the time of the photograph and the photo itself, I felt almost as if I was enveloped in the small pocket of time the photograph represented, bathed in the warmth

and kindness Stein stated that Warren possessed. In the room neighboring Stein’s photograph, a painting by Warren hangs. It’s a landscape, and Stein’s portrait allowed me to view Warren’s work through another, more personal light.

The exhibit represents a wide variety of artistic styles and genres. However, through their shared journey and history, it forms a cohesive community, and each artist is present in one another. Representing the bicentennial of the RHA, this exhibit highlights the issues the RHA still faces and while paying homage to its pioneering female academicians. It Took A Century is on display until October 22, in Room 21 of the National Gallery. Admission is free.

ART EDITOR

Elly Christopher

PERFECTION 1 & PERFECTION 2 BY ABIGAIL O’BRIEN. PHOTO BY GILLIAN BUCKLEY

AGE OF UNREASON BY GERALDINE O’NEILL. PHOTO BY GILLIAN BUCKLEY

In Conversation with the Trinity Journal of Histories

Eliora Abramson

SOCIETIES EDITOR

The idea for the Trinity Journal of Histories was borne after COVID by History and Politics student and scholar Felix Vanden Borre. Vanden Borre is now pursuing a Master’s in Early Modern History in Oxford. As the journal enters its third year of publication, I spoke via Zoom with the Editors-in-Chief, Ethan Hutchinson and Clare Tobin, about the Journal’s previous issues as well as plans for the future and importance of a history journal at Trinity.

Sat together on the other side of the screen from me, Hutchinson and Tobin tell me about the origins of the paper, which they have been involved with from its beginning as article editors and, in Hutchinson’s case, as a fundraiser. A masters student in Early Modern History and a senior sophister studying History respectively, both felt a missing piece in the History department at Trinity. Hutchinson explains, “we wanted to create something separate and bigger and detached from the department ... The original aim was to encompass both undergraduate and post-graduate students to give

them somewhere they could get their work published”. With an emphasis on inclusivity, both of year and course, the journal offers a chance for students to publish for the first time as well as a way to fill a void in the History department.

The first two years of the journal weren’t easy. The biggest problem? Money. “We were trying to get funding and trying to figure out exactly how to print”, Tobin says. The editorial board ended up using their own money out of pocket to supplement an initial grant. In fact, funds in the first year were so low, they only printed enough issues for the editors and writers to receive copies. Last year however, they were able to triple their funds through their own fundraising after seeing a high demand for the journal. They decided to reach out to local Dublin companies and created a raffle as well as prizes for articles picked by the editorial board. Showcasing the journal’s encompassment of pieces focusing on gender and sexuality, Ava Chapman’s piece ‘Men to Women in Early Modern Europe: Prosecuted, Pathologised, Polemicised’ won most original and Eva O’Beirne won best article submission with her piece ‘‘Tricks of the Town’; How did Prostitution in Dublin

compare to London in the 18th century’. The journal was able to print 170 copies, more than 5 times that of last year.

The journal hopes to continue this exponential growth in the upcoming year in the form of a supplemental magazine with the working title ‘Then & Back Again’. The magazine, planning to be published during Michaelmas, will be “a lot more casual than the journal. It will be a lot more lighthearted and fun. The original idea was to give a historian’s perspective on current events and pop culture”, according to Tobin. Tobin and Hutchinson hope that the magazine covers topics varying from dark tourism in Dublin to colonial legacy issues to events and issues on campus that have historical implications. They are also planning to publish a piece written in the Irish language, with an editor focused on finding and editing such a piece. “The idea is that we as an editorial board will be working on the magazine and when that comes out we will really push for submissions”, Tobin adds. Looking ahead, getting enough funding will still be an obstacle to overcome. Hutchinson tells me enthusiastically that “we’re gonna have to get creative about fundraising. We’ve been talking about going

50/50 and trying to partner with a charity this year”. While still figuring out a specific charity to partner with, Hutchinson and Tobin say they want to continue working with one that is relevant to history, like their previous donations to Marsh’s Library. Branching out in terms of engagement is also a focus for the journal, particularly in reaching post-graduates. They say that with engagement will come more funding, and plan to expand their digital influence through their Instagram (@ trinityjournalofhistories) and their WordPress.

Hutchinson and Tobin make it clear that the journal and subsequently the magazine are for everybody. Tobin tells me that when Vanden Borre started the journal back in 2021, “he wanted it to be for all Trinity students who had an interest in history, not just Trinity history students. So many courses are going to touch on the history of their own subject and so we really are open to submissions from all postgraduate and undergraduate disciplines”. Hutchinson agrees, adding “The nature of history is, it doesn’t matter whether you’re fresh out of school coming to college or you’re getting your master’s. If it’s good and you’ve written it well, you’re welcome to be

Celebrating a Century of Banned Films

five films that the IFCO banned. Bear in mind that the list has also been influenced by the best reasons films were banned.

The Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) is having its centenary celebrations this year. The office was originally founded in 1923 and played a major role in the national censorship of films and media. This year the IFCO has undergone a rebrand, with swanky new graphics, competitions and even an event which gives an audience the chance to rate a film. It only seems fair that while the IFCO goes into the future, we take a look at their past. Historically, they were not so forward facing. Between 1920 and 1980 they banned 11,000 films from being shown in Ireland. This article will consider the best

Without further ado, and in no particular order, the first film on the list is Scarface (Howard Hawks, 1932). The predecessor of the 80s remake, the original Scarface is a dark and edgy movie that remains watchable and enjoyable to this day. Starring Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak, it created the structure and tone of the modern gangster movie that remains observable in films produced today. The film was banned for its violent undertones and implicit sensationalising of the gangster lifestyle. Not the most exciting reason to ban a movie, but definitely a notable mention.

Best banned film number two is Monty Python’s The Life of Brian

(Terry Jones, 1979). A cult classic for a reason, The Life of Brian is one of the greatest comedy films ever made from one of the finest comedy groups in history. The movie follows a man called Brian who is born one stable down on the same night as Jesus. Brian is then mistakenly presumed to be the Messiah and the Pythons continue the hilarity from there.

The Life of Brian was banned for disobeying blasphemy laws in Ireland at the time and outlawed in other countries for the same reason. Not the most exciting banning, but definitely one of the best films on the list.

Film number three may come as a surprise: Disney’s Fantasia (Joe Grant, Dick Huemer, 1940). Including this film on the list is slightly cheating: it was not completely banned in Ireland, but it did go through extensive cuts. Sections of the film were removed as they presented a “materialistic” view on the beginning of life, according to Dr Richard Hayes. Not only does this film make it on the list for its strangely vague banning reason, but also as arguably one of the most remarkable animation films of all time.

The fourth film is the classic

published”. The journal has had pieces from History students of course, but also from those studying Economics, European Studies and Politics. The editors are willing and excited to read submissions from students of any discipline. The easiest way to get involved, say Tobin and Hutchinson, is to come to the launch of the magazine and simply “talk to us about what you’ve written and what you’re interested in publishing”. Hutchinson says with sincerity that it’s fine “if you’re not feeling brave enough just yet and you just want to come and observe at the magazine launch. Everyone should be brave enough to put their work out there because there’s some great stuff floating around”.

Tobin and Hutchinson have high hopes for the journal, saying, “we hope that it will become an annual incorporated part of the history department. To have a publication as well really rounds out the department and the course as a whole…and to have it known as a part of the history program”. It is clear to me, that the passion emitting from these two and the entire editorial board will ensure the longevity and immense value of the journal for both the History department and Trinity as a whole.

Casablanca (Micheal Curtiz, 1942). The IFCO decided that Casablanca’s stance on World War II portraying the Nazi’s in a “sinister light” was against Ireland’s policy of neutrality, therefore it was banned for political reasons. The ban was raised in 1945 but some cuts to the film remained. Casablanca is perhaps the most egregious banning on this list, due to its undisputed place in cinematic history.

To conclude with an unconventional pick: the film Monkey Business (1931, Norman Z. McLeod). It is the third Marx brothers film and follows the four brothers as stowaways on a ship. The IFCO decided that it would “provoke the Irish to anarchy”, resulting in its prohibition. If that doesn’t convince you to watch this film, I honestly don’t know what will.

FILM AND TV EDITOR

Sarah Murnane

So Late in the Day: A Rich Exploration of Irish Misogyny

Cillian Hickey

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Claire Keegan is rapidly becoming a household name, with the resounding critical acclaim her works garner. This is no wonder as, after completing her undergraduate studies at Loyola University in New Orleans, she earned an M.Phil. at Trinity. Her 2010 short story Foster, about a girl who finds care and affection when sent to live with relatives for the summer, was made into the 2022 Oscar-nominated film An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl). Her most recent work, So Late in the Day, is the follow up to her novel Small Things Like These (2021), which was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize. So

Late in the Day first appeared in the New Yorker magazine and has recently been published in a standalone hardback edition.

It is a character study of great style and subtlety in which we follow Cathal, a middle-aged office worker at the Arts Council on Merrion Square, over the course of an uneventful day. While there are scarcely any dramatic moments, the undercurrent of tension speaks to a latent unrest in his life. The exchanges between him and others are taciturn, mostly in the fashion of the uncommunicative Irish man who is invariably “grand”. Through flashbacks we learn of how Cathal’s low-level misogyny may have cost him the relationship which offered him perhaps his only chance at happiness. This misogyny manifests mostly in out-dated

assumptions about how women should act to accommodate him, and also in a lack of generosity.

Keegan vividly portrays the emotional inarticulacy and illiteracy of her central character, as well as his efforts to deflect and ignore the pain resulting from his own faults. Also shown is his unwillingness to confront how his upbringing has shaped him. He feels “the long shadow of his father’s language crossing over his life” and, later on, wonders “how he might have turned out if his father had been another type of man”, but fails to interrogate this legacy further.

Keegan’s protagonist is shown to be a product of the misogynistic household in which he was raised – one representative of the Ireland of Keegan’s childhood. This was a much more

backward country, concerned with keeping Irish women in the home for the purpose of child-bearing, cooking, cleaning and child-rearing following its religious backbone. This is illustrated by the fact that it was only upon Ireland’s entry into the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1973 that the “marriage bar” was lifted. This provision formerly meant that women working in the public sector (as well as some in the private sector) had to give up their jobs upon marriage. Additionally, it was not until 1985 that contraception was legalised without a prescription, and 1990 that a law against marital rape was passed. A legacy of the prejudice against women that went along with such laws can still be felt in Ireland today, as

Keegan’s story shows, despite the advancements which the country has thankfully made over the years.

Most importantly, the story’s formal style is a pleasure to read – unpretentious, and refined, with an abundance of commas, to slow the pace. The dialogue, in its depiction of banal exchanges, suggests ambivalent significance.

Should you read this story?

If you like good fiction, yes. Should you buy the new hardback edition? Well, it’s nicely bound. You might find that a bit steep for a book you can expect to read in one sitting, though it’s certainly worth rereading. So if you, like its protagonist, are reluctant to put your hand in your pocket, it’s also available for free on the New Yorker’s website.

Dublin’s Live Jazz Scene Captures the City’s Creativity

Sadie Loughman

Walking the streets of Smithfield on a Thursday night, one might encounter the faint sound of a saxophone floating through the air, the enticing beat of a snare or the resounding notes of an unpredictable baseline. The source of this wondrous cacophony is Dashi, a versatile bar and venue and a recent addition to the Dublin night scene. Dashi is host to a range of events each week, including, but not limited to, DJs, open mic nights and, most notably, its live jazz each Thursday night. The pub – found below the ramen bar Soup 2, down an unassuming set of stairs – is a low-ceilinged, intimate basement with a relaxed atmosphere.

Since its opening just over two years ago, Dashi has hosted live jazz every Thursday night from 8pm. The event is free of charge and their regular slots include numerous jazz collectives local to Dublin. But in a city full of nightclubs, concerts and raves, one may wonder why we should care about live jazz in modern Ireland.

Jazz arrived in Ireland in the

aftermath of World War I, as soldiers returned home from the bustling cities of London and Paris, bringing with them tidbits of modern and exotic culture. Jazz’s typical, fast-paced tempo became a new element in local dance halls, along with the saxophone, fusing with traditional folk music to create a lively amalgamation. Initially labelled as ‘primitive’ by Irish critics, the negative reaction to the influx of jazz was predictably rooted in racism. Jazz, originating from African-American communities of New Orleans, was outrageous to a newly formed Ireland in the 1920s: foreign, unpredictable and capable of exciting a crowd. In the time of a vulnerable state which had just gained its independence from Britain, a strong sense of nationalism aimed to drive out anything non-Irish.

The Church and State of Ireland soon cracked down on this expansion of music. Protests were held against jazz and the creation of the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 restricted regular public dances, oppressing the vibrant music scene of Ireland. However, moving into the 1960s, an enthusiasm for jazz grew in Irish public opinion as artists like Louis Armstrong became household names. A

country once deprived of jazz, Ireland accepted the ever-growing music genre in full swing –pun intended.

The appeal of live jazz today is in the complexity of its improvisation. Though often disregarded as boring or old-fashioned, live jazz is instead the opposite: a dynamic convergence of individuals into a collective, creating a spontaneous piece of music. Watching the regular musicians of Dashi’s Thursday night perform in their synchronicity is simply hypnotising – the bass monitors the keyboard, waiting for key switches, matching each other’s melody. One might catch a nod

from the drummer to indicate a change of tempo, and each time the saxophone takes a small step forward, we learn that he is about to perform a solo. The entire performance is one of invisible signals – each note, each beat, decided through feeling and intuition. Endlessly fascinating to witness, Dashi on a Thursday night is a sure sign that jazz lives on in Dublin.

Not far from Dashi is the longstanding pub Frank Ryans, a quaint, dimly lit space plastered with posters and memorabilia of Dublin, serving pizza and pints and home to the odd roaming dog. Here too we find a regular live jazz performance

each Wednesday night, also free of charge, often with an eclectic, older crowd. The live jazz scene is not limited to Smithfield however: Arthur’s Jazz & Blues Pub on Thomas Street is a well-established institution which attracts both local and international acts. This venue in the heart of the Liberties, with a concert hall above its bar, hosts live jazz four to six nights a week, sometimes for a small ticket fee and other times free of charge.

When asking why we ought to care about jazz in Dublin today, we must look to the past. Ireland’s history entails a complex, woven net of oppression – an oppression of culture, of celebration and of all things creative – firstly by forces outside of our country, and then by those within it. The story of Ireland and jazz is a tumultuous one, but the survival of live jazz in Dublin today is a positive omen. These venues champion a broader movement in encouraging creativity and culture to flourish in Dublin. Without any hefty entry fees, supporting the Irish music scene has never been this easy – resting in an armchair with a pint on a weeknight, listening to the improvised harmonic symphony that is live jazz.

MUSIC EDITOR

Return to College, Return to Upcycling

Clara Potts

FASHION EDITOR

The sustainability saga is central to conversations within and about the fashion industry. It provokes new designs and encourages us to confront questions such as “How can I dress more sustainably?” and “Can fashion ever be wholly sustainable?” Each day we are misinformed by an overwhelmingly large selection of garments which claim to be “eco-friendly”, “recycled” and “ethical”. Unlike the bunches of organic bananas or cartons of eggs that fill our shopping baskets, fashion labels lack the same regulation that food labels undergo. This loophole leads to the trap of greenwashing. So, while our clothing choices pose many ethical difficulties, sustainability should be at the forefront of our minds as we prepare to embark upon a new year of college.

Trends and Fast Fashion: Two ‘Green’ Closet Crushers

While clothing and textiles allow freedom of expression, they can also reinforce socioeconomic segregation and heighten stress. This becomes increasingly apparent as we anticipate the new college year. Modern style lacks longevity as a result of two central forces: fast fashion and fashion trends. This means that the fashion industry remains in a state of flux, making it exhausting and unreasonable to attempt to keep up with short-lived trends. By imitating and feeding into these traps we become passive imitators, hindering our self-expression and discovery.

Buy Less, Buy Better, Get Creative

According to the Irish Times, the fashion industry generates 80 billion garments annually. If that figure is not shocking enough, consider the 2.1 billion tonnes of forgotten clothing in heaps of landfills. We’ve all heard it before: one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. But isn’t every item we own capable of becoming something we can treasure? We only have to turn to Vogue’s fashion section to recognise the emphasis on re-wearing and recycling this Autumn. ‘How to wear your Birkenstocks with socks’ and ‘How to re-wear the same jeans’

are two of many articles that offer key advice: less is more and basics, statement pieces and capsule wardrobes permit creativity.

We must advocate not only for garments that can be styled with the items that already exist in our wardrobes but also for new ones that remain intact, even after numerous washes. Despite what the enticingly low cost of fast fashion pieces may imply, bear in mind that minimalism is key. Simplicity goes hand in hand with sustainability, where style prioritises fewer pieces to clutter your wardrobe, focusing on higher quality. So, if you are doing a fall clearout, don’t neglect your wardrobe. Allow these abandoned pieces to be revived and re-styled. Basics are also a must (I know – we’ve all heard this before). They allow statement pieces to be paired with clothing you already own, meaning you can add a pop of colour or embrace simplicity – the options are endless!

If you’re tired of scrolling through Pinterest, perhaps you can learn something from Irish designers such as Simone Rocha, whose first runway showcased the beauty and versatility of monochromatic fits. Alongside impractical garments, “unusual” clothing often becomes widespread. These stand-out pieces are sought after, regardless of the underpaid and overworked individuals who make them. Instead, timelessness and individuality should be the aim of each of our closets. Put simply, we do not have to wear Desigual’s latest graphic tee to achieve an eye-catching look. Our basics can be transformed into something more through texture, silhouette and embellishment. This freedom from the forces of fast fashion and trends provides oneself with choice. So, what is key this autumn? Sustainability is crucial. Re-wearing clothes

is encouraged. And upcycling allows the much sought-after “trendy” status on campus to be accomplished.

Shop your pre-existing closet

With this in mind, we must reimagine and redefine unwanted and aged pieces, celebrating and treasuring their imperfections and longevity by altering garments we already own instead of buying quick, shortlived ones. Whether you stitch or thrift your outfit, you are caring for the world around you whilst developing your style, becoming an active creator and rejecting the clothing options available from brands that determine what you wear. From now on, we must become active, not passive, in our fashion journey.

How-To: Three Methods to Implement that Improve Individuality and Allow Greener Garms to be Generated

Over recent years, there has been an increase in the recycling and renting of clothing. Websites such as Depop and Vestiaire Collective have become the go-tos when searching for a new outfit (even if it is only to be worn for a couple of pints in P. Mac’s). Both apps focus on exchange and creativity, becoming essential for environmentally conscious consumers by encouraging reduced waste and recycling. These companies claim to work towards being “climate neutral” in their mission statements, however there are several issues with this. For example, the courriers used do not promise to offset carbon emissions and senders often fail to use biodegradable packaging.

Moreover, sellers repeatedly exploit trends to earn extra money, preventing individuals from supporting slow fashion, instead turning to fast fashion as an option for cheaper alternatives as prices on resale sites

rise. While we forget fast fashion and wait for slow fashion clothing apps to do better and revise their sustainability plans, there are various alternatives for creating a greener college wardrobe.

First, you could raid a family member’s wardrobe (or your own – or both!). You will be amazed at what you recover from the back of these dark, forgotten spaces. We’ve all experienced the “Oh I forgot about this” moments when we take the time to explore and appreciate what we already have. Maybe it was a top that had fallen off a hanger and retreated to join the pit of limp piles of fabric accumulated at the back of your closet. There is

clothes. Instead, trust transitional dressing and adapt your summer clothes to the changing weather. Why not add some woollen socks with your Birkenstocks? Or layer your dress over a pair of jeans? Adapting to the weather and a busier college routine does not require an entirely new wardrobe. Instead, get creative with comfort: who wants to be walking on the cobblestones in a pair of heels anyway? Birkenstocks are back, and it seems they’re here to stay, even in the colder months.

Lastly, (and unsurprisingly) you could scout the second-hand clothing stores in Dublin. Whether you dander to Capel St. or Rathmines it does not matter – there are various

usually something forgotten to be found without going far to look. If you cannot relate to this in the slightest, head to your closet and have a delve into the darkness.

Whether you’ve built your capsule closet already and have a strong selection of basics, or have too many basics and no statement pieces, why not embrace upcycling? This makes fashion more affordable, more personal and less daunting. It’s the perfect way to get creative and save money! As the colder weather seeps in, college resumes and the mornings are unbearably dark when you have a 9am, the last thing you need is to stress over your college

stores available full of hidden gems that are waiting for you. Closer to campus, explore George’s St. Arcade, or for those who enjoy a stroll to the Liberties, make sure to set a reminder for the monthly flea market at Digital-Hub where you will be sure to pick up a preloved piece in a lively setting.

So, why surrender to fast fashion and trends or settle for mass-produced, poor-quality clothing when you can improve individuality by upcycling, transitional dressing and visiting preloved clothing stores and markets? This autumn, shop your pre-existing closet, shop pre-owned and shop new responsibly.

PHOTO BY CLARA POTTS

PHOTO BY CLARA POTTS

“Timelessness and individuality should be the aim of each of our closets.

Interview

In Conversation With: Thomas Morris

Sarah Browne

LITERATURE EDITOR

Thomas Morris is at the pinnacle of the Irish literary scene. Beyond his award-winning writing, he is the Editor-at-Large of The Stinging Fly, a mentor renowned for his generosity to developing writers and an English and Philosophy graduate of Trinity. In conversation, we discussed his time at Trinity and his latest collection of stories, Open Up, a creative feat proving, yet again, that Morris knows intimately what moves the heart. With a diverse cast of characters, he journeys through threshold moments in their lives producing a remarkable exploration of interiority.

I have to ask, of all the esteemed positions you’ve held throughout your career, is Chair of the Literary Society at Trinity still your most cherished?

[Laughs] By far. By far. I feel like it was where it all began and, in many ways, it still kind of remains the high point just because we had so much freedom. It was so exciting for me to have a reason to email writers or agents and to understand how some of that worked. You might have asked this question as a joke but it really does mean a lot to me. We had people like Colm Tóibín come in, Roddy Doyle and Pat McCabe. Meeting writers face-to-face like that and seeing that they were no different to us – I always thought, ‘well we’ve got the same size hands,’ you know, there was kindness extended to us and encouragement and it just made it all seem possible.

You seem to have always had a relationship with writing and literature, when did that connection really germinate?

I kind of really began writing in earnest when I started in Trinity. I bought a laptop the first summer and it was my own. Suddenly, there was a privacy to that. I was lying in bed in Cunningham House in Trinity Hall with it on my lap and it felt almost like a physical connection. Working towards that first story began with me just writing out memories from childhood trying to understand where I’d come from – the distance from Wales to Ireland – and also, in some way, trying to emulate some of the writers I was reading at that time like Carver, Blake and Morrison. I was writing my way through all of that and then by third year, I’d studied some short story courses. The Irish Short Story course I had managed to do twice with Paul Delaney. I don’t know how he didn’t notice that I had snuck on one year after another. [Laughs] After reading

Frank O’Connor there, I spent a long time just writing imitations of his work and then publishing them under a pseudonym in Icarus

After those initial experiences in college, how did you start working with Faber for the publication of your first collection, We Don’t Know What We’re Doing?

In 2012, I decided to apply for a creative writing masters in East Anglia. It was during that year that I really wrote most of the stories that are in that first collection. Being in that hotbed environment of workshops and every month having to turn up a story with people around you improving, there was that sense of shit, I really need to up my game here. I was very fortunate that during that year, the Scottish writer, Ali Smith, was a Writer-in-Residence and I showed her some of my work; she was an admirer of it and, a couple of months later, I received an email from her agent – she had tipped her off. That doesn’t happen all that often so I really want to acknowledge that bit of fortune. Then from there, it was a matter of just listening to the stories as they started speaking to one another and other stories that I had been working on over the years fell away because I realised that they didn’t belong. So my agent, Tracy Bohan, submitted the stories which got rejected by more publishers than I could shake a stick at.

The unifying element of Open Up, for me, was the psychology behind each character’s confrontation with their fragmented sense of self. You’ve mentioned previously that a part of your writing process involves accessing a form of ‘hypothetical empathy’ with your characters. Is it ever the case that having to articulate these darker emotions and complex states of mind negatively affects you? Does a sad character ever result in a sad writer rather than what readers usually presume is the reverse?

That’s a lovely question. While writing one of the pieces that isn’t in this collection, I reached deep inside myself and pulled out feelings; many of them were my own feelings and I did not know what to do with them. I was crying when I was writing the prose. I got very stuck in a lot of aspects of my life and it’s hard to know which came first but it was as if, while I was writing, I was accessing these feelings for the first time. I said before, sometimes it’s easier for me to empathise with a character outside of myself than it is for myself so there is a drop of real blood in each of these stories. They’re not me, but bits of them are me. So the sad character is a bit of a sad author, but it’s a bit of me which I haven’t necessarily given space to before.

In terms of that invisible thread running through the stories, I felt quite a connection between certain characters –particularly Gareth in Wales and Geraint in Passenger insofar as Geraint’s state of mind and hypersensitivity to the world around him seem a consequence of his conscious childhood. Do you think Geraint has indirectly inherited some of Gareth’s childhood, as is possibly the case for other characters too, or that his adult personality is one possible response to it?

I think of this book as a suite of stories and Wales as the prelude. It introduces themes and sounds and moods which are then picked up later. There is some of Gareth’s magical thinking in that first story, Wales, becoming thinner in Passenger – morphing into something more intrusive. For me, it’s magical thinking in response to intolerable circumstances. The mind has to create another cover story in order for the individual to survive. For Gareth, there’s that sense of emotional caretaking which he’s taking on at a very young age. I think that’s prevalent in a lot of children but perhaps acutely, specifically for children of divorce and separation where suddenly you’re very

mindful and you’re perhaps having to take on more than you can bear. You become, as you said, highly sensitive to how people are feeling. A form of parentification can take place and a child goes into a position that they’re not prepared for. I suspect Geraint had a not dissimilar childhood being a child of divorce. There’s the same kind of financial precarity there and he spends his whole life perhaps not wanting to express a need in case it’s too much.

In my experience, the people who are very quick to offer support aren’t necessarily those who are able to receive support. They don’t want to be seen as vulnerable and that can come from this sense of ‘maybe I was too much’ as a child taking on that feeling of blame for something beyond your control. I’m conscious of it now, after the fact, that there’s this sense of characters coming to a moment in their life where they can no longer go on with this false self or this constructed self that was formed in childhood or adolescence or in order to survive. They can’t go on being this person and there’s a desire to pull off the shroud and to become the authentic self and that might be a fantasy in some cases; it might be a real strong possibility in others but I have a feeling that a lot of these characters are on the cusp of something.

To finish up, is there a specific goal that you would like to achieve – a particular story that you would like to write?

Just the next one. It feels like a miracle each time a story lands. So just the next one would be lovely.

Open Up was published by Faber (€16.95) on August 17, 2023. Thomas Morris will be speaking at Book Upstairs on October 5th – an evening not to be missed.

PHOTO BY DAVID O’CARROLL

Five of the Best: Sustainable Irish Clothing Brands

Clara Potts

FASHION EDITOR

For too long, conversations about sustainable fashion have focused on material solutions instead of addressing two universal issues that sustain its damaging impacts: overconsumption and overproduction. Put simply, we must drastically slow the rate at which we make and buy clothing - and as consumers, we must accept our role in this. The sooner we support smaller brands whose creations align with environmental responsibility, the sooner we can dare to ditch the large companies who repeatedly lure us through low-cost “bargains” which harm the planet and those living on it.

There are several Irish brands that we should know about this Autumn as knitwear takes over as the

go-to street style, and layering quite literally covers our backs, ensuring that the sudden bursts of sun followed by intense downpours don’t catch us out.

Afore After Claiming to be Ireland’s first truly circular and sustainable brand, Sandra Murphy’s Afore After is conducted by the product origin (Afore) and its future (after). Interestingly, the company does not claim perfection but rather aims to “continue to make progress by doing more with less”. Replacing the usual “make, use, waste” cycle of fashion with “rethink, reduce, re-wear, resell, recover and regenerate”, Afore After recognises that we cannot shop our way to a sustainable future. By providing an after-wear service on their website, ‘Full Circle’ consumers can minimise the environmental impact of their fashion by recycling or reselling

their pieces after use. This ensures fantastic fashion and a happy planet!

Katie Ann McGuigan

Launching her label in 2017, McGuigan became one of the first designers to use Irish native wool sponsored by Donegal Yarns. Working between Ireland and London her collections possess a bold aesthetic, often featuring clashing prints and a vivid colour palette. Focusing on sustainability and drawing inspiration from the Japanese car subculture and motorbike Bosozoku, there is a vast selection of garments to elevate your statement piece collection.

Alice Halliday

Based in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Halliday specialises in sustainable fashion she describes as “ethical, ethereal and elegant”. If you appreciate clothing that incorporates the old with the new, then Halliday’s label

DUNeS: Lowering the Barriers

Boyd Stephen

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Starting college is hard for everyone.

It often involves moving across the country, or in some cases, the world. Upon arrival, you will meet a completely new peer group and, in many cases, be introduced to activities previously unfamiliar to you. And all of this while dealing with a much more rigorous academic curriculum than that of secondary school. Although these are struggles many students face, these changes can prove particularly hard for neurodivergent students.

To mitigate these challenges, Trinity has the Dublin University Neurodiversity Society (DUNeS), where neurodivergent students can socialise with each oth-

er. Ahead of the beginning of term, The University Times sat down with Faolán Launders, the chairperson of DUNeS to learn more about the society.

DUNeS is a fairly new society, established in the summer of 2021 by Launders and his friends Disability Service Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) drop-in group. Launders was originally the treasurer of the society, with Jordan

can help you add sentimentality to your look through the history of locally sourced fabrics which adds character and beauty to form her “wearable works of art”. Hand-made entirely from donated fabrics and waste, you can be sure that you own a unique piece and that you are displaying your care for the environmentwhat more could you want?

FéRí

Pronounced ‘Faye-Ree’, FéRí is a fictional Irish word embodying the whimsical

nature of the brand and its ‘Ferifolk’ inspired by antiques and Irish folklore. Prioritising certified and hand-painted organic and reclaimed fabrics, each of FéRí’s garments is one-ofa-kind. If you are searching for the perfect piece to stand out in the Arts block or simply have a great appreciation for bright prints then FéRí is a brand you must add to your radar. As a National College of Art and Design graduate committed to responsible design and transparency, Faye Roch-

ford aims to “bring joy” to each wearer. Through creativity and nostalgia, all garments are made from repurposed fabrics which create quality timeless pieces, denying alignment with the tirelessly changing fast fashion trends.

Four Threads

It is not unusual that many seek the simplicity and beauty of a capsule wardrobe jam-packed with earthy tones which harmoniously layer. For the many that this applies to, Four Threads is the label for you. Using Irish linen, Alanagh Clegg transcends seasons and commits to creating quality “lifetime garments”. Functional yet timeless pieces are a hard thing to master, but Four Threads seems to have found the balance. Made with care to be “lived in and loved” an expansive collection is on offer, providing flattering and elegant clothing that lasts.

Nevan serving as chair and Ciaran O’Sullivan as secretary. The society was originally recognised by the Central Societies Committee (CSC) in March 2023, but even before this, the committee had organised many of their own events and collaborated with existing societies.

When discussing the process of being recognised by the CSC, Launders reveals a failed attempt when the

committee first applied. That they have since been successful demonstrates not only how the society has evolved since its establishment, but also how societies in Trinity operate. One change they made was the name of the society. Originally known as the Neurodivergent Society, the CSC believed that this was too exclusionary, as Trinity societies must be open to all students. They later revised this to Neurodiversity Society, aiming to explore the experiences of neurodivergent people studying and working at Trinity. Events also became more organised, as the committee applied skills they learnt on the committees of other societies to DUNeS.

Launders believes that neurodivergent people generally feel more welcome at DUNeS in comparison to other circles in college,

thanks to the culture of the society. DUNeS is a place where people are aware of neurodiversity and, as a result, the barriers to entry for neurodivergent people are lowered significantly. Members can be themselves without feeling judged by the other people around them. Without this fear of judgement, Launders believes that DUNeS has created a place where neurodivergent people can feel comfortable.

This can be a helpful break for many neurodivergent people, for whom College can often fail to accommodate. Launders says he understands Trinity’s problem in this regard. He explains that Trinity is huge, with over 20,000 people on campus on any day, and the administrators have the hard task of giving all these people a centralised set of rules. Howev-

er, this results in the rules being inconsistent across departments, which is often not helpful to neurodivergent students. An example of this difference is in the Department of Geography, which he claims provides students with accessible materials, while most STEM departments provide no such services.

Towards the end of our interview, the discussion moved towards how new society members could get involved. Launders says that DUNeS aims to be noticeable by making sure they’re advertised both around college and online. He also mentions that they try to make their meetings accessible by hosting all kinds of society events. From large gatherings to smaller meetups, and even online events, DUNeS makes an effort to accommodate anyone who wishes to participate.

KATIE ANN MCGUIGAN’S S/S 2020 COLLECTION. PHOTO BY ISABEL INFANTES

TZIPPORAH JOHNSTON, ‘AMULET AGAINST EYE CONTACT BLUE’, NEUK COLLECTIVE

Our Pick of Trinity and Dublin’s society, art, life and culture events

CULTURE NIGHT

FIVE OF THE BEST: CULTURE NIGHT

free and not ticketed so everyone is welcome to attend!

THEATRE

A BOLT FROM D’BLUE BY DAVID GILNA

SEAN O’CASEY THEATRE, SEPTEMBER 20TH, 8PM-9:30PM

David Gilna is set to perform his critically acclaimed play A Bolt From D’Blue, at the Sean O’Casey Theatre later this month.

Barrett Ellis

RADIUS EDITOR

If you weren’t already having enough fun with Freshers’, going to the Pav and pretending that classes haven’t really started yet, you’re in luck. Culture Night Dublin is returning for its eighteenth year, and the scale of the events offered reflect the night’s growth and popularity over the years. Dublin City Council’s culture night has transformed over the years from a small event, staged only in Dublin, to an island-spanning night of events taking place in museums, galleries, pubs and other cultural centres across the country boasting over 400,000 attendees. Whether you’re interested in seeing a theatre performance, going on a historical tour, or just having a pint, Culture Night has an event for everyone.

Liberties Walking Tour, John’s Bar and Haberdashery

If you’d like to enrich yourself with some pintside history, John’s Bar and Haberdashery has teamed up with In Our Shoes Walking Tours, a local Liberties based tour group, to offer a walking tour

DUBLIN PAINTING AND SKETCHING CLUB EXHIBITION

DUBLIN DOCKLANDS, SEPTEM-

BER 11TH-23RD, 10AM-5PM

Originally founded in 1874,

around the neighborhood. Located on Thomas Street in the Liberties, John’s is centrally located and, after the tour, the cozy bar will offer live music and surely great craic. John’s also has a Wowburger tucked away in the back, for those looking to take advantage of the famed student deal.

Chester Beatty Library

The Chester Beatty, on the grounds of Dublin Castle, is offering a slew of activities for Culture Night. The museum will host a Southern Indian Bharatanatyam dance performance, a walking tour of the museum’s highlights, and a performance by Edel Meade of sean-nós singing and more modern compositions inspired by Irish folklore. The museum will additionally be offering events for families, including a stick puppet and collaging activities.

Himself and Nora, James Joyce Centre

Jonathan Brielle’s widely acclaimed off-broadway musical, Himself and Nora, will be performed at the James Joyce Centre as a free recital-viewing for Culture Night. Himself and Nora recounts the little-told story of the romance between Nora Barnacle and himself, James Joyce. The opportuni-

the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club are holding their 144th annual exhibition. Formed to “bring together artists, amateurs and others interested in art

ty to see this show - variously called funny, bawdy, and uplifting, should not be missed for any James Joyce enthusiasts, or those who like a good musical!

Strawberries, Meeting House Square

Going from 10pm until late, Strawberries is an LBGTQ+ electronic music event that will be held in Meeting House Square. The event is set to have three musical acts, with Soria Reilly playing a specially made Culture Night party-themed set, Bull Horris & Tadhg K playing Trance and Euro House favorites, and Efa O’Neill finishing the night off with an atmospheric dance set that is sure to be electric.

Old Liffey Ferry Tours

For those looking for an event a bit further afield, possibly hoping to get out of Dublin for the night, the Old Liffey Ferry can help you with that- almost!

The Old Liffey Ferry will be offering free tours out of North Dock, where you’ll begin your adventure down the Liffey and around Dublin Harbor. Tours are free and participants will get the opportunity to see Dublin and learn about its history from a different perspective. Tours run until 3:30pm.

and the holding of public exhibitions”, the exhibition still retains its ethos in the present day. Only a short distance from Trinity College, the exhibition is

A Bolt From D’Blue recounts Gilna’s early life and interest in performance, his arrival in the US and, most notably, the moment he was struck by lightning, which stopped his heart and sent him down a long path of recovery. Gilna’s performance is noted for his especially powerful storytelling, and the fact that he has a different guests join him every night. Tickets from €20, available for purchase on Eventbrite.

FOOD AND DRINK

Y2K BRUNCH

NOLITA, SEPTEMBER 20TH, 1PM

Celebrating all things 2000s, NoLIta is hosting an afternoon of brunch and drinks which will take you right back in time with the iconic nostalgic music of Britany Spears and Destiny’s Child . Costumes to the theme of Y2K are strongly encouraged and the event is expected to last 5 hours. Tickets are available to purchase on Eventbrite, starting from €19. Included in your ticket is entry to the venue, a brunch main and a Gordon’s Pink Gin and Tonic upon arrival.

LITERATURE

IRISH WRITERS CENTRE CULTURE NIGHT 2023

IRISH WRITERS CENTRE, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 5PM-9PM

The Irish Writers Centre is holding their annual event for Culture Night, which comprises a series of free events throughout the night in celebration of Ireland’s thriving literary scene. The events range from an art collection tour, to a showcase as well as readings from the novel fair winners, including Olivia Fitzsimons, Michelle Gallen and Lauren Mackenzie. The night is set to end with a IWC rambling house, which takes inspiration from an old tradition. It will showcase a selection of readings. The event is free, however, some of the night’s events require booking in advance through Eventbrite.

MUSIC

LIVE @ BELLO BAR

BELLO BAR DUBLIN, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 8:30PM

Sky Rocket Productions are holding another ‘Live @ Bello Bar’ event. A night that has a line-up of incredible talent such as Eyejust, RECO, Raw Cuts and Molly Buchan, it is not a show in which you will want to miss. Tickets are €10 through Eventbrite but will be sold at the door for €15 on the night.

FOOD AND DRINK

DUBLIN VEGFEST 2023

LEINSTER CRICKET CLUB RATHMINES, SEPTEMBER 23RD-24TH

A weekend filled with a wide range of different plant based vendors in their Food Village, Dublin VegFest has lots of tasty food on offer. With talks and panels by experts surrounding the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle and veganism, there is a full schedule of demonstrations, workshops and interactive talks to attend across the entire weekend. Admission is by ticket only, starting from €16, to

ANDY WARHOL, ‘FLOWERS’ (1964)

get full access to all events throughout the day.

FASHION

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK: SUSTAINABLE FASHION COURSE 2023

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, FROM SEPTEMBER 26TH-OCTOBER 17TH, 7PM-8PM

The minds of University College Dublin will be offering a course in sustainable fashion running from late-September through mid-October. The course will culminate in participants putting on their own sustainable fashion show at the end, showing off their sustainability prowess. Admission is free, and an interest in fashion or sustainability is the only requirement. Spots can be reserved on Eventbrite.

FILM AND TV

OPEN AIR SCREENING: MONSTERS INC.

SANDYMOUNT GREEN, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 7PM.

For those looking to tap into their childhood, Happenings will be hosting an outdoor screening of Monsters Inc. on Sandymount Green near the end of September. Tickets go for €10 and the screening is sure to be a unique experience.

FILM AND TV

IRISH PSYCHOANALYTICAL

FILM FESTIVAL: IRELAND(S) ON SCREEN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY, SEPTEMBER 29TH-30TH

The Irish Psychoanalytical Film Festival will be coming to DCU, and making its return to an in-person venue for the first time following COVID. The festival will include screening and discussion of the movies

Song of the Sea and An Cailín Ciúin, alongside lectures and a book launch of Psychoanalysis and the Small Screen: the Year the Cinemas

Closed. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, with day tickets going for €30 and full admission for €50.

MUSIC

IRELAND MUSIC WEEK 2023

IN VARIOUS DUBLIN CITY CENTRE VENUES, OCTOBER 3RD-6TH

Ireland Music Week will be running in venues across Dublin during the first week of October. Spread throughout The Grand Social, the Workman’s

FASHION

FIVE OF THE BEST: IRISH INFLUENCERS

ART

ANDY WARHOL THREE TIMES OUT

HUGH LANE GALLERY, OCTOBER 6TH-JANUARY 28TH

Only a few minutes from Trinity, the Hugh Lane Gallery is holding a threemonth-long exhibition showcasing over 250 pieces of work by artist Andy Warhol. With the exhibition being accumulated over the past five years, works have even been borrowed from museums and galleries all over the world. Tickets are on sale now through the Hugh Lane Gallery website and start at €10 for students.

THEATRE

MURDER IN THE DARK

GAIETY THEATRE, FROM OCTOBER 10TH-14TH, 7:30PM

topics make her page about so much more than just her cool, thrifty outfits.

ultimately making him all the more relatable.

FASHION

LAURA LYNN BENEFIT CHARITY FASHION SHOW

26 MONKSTOWN CRESCENT, OCTOBER 14TH, 10AM-12PM

Over The Moon Monkstown will be holding a charity fashion show to benefit the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice Foundation. The event will include breakfast bites before the show, and a raffle that all ticket holders will be entered into. Tickets go for €30 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

LITERATURE

DISCOURSE SERIES: THE NOBEL PRIZE AND THE IDEA OF THE UNIVERSAL

THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, OCTOBER 17TH, 6PM-7:30PM

Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris: hubs where fashion meets digital content creation. But one need not look that far. Lavish glamour, relatable humour, all the fashion inspiration and so much more can be found just easily in our Ireland. Whether you’re looking for comfort or motivation, relatability or escape, minimalism or maximalism, there is something for everyone in the digital world of fashion in Ireland.

Keelin Moncrieff

(@kee_mon)

Moncrieff goes by she/they pronouns and introduces herself as “MILF, Host of ‘Same but Different’ Podcast and YouTuber” in her instagram biography. Though she is literally a mother, her content centres around herself navigating life as an adult. Sharing book recommendations and self-care advice alongside her fashion content, Moncrieff has created a very comforting and welcoming space. Her humour balanced with more thought-provoking

Bar, Yamamori Tengu and other venues, the festival will offer performances from the likes of Big Sleep,

Emmanuel_AAA (@emmanuelagbons)

Content creator, stylist and plus-size model, Emmanuel shares bold colours and sleek silhouettes on his page. His “Get Ready With Me” and “Outfit of the Day” Reels show off his modern, eclectic outfits though precise editing. Emmanuel particularly pays attention to the harmony of colours in his outfits, and strives to push any boundaries. His confidence is magnetic and the high technical quality of his content makes it a pleasure to consume.

King Ye (@nameskingg)

Chinese Irish digital creator

King Ye shares his cool fashion in the context of his life. Whether he’s going to Electric Picnic or on holiday to the Philippines, you can bet he will be the best dressed person there. Posting his outfits in carousels that show what he got up to while wearing each outfit makes him stand out from influencers who only seem to dress well for the sake of a picture. Ye comes across as authentically cool and isn’t afraid to include some funny pictures in his posts,

hotgirl, Limoncello and many others. Tickets can be bought for individual venues, day-long tickets, or for

Katie J (@katie_jackson12)

Katie J describes her content as “a mix of fashion and beauty”. While this may sound like any other white female influencer at first, Katie’s relatability makes her feel refreshingly down to earth. She represents normal girls with content such as ‘Outfits I’d Wear… Running Errands’ or ‘Help me pick an outfit for Girls Night’. She shares clothes from brands that college students can afford and takes her followers along to relatable activities.

Pamela Ashley Uba (@pamela.ashley.uba)

The actress and model (and Miss Ireland 2021!) gives a peek into her glamorous life through her pristine Instagram page. Even the covers of her story highlights match. Uba’s pictures are of high quality and mostly showcase elegant, expensive fashion worn with radiating confidence and a beautiful smile. She isn’t afraid to post more than one picture per outfit, and why should she be! Her power suits and gala dresses deserve to be seen over and over.

the whole week, and start at €12.00 for a venue ticket, ranging up to €40.00 for a week-long showcase ticket.

Murder in the Dark will be running at the Gaiety Theatre for a week in mid-October. This Torben Betts play, starring Tom Chambers (of Holby City, Casualty, Strictly Come Dancing Champion), centers around a New Year’s Eve car crash in rural England that unravels into a murder mystery. Tickets for Murder in the Dark can be purchased on Ticketmaster, starting from €21.50.

The Discourse Series is one of the oldest and most respected talks held in Ireland. Alongside UCD Professor Anne Fuchs, literary historian and author Professor Alsen Olsson, will hold a lecture surrounding the issues and transfigurations of the history of the Nobel Prize and the transformation of the Prize throughout the 20th century. Admission to the event is free, but to be able to attend, tickets must be bought through Eventbrite.

ASSISTANT FASHION EDITOR

Hanna Valila

PHOTO BY DENNIS MORTELL