1. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 10
Chris McCahill - Deputy News Editor
Minister Kathleen Lynch, has
criticised UCC for failing to
effectively tackle anti-social
behaviour amid complaints
from residents concerning
all-night parties and litter
problems. These complaints
were made last week by
residents during UCC’s RAG
week. Residents say they are
sick and tired of the noise and
mess caused by RAG week.
A meeting did take place
between UCC representatives
and residents but Minister
Lynch said it was regrettable
that the regular community
forums had been “dismantled”.
Paddy Hayes and Rose Walsh,
residents from magazine road,
claimed they were living with
constant anti-social behaviour
which is at a peak during RAG
week. Ms. Walsh claimed she
had emerged one morning
to pick up glass bottles and
claimed a party was still
ongoing in one of the houses.
Mr. Hayes claimed students
had no respect for cars as wing
mirrors, wipers and aerials
are often broken off. “They’re
treating the place like an open
skip. There are parties at 11am
in the morning. We’re not
tarring all students with the
same brush but something has
to be done. We don’t want to be
complaining all the time either,
but what else can we do?”
Residents took the opportunity
to raise their concerns to
Minister Lynch when she was
canvassing in the area. Some
are calling for students to be
arrested by Gardaí.
Minister Lynch commented on
the issue saying that: “From
early September every year
there are residents who feel as
if they are virtually prisoners in
their own home. I have spoken
to residents who look forward
to May each year and the peace
and quiet that it brings”.
“No community should be
expected to have to deal with
nightly drinking and parties
on residential streets along
with litter-strewn streets every
morning. Frankly, I think there
is a lack of communication
between the university and
residents and I consider it
unacceptable that community
forums appear to have been
dismantled”.
(Continued on Page 3...)
UCC Fails to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour
READY, SET R&G!: Participants in the annual Nearly Naked Mile set off on the charity (almost) nudist run for R&G (PHOTO: Emmet Curtin)
Students &
General Election
Pg. 5 - News
Abuse in
Relationships
Pg. 8 - Features
Interview:
ParaPod Podcast
BYLINE Magazine
2. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESS
Inside Today:
NUIG RAG Arrests Page 4
SU Elections Preview Page 6
Abusive Relationships Page 8
French Connection Page 10
RAG Week Photos Page 12
LOI Opinions Page 14
Editor-in-Chief: Brian Conmy
Deputy & News Editor: Zoë Cashman
Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahill
Features Editor: Deirdre Ferriter
Deputy Features Editor: Katie Jeffers
Sport Editor: Dylan O Connell
Sport Editor: Aaron Casey
Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin
Designer: Robert O’Sullivan
Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave
Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling
Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong
Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown
Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson
Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Fashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain
Fashion Editor: Kenneth Nwaezeigwe
Editorial team
/UCCExpress
UCCExpress.ie
@UCCExpress
2 |
Letters from the Editors
Up The R&G - Legitimate or Ageist?
Forget About ‘em
Another Raise & Give Week has come and gone,
and as the UCC Express’resident old person I’ve
been tasked with putting it on a scale among the
last few years’ attempts. I’ll admit, as someone
who doesn’t really drink and hates nightclubs,
R&G Week generally isn’t aimed at me. You’d
think, then, that I wouldn’t be too happy with the
prospect of a week of debouchery; on the
contrary, as someone who has worked with three
out of the four charities this year, I was delighted
to see students doing some good work for great
causes.
I have a massive problem with the coverage of
R&G Week in local media. As mentioned, being
the resident old soul I often spend my work
hours listening to the wireless in the background,
and as always with this (and Freshers’-) week
nothing can be found on the city’s two most
prominant stations (that aren’t UCC 98.3fm)
that doesn’t just go on and on about how terrible
young people are. And that’s where my problem
lies: it’s not “Jaysus, these anti-social pricks are
awful gobshites, ah? Lock em up I say” it’s
always “students are
shit, save the city get
rid of the college!”
Ignoring the fact that
UCC owns 1/8th of
Cork, do you see the
problem there?
While I describe myself as the Express’ token
oldie, I’m not even the oldest on staff; but
my mannor, my personality, could be easily
described as curmudgeonly at times. So when I
walk down College Road on a R&G Week morn
and get dirty looks from an old man putting up
“CLOSE UCC, SAVE OUR COMMUNITY!”
signs I cannot help but feel his issue is not with
anti-social behaviour, but with young people.
My heart goes out to residents; having been
one for years, I know their pain. I’ve called
the Guards, knocked on doors and complained
alongside them. R&G Week can be terrible
without being thrown under the bus on Neil
Prendeville.
I’ve come to realise that myself, as well as many
other people I’m sure, get a little too caught up
in who comes in and out of my life.
Most people who are reading this have at least
been through their primary and secondary school
education, and I would be highly surprised if a
lot of you still had the same friends or relation-
ships all the way up along. I think it’s incredibly
important to realise that we are constantly grow-
ing and changing as people, and just because a
lot of people may come and go from your life,
isn’t a reflection on you as a person.
Another important fact to realise is that people
are going to do wrong by you. If secondary
school or college has taught you anything let it
be that at the end of the day, to a certain extent,
you really just have to look out for number one.
I have seen it on many occasion that someone
I’ve trusted has done wrong by me and a couple
of years ago it would’ve bothered me, but as you
get older and this happens more and more, you
just come to realise
that you really should
just surround yourself
with positive people
who will add to your
life and not take away
from it.
Essentially, my
friends, carpe diem. You never know what’s
going to happen, maybe your best friend will be
your greatest enemy next year, maybe you and
your boyfriend are going to break up next week.
At the end of the day, life will go on and more
people will enter your life and it’s up to you
whether they deserve to stay. Also, be the best
you can be towards other people. I’ll finish this
with a quote my best friend always says, which
honestly has been getting me by lately, “What is
meant for you will never pass you”.
Robert O’Sullivan - Designer
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
To Send a Letter to the Editor:
Email Brian on: Editor@UCCExpress.ie
Email Zoë on: News@UCCExpress.ie
Email Rob on: Online@UCCExpress.ie
3. UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, February 23rd 2016
Lynch went on to say that
“The response to the issue
should involve UCC, Cork
City Council, Landlords and
Gardaí. “It’s a complex issue.
I am calling on UCC to re-
establish community forums in
the area and to proactively take
responsibility for ensuring that
students respect the residential
communities in which they are
living, especially during RAG
week.”
A spokesperson from UCC
responding to the complaints
said “All unreasonable
and unlawful behaviour by
individuals, whether they be
students of UCC or otherwise,
that interferes with the day-
to-day lives of local residents
and the UCC community is
unacceptable”.
At the invitation of the Gardaí,
representatives from UCC
met with local residents,
representatives, landlords, local
club owners, other concerned
groups and individuals along
with the UCC Students’
Union prior to RAG week,
in the hopes of working
together to identify ways
to ensure the week passed
off safely and with minimal
disruption to others. These
measures, many of which were
hugely successful included
disciplinary procedures against
any UCC student found in
breach of UCC rules and
the Gardaí provided serious
resources to ensure effective
policing in the areas around
UCC. Similarly, UCC’s
student community support
service was also active,
patrolling and assisting the
Gardaí by informing them of
any anti-social behaviour and
by cleaning up the litter and
rubbish left in public areas
each night.
UCC said they will continue
to work in collaboration with
the other parties involved
including the city council, the
Gardaí and local residents to
tackle this complex societal
issue.
| 3
UCC R&G Week Unable to Lose Anti-Social Connotations
Cover Story - Continued
USI Calls on Parties to Commit to Mental Health Reform
Transatlantic Flights from Cork to US postponed
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
The USI is calling on all
political parties to commit
to mental health reform and
suicide prevention before the
General Election. The number
of students reporting mental
health issues has increased, but
as a result of hiring restrictions,
most colleges are unable to
afford to hire extra counselling
staff to meet the demand.
Research conducted by USI
has found that 73% of students
said the high cost of college
causes them anxiety or stress,
71% said they regularly feel
down with 36% saying they
feel down every day and 35%
saying they feel down every
week.
USI President, Kevin Dono-
ghue, stated that “Ireland
has one of the highest levels
of participation in third-lev-
el education within the EU.
The importance of promoting
positive mental health among
the large third-level population
cannot be underestimated, with
research showing a high per-
centage of students experienc-
ing mental health difficulties
including depression, anxiety,
loneliness, substance misuse
and suicidal behaviour”.
Donoghue went on to say that
“An action plan for mental
health promotion in third level
should be included within the
development and implemen-
tation of a Health Promoting
College Network. Waiting lists
for counselling can be up to
six weeks which raises serious
concerns for students in dis-
tress. Crisis response should be
urgent and 24/7”.
According to research by
ReachOut, the online youth
mental health service, 63% of
students reported that lecture
attendance has been affect-
ed by their mental ill-health.
ReachOut also found that 15%
of students rated their mental
health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
USI has said that the next
Government should produce
a detailed, time-lined Action
Plan to continue the reform
of mental health supports and
improve the mental health of
whole population, ensuring
that adequate funding and the
structures for good governance
and oversight of the plan are in
place.
Donoghue concluded that “we
are urging the government to
increase funding given spe-
cifically for the provision of
adequate counselling services
to all third level students either
through the direct employment
of more counsellors or in pur-
chasing external counselling
session hours”.
Celebrity and advocate for
the acknowledgment of men-
tal health issues nationwide,
Niall Breslin, is also calling on
the next government to focus
on mental health issues. Via
Twitter on Friday Breslin stated
that it’s “really fantastic to see
our media outlets not let up on
politicians evasion of mental
health discussion”. He also
stated that he “wouldn’t vote
for a political party solely on
mental health manifestos, but
certainly had no interest in vot-
ing for a part with no mental
health manifesto”.
A Norwegian airline has stated
that planned flights from Cork
to the US have been postponed,
pending receipt of a permit to
enable the flight plan to com-
mence.
A spokesperson from Cork
Airport has said the airport is
awaiting a receipt of Norwe-
gian Air International’s foreign
permit from the US Depart-
ment of Transportation. The
matter has now entered arbi-
tration between the EU and US
authorities under Open Skies.
A Cork to Boston service has
been planned to begin in May
with a service to New York
scheduled for 2017. Norwegian
Air Shuttle ASA Chief Exec-
utive, Bjorn Kjos, said that
while direct flights between
Paris and the US will begin this
summer, the Cork service is
still on hold.
“The Paris flights underscore
the ambitions of Europe’s
third-biggest budget carrier
to rapidly expand its long-
haul business from the United
States”.
The owner of Blarney Castle,
Charles Colthurst, is calling on
the Taoiseach to intervene. He
spoke out on Friday follow-
ing the news that the Cork to
Boston flight route was being
deferred.
“I feel the people of Cork have
been let down badly. This
should have been an election
issue and my fear now is that
this is dead in the water”.
While Blarney Castle attracted
just over 400,000 visitors last
year - 200,000 of them Amer-
icans, Colthurst stated that
securing transatlantic flights
from Cork was of regional
importance.
“Not every American wants to
fly in to Dublin Airport, and I
know from my own contacts
in the US that there was huge
support for the proposed Cork
to Boston flights”.
Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál
Martin, has criticised the gov-
ernment for not doing enough
to secure the route. “This is
a matter the government has
not put enough time into. The
permits that need to be issued
by the American Department
of Transportation form part
of the Open Skies agreement
negotiated between the EU and
US when Fianna Fáil was in
government. The government
needs to have a more hands-
on role in this process and use
our positive ties with the US to
help move the issue along”.
Advertise Here?
Email Rob on
‘Advertising@
UCCExpress.ie’
4. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESS4 |
Psychobiotic Revolution to Treat Depression ‘Within 5 Years’
Students Hailed for Achievements on Placement
Students Arrested in Unoffical NUIG RAG Week
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Psychobiotics will be available
within the next five years for
treating depression and anxiety
disorders, a UCC professor of
psychiatry has predicted.
Ted Dinan, a Principal Inves-
tigator at APC in UCC, stat-
ed that “There is increasing
evidence from work in the
APC Microbiome Institute that
alterations in gut microbes may
predispose to mental health
problems. We have identified
bacteria called Psychobiotics
which have a positive mental
health benefit”.
Professor Dinan expects that
other therapies for psychiatric
conditions which may emerge
are antibiotics targeting ‘bad’
bacteria or even faecal micro-
biota transplantation, a therapy
currently confine to people
with intractable clostridium
difficile infection.
Although there are many
preparations of bacteria now
being marketed as probiotics,
the vast majority do nothing for
us, stated Dinan. “Most don’t
make it past the stomach acid,
however, a few have enormous
implications for the future of
psychiatric medication”.
Awarded the Melvin Ramsey
Prize in 1995 for his research
into the biology of stress,
Professor Dinan was among
the speakers at the SynBio Fu-
ture 2016 Conference: Future
Axioms in Synthetic Biology
which took place in UCC
yesterday. The conference
featured speakers representing
the biotech startup scene, new
faces of industrial biotechnol-
ogy, experts in functional food
microbiota and brain.
According to IndieBio founder,
Bill Liao, “Cork is the global
hub of biotechnology that has
managed to hide its light away
until now. Cork has a long
tradition of entrepreneurship
and is one of the world’s most
liveable cities”.
Numerous startup companies
such as Hyasynth, Evolva,
GlowDx, Ourobotics, Bento
Labs and Monaghan Biosci-
ence showcased their contri-
butions to global problems.
Liao concluded that “Synthetic
biology is the technology of
the new millennium and as it is
moving forward at an exponen-
tial pace you cannot afford to
miss any opportunities to come
up to speed on the latest this
domain has to offer”.
UCC’s College of Business and
Law hosted its Work Placement
Awards last week, to recognise
and reward exceptional student
performances on placement.
In 2015, over 500 students in
the College of Business and
Law successfully completed
Work Placement as part of the
undergraduate or postgraduate
study experience.
Dr. Louise Crowley of the
School of Law in UCC, stated
that the ceremony sees the
recognition of both nominated
and successful students, all of
whom are celebrated as excep-
tional placement participants
and ambassadors of the College
of Business and Law.
“Placement providers, who
play an invaluable role in
supporting the multi-faced
learning experience of students
at UCC, and whose support
is invaluable to the success
of placement programmes are
invited to share the highlights
of their experiences”.
Head of the College of Busi-
ness and Law, Ursula Kilkelly,
stated that work placement is a
hugely important part of stud-
ying in this college, now made
up of two innovative schools
- the Cork University Business
School (CUBS) and the School
of Law. “We are committed
to offering students opportu-
nities to apply their learning
in challenging professional
and practice environments. To
employers we are committed to
supplying highly educated and
skilled students to meet their
requirements”.
Third year BComm student at
UCC, Christopher Kelleher,
worked in a Digital Content
Creation and Marketing role
with sports media platform
Pundit Arena, which recently
raised a seed round of 650,000
euro from a collection of angel
investors and Enterprise Ire-
land. Co-founder and director
of Pundit Arena, Ross O’ Dw-
yer, commented that “Chris-
topher created media content
across various sports and his
work was read by thousands of
people around the world. His
level of dedication was not like
a placement students, but rather
that of a founder. He set an
example for all the staff in the
office”.
Rachel O’ Sullivan, who gradu-
ated from the BCL programme
in October, completed a two
week placement at the Office
of the Attorney General. A key
highlight of her time was the
chance to observe the chal-
lenge to the result of the same
sex marriage referendum in
the High Court and Court of
Appeal.
“This was a unique opportunity
not only to attend these signifi-
cant constitutional proceedings
but to have responsibility for
preparing a briefing note for
other members of the Office.
Therefore when I finished at
the Office I left with a feeling
that in addition to obtaining an
immeasurable benefit from my
experience, I had also made a
contribution to the work of the
Office during my placement”.
It was confirmed by gardaí that
a number of people were ar-
rested on Friday in connection
with public order offences in
Eyre Square in Galway.
As their unofficial Rag Week
celebrations got underway,
students filled the streets and a
number of people were arrest-
ed at around 2.30am Friday
morning. YouTube videos up-
loaded that morning show large
crowds gathering on the main
streets in the early hours of the
morning.
It is understood that several
fights occurred in the square,
but the gardaí stated they were
not aware of any injuries.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie on
Friday morning, President of
the SU at NUIG, Paul Curley,
stated that he had been led to
believe that none of the peo-
ple arrested were from NUI:
“There were people piggy-
backing on the celebrations” he
said, adding that buses full of
people had been arriving from
nearby counties.
He went on to say that “the SU
has nothing to do with it, any
of the activities that have taken
place, we’ve had no part in it”.
Last year the Students’ Union
agreed with the university that
it would abolish Rag Week in
exchange for a larger contri-
bution towards the Student
Assistance Fund. The decision
was taken upon by Student
Council with 107 votes for and
7 against.
The SU President commented
upon this change, stating that
“It’s a sad day when we have to
consider replacing Rag Week.
However, in the past few years
Rag Week had descended into
a week-long embarrassment of
the University and an embar-
rassment to the students”.
The Gardaí stated that a ‘zero
tolerance’ approach was taken
as part of its policing plan for
Galway’s Rag Week, as the
event has been the scene of a
number of high profile public
order incidents in the last few
years. The organisation warned
via Facebook that excessive
drinking or drug abuse could
lead to arrest, fines up to 1,000
euro and imprisonment. The
exact number of people arrest-
ed remains unknown.
5. UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, February 23rd 2016
For more information on #GE16 Candidates
in every Constituency in Cork, visit UCCExpress.ie
and search for ‘General Election 2016’
to see our Constituency Profiles
| 5
Munster Technological University Address Merger Concerns
What Are General Election Candidates Offering Students?
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
The institutes of technology
in Cork and Tralee, which are
planning to merge under a joint
bid to become a technological
university, said the 6.7 million
bill for the plan will be funded
through cuts in services.
They have issued a statement
highlighting the benefits the
university would bring to
the region and clarifying the
guarantees given to staff and
students. They stated “We will
not require additional effi-
ciencies in order to meet these
costs. Additional funding, if
it were to become available,
would be utilised to fund de-
velopments which would allow
the new university to begin to
deliver an economic dividend,
conservatively calculated to
be many multiples of the costs
of merger, to the region and
beyond”.
The project leaders behind the
merger say the multi campus
university will provide students
with greater opportunities.
They claim there will be no
compulsory redundancies or
redeployment and that lecturers
and students will not need to
travel between Cork and Kerry
to deliver or attend lectures and
classes.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland
(TUI) has expressed fears the
merger will undermine educa-
tional standards and is balloting
members on industrial action.
The TUI Cork colleges’ branch
stated that “There is no edu-
cational rationale for merger
except a cost-cutting agenda”
The statement from the colleg-
es comes as a public meeting
organised by the TUI was to
take place last Thursday to
discuss the planned amalga-
mation. The union claim the
merger process is being rushed
without proper consultation
with the institution. The union
went on to say that “a stop has
been put to the gallop of the
MTU (Munster Technological
University) consortium”.
The TUI members at CIT could
be set to go on strike following
the vote by the 4,000 members
in favour of industrial action
over the Technological Univer-
sities Bill.
In its statement, the governing
bodies of CIT and ITT said
“This is an exciting time for
out two institutions and the
achievement of technological
university designation promis-
es a broad range of benefits and
opportunities for our students,
staff and other stakeholders”.
“Considering the nature and
scale of the proposal to estab-
lish the MTU it is inevitable
that there will be
some concerns on the part of
our employees. To help address
these concerns we pledge that
thorough and inclusive con-
sultation will continue to take
place throughout the merger
process”.
The institutions concluded that
“we would like to reassure our
staff that the MTU will contin-
ue to honour nationally nego-
tiated contracts and national
agreements with respect to the
terms and conditions of staff”.
The general election is sched-
uled for this coming Friday and
the particular question being
asked by those in university is
what is the next government
going to offer students?
There are approximately
180,000 undergrads studying
across the country. USI are
encouraging students to make
a smart vote, therefore facili-
tating the need to understand
what the main political parties
are offering students in their
manifestos.
Fine Gael has intended to
double housing output to
25,000 a year by 2020 which
should have a positive impact
on future students seeking
accommodation. They also
intend to boost the affordable
housing supply to prevent more
low-income families becom-
ing homeless. They have also
stated that they will introduce
a student loan system for third
level education.
Fianna Fáil similarly are con-
sidering introducing a student
loan system for those who
don’t have access to the student
maintenance grant to access
third level education. Increase
in spending on third level edu-
cation is part of their manifesto
also, with a particular emphasis
on development and research.
Sinn Féin have pledged to
reduce student fees by 500 euro
if they enter government. They
also intend to ensure that 20%
of new housing developments
go towards the affordable hous-
ing and social housing sectors.
A move towards raising the
minimum wage to the living
wage is also a promise from
the party.
Similarly, Joan Burton and
Labour are intending to reduce
student fees by 500 euro if
re-elected. Notably for stu-
dents, Labour aim to gradually
raise the minimum wage to
11.30 over the lifetime of the
next government.
The Social Democrats wish to
reduce the student fee to 2,000
euro and cap it at this figure.
The Green Party believes
third-level institutions should
construct more on-campus ac-
commodation to take as many
students as possible out of the
private rental market.
USI are encouraging students
to partake in the next election
and to make a smart vote. To
find out more information you
can visit smartvote.ie
6. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESS6 |
Students’ Union Election Timeline 2016
February
Sunday 21st: Candidates traditionally begin to officially announce candidacy on
social media
Monday 22nd: Nomination forms can be collected from the SU offices for signa-
tures to be collected, 500 for Sabbatical Officers, 250 for Part Time Officers, 100
for College Reps with a €40 deposit required
Thursday 25th: Nominations close and manifestos must be submitted to the SU
Friday 26th: Express will begin accepting questions via social media to be put to
candidates in interview the following week
Monday 29th: Candidates Meeting, time & location TBC
March
Tuesday 1st: Part-Time Candidate Hustings, time & location TBC
Wednesday 2nd: Full-Time Candidate Hustings, time & location TBC
Wednesday 2nd: Express conducted candidate interviews will take place, both
group and individual interviews
Friday 4th: Interview videos will (provisionally) be available via Express social
media
Monday 7th: On campus flyering and advertising begins, officially allowed at 9am
Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th: Polls will be open for voting
Tuesday 8th: The count will take place in Devere Hall at 7pm
Email Voting Regulations
The only reason email voting is allowed is if a student is on Erasmus or if a student
is on placement and has registered with the SU to email vote by February 29th
Further Information
More information on the elections is available at votes.uccsu.ie including full rules
and regulations for the election
Students’ Union Election Survival Guide
So you’ve decided to run for Students’ Union: Congrats! Well done on deciding to try improve the UCC Community by giving up your time. Whether you’re going for
one of the ‘Big 5’ Sabbat positions, the Part-Timers or the College Reps, every one deserves a big pat on the back for putting yourself out there. We reached out to some-
one who ran (and won) an election for UCC SU in the past to give us some top tips for you ambitious candidates:
Mind Yourself:
Most important thing over the next few days is to take care of yourself. You’re
putting yourself out there infront of 22,000 students, and that can be incredibly
stressful. Make sure you have a friend whose specific job it is to make sure you
eat, sleep and take a break.
Keep It Friendly:
While it’s really tempting to launch a tirade on your opponents on YikYak, private
campaign groups or even tear down posters, it’s just not worth it. You’ll be fined,
lose your deposit and makes it more stressful for everyone. Keep it fun, friendly
and you’ll all be for the better for it at the end of the campaign.
The Count:
The Count (results night) is the most tension-filled night of the campaign.
Everyone (candidates, campaign teams and hangers-on) is gonna be crammed into
Devere Hall/The New Bar. Combine alcohol with everyone’s egos & the stress of
the two campaigning days means tempers flare, and fists may fly. Remind
everyone to relax, what’s done is done, and to just take it easy. No one is helped
by people storming out or throwing drinks.
Let It Go:
You’ve lost. Let it go, move on and remember it as the rewarding experience it
will be. And hey, you can always run for Guild...
7. UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | 7
Youth Wings of Political Parties Are Terrifying
Brian Conmy - Editor-in-Chief
Opinion
I’m going to have to qualify this quite heavily to try and get my point across. First
and foremost, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Government, which is basically an
Arts degree in Politics but longer. I’ve studied politics and one of the few subjects
I actually found particularly interesting revolved around elections, heck these are
the modules I usually did pretty well in. So with all the talk of the general election
coming up soon it’s something that’s been on my mind. Truth be told, I won’t be
voting in this election. The range of candidates available in my home constituency
are not up my alley and I have no party allegiances to needlessly adhere to so I’ll
sit this one out.
That said though I’ve found some of the discussion from people around my age
on social media, largely Twitter, something other than interesting. Some people
I know quite well and would have a decent level of respect for have turned their
accounts from cat memes and discussions of how much they’d love a Chinese to
somewhat mindless regurgitations of party political messaging. Thankfully at least
I don’t associate with any hardcore Fianna Fáil-ers but I know a few more Sinn
Féin devotees than I expected. That’s not to say I’m satisfied with the number of
Social Democrat or any other party supporters I’m suddenly being preached to on
a regular basis, in truth I find anyone my age who strictly follows a party some-
what worrying.
Maybe this distrust stems from my general dissatisfaction with Irish politics, not
to sound like a total rebel here but I find our lack of an actual political spectrum in
the party system, the use of the party whip, the lack of long term goals in favour
of parish politics and a thousand other issues make me disassociate myself from
politicking. Or maybe I’m just a crazy liberal or some other generic insult people
throw at someone who doesn’t gel with political standards, who knows. What I do
know though is the fact that I can barely find a single candidate I generally agree
with on a majority of policies, not to mind a party whose central ideas line up with
my own. I don’t think I’m unique in this either, Irish people have less and less
aligned themselves from parties over the years as shown by Fianna Fáil’s glorious
fall from Olympus in the last elections.
So it boggles my mind to see anyone, particularly someone my age or younger, not
only wholeheartedly support a candidate but instead choose a single party to throw
themselves behind. Even worse than this is the idea of anyone joining a youth
wing of a political party. To me these weird breeding grounds for future candidates
strike me as a sad mix of indoctrination and propaganda for developing minds, and
I know some of you reading this may be members of youth wings on campus or at
home who will disagree with this assertion. I talk in generalities here as someone
who’s stance on a given topic can change three times in one conversation, some-
one who thinks income tax is robbery but wholeheartedly supports water charges.
I’m an ideological disaster. At least I freely admit this though, I am young and still
settling into my thoughts and beliefs, to think that anyone else my age has simply
settled on a belief system, especially one espoused by middle aged white men who
control the party line bothers me beyond belief.
Do I think youth wings can serve a positive purprose? Sure, I recognise the
excellent work some of these organisations have done in campaigns such as the
Marriage Equality (Lord knows they did more than I did) and will likely do on
future campaigns such as Repeal the 8th. Also I don’t doubt these are excellent
social environments at times. However I can never shake the idea of the party line.
If Labour proper came out in the morning and announced they were going to hand
over Longford to the Queen, I don’t doubt most Labour Youth supporters would
have some issues with this. Do I think Labour proper would give a crap? No. As
long as they aren’t actively driving away young members I’m sure these parties
don’t really care about their youth wings. Not until the elections roll around and
canvassers are handy at least.
So what this piece amounts to is a general statement of mild disgust and less mild
confusion at youth politics. Please however if you take anything away from this,
don’t let it be that politics isn’t worth engaging with. Vote. Talk to your candidates.
We’ve seen that we can affect change if we turn out. Just don’t vote for Fian-
na Fáil. Or Sinn Féin. Or Renua. Or AAA. Or Independent. Or Labour. Or Fine
Gael… Are the Greens still around?
100
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Popularity of Political Societies on Campus
(by Facebook Pages)
8. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESS
Reading this, do you have that niggling doubt at the corners of your mind? Do you think that maybe you’re in an abusive situation? Maybe you don’t, but you want to be
prepared in case it happens in future? This checklist is for you.
Do you feel afraid of your partner or avoid certain topics not to upset them?
Do you wonder if you’re crazy or feel emotionally numb?
Does your partner do any of the following;
1. Humiliate/yell at you/ call you names?
2. Criticize you and belittle your achievements?
3. Ignore you and your opinions?
4. Treat you as an object/ possession?
5. Blame you for their own abusive behaviour?
6. Have an unpredictable temper?
7. Hurt you, threaten to hurt you or themselves (especially if you leave)?
8. Threaten suicide?
9. Force you to do things you don’t want to e.g. sexual acts?
10. Destroy your belongings?
11. Constantly check up on you?
12. Act Jealous and possessive?
13. Restrict your access to money/transport/phone, etc?
14. Control where you go/what you wear, what you do?
15. Restrict you from seeing family/friends?
If your answer to any/all of these questions is yes, you may be in an abusive relationship. Remember: You don’t have to be hit to be in an abusive relationship. Abuse
takes many forms, just because you don’t have a bruise doesn’t mean you aren’t abused.
*Domestic abuse of men and women in Ireland, National Crime Council & ESRI 2005 **Women’s Aid Female Homicide Media Watch, September 2015
8 |
Abusive Relationships: Stats, Signs and Resources to Get Out
Mary Collins - Staff Writer
I was inspired to write this article after discussing a recent break-up with a friend.
After confiding some of the incidents that lead to my breaking point they shared
some of their own unpleasant experiences at the hands of previous partners and we
traded war stories from relationships long past. We joked that abusive relationships
seemed to be a rite of passage... but after the conversation ended, that idea kept
bouncing around my head. We, as a society, don’t really acknowledge domestic
violence and abuse within relationships. Like all the awful things in our recent
history we pretend it doesn’t exist, until confronted with overwhelming evidence.
How many of us have experienced it?
A 2014 study by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), entitled ‘Violence
against women: An EU-wide survey’ reported that:
‘14% of women in Ireland have experienced physical
violence by a partner since age 15. 6% of Irish women
have experienced sexual violence by a current or former
partner and 31% of women have experienced psychological
violence by a partner. 12% of Irish respondents in
the FRA study had experienced stalking.’
In a national survey on domestic abuse, almost 60% of people who had experi-
enced severe abuse in intimate relationships experienced the abuse for the first
time under the age of 25*, meaning that people of college age are particularly at
risk. The same survey estimates that 213,000 women in Ireland have been severely
abused by a partner.
As of September 2015, 40 women aged between 18 and 25 years old have been
murdered in the Republic of Ireland since 1996. Of the resolved cases, 52% of
women were murdered by a boyfriend or former partner.**
‘And, to reiterate, that’s just resolved cases.’
You think that’s awful? The Central Statistics Office don’t even have statistics for
male domestic violence for the last DECADE. The last survey was in 2005*, and
it estimated that
6% of men suf-
fered from do-
mestic violence,
either physical,
emotional or
sexual. Even if
that number isn’t
a result of severe
under-reporting,
it still gives us
little indication
as to what the
current statistics would be, given that the last survey was done eleven years ago,
and there are no recent studies to corroborate the findings.
I think one of the most difficult parts of being in an abusive relationship is how
distorted one’s perception of reality becomes. Even when you start to question
that maybe something might be off, maybe... just maybe your relationship isn’t
as healthy as it seems. And it’s hard to admit it. There is a stereotype of people in
abusive relationships as weak, simple minded people; people deserving of abuse.
The reality is that it could happen to anyone. You know that prank where every
day, for a few months, you put a penny in the handset of someone’s home phone?
Then, after a few months you take them all out; meanwhile the person has become
accustomed to the extra weight, so when the added weight is gone they slap
themselves in the face with the handset. You know that joke? Abusive relation-
ships are like that. It starts off as little comments, “playful” digs. Then it escalates
so slowly that you probably don’t even notice: it could be playful taps becoming
slaps, and then punches. It could be jokes becoming cruel, then humiliating and
then lead to them threatening you in public.
You learn to adapt to the new regime. You probably won’t see the extra strain until
it’s gone and the relationship is over. This is something you need to experience to
understand, hence the misconceptions perpetuated by society.
9. UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, February 23rd 2016
If You Find Yourself in an Abusive Relationship, I Want to Remind You of a Few Things;
Or Maybe Reading This Article Reminds You of a Friend, Someone You Think May Be in an
Abusive Situation? Here Are Some General Signs;
What Can You Do if a Friend is in an Abusive Relationship? Here Are Some General Guidelines;
By The Numbers:
1. You do not deserve to be treated badly.
2. You deserve respect and to be loved unconditionally.
3. You do not owe it to anyone to stay in an unsafe situation.
4. You are not responsible for their actions, only your own. You didn’t make them
call you names/hit you/treat you badly. They did that.
5. Abusers are able to control their behaviour. (This is the most important
point.) One of the traps for people in abusive relationships is they feel their partner
cannot control their behaviour, and it isn’t their fault. Abuse is a learned behaviour,
that much is true. But if someone is abusing you, they know they are doing it. They
are actively choosing to do it.
6. If you stay, it will get worse. It’s hard to leave when you feel so trapped, but truly,
if you can muster the strength/resources to do it, it is for the best.
1. May seem afraid of upsetting their partner
2. Check in constantly
3. May agree with partner on everything, especially if they felt differently before the
relationship
4. Talk about their partners temper/aggressiveness/ possessiveness
5. Frequently miss social events/college/work with no explanation
6. Dress in unusual clothing to hide marks e.g.long sleeve shirt in a heatwave
7. Rarely go out in public without their partner
8. Have limited access to money/ transport
9. May have low self esteem, especially if they used to be confident
10. Experience a major personality change
11. Become depressed/ anxious/ suicidal
Do
1. Ask if something is wrong.
2. Listen to them and assure them that you are there for them. Abusers are good at
isolating their victims; don’t let them shut you out!
3. Offer help. Let them know that you will assist as much as you are able.
4. Support their decisions, even if you don’t agree with them.
Don’t
1. Judge or blame the person. The abuser is already doing that, if you do it too, it
validates the abusers actions.
2. Put conditions on your support, e.g. ‘I’ll help you, but you must confront them.
‘Putting limits on what you’re willing to do makes people less likely to ask you for help
if they feel they cannot meet the conditions.
3. Give advice. Now is NOT the time to get on your soapbox and pontificate about
how you’d deal with this so much better. Just listen, support the person and remind
them that you are there to help them.
Abusive relationships can happen to anyone, of any gender or orientation. If you find yourself in one, it is not a negative reflection on you it is a negative
reflection on your abuser. There is life after the end of an abusive relationship; chances are you know someone who has already lived through it. You can
do this. You deserve better.
If you feel you are in an abusive relationship or have experienced abuse at the hands of a partner, the following resources are available;
Samaritans (116 123)
Women’s Aid (1800 341 90)
Amen (046 902 3718)
Loveisrespect.org
2in2u.ie
womensaid.ie
safeireland.ie (aimed towards women)
Amen.ie (aimed towards men)
.... ..
..
1990 14% 2005
52% 1 in 5 6%
Criminalisation of ‘Marital Rape’ in Ireland
(Rape in ‘marrital bed’ legal before then)
Percentage of women murdered in
Ireland who were killed by a partner
Percentage of women in Ireland who have
experienced physical abuse in a relationship
Women who have been abused
in relationships in Ireland
Estimated percentage of men who have
suffer abuse in a relationship in Ireland
The date of the latest figures relating to
domestic abuse of men in relationships
| 9
10. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESS
I personally think that the Cork Men’s fashion scene has evolved in recent times. There are a plethora of reasons as to why this happened. One of the main reasons being
the establishment of better menswear stores that cater to young men in their 20s and early 30s. Stores such as Topman, H&M, River Island, New Look and French Con-
nection are responsible for the injection of style into young men’s wardrobe in recent years. I recently got to sit down and speak to my good friend and incredibly stylish
man Colin Long. Colin is a manager in French Connection located in the heart of the city on Patrick St.
French Connection has been in Cork for the better part of 14 years now and it’s been silently making sure that the men of Cork are well dressed year in and year out. I
really enjoyed chatting to Colin and if you want to improve your style then make sure to drop by the store. They’re always willing to give some advice and help you out
in all aspects from giving advice on what style your body s suited for, deciding on what size clothes fits you best and whether or not you should wear those pants with
that shirt.
EXPRESS: What sparked off your interest in fashion?
COLIN LONG: Well I feel that I have always had an interest in fashion, even
though my taste in fashion changed dramatically as I’ve grown older. It’s evolved
from sportswear as a young teen to seasonal high fashion. As i began to work and
earn money which would allow me to experiment with style.
‘Basically- I didn’t have to ask my parents for money to
buy clothes I wanted. It gave me freedom to
choose and develop my personal style.’
How long have you worked in retail/fashion?
I have worked in fashion/retail for a few years now. I started off by spending a few
summers and school holidays working in general smaller retail stores to gain expe-
rience. I then started working in French connection nearly 4 years ago.
How has working in French Connection Cork changed your fashion sense?
Well when I began working for French Connection we mainly stocked very casual
clothes such as polo t-shirts, sweatshirts etc. As we have to wear 100% our own
brand clothing to work- my fashion sense was mainly dressy casual at the begin-
ning but I always tried to make it as dressy as I could.
‘I have an imaginary rule in my store where
everyone should wear ‘shoes’ and not trainers.’
Recently menswear has being doing quite well so we have began to receive high
fashion clothing which means you could say my fashion sense is a bit more “Lon-
don”.
Describe your style at work. What do you want it to convey?
At work I always try to look as well dressed as possible. I try to wear the key piec-
es of stock as this can often encourage customers to try out a new style.
People will always buy plain t-shirts & your average basics so I really only use that
stock to up-sell (i.e., use them as add-ons to complete an outfit)
Describe your own personal style. What do you want people to see from the
way you dress?
On my days off from work my own personal style is a bit more street wear such as
ripped knee jeans (or even ripped knee joggers), bomber jackets, vintage trainers
etc., so it is very different from my usual very dressy Trench coat king self but why
not, Who says you must dress the same all the time.
‘I want people to see that by mixing and matching
different styles of clothes such as street and formal,
that you can make a pretty cool look.’
Since you started working in French Connection Cork, do you think Cork’s
fashion has improved?
I’d say it has come along a bit, yet it’s still behind other big cities. I presume that
at least once in your life you’ve heard the classic conversation between two Cork
men which goes a little like this:
Man 1: Here boy, that outfit would be nice I’d say.
Man 2: Yeah it would, “but you couldn’t wear that here”
I’ve lost count of how many times I have heard a customer say he likes something
but he wouldn’t buy it because of his friends. The same friends that probably still
wear wrangler school shoes, boot-cut jeans and a striped shirt. In saying that, the
style has improved due to the likes of the large retailers on opera lane (Topman,
River Island etc.). Sometimes I have older men ask me about tailoring and I often
send them to the likes of Salingers or even the likes of Debenhams for that. There-
fore I feel Corks style has improved but I feel if people see others taking fashions
risks more often, then maybe they will too- further improving Cork style.
Looking to the future, what do you think could drive Cork’s fashion up to the
likes of New York, London, Milan and other such cities?
As I’ve said earlier, I feel people need to take more risks, as do retailers. Many
retailers (even my store) are often afraid to put in large orders of high fashion piec-
es in the fear that they won’t sell until they go on sale. They know the basics will
sell but this might be the case as men only have basics to choose from. Therefore I
think Cork retailers in particular need to showcase what the likes of the other major
cities are selling in order to compete with them in terms of style.
What kind of advice would you give somebody looking to improve their own
personal style? What if this style clashes with general fashion?
Buy less, choose well. I’d recommend buying a few key pieces which will look
good in a number of different outfit choices. Every time I buy something, I think
about what I could wear it with and what colours will match what. So the likes of
a mac coat which could be worn formally or in a casual outfit, the obvious white
shirt and of course a pair of jeans that fits. Id also say, if you’re not sure “Just Ask”
the guys in the shop, they will be more than happy to help you out.
As I always say
“Life’s a catwalk and people will stare, so give
them something good to look at”
10 |
Fashion
An Afternoon With French Connection
Kenneth Nwaezeigwe - Co-Fashion Editor
14. Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 | UCC EXPRESSSport14 |
Opinion: How Can the League of Ireland Improve?
Ger Byrne - Sports Writer
I’m sure there are some among the 18,000 or so
students in this fine institute of education who take an
interest in a little thing called the League of Ireland. I
admit to being one, and the new sports editor has also
‘fessed up. I know there’s at least one more here who,
like myself, is not only a Cork City fan, but also a reg-
ular volunteer for the club. I’m sure there are others
still in hiding.
Just about a year ago, the FAI contracted Mr Declan
Conroy of Conroy Consulting to indicate the way
forward for the League. It wasn’t the first time such a
report was commissioned and few supporters held out
much hope of any progress coming from the finished
article. Just another manuscript to add weight to that
shelf; the one in the corner with all the dust.
To the surprise of many fans, Mr Conroy went about
his task diligently, seeking input from as many inter-
ested parties as possible, including, strangely enough,
the supporters. 1,774 supporters filled in the online
questionnaire provided while Mr Conroy and his
colleagues went about seeking the views of the clubs
and officials in the League. By August of last year, the
report was finalised, and it was thorough, with several
recommendations.
Among these were suggestions regarding the manage-
ment of the League, with the preferred option being
a completely new structure, with ten teams in each
of two divisions, taking effect at the end of the 2016
season, and a 6-4 split in the premier division after 27
games. There would also be a two-leg playoff for the
final Europa League place.
An increase in prize money spread over the entire
league, with teams finishing lower down earning a
more reasonable proportion than is currently the case.
Added to this, the appointment of a single person with
responsibility for promoting the League.
The report puts great emphasis on media promotion
and TV revenue, all of the latter currently going to the
FAI being a major complaint of clubs. It’s suggested
that media coverage be marketed more aggressive-
ly, with the money going to the clubs rather than the
governing body.
The report also calls for the clubs to put more effort
into becoming involved in the local community and
points out that those clubs who are already doing so
are attracting support within their locality beyond
what others, who don’t put in such effort, can achieve.
Also, there is the suggestion of a Q Mark in order to
encourage clubs to improve their overall standards, in
particular with regard to the match night experience. A
major improvement in the spectator facilities at many
grounds is also called for.
League of Ireland fans, even those from Not Cork,
will say we’ve heard it all before, and indeed we have.
Remember the ill-fated Genesis 2 report? Nothing
much came of that, did it? But let’s not dismiss the ef-
forts of Mr Conroy and his colleagues without taking
a look at the recommendations and examining them.
Regarding the structure of the League, two divisions
of ten teams each seems about right. My own personal
preference for a long time has been two divisions of
twelve teams, but it’s clear that there’s no possibili-
ty of that in the near future. At present, many clubs
are barely surviving and the addition of another four
certainly won’t improve the situation. Splitting the
Premier Division, however, isn’t a wise move. Mr
Conroy believes that more games involving the top
clubs will increase attendances, but it was tried before,
didn’t work, and was quickly dropped.
Neither is the suggestion of a two-leg play-off for the
final Europa League spot a good idea. This spot could
be given to a team that has won a trophy; the League
Cup. As it currently stands, the League Cup is nothing
more than a mild diversion for most fans. How much
more interesting could it be with the prize of European
football attached?
A single, identifiable, and accessible person to take
charge of running the League? Yes please, but it
should be somebody from outside of the FAI and free
from involvement with any of the clubs. Also, this bit
about an increase in prize money. It’s absolutely ludi-
crous that most clubs pay more in affiliation fees than
they can expect to earn in prize money. What incentive
is there for any new clubs to apply for membership?
When the recession hit, the League’s prize money
was cut by almost half overall. To be fair, there wasn’t
much money knocking around anywhere back then,
and the FAI’s coffers were also feeling the strain.
There is, however, a way around this problem. One
high profile international friendly per year, with the
proceeds going to a fund to develop the League of
Ireland, including using a portion of the money earned
as prize money, would help a lot. Many fans claim
there’s a severe disconnect between the domestic
game and the national team; this would go some way
towards rectifying the matter.
Conroy believes that more games involving the top
clubs will increase attendances, but it was tried before,
didn’t work, and was quickly dropped.
Neither is the suggestion of a two-leg play-off for the
final Europa League spot a good idea. This spot could
be given to a team that has won a trophy; the League
Cup. As it currently stands, the League Cup is nothing
more than a mild diversion for most fans. How much
more interesting could it be with the prize of European
football attached?
A single, identifiable, and accessible person to take
charge of running the League? Yes please, but it
should be somebody from outside of the FAI and free
from involvement with any of the clubs. Also, this bit
about an increase in prize
money. It’s absolutely ludi-
crous that most clubs pay
more in affiliation fees than
they can expect to earn in prize money. What incentive
is there for any new clubs to apply for membership?
When the recession hit, the League’s prize money
was cut by almost half overall. To be fair, there wasn’t
much money knocking around anywhere back then,
and the FAI’s coffers were also feeling the strain.
There is, however, a way around this problem. One
high profile international friendly per year, with the
proceeds going to a fund to develop the League of
Ireland, including using a portion of the money earned
as prize money, would help a lot. Many fans claim
there’s a severe disconnect between the domestic
game and the national team; this would go some way
towards rectifying the matter.
Mr Conroy’s report also puts strong emphasis on
the need for media promotion of the League. This is
currently being done online by dedicated supporters
of a number of clubs, but it’s a directionless effort, in
that the effort goes into promoting the individual clubs
rather than the League as a whole. In any event, all
the promotion in the world will count for nothing for
those who enter a League of Ireland ground for the
first time only to see the sorry state of the place. While
there are some grounds which are pretty good, many
leave a lot to be desired.
As for facilities for the media, many are quite make-
shift and not conducive to the club getting favourable
press coverage. While the clubs do their best with lim-
ited resources, many grounds are not attractive for the
media, even on a good day. Improvement is needed in
this area, too.
Most important of all however is the viability of the
clubs. All of these recommendations will come to
nothing if most clubs are still just a few bad weeks
from a crisis. Methods of raising revenue, outside of
gate receipts and the odd bit of sponsorship, need to
be looked at. Perhaps the retail and hospitality sector
would be useful. Proper club shops in the grounds,
along with bars, snack shops, maybe even a cafeteria,
might be an option. Again, money would be the prob-
lem, so let’s see if there’s anything left in that fund I
suggested earlier. The cost could be shared between
the fund and the resources that individual clubs can
provide.
This last suggestion is my one addition to what is a
pretty good report. Other things which are already in
place, such as the monitoring of club finances, the li-
censing regulations, and tax compliance requirements
are all good, but the licensing, particularly in relation
to ground facilities, needs to be tightened up. At the
moment, some clubs are winging it. It’s not right that
any club get a licence they don’t deserve merely to
keep up the numbers in the league. All clubs should be
put on a two-year notice that ALL regulations must be
complied with before a licence is granted in the future.
15. UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, February 23rd 2016 Sport
Any chance of calling this GAA sea-
son a success for UCC’s prime sides
withered away on a cold and grey
overcast Thursday in the Mardyke. With
the Fitzgibbon Cup team knocked out
of their competition only forty-eight
hours or so earlier, the Sigerson equiv-
alent met the same fate to a UCD outfit
whose football was as easy-on-the-eye
as it was effective.
Plenty paid-in to see the clash, yet
students who maybe were conscious of
saving money for food or Fosters alike
got just as good a view standing on the
Mardyke Walk looking through the gaps
between the iron railings.
Those who did pay got good value for
money in seeing some fine attacking
football from the visitors. UCD’s for-
ward play was a distinct feature of their
first-half dominance.
Diagonal balls into patches of space in
front of their forwards made it a misera-
ble first half-hour for the UCC full-back
line. These passes were won by UCD’s
inside triumvirate time and again.
What didn’t help matters for the home
side was an under-hit 45 ending up a
goal after going through two pairs of
UCC hands. Added to this, points were
easy to come by for the Dublin side as
the end result of the aforementioned
pinpoint passing.
As if the UCC backs hadn’t enough to
contend with, poor tracking led to mul-
tiple overlaps from out the field as UCD
got men forward to further amplify
their attacking threat. You could have
the best full-back line in the world, but
defence needs to start intensely out the
field to prevent them being exposed in
a competition of such standard as the
Sigerson Cup.
Solace arrived for UCC, and much
needed it was, with a penalty awarded
for a foot block. Luke Connolly netted
from the spot to prevent UCD running
away with the game altogether. The
scoreboard reading UCC 1-3 UCD 1-8
after the first period.
The first play of the second-half led to
a UCC point, created by Ian Maguire
rampaging up the field from the throw-
in.
UCD however did not betray their
outstanding opening-half performance.
The support play continued to pierce
holes in the bow of UCC, leading to
two goals that killed the game off as a
contest.
Patrolling the line for UCD were Brian
Mullins and Ger Brennan. The best
aspects of the two sides where both men
collected multiple All-Ireland medals
filtered through to their current charge’s
performance. It is such a great feature
of inter-varsity GAA that many teams
are being run by such legends of the
games.
UCC’s own legend on the side-line
Billy Morgan will be disappointed with
the loss, plus the periods of the game
where UCD showed such superiority
over his side. The final score ended
up at UCC 1-9 UCD 3-11. The Dublin
college good value for their nine point
win.
The season for UCC’s senior sides is
best summed up by the vocals of The
Detroit Spinners ‘It’s a Shame’ -- and
indeed it was. Hopefully next season
will bring on brighter times for those
donning the skull-and-crossbones on
the GAA field.
Final Scores:
University College Cork: 1-9
University College Dublin: 3-11
Kate O’Donovan has been with the
Leesiders since the summer but
had to wait a little to make her first
appearance – a testament to both
the strength of the Cork City mid-
field this season and the character of
O’Donovan “I was delighted to get
off the bench for the Kilkenny game
as I’ve been itching to get going and
onto the field! Having said that – I
was a little disappointed with the
result as the whole squad wanted
to get 3 points in Niall’s final game
with us but Kilkenny are a tough
side who are continuously improv-
ing and were full value for their
point.“
The young-
ster who
previously
played with
Bandon
A.F.C. has
represent-
ed Cork in
Gaynor Cup
squads be-
fore joining
the Cork City
W.F.C. Acad-
emy last season under Charlie Lynch
and progressing to the senior set-
up this year. While
O’Donovan was
sad to see O’Regan
go, she’s delighted
to see the manage-
ment team continue
with Frank Kelleher
stepping up into the
management position
“Niall is definitely
a loss for us as a
squad as we all loved
playing for him and
he was an excellent
manager to work
with – but Frank
stepping up, it’s such
a good continuation
as his training methods are excellent
and the whole coaching team has
stayed in place alongside him.”
Kate saw her strong showing on her
debut leading to a first league start
against a strong UCD Waves team
in Jackson Park last weekend “I was
extremely excited to find out I was
going to be starting against UCD but
a little apprehensive as well as I was
playing at right full back, a position
I’m not overly familiar with despite
playing centre half
at Gaynor Cup level
under Charlie Lynch.”
However, the young-
ster was full of praise
for her teammates and
coaches who helped
her settle into the new
position quickly “The
girls and the manage-
ment team were really
supportive and I knew
the hard we had put
in training over the
weeks should stand to
me. While I felt I was
a little too nervous
for the opening 15 minutes, I settled
into position after that.”
Having settled however, it was no
easy ride against one of the top
teams in the country “I found it hard
throughout definitely in this game
as UCD are up there as one of the
best teams in the country- having
said that, I think as a back four we
dealt with the pressure really well
for most
of the
game,
especial-
ly in the
second half.
It seems a cli-
ché to say it but the score line really
did not reflect the game and strong
performance we put in.”
The midfielder can’t wait to get
more games under her belt and is
looking forward to the Peamount
United game this Sunday “I’m really
looking forward to Sunday’s game
with Peamount and hopefully I can
get some more game time as I’d
love to help City get more points on
the board in what’s already been a
positive season!”
| 15
UCD Foil UCC’s Sigerson Side
O’Donovan Delight at National League Bow
Aaron Casey - Sports Co-Editor
Joseph McSweeney - Sports Writer
16. University College Cork will
know they have left the chance
to progress in this year’s
Fitzgibbon Cup behind after
a lacklustre performance -
particularly in front of goal - saw
them surrender a late lead against
Limerick IT at the Mardyke.
This is the second consecutive
year that the Leeside outfit failed
to make it out of the group
stage, and this time it will be so
much harder to take having left
so much on the pitch. A poor
game livened up in the second
half with an away goal, but
with a strong breeze having a
noticeable impact on both sides,
the need for Ger Cunningham’s
outfit to increase the deficit was
ultimately their downfall as a late
LIT goal from a counter-attack
ended any hopes for a place in
the knockout rounds.
An ugly opening saw both
teams struggle with a strong
crosswind, leading to missed
chances and handling errors on
both sides. Cormac Murphy hit
a fine free from the right to open
the scoring for the hosts before
David Reidy replied quickly with
a free of his own.
Despite UCC’s midfield
dominance, seven wides in 16
minutes left them only a single
point ahead a quarter of the way
through the encounter -- despite
the fact that the Shannonsiders
were onto their third free taker at
that stage.
UCC then had two excellent goal
chances before the half-hour
mark, with Waterford senior
Tom Devine first deciding to
point having been put through
on goal before Alan Cadogan’s
shot was brilliantly saved by
Eibhear Quilligan in the LIT
goal. At the other end the home
full-back was putting in sterling
work, Shane Roche in particular
the outstanding party; while Rob
O’Shea was slowly getting his
eye-in from the set piece, adding
a couple of further points to
leave the score 0-7 apiece at the
break.
The second half began on an
exciting note after the dour first
period, when Cathal Barrett’s
high ball wasn’t dealt with by
the home defence - allowing
Peter Duggan to hammer the ball
home past Keith Hogan. UCC
responded with two fine frees by
O’Shea into a stiffening breeze,
but couldn’t restore parity
despite their efforts as the half
progressed.
Cunningham brought in Barry
Lawton 10 minutes after the
break, and he hit a point before
playing a crucial part in UCC’s
goal.
The Castlemartyr man won
a difficult aerial ball before
flicking it out wide to Niall
McCarthy; the half-forward
intelligently found Cadogan who
fired the ball into the top right-
hand corner of the net with laser
precision.
With that UCC were a point
ahead with eight minutes
remaining. But knowing they
needed a three point margin
to secure a place in the next
round they pushed forward - to
their eventual cost. A quick
LIT counter-attack saw Alan
Dempsey put the ball out right to
Reidy; he paddled the sliotar into
the path of the onrushing David
Dempsey who finished strongly
from 13 metres.
Lawton had a chance to cancel
the goal out soon after, but again
Quilligan was equal to the task,
deflecting it over the bar as UCC
slumped to another early exit.
Final Scores:
University College Cork 1-14
Limerick IT 2-15
HURLERS FAILAT FITZ CUP GROUP STAGE
Club Results
Tuesday February 23rd 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 10
CÚL STORY, BRO: Alan Cadogan’s goal was not enough to save UCC from defeat in the Fitzgibbon Cup (PHOTO: James Crombie/INPHO)
Kevin Galvin - Sports Writer
PREVIEW: Inside -
Round-ups of Women’s Basketball-
Cup Final, Fitzgibbon & Siggerson
Cup First Rounds
Hurlers Exit Fitzgibbon Cup at Group Stage
Sigerson Cup:
UCC 1-9, 3-11 UCD.
Ashbourne Cup:
Semi Finals:
UCC 2-09, 1-07 Mary Isle.
Final: UCC 4-07, 3-12 UL.
Fresher A Hurling:
UCC 2-20, 2-22 UCD.
O’Conner Cup:
UCC Ladies 3-14,
2-09 Queens.
CUFL Division 4 Final:
UCC 2-1 Rathmines College
IRFU Ulster Bank Lg, 2A:
Malone RFC 13-16 UCC
Under 20’s:
UCC 26-10 Con
ucc sport
