Express Issue 10 Print (2)

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 11
Bryan Danielson - News Writer
Controversy gripped the recent
DIT Students’ Union elections,
particularly surrounding
Presidential candidate Boni
Odoemene. Toryn Glavin, a
leading Irish Trans* Rights
activist & former President of
the DITSU LGBT* Society,
detailed a personal account
of an encounter with the
candidate on a bus many
months before the election on
her personal Facebook page.
In this post Ms.Glavin talked
about how she had overheard
a conversation between Mr.
Odoemene & a friend who
discussed whether Ms.Glavin
“was a man, a woman or an
it. They decided I was a man
in a dress.” This reportedly
followed a discussion on why
they would be voting No to the
Marriage Equality referendum.
Ms.Glavin also stated that she
had received many complaints
about Mr.Odeomene during
her time as DIT LGBT Society
Chair.
In response to these allegations
Mr.Odoemene denied these
claims, posting a photo of him
with a ‘Yes Equality’ sign and
pointing out that no complaint
was brought when he was
elected as a College Officer
for the Aungier St. campus.
However, a former member
of the DIT Students’ Union
corroborated these reports, that
the incident was known to them
at the time but that no one had
made a formal complaint.
Ms.Glavin made it very clear in
her statement that this wasn’t a
political move, asking people
in DIT to vote for RON (Re-
Open Nominations) or the other
candidate running, just not
Mr.Odoemene. Ms.Glavin’s
statement was shared by
members of the DIT Students’
Union Executive, including its
Postgraduate Officer & current
VP for Education.
On March 11th the votes were
counted & Boni Odoemene
was elected on the 2nd count.
Mr.Odemene received 99
votes more than his nearest
opposition. Speaking to
Ms.Glavin following this
result, they said that the support
they received following their
statement has been fantastic
and “even though the outcome
was disappointing the support
shows that DIT will protect its
queer students and [of that] I’m
very proud.”
Controversial President Elected for DITSU
ROCK N’ROLLIN WITH EOLANN: SU President-elect Eolann Sheehan is held up by his campaign team at Results Night (PHOTO: Emmet Curtin)
Cork’s Enterprise
Ecosystem
Pg. 5 - News
Accountability
Checklist
Pg. 8 - Features
Interview: The
Sunshine Factory
BYLINE Magazine

Inside Today:
UCC in the Seanad Page 4
Homelessness & Cork Page 6
Accountability in SU Page 8
Concussions in Sport Page 10
Results Night Photos Page 12
Match Reports 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
The Future
SU Election Results
This is our second last issue for the year. Which
means this is my second last issue ever. You can
tell I’m very upset at this through text I’m sure.
So in the week following the election of the new
Student Union, with many of you thinking of
what next year may bring if you’re graduating,
a new government trying and failing to form
and most importantly the unveiling of the new
Spiderman to the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
I’ve been thinking about the future. I’m finally,
FINALLY, done with college come August so
hopefully I can find a job following that and pay
off this student loan.
For many of my friends in a similar position, job
talk has reached fever pitch. Some have ongoing
interviews with various organisations, others
are taking a more laid back approach and joking
about Australia. So while thoughts of the future
loom large on the horizon, I’m trying and failing
to stay rooted in the here and now. Like many of
you, I’m sure, the thought of the number of as-
signments due in the next while followed by the
number of exams after
that is weighing on
me. But exams, like
all things, will pass.
Unlike me if I don’t
stop procrastinating
by writing winding
editorials instead of
assignments.
If you’re busy with thoughts of the future at the
moment, why not give the Express a thought.
On the back of Byline you can find an ad for our
hiring process for the next year, all positions are
open with Editor being chosen first. It’s a big
responsibility in terms of time investment but
it’s rewarding in so many ways. Of course all
other positions are available and there should be
something to suit anyone’s interests. If you’re
lucky enough to be sticking around UCC for
another year then give us some consideration!
President:
Education:
Welfare:
Comms:
Deputy President & Campaigns:
Brian Conmy - Editor-In-Chief
1,075
2,451
696
2,655
1,330
71
3,965
210
2,165
1,774
109
3,623
282
Quinlan, Katie
Cosgrave, Xander
O’Donnell, Rory
Doherty, Kelly
Moriarty, KateUpton, James
RON
RON
RON
Sheehan, Eolann
Hutchinson, Ian Whitaker, David
RONRON
Other Election Results:
-Entertainments: Bee McCarthy
-Equality: Ciara McCarthy
-Gaeilge: Ann Hallissey
-B&L Rep: Kayleigh O’Sullivan
-ACSSS Rep: Aaron Frahill
-SEFS Rep: Brian Hegarty
-M&H Rep: Art Kelleher
Thanks to Stephen Spillane, Markus Knutsson
& all who helped with the tally for these stats.
Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

| 3
UCD Students Reject USI return
Free Education is a Viable Option at Third Level
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
The Referendum to rejoin the
USI came three years after
UCDSU’s split from the na-
tional body.
UCD students have voted
against re-joining USI with an
overwhelming majority opting
to remain independent of the
umbrella students’ union. In the
referendum, polling for which
took place on March 8th and
9th, 26% voted Yes to rejoining
while 74% voted to maintain
UCD’s current stance. The total
number of voters who took
the polls was 2,921 excluding
spoiled ballots.
The referendum, which was
called as a result of a student
petition that was brought di-
rectly past the SU and straight
to the Returning Officer, was
ultimately strongly defeated.
This means that UCDSU will
likely remain unaffiliated to the
USI for at least another four
years, when they are constitu-
tionally obliged to hold another
referendum on USI member-
ship.
Reports during polling suggest-
ed that a low turnout, caused in
part by the large number of un-
contested races for sabbatical
positions, may have seen the
referendum fail to meet quo-
rum, the minimum number of
votes required for a referendum
to be considered binding.
However, the turnout of 2,921
was deemed by the returning
officer Hugh O’Connor to be in
excess of quora.
UCC is due to have a
referendum on USI member-
ship in the 2017/18 academic
year.
The Union of Students in
Ireland has claimed that it is no
longer reasonable for political
parties to pretend free third
level education is not viable. It
comes on the wake of reports
that the Cassells report on
Higher Education Funding
will include free education as
one of the three options to be
considered by the next govern-
ment.
USI President, Kevin Dono-
ghue, stated that “Political
parties struggled to show
real leadership on the issue
of higher education funding
prior to the election. Most of
them were concerned about the
implications of talking about
increased fees or loans before a
public vote”.
USI has maintained that Higher
Education should be free and
that Ireland should follow the
example of some of our conti-
nental EU partners as opposed
to introducing the much touted
loan scheme.
“Sweden can do it, Germany
can do it and now the Cassells
report is saying we can do it.
The writing is on the walls and
in the paper - free education is
a viable option and not the pipe
dream so many people would
make it out to be”.
Donoghue maintains that pol-
iticians should be delighted at
the news. “Time and again pol-
iticians have argued that free
third level education would be
great if it was viable. Well now
we are being told that it is”.
USI is calling on political
groups to ensure that a move to
fully publically funded educa-
tion is included in programme
for government. “Considering
our reliance on a highly edu-
cated work force for economic
growth, the value it brings in
a social and economic sense,
and the opportunities it creates
where there otherwise might be
none it is crucial that we secure
investment in the sector now”
concluded Donoghue.
UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

4 |
UCC Graduates Announce Candidacy for Seanad
Boards of Major Irish Organisations ‘Far Away’ From Parity
UCC graduates Laura Harmon,
Luke Field and Owen Dineen
have announced their candi-
dacy for the upcoming Seanad
elections.
Former USI President, Laura
Harmon, announced two weeks
ago that she will run for the
National University of Ire-
land panel, consisting of three
seats, in the upcoming Seanad
elections. Harmon stated that
she is running on the platform
of “modern Ireland” and “re-
form”. She expressed her views
on the part women have to play
in pushing politics in Ireland
forward and also on repealing
the eighth amendment.
“I believe it is now more
important than ever before
that young people, especially
women, get involved in politics
to help improve our democracy
and to campaign for progres-
sive change in our country”.
Harmon went on to explain
how her role as USI President
will have prepared her for the
Seanad. “During my time in
USI, I came to see how archaic
our voter registration system is
and how many people are often
disenfranchised as a result. I
want to highlight the need for
universal voting rights for all
of our citizens and serious po-
litical reform of our parliament
to make it more effective and
relevant”.
Harmon, who acted as USI
President for 2014-15, played
a leading role in campaigning
for marriage equality as part of
the marriage referendum last
year. The USI ran a successful
voter registration drive cam-
paign which added 30,000 new
names to the electoral register
in time for May 22nd.
UCC graduate Luke Field is
also set to run for a seat and
will contest for the NUI panel.
Field commented that he is
running because “I want to rep-
resent the interests of the NUI
to the Oireachtas. It is vital
that the needs of our students,
our graduates and our staff are
met. That should be the main
purpose of the NUI panel, and
it is what I intend to do”.
Field went on to say that if
elected “While I will prioritise
matters pertaining to education,
there are obviously other issues
I will be asked to provide
input in as a Senator: I support
the immediate repeal of the
Eight Amendment; I support
high-quality public services
funded through a progressive
tax system, and I believe our
future depends on much green-
er and environmentally- sus-
tainable approaches to energy
and economic activity”.
Owen Dineen, who quit school
at sixteen with no qualifica-
tions, found himself back in the
classroom more than 25 years
lat-
er. Owen enrolled in an adult
business studies class near
his home and after passing all
eight modules he was en-
couraged to study at UCC as
a mature student. Four years
later Owen graduated with a
First Class Honours Bachelor
of Commerce degree and was
named Graduate of the Year.
Dineen stated that he hopes
to raise a wide range of is-
sues from the floor of Seanad
Éireann if elected, including
political reform, education and
sport.
Irish organisations may have
one or two women on their
boards, but in 2016 the empha-
sis should be on equality and
parity; a ‘token woman’ or two
is not good enough, according
to Professor Irene Lynch Fan-
non, School of Law, UCC.
UCC’s School of Law launched
a report on the role of women
on International Women’s Day
(8th March). The research,
funded by the Irish Research
Council, consisted of two
surveys of the Top 100 Irish
Companies based on the criteri-
on turnover and of the Top 100
Irish Charities with a view to
answering a number of ques-
tions which had been raised.
Professor Lynch Fannon
commented that “Our research
shows that we are very far
away from having gender
parity on the boards of these
major Irish organisations with
less than 14% of companies
and charities showing positive
figures regarding the question
of gender parity”.
She revealed that “58% of all
organisations reported a male
Chairperson. This was better
than expected, but still fa-
voured male dominance”.
The research found that 93%
of for profit boards and 80% of
non-profit boards did not have
gender parity. Overall it found
that only 13.5% of boards had
gender parity taking both sec-
tors together.
“In terms of multinational
presence in Ireland, we had
particularly interesting findings
regarding the level and types
of information available for the
parent company as compared
with Irish subsidiaries. These
findings are not central to the
equality agenda but warrant
further research” commented
Lynch Fannon.
“We had specifically asked
about the ‘feminisation’ of the
charity sector. This concern
was not borne out by our re-
search. There is no obvious ev-
idence to suggest feminisation
at board level in the non-profit
sector”.
According to Lynch Fannon,
the research found that there
was not a very significant
disparity between the numbers
of women participating on for
profit or non-profit boards.
This also contradicted percep-
tions of the ‘feminisation’ of
the non-profit sector, which
had been one of the concerns
raised.
The research also found that
the non-profit sector was more
equal when it came to the
identity of the Board Chair,
with 49% indicating a male
Chair compared with 68% of
organisations in the non-profit
sector indicating a male Chair.
However, the research had a
significant non-identified figure
in the for profit sector so that
could be higher.
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| 5
USI & SIPTU Call on Government to Introduce Living Wage
Blackstone LaunchPad to Boost Cork’s Entrepreneur Ecosystem
UCC Professor to Improve Care for Self-Harm Patients
SIPTU and the Union of Stu-
dents in Ireland are calling for
all workers to be paid a living
wage of at least 11.45 euro and
will be travelling across cam-
puses with a worker’s rights
campaign informing students
about their working rights this
week.
The campaign will inform
students about the best ways to
deal with issues such as: how
to make a complaint, unlawful
deductions from wages, not
permitted breaks, not permit-
ted annual leave, insufficient
rest periods, maternity leave,
right to associate with a union,
unfair dismissal; and discrim-
ination of ethnicity, gender,
sexuality, age, religion, sex,
marital status, membership of
traveller community, and/or
disability.
USI and SIPTU will also be
launching a petition for the
introduction of a living wage
in Ireland which is supported
by the Irish Congress of Trade
Unions, and which politicians
of all parties are being called
on to support.
In November 2015 the joint
committee on Jobs, Enter-
prise and Innovation launched
a report entitled Low Pay,
Decent Work and a Living
Wage (2015). The committee
noted that “paying low-paid
employees a living wage offers
the prospect of significantly
benefiting the living standards
of these employees” and that
“the state should become a
living wage employer and that
payment of the living wage
should be stipulated as man-
datory in government procure-
ment contracts”.
USI President, Kevin Dono-
ghue, commented that “Fair
treatment of workers at all
levels should be a key priority
for any government. We will
be advising students on their
rights at work; how to raise a
complaint regarding issues at
work; how not to get taken for
granted in their part-time jobs;
and informing them about SIP-
TU’s Workers Rights Centre
which is offering a confidential
advisory service to all students
who are members of the USI”.
SIPTU organiser, Dave Curran,
stated that “everyone deserves
a living wage, job security and
stability in working hours so
that they can plan their lives.
In recent years there has been a
push by some of the political
and business establishment to
drive down wages and erode
working conditions. Young
people have borne the brunt of
this with the proliferation of
short term contracts, insecure
hours, ‘if and when’ contracts,
low pay and unpaid intern-
ships. Not only is this bad for
workers but the insecurity and
stress it creates are bad for
society. Young people need
strong unions, and unions need
the voices of young people so
we can build a better society
for all”.
Cork’s rise as an entrepreneuri-
al hub has been further boosted
with the opening of Blackstone
LaunchPad at UCC, one of
only three locations in Ireland
to host the entrepreneurship
programme. According to
the newly-appointed director
of Blackstone LaunchPad at
UCC, Peter Finnegan, “this is
an important development not
just for UCC, but for Cork and
the wider region in general”.
“Cork’s reputation as a great
place to establish and build
an enterprise has been cop-
per-fastened by the fact that
Cork has been chosen as the
first ever European city to host
the Startup Nations Summit in
November this year”.
Hundreds of startup policy
makers, advisers and public
and private sector organisations
from across the globe are ex-
pected to come to the city from
November 18th to 20th, set to
generate international attention
for Ireland’s successful crea-
tion of a strong supportive eco-
system for entrepreneurship.
Located in the Creative Zone
of UCC’s Boole Library, the
Blackstone LaunchPad pro-
gramme is open to UCC stu-
dents, alumni, staff and faculty,
offering coaching, ideation and
venture creation support free of
charge.
Finnegan went on to say that
“Blackstone LaunchPad at
UCC brings entrepreneurship
in to the full view of students
from the day they enter univer-
sity, and will be a resource that
they can avail of long after they
leave UCC’s environs”.
“Cork acts as a gateway to
Europe and given its transport
links can be described as a sub-
urb of London. There is a great
willingness among established
companies in Cork to support
the promoters of early stage
ventures, whether it be in a
mentoring capacity or provid-
ing trial sites for the deploy-
ment of new solutions”.
Finnegan also stated that
“Cork’s strengths in ICT,
business services, biopharma,
energy and agri-business are
playing an integral role in
Ireland’s economy and helping
to drive the growth of Irish
exports”.
BlackStone LaunchPad pro-
grammes are now being
delivered in 17 universities
worldwide, with Ireland select-
ed as the first overseas location
to deliver the programme,
testament to the country’s
reputation for
providing pro-
active and impactful support
services and resources to early
stage ventures.
The launch of the programme
is a new departure, which Fin-
negan believes “students will
see at first hand that entrepre-
neurial activity can be under-
taken in conjunction with their
studies and can be considered
a viable career path from the
day that their student journey
commences”.
Ella Arensman of UCC and
the National Suicide Research
Foundation has been appointed
by the Health Research Board
(HRB) as one of four new Re-
search Leaders.
Professor Arensman has been
awarded 1.4 million euro over
five years for her project titled
Individual and Area Level
Determinants of Self-Harm and
Suicide in Ireland: Enhancing
Prediction, Risk Assessment
and Management of Self-Harm
by Health Services.
The National Self-Harm Regis-
try Ireland has identified signif-
icant variation across hospitals
in the assessment and manage-
ment of patients presenting to
hospital for self-harm, with a
significant number of patients
leaving without a care plan.
Professor Arensman intends
to improve the care provided
in Irish hospitals for people
engaging in self-harm, which
is expected to reduce repeated
self-harm and suicide nation-
ally.
The vision of the proposed
partnership between the
National Suicide Research
Foundation (NSRF), UCC,
The National Clinical Care
Programme for Mental Health
(NCCP-MH) and the National
Office for Suicide Prevention
(NOSP), is for Ireland to take
a leading role in improving the
care for young people who en-
gage in self-harm and to reduce
repeated self-harm and suicide.
These organisations
are prioritising the improved
assessment and management of
self-harm patients. However,
resources for addressing these
strategic priorities are lacking.
In conducting the five-year
research programme, Profes-
sor Arensman will examine
predictive factors associated
with risk of repeated self-harm
and suicide among people with
a history of multiple self-harm
acts and those engaging in
highly lethal self-harm acts.
The Research Leaders will act
as role models and mentors to
help build a ‘critical mass’ of
people with
the specialist skills required to
conduct population health and
health services research, and
apply their findings into policy
and practice.
According to chief executive
of the Health Research Board,
Graham Love, “These awards
are designed to address knowl-
edge gaps in our health ser-
vice. If you want to turn good
services into brilliant ones,
then research will give you that
edge”.

6 |
Homelessness in Cork
Diarmuid Twomey - Features Writer
The gates of UCC were blurred, as sheets of heavy rain ricocheted off the outside
of the windscreen, condensation now varnishing the inside. I perched my head
forward and peered up, trying to get a better view of the B&B which had be-
come obscured since we had parked. Next to me, my practice teacher spoke with
someone on the phone, the anxiety and concern evident in her voice. “She’s up in
Drinan street collecting the cheque”, said the distressed voice on the other end of
the phone. Outside, students shuffled past a long line of street lamps, all of them
draped with general election slogans. It appeared recovery was in the air, and we
needed to keep it going. Meanwhile, just a ten minute walk away, a young woman
and her three year old child queued in a small office on a side street, seeking finan-
cial assistance in order that they could access the security and warmth of the B&B
I now had in my view. She desperately needed the cheque she was queuing for,
but that desperation had become her normality. Living dawn to dark, not knowing
where her temporary hearth would lay the following day had become her daily
ritual. This had become the daily ritual of many.
Nine weeks ago, I started a professional placement with a family support project
based in a disadvantaged area of the city. This is the first of two 14-week place-
ments I must complete as part of my Social Work degree in UCC. Tasked with
supporting families, project workers within this agency encounter a multitude of
different issues on a daily basis. Their work can envelope addiction, mental ill-
health, domestic abuse, issues with child development and a litany of other chal-
lenges in a single morning. As a result, my experience of the issues facing vulnera-
ble families in disadvantaged communities has been somewhat overwhelming, and
hugely humbling. However, amidst all the challenges I have encountered thus far,
there remains a stand out issue; homelessness. We have heard ad nauseam about
the issue of homelessness for the past number of months. Yet even with the best
will in the world, most of us have no idea just how bad the issue is. While I always
paid heed to the stories about the rise in homelessness, I could never fully relate to,
or comprehend the issue, until now.
Unfortunately, the plight facing the young woman and child I acknowledged in the
opening of this piece is no longer unusual. The very mention of the word ‘home-
less’ garners images in your mind of a solitary man or woman, down on their
luck, sleeping rough in a doorway. In the land of miraculous recoveries, political
amnesia and ‘putting children first’ that is no longer the case. Busy hallways and
backrooms in B&B’s and hotels throughout the city have become the ‘secure’ and
‘nurturing’ environment for vast swathes of children. They have evolved from
being a stop-gap for adults and families in emergencies, to long term, pseudo
social-housing units. Bedrooms have become entire homes and are shared between
parents and children. Residential units for homeless women and children are burst-
ing at the seams, somehow managing to struggle their way through the abyss that
faces the women and children that now swell their doorways.
The Child and Family Agency recently released a statement on the homelessness
crisis. While acknowledging it, and outlining how they would support families
experiencing homelessness, I found their statement somewhat conciliatory to what
is an unacceptable reality. While focusing on the protection of a child’s education,
it failed to acknowledge the detrimental effects that homelessness can have on a
child’s physical and emotional development and well-being. That being said, I
wonder if their already overstretched service even has the capacity to tackle the
issue, and if this harsh reality had influenced the statement? Has a lack of invest-
ment in services, and a previous embargo on hiring in the public service starved
them of the ability to engage such an enormous challenge? While my very limited
interaction with city council housing services during placement has been positive,
I believe that issues remain with the vetting system also. Housing services discrim-
inate on the basis of ‘anti-social’ activities, with no real clarity on how significant
the severity, frequency, or historic nature of these activities will be in affecting
your application. While this may sound fair to many, the knock-on effect of this
is that innocent children suffer for the mistakes of their parent/s and/or families.
For many vulnerable parents, this also makes the process of applying for social
housing extremely difficult, and fraught with complications. However, irrespec-
tive of these nuances, services need funding and resources. Ireland’s ‘recovery’
deemed social housing provision, as well as stability in the rental market, surplus
to requirements. Lack of investment in social housing coupled with a lack of politi-
cal desire and will
to regulate the rental
market has created
this crisis. The re-
covery has discrimi-
nated viciously.
A few days after
that rainy day on
the Western Road, I
stood in a kitchen that overlooked a large slice of the cityscape. Houses littered the
hills of the rolling landscape for as far the eye could see. Peering out that window,
it seemed cruelly ironic that we shared this view with a mother of six who was
soon to become homeless, a pawn to an unforgiving private rental market and an
overburdened social housing system; priced out of one, seemingly unable to access
the other. It felt hugely disempowering as my practice teacher and I stood there,
hugely aware that the support of our leaning shoulders were all that we could
provide, when the protection of a roof was what this woman and her family really
needed. But in my experience thus far, that is the reality facing family support
projects and community services. Tasked with supporting families, but unable to
perform miracles, they work with the real-life consequences of government cuts,
inadequate resources and political choices.
In recent days I spoke with a worker from one of the main residential units in-
volved in providing shelter to women and children in Cork City. While I had
gained some brief insight into the individual lives affected by homelessness, I was
keen to understand the wider statistics. How many women and children swell the
doorways of homeless services on a daily basis? How many children leave school
today, desperately yearning to return to the warmth of a familiar hearth, unsure
why the nourishment of ‘recovery’ avoids their family’s table? The numbers are
staggering. At the time of writing, this one unit had ten families sleeping in their
unit every single night. Coupled with the additional 18 single women that sleep
there every night, this means they are consistently at full capacity, and have been
for some time. They also have a waiting list of 23 families, accompanied by 39
children, waiting to access their unit and/or services. I also spoke with another
worker in the same unit. As an outreach worker, this person is tasked with engag-
ing women and families outside of the unit, the vast majority of whom are based in
B&B’s and hotels. At the time of writing, this worker is engaged with 13 families
and 37 children, all who are living in B&Bs or hotels. Shockingly, she relayed to
me how at one stage she was actively engaged with 18 families and 46 children in
B&B’s or hotels throughout the city. Simply put, this is unacceptable.
Just last week a report compiled by the European Commission in 2015 was pub-
lished. Scathing in its assessment of the previous government’s “highly regressive”
implementation of tax cuts over capital spending and public service investment,
this report illustrates one thing in clear detail; the homelessness crisis was entirely
avoidable. Political inaction and a right wing agenda has been responsible for the
situation many families and children find themselves in today. Therefore, it is in-
cumbent upon the incoming government to truly understand the daily reality facing
men, women, and children most especially, in towns and cities throughout Ireland.
The time for empty rhetoric is over. As general election posters begin their descent
down lamp posts and fences, their promises and statements stain the air, joining a
colourful canvas of the promises that have gone before. ‘We will never fail chil-
dren again’, our nation cried, as report after report on institutional abuse shamed
our state, and our people. Yet here we are again, allowing our political system fail
children. What kind of ‘recovery’ leaves innocent children without a home? What
kind of state is happy to deny a small child the comfort of their own bed? On the
centenary of our independence, it is ironic, that while I harvest enormous hope
from having witnessed such incredible work over the past nine weeks, that my
experience of the reality of the homelessness crisis, has ensured that I have never
been less proud to be Irish.

| 7
Positive Consent
Pip Keogh - Opinion Writer
Opinion
Consent is a word you have hopefully been hearing more lately. You may have
tuned into the Academy Awards this past week and seen Lady Gaga’s emotional
performance of ‘Til Happens to You’ where she was joined on stage by fellow
survivors of sexual violence. US Vice President Joe Biden introduced her and
encouraged people to pledge to end sexual violence on university campuses. Here
at home, you may have heard disconcerting stories from our own campuses about
alleged ‘revenge porn’ rings and more positive actions like the piloting of manda-
tory ‘consent classes’. If you haven’t been hearing about any of these events, then
all the more reason that we need to have this conversation.
“Consent has a murky history in Ireland. Sex education
has been relatively non-existent until recently”
Consent has a murky history in Ireland. Sex education has been relatively
non-existent until recently, save for ‘ironic’ moralising from Catholic priests and
cringe-worthy videos presented by a typical Irish mammy named Angela. We may
laugh now but this type of education and the stigma associated with talking about
sex has been immensely damaging to our psyche as a nation. Unfortunately our
approach hasn’t changed as much as we may imagine. Many schools still fail to
implement comprehensive and positive sex education, instead leaving the issue to
‘questionable’ outsiders who come with their own agendas. Often, the word con-
sent is never even mentioned.
“We have conversations about sex everyday and don’t
even realise. We make comments on women’s clothes as
we pass them on the street and passively consume
advertisements with half-naked models slathering
themselves in baby oil”
So what does the ‘consent conversation’ look like? In reality, it’s simple. We have
conversations about sex everyday and don’t even realise. We make comments on
women’s clothes as we pass them on the street and passively consume advertise-
ments with half-naked models slathering themselves in baby oil. Consent is about
questioning and challenging people on the impact of these actions and images. We
sit in bars and talk with our friends about the girl or guy we fancy, commenting
on what we would like to do them or have them do to us. Consent is about con-
sidering that person with empathy and respect, not as some kind of quest for to be
conquered. You may be in a long-term relationship or just met someone in a dusty
basement bookstore and bonded over your mutual admiration of some obscure
Russian author that neither of you’ve actually ever heard of. Consent is about ask-
ing ‘Do you want to...?’, clarifying, and respecting the answer. Sometimes ‘Netflix
and Chill’ literally means Netflix and Chill!
“No means No, end of conversation, there is no
argument to that and rightly so”
We need to be empowered to talk positively about consent. “No” means “No”,
end of conversation, there is no argument to that and rightly so. It is positive to
say “No”, and equally positive to say “Yes”, whenever you want. Consent is about
asking for permission and expressing your desires, what you do and don’t want.
Consent is about guaranteeing you control of your body and ensuring others will
take responsibility for supporting your wishes. Consent is about self-care, well-be-
ing, and empathy. Consent is important. Talk about it everyday. Talk about it in
class. Talk about it at the water cooler. Talk about it online. Talk about it in bed,
in the backseat, or wherever you happen to ‘Netflix and Chill’. Talking is sexy,
consent is mandatory.
“At the core of the equality conversation were personal stories
that impassioned us to change our country for the better”
Last year, we witnessed the positive impact of the Marriage Equality campaign on
Irish society. At the core of the equality
conversation were personal stories that
impassioned us to change our country for
the better. Young people talked to their
grandparents about love. Couples shared
their life stories. We cheered and cried
with joy in celebration as a nation. Now,
we need to continue the momentum of that
empathy and compassion in our everyday lives and
talk to each other about consent. We have a duty to ourselves, to our young people,
to men and women, and the countless survivors of sexual violence to talk about
consent. It should not be something you ignore “til it happens to you”. Consent
is everyone’s responsibility. It is not about sitting down and having ‘the talk’. It’s
about having lots of talks and continuing the conversation.
Positive Consent is a student-led campaign that aims to create these kinds of
conversations and promote a positive language of consent. If you are
interested in learning more about the campaign and joining the conversation,
see www.positiveconsent.com or www.facebook.com/positiveconsent for
more details.

8 |
Keep Your SU Accountable
Brian Conmy - Editor-In-Chief
President - Eolann Sheehan
Deputy President - Kate Moriarty
Ents Officer - Bee McCarthy
Last week we say the election of the incoming Student Union for the academic year 2016/17. Some of you won’t be around for the next year but most will, as such
the Express has decided to print a breakdown of the elected candidate’s manifestos. To highlight some of the main talking points of these manifestos we hope to
inform the student body of who they elected and what they were elected for. Feel free to tear out and keep this breakdown next year and at every opportunity press
your new representatives to ensure they’ve held up their election promises.
Wishes to reform UCCSU’s relationship with nightclubs to allow the formation of a number of ties with a number
of venues
Bring back the night bus to bring students home after a night out for €2
Increase Society-SU joint events to bring a minimum of 6 comedians to campus per year
Open a pop up bar in Brookfield during R&G week.
Develop a tab on uccsu.ie specifically covering student housing, enabling review of houses being lived in
Lobby local TDs with regard student housing crisis
Set up clinic hours for SU officers on satellite campuses monthly
Develop R&G week events for satellite campuses
Extend the outdoor capabilities of the old and new bar during R&G week
Lift ban on music on campus during R&G week
Investigate ways in which to utilize empty space in satellite campuses to develop more common rooms and spaces for students
Co-opt a vice-Welfare officer of the opposite gender to the Welfare Officer
Introduce a “town hall” where any student can put questions to the SU and college management
Refine emails to students to ensure only relevant emails are received
Introduce free drug testing kits available from SU offices
Hold referendum on the stance of the SU with regard to decriminalisation of drugs
Introduce a student innova4on fund, to allow aspiring entrepreneurs to gain access to the correct platforms and financial backing to
develop their ideas.
Awareness campaigns with SSDP society around drugs and harm reduction
Work towards disability-friendly campus with Building and Estates
Run a male health promotion campaign around the idea of toxic masculinity
Run campaigns utilising the repeal the 8th mandate put forward by students
Dependant on Government policy on the topic, lobby politicians to protect the grand and ensure no further fee
increases
Launch a Festival Week to recognise the artistic side of UCC by allowing students to showcase short films, musical
talents, have open mic nights etc.
Hold more daytime events on campus
Hold more daytime events on satellite campuses
Build on R&G week by bringing bigger names to campus such as Original Rudeboys or Hudson Taylor (as Mary I
did for their equivalent week)
Assist the Welfare Officer in the running of both Mental Health and SHAG Week
Run R&G events during the year to raise more money and awareness for the chosen charities

| 9
VP Education - Ian Hutchinson
Expand the UCC Works programme
Develop the work placement programme offered by various courses
Create a link between final year projects and dissertations to industry and create industry integrated research
projects where applicable
Ensure students receive a more complete education on computer literacy skills
Expand the trial run UCC4U programme which taught students various life skills including stress management
Collaborate with Irish officer to highlight “importance of the Irish language educationally”
Encourage lecturers to utilise audio/video recording facilities available in college to make lectures more readily
available
Better utilise both college and class reps with better training and supports
Greater engagement with satellite campuses
Create a 24hr study space for all students
Stagger the release of exam results to avoid technical issues as seen this year

10 |
VP of Welfare - Rory O’Donnell
Comms Officer - Kelly Doherty
Women in UCC SU Over 3 Years
Have all auditors and team captains Safe Talk trained
Have mindfulness workshops weekly (showing the benefits and teaching how)
Form the UCC “Welfare Crew”, work with UCD, Trinity and UL and seek advice on the running of their Welfare
Crew and how that structure can be incorporated into UCC
Tackle Cyber bulling , in conjunction with the Campaigns officer, with close attention to applications such as “Yik
Yak” where comments go unmonitored and unpoliced
Have free Condom dispensers around campus so when the welfare office is closed, condoms could be received
via a token system
Increase the amount of FREE STI checks throughout the year and organise a campaign reducing the stigma of STI examinations.
Lobby to reduce the cost of the contraceptive pill and make it free for medical card holders
Make drug testing kits available on campus from the welfare office
Issue new students with information packs on tenant rights in fresher’s bags and information packs sent to homes.
Issue manifesto progress reports throughout the year
Ensure officer reports presented at student council are more widely available and publicised
Better promotion of student council and the motions they are debating
Bring high profile speakers to campus like Trinity or UCD commonly do (Amy Poehler, Ice Cube)
Secure advertising space for the union, ideally the George Boole 200 banner poles
Hold satellite campus clinics
Create a Student Union membership card to entitle holders to special deals and offers in local businesses and for
SU events
Hold charity events to assist in funding the student assistance fund, similar to how R&G funding is raised
Bring brands to campus to ensure healthy levels of sponsorship
Candidates
Elected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Years in the above graph represent the years the candidates did take office/
would take office, i.e. 2013/14 represents the candidates that ran for election
in March 2013. Results include Sabbatical & Part-Time officers, but
does not include positions in the Equality Working Group,
PostGrad Officer or Council Chair.

| 11
Concussions & the End of Sports
Rob O’Sullivan - Designer
In 1889 the last sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing match in the United States took
place, a bout won by champion boxer John L. Sullivan; one of the first recorded
uses of the helmet in American football occurred in 1893. Turn of the century
sports are generally regarded as ‘barbaric’ in comparison to modern equivalent
games due to safety concerns such as these. That decade or so was a ‘come-to-Je-
sus’ moment of sorts, make-or-break time, where the sports changed for the better
or ended. And with the passing of 100+ years we’re at another one of those turning
points.
“As a few years passed, and tragedies struck, more began
to be thought of the long-lasting effects of concussions”
Until the early/mid-2000s little to nothing was known about the lasting effects of
concussions. The reaction, in most scenarios, was to just walk off the concussion,
and if one was still groggy after a while, take some rest. As a few years passed, and
tragedies struck, more began to be thought of the long-lasting effects of concus-
sions; people began to think not just about what happens when an athlete suffers a
severe concussion but about the effect of successive head trauma. The science of
testing these effects, even in 2016, on living people is very new, but it is always
progressing.
“The solution of the Victorian era will not help today. In
fact, some would say that it did not work then”
The solution of the Victorian era will not help today. In fact, some would say that it
did not work then; an argument has been put forward that when there is an ele-
ment of protection athletes become more reckless. This point of view would say
that bare-knuckle boxers, under more financial pressures than modern pugilists,
would generally avoid strikes to the head of the opponent as a break of their own
wrist (and loss of potential future wages) was as likely as a knockout. A modern
boxer does not have these concerns. The same comparison could be made between
gridiron & rugby, and the significantly lower levels of shoulder & neck injuries in
the latter.
“A recent study conducted by Ulster University
discovered that one in five injuries in schoolboy
rugby is a head injury”
So more padding & protection doesn’t work; but are concussions & head-trauma
that bad? The answer is, unequivocally, yes. A recent study conducted by Ulster
University discovered that one in five injuries in schoolboy rugby is a head injury.
That statistic is incredibly scary when we are still discovering the lasting effects
of head trauma. Daniel Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson), a professional wres-
tler who was recently forced to retire due to the massive amount of concussions
endured in his 17-year career, is by all reports an incredibly intelligent, articulate
person; yet he was still forced to retire, looking at similarly intelligent wrestlers
from the past, Nick Bockwinkel & Red Bastien, who suffered from alzheimer’s &
dementia in their later years.
“...inexperienced fight-
er Dada 5000 went
without any liquids for
weeks in an effort to cut massive amounts of weight for
his fight. During his fight with Kimbo Slice he collapsed,
his heart reportedly stopping”
Should this be the end of sport as we know it? Yes, in my opinion, it does. Take
MMA: UFC (and most MMA organisations around the world) recently banned the
use of IV drips in weight-cuts before fights. The idea is that a fighter, being nat-
urally heavier than the weight class they fight in, will cut, or rapidly lose, weight
in order to appear lighter than they are and have a weight advantage over their
opponent. Conor McGregor, after the weigh-in for his fight with José Aldo for the
Featherweight (136-145 pounds) title, reportedly weighed around 175 pounds by
the time he walked into the cage. The reason IV drip usage was banned was to
discourage the dehydration fighters go through to make weight cuts following the
link between dehydration and post-concussion issues. This is an example of the
dangerous culture in what has been described as the fastest growing sport in the
world, and its effects are not limited to post-concussion issues: in Bellator, a rival
MMA promotion, inexperienced fighter Dada 5000 went without any liquids for
weeks in an effort to cut massive amounts of weight for his fight. During his fight
with Kimbo Slice he collapsed, his heart reportedly stopping. He was in hospital
for over a month.
“there are two things I cannot move past: the risk of
young athletes ruining their lives while they do
not know enough to make an informed decision
and one incident in particular...”
While some will say that we must continue the research into post-concussion issues
without stopping our sporting traditions, there are two things I cannot move past:
the risk of young athletes ruining their lives while they do not know enough to
make an informed decision and one incident in particular. In June 2007 Canadian
professional wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead in his home, alongside his wife
& son. Benoit, having murdered his wife Nancy & son Daniel, placed bibles by
their bodies and hung himself with weight-lifting equipment. During the autopsy it
was discovered that Benoit had the brain equivalent of a 90 year old Alzheimer’s
patient. Described by all around him as a generally kind man, close friends of his
still find it hard to believe he could commit such an act even a decade after the
incident. We, as a society, cannot risk people’s lives, people’s futures on our own
enjoyment. We must have that ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment, and we must have it soon.
(This article was originally published on UCCExpress.ie on February 29th. It
has been republished here without change)

12 | Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

| 13
Photos Courtesy of:
Emmet Curtin Photography

14 |
The Other Side Of Sport
Footballers Put It Up to Dubs in Narrow Defeat
Amy O’Regan - Sports Writer
Aaron Casey - Sports Co-Editor
“At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t
be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil
right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing
on the school steps keeping James Hood from enter-
ing the University of Alabama because he was black”
these words; from actor and screenwriter George
Clooney, as it highlights a simple truth, that progres-
sion has been made with legalising gay marriage both
in Ireland and abroad, however a fact of the matter is
that we’re still hitting a wall when it comes to identi-
fying LGBT problems in sport.
It may seem harmless from some to throw out slang
terms and insults at your friends during a soccer or
rugby match, but for many of them it’s another story
behind closed doors. It’s easy to laugh along with the
taunts in public, but in the vicinity of the home the
mind runs rampant, the stresses of daily life really
starts to hit us. What if you were that your mother’s
opinion of you would change if you came out as gay?
Or that your best mate during practice was terrified
you’d fancy him because you identified as gay? Those
are the kind of struggles members of the LGBT com-
munity face when trying to come out to family, friends
and members on their sports teams.
But, it’s definitely not all bad, with the likes of former
Welsh Captain Gareth Thomas coming out in 2009
having featured on the Guinness advertisement and
the Irish rugby player Pierce Egan closely following
suit, making ‘coming out’ much easier for members
of the LGBT community. The thing about people like
Thomas and Egan coming out, is they are inspiring
fans worldwide to go against the mainstream colours
of one man to one woman if that’s not who they really
are and to embrace their future in all the vibrancy and
opportunity that they deserve.
Personally, I was impressed with the way the Irish
Referendum went in 2015, that we as a nation stepped
up to the plate voting ‘YES’ to legalising gay marriage
in Ireland, supporting our siblings, our children and
our neighbours with their choices regarding sexual
orientation. I would hope this level of progression will
continue into the future, so that in five years we won’t
have any players performances hindered by needless
worries around who thinks badly of them because
they’re a member of the LGBT group. In five years
I would like to see less of a divide in the community
between straight people and the LGBT community on
the pitch, in the workplace and in our community. I
want to be able to look my future child in the face and
say “it’s okay to be a member of the LGBT commu-
nity because your society loves you regardless of who
you’re attracted to.”
Dublin 2-14 Cork 2-10
Dublin narrowly prevailed in a huge-
ly entertaining game in the National
Football League at headquarters this
evening. The away side started most
promisingly with a blistering display
out of the blocks, taking a 1-4 to no
score lead after twenty minutes. Colm
O’Neill had a hand in all five scores;
converting two frees, striking one from
play and feeding Paul Kerrigan, who
stitched a point off his right-leg. The
goal emanated from a penalty, given
after Peter Kelleher was fouled as he
tried to win a lobbed ball from Luke
Connolly. O’Neill blasted the penalty
to Dublin keeper Michael Savage’s left.
Cork were flying, surprising everyone
after a heavy home loss to Roscommon
last weekend.
Dublin responded in the best way pos-
sible. Cian O’Sullivan’s crossfield ball
was collected by Bernard Brogan, who
offloaded to the onrushing Diarmuid
Connolly. The St. Vincent’s man clin-
ically finished into the bottom corner.
Full-forward Paddy Andrews further
narrowed the gap with a point just after
the ball been picked out of the net.
Dublin’s danger men Bernard Brogan
and Paddy Andrews were being well
held by Jamie O’Sullivan and Eoin Ca-
dogan respectively in the Cork full-back
line. The defensive play by Cork was
strong throughout the first-half. What
was more admirable was the fantastic
attitude evident.
This spirit was further shown by Ker-
rigan who brilliantly kept in the ball
on the endline after it looked like the
liathróid was going to win the battle.
His clever handpass across the goal was
palmed into the net by Peter Kelleher.
The lead was further extended by a free
converted by Cork’s Connolly – Luke
of Nemo Rangers. The sides traded two
points each to make the score Cork 2-7
Dublin 1-3 at half-time on a cold night
on Jones’ Road.
Dublin started the second-half knowing
they must atone for an error-strewn
opening period. They enjoyed the lion’s
share of the size 5 and put Cork under
huge pressure as they went forward
repeatedly. The response of the Rebel’s
was negative. They gave away multiple
frees allowing Dublin back into the
game a little too easily.
The litany of frees given away
made a Johnny Wilkinson of
Cormac Costello as he pointed
eight times in the second-half
from dead-ball scenarios. On
the other side Daniel Goulding
had a nightmare with his frees
- his boots seemed to be programmed to
not connect properly with the ball.
Dublin got nine points without reply
to put themselves two in front late on.
Cork nearly plundered another goal
when a goalmouth scramble resulting
from a high delivery in by Kerrigan saw
the ball hit the post, much to the relief
of the ever-vocal Hill 16. Sub Brian
Hurley pointed from a free to give Cork
their first score of the second-half.
Johnny Cooper was yellow carded, his
second of the night as Dublin were left
with fourteen men to see out the game.
It didn’t look good for them though as
another Rebel sub Ruairi Deane fisted
over to level the game. The lead was
quickly regained through Costello but
was just as quickly equalled again as
Cork’s Mark Collins struck over the bar
into the Canal End goal. Thankfully for
the Dubs, Cormac Costello’s aim was
true. Again he gave them a one-point
advantage, pointing a massive free as
the game went into added time.
Cork just couldn’t find a way to equal-
ise in the four minutes allotted. Dublin
seemed content to play keep ball and
see the game out. All of a sudden a
sea of grass opened up in front of their
wing-back James McCarthy, he mo-
tored through the space and finished
brilliantly on the narrow near side of
onrushing opposition keeper Micheál
Aodh Martin.
Dublin were just about good value for
a win, but not the four point win they
got however – such is the nature of late
goals. Cork should be encouraged by
the way the put it up to the All-Ireland
Champions. The target for them now
however is to bring a level of consist-
ency to their performance as they look
to make up for a disappointing 2015
season.
Want to write for UCC Express Sport? Email Aaron & Dylan
on Sport@UCCExpress.ie for more information
Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESSSport

| 15
Power Surges to Pip Rebels
O’Connor Cup Heartbreak for Leesiders
Aaron Casey - Sports Co-Editor
Dylan O Connell - Sports Co-Editor
UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016 Sport
Allianz National Hurling League:
Cork 2-22 Kilkenny 2-23
In what looked to have been the final
attack of the game, with the scores level
at 2-22 apiece, Cork keeper Patrick
Collins is bringing the ball out and
assessing who to pass to. He spots Luke
Farrell around the 45 yard line. Cork are
still alive if he gets the sliotár to him.
Kilkenny sub John Power is between
the two men. Collins mishits his pass,
it goes to Power instead. The UCC stu-
dent’s shot for point goes over and Cork
are killed. Cork 2-22 Kilkenny 2-23,
a suitably dramatic finale to a brilliant
seventy minutes hurling in front of over
8,000 spectators.
Cork needed to show-up in Páirc Uí
Rinn Saturday night in front of their
own after an embarrassing loss to
Dublin in Croke Park last week. Embar-
rassing not due to the ten-point losing
margin, but the sheer lack of effort and
care shown. They certainly cared this
time however. Being clad in the blue
1916 throwback jerseys had an almost
cathartic affect after their sub-standard
performances in red this year.
Kilkenny were blown away in an ini-
tial burst of hurling by the hosts. The
man who epitomised this was Seamus
Harnedy. In at full-forward, he gave
Joey Holden an absolutely miserable
evening. Rubber stamping his influence
- the St Ita’s man goaled after he caught
a long ball in from Lawton, turned and
struck past Richie Reid into the top
right corner.
14 minutes gone and the Rebels lead
by 1-6 to 0-3. Three more drives at
Kilkenny’s goal, by Harnedy (twice)
and Farrell were well dealt with by the
Noreside backs. It was telling that Cork
had four goal chances in the first-half
alone. It showed all their qualities of
2013: fearless hurling and running at
the opposition. It’s nice to see it hasn’t
disappeared, but the caveat here is that
Cork supporters now rightly expect this
team to play to their potential every
time.
Kilkenny meanwhile were pedestrian.
TJ Reid missed an easy free early on
from 45 yards, but it proved to be his
last miss of the game; stitching ten
frees in addition to his 1-2 from play.
Lehane had three great scores from play
in the first period, which in addition to
points from Harnedy, Horgan, Cormac
Murphy, Brian Lawton and Lorcán
McLoughlin gave Cork a 1-12 to 0-11
lead at half-time.
The initial purple patch of fury wearing
off as Kilkenny settled into the game
and kept the scoreline lower than it
should have been. The second-half saw
the Cats maintaining the steady flow of
points. Reid’s accuracy was imperative
in this regard.
Cork’s second-coming arrived and pow-
erful it was. Again it was the long-ball
tactic to Harnedy that proved integral.
A ball from midfielder Paul Haughney
was controlled on the full-forward’s
stick. He rode some heavy tackling
and holding, the Kilkenny backs would
have accepted a penalty at this stage.
He stayed on his feet admirably, if only
Alan Pardew was there to see it, his
shot after the exhausting drive forward
was didn’t make it over the line but
luckily Bill Cooper was on hand to turn
it into the net. 50 gone 2-14 to 0-17.
O’Farrell’s first of the day came not
soon afterwards; the resultant roar from
the crowd nearly lifting the corrugated
iron roof off the stand, as the home fans
scented blood.
Unfortunately they had to settle for the
comfort that is redemption. With less
than five minutes left Cork were up by
five. Colin Fennelly narrowed the gap
to two points. His goal coming after a
fantastic one-two with Richie Hogan in
the narrow confines of the Cork full-
back line.
Lester Ryan made it a one-point game
with his third point of the night. The
first of two daggers to Rebel hearts
came when TJ Reid won a high-ball,
re-enacts Fennelly’s goal by going on
another one-two and finding the net.
Cork weren’t for losing heart now
though. Lehane pointed a free and lev-
elled the game after striking over after
a pass from O’Farrell. 71 minutes gone
and the score is a fantastic 2-22 each.
A draw was just about a fair result but
Power capitalised on young Collins’
error to give Cody’s men the points and
guarantee Cork a relegation play-off.
Perspectives will have changed on this
Cork side after the seventy minutes. To
a man they hurled intensely and often
intelligently. The key to this group of
players is that they need to be tuned-in
enough and up for a fight to utilise their
obvious skill. Despite the rather nega-
tive state of Cork Hurling now, there are
some fantastic players on the panel and
they are good enough to be regularly
challenging for top honours.
Wides proved to be an issue - hitting
eleven compared to Kilkenny’s two. But
we’ll forgive them for that. The most
important thing was that they turned
up. It’s grand turning up, however the
Rebel faithful know that they’ll have to
keep up the turning up and banish the
malign on the team that is inconsisten-
cy. Then they’ll be fine and the obituar-
ies for Cork Hurling can be withheld for
a while at least.
At the ends of all roads, no matter how far you have
travelled or the rocky torn path beneath your feet;
everything in life must come to an end. Unfortunately,
this was the case for UCC Ladies football this week
in Tralee with the 2016 O Connor Cup finals. After
months of training, down in the murk and grime,
impressive results and a squad bolstering with talent;
silverware ultimately proved elusive for the Leesiders.
With a squad bolstering All Ireland winners such as
Aine Terry O Sullivan as well as many winners of the
2015 All Ireland and up and coming talent such as
Evie Casey, UCC travelled to Tralee with an impres-
sive run of results. Throughout February, the college
slowly plucked away through opposition, showing
class and skill with each performances. Dominant
score lines such as 3-14 to 2-9 against Queens Univer-
sity and edging out DCU 1-6 to 0-7 helped the college
to book a place for the finals weekend.
Here, the challenges mounted for UCC. Up against
favourites UCD who were hoping to claim back the
trophy for the first time since 2012, if the college pro-
gressed it would have set up a show piece final against
three in a row seeking UL.
However, the fairytale soon came to an end, with
UCD proving he victors. For 60 minutes, UCC fought
for every ball, broke down play and challenged for
everything. With their hearts on their sleeves, UCC
held the game to a 2-4 to 0-07 at the break. In the sec-
ond half, the hunger of UCD proved too much for the
Leesiders, and UCD ran away the victors with a 3-09
0-10 score line.

ucc sport
Last February, UCC Judo
competed in the 2016
Intervarsites Competition held in
the Foyle Arena in Derry. There
were 10 Universities taking
part, with over 140 competitors
in total. UCC Judo travelled
the furthest and brought up 15
competitors. We came away
with 28 medals in total and 3
prestigious awards.
UCC Ladies entered two female
teams, the only university
to enter two teams and I’m
delighted to say that we took
home the gold and the bronze
in the women’s events. UCC
Ladies A Team, captained by
Katie O’Donovan, took home
the Gold with a decisive 2-1
victory over the host team
University Ulster. Our Ladies B
Team, captained by Rosemine
Achbang, were also successful
in securing the bronze. We were
then awarded the trophy for
Best Ladies Team of 2016, UCC
Ladies haven’t won this since
2003.
UCC Men entered two male
teams this year and were also
the only university to enter two
male teams. UCC Mens A team,
captained by Tim Kelly, secured
the gold in a stunning 4-1 defeat
of last years winners NUIG.
UCC Mens B team, captained by
Richard Collins, came up against
a well seasoned University
Ulster home team in their first
fight and were knocked out. We
were then awarded the trophy
for Best Mens Team of 2016,
UCC Mens haven’t won this
since 2008.
This is the first time that UCC
have secured the double gold
in both the ladies teams and the
mens team finals.
As well as this success our 15
competitors also came away
with an impressive 28 medals
from the competition, the most
of any other university. We came
home with 13 Gold medals, 4
Silver Medals and 11 Bronze
Medals, with outstanding
performances from all of our
Judoka.
Andre Bilro Pereira de Araujo
was also awarded the “Best
Judoka; Charlie Hegarty Shield”.
This is an award decided by
the referees on the day and is
given to the one person who has
outstanding Judo and totally
embodies the spirit of Judo.
The biggest thanks has to go
to our coach David Holmes, as
without him none of this would
have been possible. Many thanks
to Lisa Bradley the tournament
director and all in University
Ulster for an extremely
professional and well run event.
It has been my honour and
privilege to captain such an
amazing, supportive, talented
group of people this year, and I
can only imagine what the future
holds for UCC Judo.
Full Results:
Katie O’Donovan; Gold Team Event,
Bronze 63kg
Cara Nies; Gold Team Event, Bronze
Upper Kyu
Aobh O’Shea; Gold Team Event, Gold
57kg
Rosemine Achbang; Bronze Team Event,
Bronze 57kg
Erin Brightoo; Bronze Team Event, Silver
Lower Kyu, Bronze 70kg
Ciara Gildea; Bronze Team Event, Bronze
52kg
Tim Kelly; Gold Team Event, Bronze
Open Weight
Andre Bilro; Gold Team Event, Gold 90kg
Luke Hickey; Gold Team Event, Gold
Middle Kyu, Silver 73kg
Brian Dowling; Gold Team Event, Silver
80kg
Matty Adams; Gold Team Event, Bronze
Middle Kyu
Shane O’Connel; Bronze Under 90kg
Novice
Dylan Barrett; Bronze Over 90kg Novice
Alex Kingston; Gold Over 90kg Novice,
Silver Over 100kg
UCC JUDO WIN BIG AT INTERVARSITIES
Judo Results
Tuesday March 15th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 11
NUMBER EIGHT...ARMBAR: Competitor slaps opponent in an cross-armbreaker at the recent intervarsities (PHOTO: UCC Judo)
Katie O’Donovan - Sports Writer
PREVIEW: Inside -
Round-ups of Women’s Basketball-
Cup Final, Fitzgibbon & Siggerson
Cup First Rounds
UCC Judo Excels in Olympic Year of 2016
Katie O’Donovan; Gold
Team Event, Bronze 63kg
Cara Nies; Gold Team Event,
Bronze Upper Kyu
Aobh O’Shea; Gold Team
Event, Gold 57kg
Rosemine Achbang; Bronze
Team Event, Bronze 57kg
Erin Brightoo; Bronze Team
Event, Silver Lower Kyu,
Bronze 70kg
Ciara Gildea; Bronze Team
Event, Bronze 52kg
Tim Kelly; Gold Team Event,
Bronze Open Weight
Andre Bilro; Gold Team
Event, Gold 90kg

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