The Print Volume 3, Issue 10

THE

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The official publication of Maynooth Students’ Union

Wednesday 14th March 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

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Maynooth Students’ Union Executive Elected For 2012/2013 Academic Year SHANE KIERNAN Technology Editor @shanezor101

On the 8th of March, the following day of voting for the Maynooth Students’ Union elections, counting of all voting ballots began. The day proved to be quite an accomplishment for the student body of Maynooth as it was the highest turnout of voters in the history of the union with roughly two thousand four hundred students voting, as well as votes being cast by students from Froebel College Blackrock. While the counts were being carried out by the Returning Officers Ciaran McFadden, David Ruth and their team in the Your Clubhouse Venue, all candidates arrived throughout the day and were in attendance for their respective counts. In addition to the candidates, many campaigners and friends of candidates attended to provide support, as well as The Print and Student Observer providing media coverage for the count.

The order in which the counts were carried out began with the four faculty representative positions, Science and Engineering, Social Science, Theology and Divinity and Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy. The faculty counts were then followed

by Irish Language and Cultural Affairs Officer. The sabbatical positions were then carried out in the order of Vice President of Welfare and Equality (VPWE), Vice President of Services, Events and Communications (VPSEC), Vice President of Clubs, Societies and Union Development (VPCSUD) and, lastly, President.

While the count was carried out, developments were covered from the media hub set up by the Student Observer and The Print, with Twitter and Facebook being updated with arrivals of candidates and count updates.

As there were no candidates for Social Science

rep, the counts for RON votes amount to 516 to reopen the nominations for the position. Following this, the Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy votes were counted with a large number of spoiled and RON votes. However, despite this sole candidate Dave Flanagan was elected with 942 votes. The first Science and Engineering count then took place, with candidate Darren Buckley being eliminated after the first count with 107 votes.

With the second count, Ryan Cahill was deemed elected with 201 votes, edging Shauna Kelly’s 171 votes. The count for Theology and Divinity rep was then carried out with a total of 99 votes and candidate Stephen Graham being elected with 64 votes, beating Sean Smith’s 41. After the faculty rep counts were completed, the count for Irish Language and Cultural Affairs Officer began.

Candidate John Ó Liodáin was elected with a count of 1244 votes opposed to Dean MacCearaín’s 891.

Sabbatical officer counts then began with VPWE up first due to the position having the smallest number of candidates, including current officer, Fiach O’Neill, Podge Sheridan and Danielle Clare O’Sullivan. The count was the first of two records broken that day, with Fiach being elected with 1586 votes, the highest number of votes for a single candidate in the history of the Students’ Union, breaking a record held previous by the current MSU President Robert Munnelly when elected to the now defunct position of Vice President for Communications & Development.

VPSEC then followed, along with mild controversy in the form of a court restart following the discovery of a calculation error following the elimination of RON. Candidate William Blumlein was the first to go with 350 first preferences, then Steven Fleming with 541 after the distribution of RON and Will’s second preferences. Ailbhe Mahon and Malachy Callan were the final two candidates, having a respective 801 and 1331 when Steven’s

MSU Sabbatical Officers-elect Seamus Reynolds, Malachy Callan, Fiach O’Neill and Lorna Deegan. second preferences were distributed, resulting in Malachy being elected. Following this, VPCSUD was then completed after five counts, with the final two candidates being Lorna Deegan taking in 990 votes and Maeve Kavanagh taking in 719, with Lorna being elected.

The first preference record broken by Fiach ealier in the day would be shattered once again cone the

count of the Presidential candidates. As the final count of the day was carried out, Naoise Ó’Cearúil took in 531 votes and Seamus Reynolds was elected with a record breaking 1852 votes/ Those elected will begin their term as officer of Maynooth Students’ Union on Sunday the 1st of July.

Staff And Students Shave Or Dye Across Campus KEITH BRONI Editor-In-Chief @keithbroni

Monday the 5th of March saw the beginning of Maynooth Students’ Union’s involvement in Today FM’s Shave Or Dye campaign. Organised by current MSU Science & Engineering Faculty Representative Mark Kelada and Class Representatives Sean Smith and Stuart Cameron. Over 50 members of both NUI Maynooth staff and the Maynooth student body took part in the event hosted within the Your Clubhouse Venue, with over €2,000 being raised for the Irish Cancer Society. Sponsers for the event included Charlie’s Barbers within Manor Mills, the John Adams Salon in Rathmines, Hickeys Pharmacy and Maynooth’s Homeworld Discount Store.

Three members of the NUI Maynooth teaching staff took part in the event. These were Dr. James McInerney from the Biology Department, Dr. John

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Stephens from the Chemisty Department and Dr. Marcin Gradziel from the Experimental Physics Department. These lecturers raised €800, €500 and €400 for the Irish Cancer Society respectively.

The top two fundraisers were the aforementioned James McInerney and student Stacey Chilvers, who both received vouchers for Homeworld Discount Store for their efforts.

Speaking to The Print, Mark Kelada had this to say: “I am very thankful to all those who took part and even more thankful to those who helped make it happen. Not only did we raise an amazing amount for charity but we also provoked civic engagement as well as staff involvement. A huge thank you to all the staff members who took part and to our sponsors. This is the first time this campaign has been done by MSU and I hope to start a great tradition for the future.”

Maynooth campus character David Dunne getting both his mohawk and beard dyed in The Venue.

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Printed in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford via Datascope and Impression LTD.

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GAME Gaming Store Fianna Fáil Ardfheis & Martin’s Apology Chain To Be Sold MATTHEW MULLIGIAN

DEAN HEALY

The Game Group, the owners of the high street retailer Game, has announced that it is to look to sell the business to stop it going under. Previously Game had told its senior staff that it only had two weeks to save itself, and as a result of this it has hired independent advisory group Rothschild to help find a prospective buyer. Previously known in Ireland as Electronics Boutique, The Game Group also owns their rival chain of video game stores, Gamestation. Game has been on a downward spiral in recent months; in 2011 their shares plummeted by 90%. The group owns stores in many countries other than Britain and Ireland, and US retailer Gamestop has shown interest in buying the assets in France and Australia.

The trouble for the group comes in the increasing availability of downloadable video games. Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo systems all have their own form of direct distribution of video game content, some which can be physically bought in stores such as Game. However increasingly exclusive games are being released on these online market places, by passing the retailers completely.

Another aspect in which online distribution of video games has become preferable for a lot of gamers, is the availability of downloadable content which can complement a game; paying a small amount of money for extra game modes, missions or characters. Video game publishers themselves such as EA and Valve have developed their own dedicated distribution platforms for the PC - EA’s Origin store and the poster boy for downloadable games, Valve’s Steam platform.

Perhaps more pertinent to the business model of Game itself, and the area in which they have seen most of their sales coming in has been in the area of

On the weekend of March 2nd Fianna Fáil’s ardfheis took place in Dublin’s RDS Arena for the first time since 2009. The talking point of the entire weekend occurred when party leader Micheál Martin during his keynote speech to the party’s 73rd ardfheis apologised for the mistakes that Fianna Fail had made and the pain which it has inflicted through a series of bad policy decisions which have so severely affected the country’s economy. The long awaited apology was delivered to a standing ovation by the former cabinet minister, who now controls Ireland’s third biggest political party. The event was billed as a constructive weekend of policy discussion, organisational reform and promised internal renewal. The weekend also included elections on new policy documents which were to be voted on by the relatively rejuvenated national executive.

Speaking to almost 4,000 delegates in the RDS, Mr. Martin commented: “It’s not enough to point to the worst world recession in 80 years and the euro zone crisis. Nor to point to the fact that other parties were demanding policies which would have made things worse – that’s for them to answer for.”

He continued: “we were in government and we should have acted differently. We made mistakes.

We got things wrong. And we are sorry for that.

No equivocation. No half-apology. Just the plain, unvarnished truth.”

Mr. Martin added that the people did what they were entitled to do in the general election last year.

“People were angry and they showed it, delivering a historic defeat for us. We fully acknowledge the scale of the defeat.” The apology formed the high point of Mr Martin’s first address as leader to an ardfheis.

@_mattuna

@OnaedInSpace

The entrance to one of Game’s various outlets. used games. The store operates a scheme whereby gamers can exchange their used or played games for a smaller amount of cash. The store then sells on these pre-owned games for a cheaper price than the cost of buying the game new, while still making a profit which goes directly to the store and not the video game publishers or others involved in making the games. In recent years as technology has improved, the differences between pre-owned and brand new games have become minimal, certainly not something which would deter consumers from buying pre-owned games. Consumers need an added incentive to buy games brand new, which is where downloadable content comes into play.

Some game publishers offer instant downloadable content when a game is pre-ordered brand new.

EA for example have stopped supplying Game with their new products, as a result of EA’s new policy of selling their games through their online distribution service, bypassing Game’s business model of selling pre-owned games. This was also done as EA would no longer give Game discounts on their games Capcom, another giant in the gaming industry, has also announced that it will cease to supply Game with its products.

Before this announcement Game had already stated its intention to close 35 stores. Its future on the high street is now in the hands of whichever group seeks to buy it, and save the stores from becoming a forgotten sight.

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PRINT Issue #10 Contents

NEWS 1 FEATURES 10 WELFARE 13 ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE 14 PROCRASTINATION 25 OPINION & COMMENT 26 TECHNOLOGY 28 SPORTS 29

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.

When turning to the state of the Irish economy, he conceded the room for action by both his and all parties was limited. “I’m not going to pretend that there are easy options. We have always supported a strategy of bringing the deficit down to a sustainable level.” Mr Martin also committed Fianna Fáil to supporting the European Stability treaty in the upcoming referendum. He especially highlighted the party’s pro-European stance which was established by former leader Seán Lemass, and he alluded to the fact that it was a Fianna Fáil government which submitted Ireland’s application to join what is now the EU around 50 years ago.

Delegates present on the weekend voted on policies such as gay marriage, gender quotas, national broadcasting rules and the national voting age. Party delegates passed a motion to reform the party organisation by giving all members an individual vote in future candidate selection. They also backed a motion calling for the recognition of gay marriage but also rejected one for gender quotas in party selection conventions for the next local elections. Motions calling for legislation to ban corporate donations to political parties and for the introduction of a household charge based on home value were also passed. However, delegates voted against the septic tank charge and against the 30 per cent gender requirement proposed by the current Government. A motion calling for the voting age to be reduced to 16 was also rejected. Delegates voted in favour of a motion calling for cuts in the salaries of top RTÉ presenters and also backed more rigorous rules for broadcasters to prevent a repeat of the Fr Kevin Reynolds libel.

Editor In Chief / Production Editor: Keith Broni News Editors: Conor O’Brien & Áine Kirwan Features Editor: Grainne Hallinan Entertainments & Culture Editors: Lyndsey Farrell & Christina Murphy Opinion & Comment Editor: Kate Phelan Technology Editor: Shane Kiernan Sports Editor: Conor Phelan Additional Proofing: Robert Munnelly, Orla Tobin Contributors: Andrew Browne, Mike Carroll, Dylan Colley, Darren Crowe, Mark Dillon, Aoife Donnan, James Dunne, Kellie Fagan, Darragh Fleming, Dara Folan, Rob Gilmour, Dean Healy, Conor Hanlon, Msughter Iwar, Maeve Kavanagh, Shauna Louise Kelly, Ally Kerr, Ruta Lankelyte, Rebecca Lyons, Conor McCrave, Dan McCormack, Shane McNally, Declan Meenagh, Simon Mernagh, Maghnus Monaghan, Matthew Mulligan, Feargal Ó Cléirigh, Martina O’Kane, Fiach O’Neill, Rowan Moorkens O’Reilly, Majella Rogers, Cillian Shields, Aoife Thomas.

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Kony 2012: A Viral Revolution DAN McCORMACK Over the last few days we have been bombarded with the ‘Kony 2012’ online campaign. This campaign is an attempt to make Joseph Kony a famous man. A group called ‘Invisible Children’ are the minds behind ‘Kony 2012’, and it is their hope that through making him famous they can raise international awareness of him and subsequently that it may lead to his arrest.

Joseph Kony is a wanted war criminal and the leader of a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army, better known as the LRA. The LRA is notorious for heinous acts of violence, such as gruesome bodily mutilation and the use of young girls as sex slaves. Over the duration of two decades spearheaded by Joseph Kony the LRA terrorised the Ugandan populous and abducted a believed 30’000 young children from settlements around the North of the country so that they may fight in his child army until he and his fighters were driven out in 2005.

The ‘Kony 2012’ team released a video to highlight these issues. The video, which revolves around an American man, named Jason Russell, his son and his experiences in Uganda has received in it’s first seven days on Youtube, over 70,000,000 views and unprecedented global support. In

response to this Uganda’s ministry of defence spokesman Felix Kulayigye has said, “It might take long but we’ll catch Kony, dead or alive”. He then went on to say, “How long did it take to stop the conflict in Northern Ireland? So our hunt for Kony can take long but it will end one day”. However, Matthew Green, author of a book about the hunt of Kony has stated, “Much as they might like to grab Kony, the Ugandan military and other armies in the region have repeatedly proved that they lack the necessary helicopter, legistical and intelligencegathering capabilities”.

In response to this problem Barrack Obama has, in a renewed push to bring Kony to justice, sent 100 military advisors to the region in order to assist in the capturing of the illusive tyrant. It is also little known that this is not the first move the U.S have made in order to aid the Ugandan military in their attempt to stifle the LRA. In 2008 the States assisted Ugandan-led air strikes and ground attacks on LRA camps throughout Uganda. In all cases the outcome has been detrimental as the evasive group have outmanoeuvred the chase and responded with brutal retaliatory killings which left thousands dead.

For reasons like this and its questionable expenditure the ‘Kony 2012’ campaigns legitimacy has come under fire. Despite this the ‘Kony 2012’ campaign remains to be a revolution in viral-socio/ political propaganda and a stepping stone for raising awareness of other issues such as this in years to come. In fact, several days ago celebrity actor Angelina Jolie, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, called for the arrest of the rebel leader.

The image of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony made famous by the Kony 2012 viral video campaign.

UK CAO Applications On Increase For 2012

Protest Against Lucinda Creighton On Campsus

DARREN CROWE

SHANE McNALLY

The surge in tuition fees across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have caused a significant rise in the number of UK students applying to the CAO for college courses. According to the College Admissions Office nearly 2500 students (an increase of around 500 from 2011) with addresses in the United Kingdom have applied to various Irish colleges in 2012. This is mirrored by Figures from UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), the body through which applications to universities in Northern Ireland are processed, showed there were 4.4% fewer applications from Northern Ireland applicants this year.

Currently, tuition fees alone are around £3375 a year on a variable basis in the UK and though tuition fees are free in Scotland new regulations mean that colleges elsewhere from September 2012 will raise their fees from £3375 to £9000 per year on average and although students will have to pay a fee of €2,250 to the cost of tuition in Ireland, students do not have to pay full tuition fees as long as they are a citizen of the European Union or have spent three of the last five years living within the EU which is attracting potential college students over here. However, UK applicants will have the

@thobiasinkblot The student protests in London from last year. option to take out a tuition fee loan to cover the fees charged and this will be paid direct to the university in question. Students will have to pay up front for their tuition but will only start paying back the Loan after they have completed their course and only if they are earning over £21,000.

The rise in demand has also caused changes in the way applicants choose courses. First preference applications for science and computing courses have shot up by 18.5% on last year and over 60% four years ago, while teaching courses are down 6%. The figures also show applicants for computer science courses in Maynooth have increased by 60% for this year. Also it should be noted that Irelands most popular course, Arts in UCD, has seen a decrease in the number of applicants of 25%.

However, when the UK applicants are not taken into account, the overall number of applications for 2012 is nearly equal to 2011 levels and therefore no overall extra demand for courses, but higher demand for some specific disciplines will more than likely cause an increase in CAO points for entry into those courses.

Maynooth Student’s Union held a protest outside the Iontas building on North Campus on Monday the 12th March, when Minister of State and European affairs Lucinda Creighton was visiting to give a lecture on opportunities for graduates in Europe. This followed an open letter they sent to the President of the College, Professor Philip Nolan, explaining why they were boycotting the event.

Over forty people joined them in their protest.

The open letter stated that every student has been in some way affected negatively by the cutbacks that have been implemented by the current Fine Gael/Labour coalition. Several of the points highlighted were the cut in the grant, the record numbers of students dropping out due to financial problems and the mass emigration of graduates.

This point was stressed by the union in a direct attack on the minister stating, ‘Maynooth Students’ Union cannot welcome onto campus any Minister who supported that budget. This Government is running a country in which every single day another 110 graduates emigrate. This is devastating families, and yet the Minister has the audacity to come to Maynooth, point to Europe and say “Jobs

A banner used by MSU during the protest. are that way.”’

The protest got underway with good spirits within the crowd, who were all ushered away from the entrance to Iontas behind barriers at the edge of the square. The minister’s car arrived at 4 p.m. and was met with the infamous ‘no ifs, no buts, no education cuts’. The minister was then called upon to address the cutbacks that she has supported, but the call was ignored. Someone from the crowd could clearly take it no more and bellowed across the square ‘LUCINDA, Y U NO TALK TO STUDENTS’.

Many students, including FEE (Free Education for Everyone) then decided to enter the lecture address, but MSU as stated in their open letter were boycotting the event. What followed was a large number of students taking seats near the front of the lecture theatre and waiting until the Minister took to the stage. Ruadhrí Boland then interrupted, exclaiming, ‘Minister, I’m sorry for the disruption, but due to your party’s stance on graduate funding, fees and grants and your personal views on gay rights I’m leaving this lecture and asking Maynooth students to leave with me.’ Reports are that between thirty to forty students then left to which the Minister replied ‘ok’.

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ACTA Frozen For One Salman Rushdie Departs Year While ECJ Decide For India Once More DECLAN MEENAGH

SHANE McNALLY

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a treaty being negotiated in secret by the US and some other countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Some leaks have suggested this treaty will include banning some types of computer architecture. While the EU isn’t involved with it yet, once the countries sign off on it, pressure will be put on Brussels to ratify it.

Meanwhile, the new Rapporteur on ACTA (Anti Counterfeiting trade agreement) David Martin MEP has sent the agreement to the ECJ (European Court of Justice) to answer several questions on its legality. He says this may take a year, and the treaty is frozen until the court rules. The European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht had earlier referred the treaty.

An online petition gained 2.5 million signatures while marches against the agreement were held in cities across Europe. In Poland, 20,000 people marched in protest, and as a result Poland now will not sign ACTA. A week later, 25,000 marched in Germany which caused the government to delay signing the treaty. A march was held in Dublin with a much smaller turnout.

The former Rapporteur Kader Arif resigned from

Salman Rushdie, no stranger to stepping on the toes of religion, announced on Tuesday 13th March that he would be again attempting to return to India after a failed attempt last January. His previous attempt was cancelled due to a number of death threats and reports of assassins hired to kill him.

Rushdie has had a tenuous relationship with his country of birth, since his novel Satanic Verses was published in 1988 that led to a fatwā being called by the then Supreme Leader of Iran. The novel was deemed to be blasphemous by Muslims across the world as it mocked the prophet Mohammed and the Muslim faith. While, Rushdie himself was not harmed as he was under police protection in Britain, under the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher, several people involved in the publishing and translation of the book were killed or injured. The worst such case was when Aziz Nesin, the Turkish translator of the text was targeted. Nesin survived, but 37 people lost their lives in the Sivas Massacre.

In 2005 Rushdie sided with the Danish cartoonists who were subjected to death threats and attempts on their lives. These death threats were a result of a number of satirical cartoons printed in

@thobiasinkblot

@dagda

Scottish MEP and ACTA Rapporteur David Martin. the position in protest at the way the negotiations were handled and the vague nature of the treaty.

The negotiations were held in secret and the early draughts were only made public through leaks. He criticizes the language in the treaty as being vague and open to abuse.

Phil Prendergast, Labour MEP for Ireland South released a statement: “This treaty lacks tangible benefits for EU citizens. It bypasses multilateral bodies such as the World Trade Organisation or the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the proper legislative bodies where such measures should be openly decided.”

Paul Murphy, Socialist MEP for Dublin has also come out against ACTA. In a response to a letter posted on Reddit, Gay Mitchell has defended the treaty.

Controversial Indian author Salman Rushdie.

Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that depicted the prophet Mohammed in what the paper claimed was done to contribute to the debate surrounding criticism of Islam and self censorship, censorship that is rife in contemporary India.

Rushdie at the same time as these cartoons appeared was bolstering his criticism of the Muslim faith saying in The Washington Post and The Times, ‘What is needed is a move beyond tradition, nothing less than … a Muslim reformation to combat not only jihadist ideologues but also the dusty stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows to let in much-needed fresh air.’

Rushdie is set to return later this week to speak at a conference. He has remained steadfast in his criticism, be it in interviews, articles or through the beautiful images conjured up through the medium of magical-realism employed in his novels. None of this criticism has sit well before and it will be a test of his resolve and how his home chooses to greet him.

Famed Journalist Marie Nike Spark Controversy Colvin Killed In Syria With Black & Tan Shoe MAJELLA ROGERS @majrog

On 22 February, 2011 an influential and brave reporter was killed in Syria. 56 year-old Marie Colvin was a war correspondent for The Sunday Times and her job took her to the front lines of some of the world’s deadliest conflicts. Colvin wrote about the suffering of individuals who were trapped in war but after more than 25 years of chronicling conflict, Colvin became a victim of it when she was killed by shelling in the besieged city of Homs.

The newspaper posted her final dispatch outside the website’s paywall and the report chronicled the horrors that took her life. ‘It is a city of the cold and hungry, echoing to exploding shells and bursts of gunfire,’’ Colvin wrote.

Details of her final hours emerged as efforts went on to rescue journalists who were also wounded alongside her in Baba Amr district of Homs. The journalists had followed the Eastern custom of taking their shoes off when entering a building when missiles hit the upper floors of a building.

Colvin was trying to retrieve her shoes when she

AOIFE THOMAS Famed journalist Marie Colvin: 1956 - 2012. was killed. The blast killed her and Remi Ochlik, a French journalist. Sunday Times photographer and close friend to Colvin, Paul Conroy, was hit by shrapnel and Edith Bouveir, a French journalist, also suffered multiple leg fractures. Conroy was reported to be refusing to leave without Colvin’s body; his partner sent a message saying ‘please let no more die..for her body’.

The British Government said that they are doing everything possible to secure the return of journalists still trapped in Homs, the International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said. Mr. Mitchell further stated that ‘This is an evil regime that has turned its guns on its own people’. He said that the human rights abuses that were happening in Syria are ‘despicable’. In one of Colvin’s last accounts she wrote ‘’Fearing the snipers’ merciless eyes, families retorted last week to throwing bread across rooftops, or breaking through communal walls to pass unseen’’.

In an interview, Colvin’s mother said that her daughter died doing what she loved.

The well-known global footwear company of Nike has created an Irish related runner. For the run up to St. Patricks Day 2012 Nike get ready to launch their new creation that will hit retail outlets this weekend. Two types of runners are being featured; “the Guinness” and “the Black and Tan” is taking Nike customers in Ireland by storm but, in all the wrong ways.

Presumably the Giant Company knows little of the background behind the Black and Tan historical connotations in Ireland. It would seem that if the company were to become aware of the Irish past that still remains to sit so uncomfortably in the minds of the Irish populations, the global brand would be less likely to develop a product which might strike a nerve with a few unhappy consumers.

However, there is already controversy emerging over the design of the runners, there was a recent blog post which suggested that; “Will someone please for the love of God send Nike ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’, while others struggle to relate the Nike sporting merchandise with beer connotations.

The Black and Tans were primarily a British military group occupying Ireland during the British reign in the early 1900’s. The name derives from the colour of their uniform which was evidently a black shirt and tan pants. Although established to target the Irish Republican Army, the Black and Tans became notorious through numerous attacks on innocent Irish civilians. However, Black and Tan was also referred to as a type of drink; made from a blend of pale ale and a dark beer like, porter or usually Guinness. In Ireland the association with Black and Tan remains to be predominantly associated with British War veterans who were sent to Ireland by the British government. They were, without a shadow of a doubt, disliked and unwanted in Ireland. Commemorations held today are used to honour those that died at the hands of the Black and Tan army.

It is clear to see why the Irish are controversial and not entirely accepting about the marketing of the new Nike runners that are being used to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In 2006, Ben and Jerry produced an ice-cream; black and tan, claiming that it was focusing on the Irish-ness of love and peace, though the ice-cream was only available on the US market, they were forced to take it off sale in retailers.

Nike have had many motivations and concepts for their product range since they established in 1964, it remains to be the world’s leading supplier of athletic footwear and sports apparel. Yet, its new compulsiveness to relate Nike products with ranges of beer as a means of gaining more from the Irish markets seems to be highly unsuccessful.

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Church Attacks Plans Vladimir Putin Once For Gay Marrage In UK Again Elected In Russia SIMON MERNAGH

CONOR HANLON

Catholics in England and Wales are being urged to oppose the UK government’s plan to legalise gay marriage. At services across both England and Wales on Sunday, Catholics heard a joint pastoral letter from Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols and Archbishop of Southwark Peter Smith in which they defended current laws that only allow gay couples to enter into civil partnerships, rather than full marriages. In their letter, archbishops Nichols and Smith claim that the legalisation of gay marriage would be a “profoundly radical step”. “Our present law does not discriminate unjustly when it requires both a man and a woman for marriage.

It simply recognises and protects the distinctive nature of marriage”. The letter continues to say that in the event of legalised gay marriage, there would be “no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children”. It concludes that all Catholics have a duty to “do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations”.

This follows the recent condemnation by Pope Benedict XVI of the “powerful” gay marriage endeavour in the US and his insistence that couples living together out of wedlock are a viable threat

Vladimir Putin has been returned to his position as Russian President following last week’s election. Mr Putin served two terms as President from 2000 until 2008 but was prevented from running for a third consecutive term by Russian constitution. Since then Mr Putin has continued to be a dominant figure in Russian politics as Prime Minister alongside the out-going President Dmitry Medvedev. Changes to the constitution under Medvedev have extended the term in the Kremlin from four years to six. This allows Putin to try for twelve more years in office, potentially leading Russia until 2024 leading some to compare it to the length of Stalin’s rule.

Despite winning approximately 60% of the vote Mr Putin’s return has been met with widespread opposition. Rivals have alleged that the polls were manipulated in favour of the prime minister with reports of people being allowed to cast multiple votes. The 59 year old ex-KGB spy dismissed the allegations and insisted that the election was “open and honest”. Mr Putin’s campaign chief described it as “the cleanest election in Russia’s entire history”. The closest rival in the polls came from the Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov with approximately 17% of the vote. Mr Zyuganov

Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith. to society. According to him, “sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage”, and traditional marriage must be “promoted and defended from every possible misinterpretation of their true nature”. Meanwhile, members of the clergy are encouraging English and Welsh Catholics to join the online ‘Coalition for Marriage’ petition, which aims to produce a united opposition towards non-heterosexual marriage.

Two years ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron voiced his support for gay marriage, saying that “I don’t support gay marriage in spite of being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative”. He argues that any relationships that promote a stable society should be supported by Conservatives. The issue of gay marriage in Britain has been a controversial one since a recent declaration by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the Catholic leader in Scotland, in which he compared gay marriage to slavery.

Russian President once more, Vladimir Putin. later declared that his party would not recognise the official results. As many as 20,000 protesters gathered in Moscow’s Pushkin square where protest leader Alexei Navalny addressed the crowd declaring “They robbed us”. Riot police arrested up to 500 of the demonstrators although many were later released. Further numbers were detained in St Petersburg.

Along with anti-Putin demonstrators a crowd of 100,000 took to the streets in praise of his victory.

Celebrations began before the votes had been fully counted where in freezing weather the prime minister spoke to his supporters outside of the Kremlin walls saying “I promised you we would win. We have won. Glory to Russia”. The self-styled strong man of Russia sparked interest during his rally address by shedding a tear. This tear was later attributed by a Putin spokesperson to the windy conditions outside the Kremlin. The Prime Minister is due to take up his third term as president in May of this year.

Russian Band Arrested Bizz Soc Host Highly For Anti-Putin Protests Successful Business Ball DYLAN COLLEY @DylanColley

March 3rd, the day before the elections that once again saw Vladimir Putin take the position of President of Russia, punk band Pussy Riot were arrested for protests held over the previous month.

Six of the ten band members were taken into custody and two of them were charged with hate crimes and violations of public order.

On the 21st of February, the Russian punk feminists staged a flash gig in the Russian Orthodox cathedral Christ the Saviour. This was a demonstration against the church’s close alliance with Prime Minister Putin. Playing what they called a “punk prayer” entitled ‘Holy Shit!’ the band called on the attendees of the church to “chase Putin out”. The band managed to flee before the Russian police force reached them. After being arrested and allegedly interrogated for seven hours, for the aforementioned protest among others, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhin went on hunger strike and refuse to eat until they are returned to their young children.

It’ll be April before the band members will see

Russian ten-piece band Pussy Riot protesting a hearing. If found guilty, they could face up to a seven year jail sentence.

Many anti-Putin activists and human rights workers have called for the case to be closed and the members to be released including Alexei Navalny and Orthodox Christian Lina Moniava. Navalny also held a one-man picket outside police HQ in Moscow, where the two women are held. On the 10th of March, 15,000 people gathered in Russia’s city centre in support of the captive punks.

People are calling this “Pussy Vs. Putin” during the protests and one sign even called for the band to perform at the Eurovision. Pussy Riot have been known as anti-Putin and in an interview with gazeta.ru, they have said the goal was to “stress [that there is] too much communication between the church and the government” and explained some reasons for protesting against the PM himself: “Our Patriarch is not ashamed of wearing watches worth $40,000, which is intolerable when so many families in Russia are on the edge of poverty.”

Tolkonnikova and Alyokhin have said they will “starve until [they] are returned to [their] children”.

CONOR O’BRIEN News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

Wednesday February 29 saw the NUIM Business Society host the second annual Maynooth Business Ball in the Glenroyal Hotel.

The event kicked off with a wine reception and finger food at 8pm before Leitrim-based band Bedrock Republik took to the stage. After a full set

by Bedrock Republik, the entourage hit the disco to dance the night away.

The ball was attended by over 500 students and their friends, an increase of 60 from last year, and was deemed a huge success by its organisers. Such was the popularity of the event that tickets sold out within four hours of going on sale.

In a big difference to 2011, this year’s ball was organised with a strong charity emphasis.

Throughout the evening, a raffle was held in aid of Pieta House, a suicide prevention charity. In the end however, the Business Society decided to donate even more than the planned 15% of raffle ticket sales, amounting to a total of €500 to the cause.

Furthermore, a percentage of the proceeds from

Members of this year’s Bizz Soc committee. the nightclub – totalling €100 - went to the North Kildare Dyslexia Association. Bedrock Republik got in on the act by contributing €50 of their usual fee to Pieta House.

“We’re trying to bring in new elements each year” said Vice-President Chang Qi on the charitable benefits of the evening.

“People were being so supportive. The raffle tickets were going very fast.”

“It was a great charity fund-raiser enjoyed by all” founder and President of the Business Society Peter Quinn told the Print.

“We got great support from the Business Department, and we’d like to thank everyone who came, the band, the DJ, the photographer, the hotel and security.”

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London Mayer Apologies For Calling St. Patrick Dinner “Lefty Crap” DYLAN COLLEY @DylanColley

London mayor Boris Johnson has issued an apology after sparking uproar amongst the people of Ireland and the huge Irish community in Britain with remarks made to the ‘New Statesman’ political magazine last month. The assertions in question were directed at the St. Patrick’s Day dinner at the Dorchester Hotel in London. In the interview, Johnson expressed his anger at the government “spending £20,000 on a dinner at the Dorchester for Sinn Féin” and continued to name it “lefty crap.”

Former mayor Ken Livingstone was quick to refute the conservative politician’s words, claiming he has no interest in London’s large Irish community.

A London community leader, Shelagh O’Connor, spoke out against the comments made by Johnson, saying “They reflect an era that we thought had passed… We deserve more respect. It makes me very angry and I feel Boris should apologise.”

During the interview, the London mayor suggested that the £20,000 was coming from tax-payer’s money. Dublin born Labour politician Christine Quigley answered that by describing the function as a “self-financing community event” which is

attended by many Irish entertainers and politicians; “not a Sinn Féin event.” The London Irish embassy refused to comment.

During this week, Johnson has stated that he’s accepted the falsity of claims that it was funded by the “ratepayers.” He has also issued an apology, requesting that “people will see [Johnson] was making a point about cost cutting.” He also told the Irish Independent, “I am profoundly sorry if I have offended any Irish person.” To the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, Johnson wrote: “Although I note that the guests of honour at the 2008 St Patrick’s Day dinner were Martin McGuinness and Pat Doherty, these were not dinners for Sinn Fein and, of course, I make absolutely no assumptions about the political allegiances of those who attended the dinners.”

Famous for unusual statements, Johnson is no stranger to controversy; for example, in 2010 he compared the Tory’s housing benefit cuts to “Kosovo-style social cleansing” causing a bad taste in many people’s mouths at time. However, he is better known for his slight quirks and eccentricities, such as his call for the game of ‘wiff-waff ’ to return to Britain and his characteristically messy hair. His unusual persona has made him very recognisable and he is known as quite likeable even among some liberals. Boris Johnson will be running again for the London mayoral elections as part of the conservative party.

London Mayor Boris Johnson.

David Norris Questions No Further Inquiries In Frontline Tweet Dispute Tallafornia’s Morals SHANE KIERNAN Technology Editor @shanezor101

This week in the Seanad, senator David Norris raised a point on the questionable morals and standards of Irish television being currently broadcast, making specific reference to TV3’s series Tallafornia. Covered by Politics.ie, Norris called a debate to discuss the standards in Irish life; he was also quoted in saying that the programme was ‘drink-sodden’ and ‘obnoxious’. The perpetual alcohol consumption depicted in the programme is not the only concern that senator Norris raised, licentious behaviour is prevalent in the show and is shown in a competitive light with each of the cast members often competing to bring home people.

Despite being a show that people love to hate at the moment, Tallafornia is a show that is predicated on exploiting alcohol fuelled poor decisions of young men and women looking to cash in for five minutes of fame. The morals of the programme are quite ambiguous, especially concerning the sexual conquests of the cast members. Much of the drunken frivolity that occurs in the show

Senator David Norris speaking to the media. leads to one-night stands and the views of the male cast members can be sometimes seen as quite misogynistic. Therefore, it is perhaps a wise decision to hold a debate concerning the moral standard of Irish television today; values are perhaps considered a thing of the past in this day and age, yet this could also be attributed to similar programmes such as Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore that also depict sexual ambiguity and excessive alcohol consumption.

In a rebuke to senator Norris’ comments in the Seanad, a TV3 representative made comment that Tallafornia is ‘exactly what it says on the tin’ and that Norris could simply ‘watch the Late Late Show’ instead. Perhaps not the most intelligent comment to release marketing-wise, yet the statement stands for itself that the network is defending its original programme and that it is merely keeping up with the popularity of programmes that promote drunken exploits of young men and women.

Although the outcome of the proposed debate will be in the future, it may raise further concern over what should and should not be broadcast in Ireland.

SHAUNA LOUISE KELLY @YourTextHere

The furore that surrounded the Frontline presidential debate last October has come to a close in recent days with the announcements that neither the government nor the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland will be conducting further inquiries into the matter. Complaints were made regarding the alleged unfair treatment that presidential candidate Seán Gallagher said he endured throughout the programme. The main focus of Mr Gallagher’s unhappiness was a tweet which was read out by Frontline presenter Pat Kenny which inferred that Gallagher had received a large monetary donation on behalf of the Fianna Fáil party a number of years ago. This revelation caused Gallgher to lose his twenty per cent lead in opinion polls over eventual election winner, Labour’s Michael D Higgins. Mr Gallagher’s original complaint was upheld, as was revealed last week.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil on Tuesday morning that the importance of independence of the BAI could not be overstepped, and that the Cabinet would respect and support their decision

Former Presidential candidate Sean Gallagher. fully. Seán Gallagher had previously written a letter to communications Minister Pat Rabbitte saying that he felt the tweet and further questions from the Frontline audience had been planted by RTÉ.

An audience member who asked a critical question of Gallagher on the show has come forward to say that he was given the question to ask by a member of the Frontline staff that evening. This revelation, printed in the Sunday Independent, and also the fact that the Twitter account from which the original accusation came from was not verified, caused Mr Gallagher to seek a full inquiry into the case. However, RTÉ have since announced that they will be holding a review of the editorial processes surrounding the programme, and will release the findings to the BAI and the public at a later date.

Seán Gallagher is said to be considering further legal action regarding the matter.

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Bród a Thaispeaint: Nach President Higgins Joins Mór an Éacht É?

Sociology Celebrations RUTA LANKELYTE

AOIFE DONNAN Ní ceacht Gaeilge é an chlár seo ar chor ar bith, Is bhealach é chun ár gcuid bród agus grá don teanga naisiúnta a athdhearbhaíonn s’ a spreagadh . Cinnte tá cuid acu , cosúil le Kevin Meyers , go gceapann gur chur amu ama é toisc nach gcéapann sé gur gcuid den chúltúr é anGhaeilge. Deirtear gur rud “bréagach” é a bhfuil a chur daoine ar strae, toisc nachg caithfimid ár teanga náisinta a labhairt chun a bheith Eireannach.

Ní aontaoinn Bernard Dunne, an dornalaí ar scor, leis an ráiteas seo ar chor ar bith, agus ba cheart dó. Is ea an chuspóir ná chun 100,000 daoine a bheith ina mball don mbród chlub ar Rte.ie . Chómh maith leis sin tá leathanaigh Facebook agus Twitter don mbród chlub chun an teanga a scaipeadh. Níl na chlaracha I dtús baire go hiomláin as ghaeilge, toisc gurb eá cinn de na phríomhmanaí na “Use what you have”. Níl Bernard agus a chuid fhoireann ach ag iarraidh as an bpobail go nuasaidaimid pé Ghaeilge a bhfuil againn, cé chomh lú is chomh mó. I ndáirire, an mhór an eacht é?

Níl ach 1,977 daoine ina mball don chlub go foil , ach ní caithfidh ach dul ar an suíomh idirlíon RTE agus do chuid carta aitheantais a dhéanamh.

Boxer Bernard Dunne between rounds.

Ansin, beidh tú páirt den chlub agus gheobhaidh tú go leor suíomhanna, cursaí reatha, cursaí teanga agus achmhainne ag baineadh don ghaeilge. Beidh níos mó eachtraí ag baineadh don mbród chlub sa seachtaine seo chugainn. Bhí “flash mob” leis an “Dublin Gospel Choir” I sráid Grafton agus beidh MR.WORLD ag deanamh “strip tease” in aghaidh fasadh na chlub. Ar ndoigh, Tabhair am dhuit fhéin chun dul ar http://www.rte.ie/brodclub/about/ agus do chuid bhród a thaispeaint. B’feidir go mbeidh ionadh ort!

This year our department of sociology is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion a series of events were held. Today, the campus was visited by President Michael D. Higgins who worked in a sociology department in the past. The President visited the Russell Library that contains research materials and a sociology literature exhibition. Considering the President’s background in sociology it was no surprise that President Higgins spent more time there than expected - conversing with university officials about exhibits and history of sociology. He was also introduced to the website sociology department had set up providing resources and quantitative data.

However short the visit of President Higgins was, he managed to squeeze in the time to meet some students from various different programmes, both from undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The warmth of his personality that helped him get elected shone through as he carried out short conversations with the students before heading to Renehan Hall to give a speech. University President Nolan opened with an introduction of the event.

Listening to the speech of President Higgins we were reminded why he represents the country so well. He recalled his years in sociology and his time involved with the sociology departments in both, the United States and Manchester as well as Ireland.

Not a single line sounded rehearsed as he graced us with stories from ‘back in the day’ and greeted his former colleagues in the audience that now work with NUI Maynooth. He put the emphasis on sociology being too restrictive in the past and that

Professor Philip Nolan and President Higgins. only taking into account the country’s heritage and their strengths can you develop a great system and that empirical sociology system has been applied where a more personalised approach would have done miracles. President Higgins had a lot of great stories to share and he concluded by pointing out that sociology as a science has the greatest years still ahead of them and the work done in NUI Maynooth matters a great deal.

Japan Marks One Year Since The Tsunami

Ex-Guatemalan Soldier Setanced To 6,600 Years

CONOR HANLON

SIMON MERNAGH

Japan has marked the first anniversary of last year’s tsunami with a number of memorial services being held along the north-eastern coast which suffered the brunt of the disaster. The main service took place at the National Theatre in Tokyo with both Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda present. A minute long silence was held across the country at 2.46 pm (5.46 am GMT), the exact moment the earthquake took place on March 11th of last year. In the coastal town of Ofunato flowers were laid at an altar dedicated to the town’s 420 dead and missing residents and in the town of Rikuzentakata a Buddhist priest paid his respects by sounding the bell of a ruined temple overlooking a clearing where houses once stood.

The effects of the tsunami, caused by an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, are still being felt a year on. It claimed over 16,000 lives, leaving many more missing and without shelter.

Over 325,000 people who lost their homes in the disaster are still in temporary housing. While Japan impressed the world with their swift response to the disaster, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company have been criticised

for their lack of preparation for handling of the Fukushima plant emergency, the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986. The meltdown of three reactor cores has sparked debates over the safety of Japan’s reliance on atomic energy. As part of the day’s commemorative events residents were allowed to return to the abandoned town of Okuma for a few hours to honour those who had died. A number of anti-nuclear protesters took part in demonstrations taking place in various places throughout the country on the anniversary of the disaster.

The Japanese economy has made a speedy comeback and is on track to return to pre-disaster standards in the next few months. Despite this, much still needs to be done to bring the country back to its previous state. $230 billion has been budgeted for a decade long rebuilding effort. So far most of the debris has been cleared but little rebuilding has yet to take place. Decommissioning the Fukushima plant may take as long as 40 years, with the removal of melted nuclear fuels underway. Efforts are also being made to clean the contaminated zone surrounding the plant; however it remains to be seen if this will succeed and concerns still exist over long term effects of the radiation on health.

A Guatemalan court has sentenced a former soldier to 6,060 years in prison for participating in a 1982 massacre that claimed 201 lives.

Pedro Pimentel Rios, 55, was deported from Los Angeles, California to Guatemala last year to face charges of murder, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is now the fifth soldier to be sentenced for his role in the “Las Dos Erres” massacre during the height of the country’s brutal civil war. However, the length of the sentence is mostly symbolic, as Guatemalan laws dictate that the maximum sentence an inmate can serve is 50 years.

A former soldier who was involved in the massacre testified that Pimentel was among a group of roughly 20 soldiers, known as ‘kaibiles’, sent to the village in December 1982 in a bid to find missing weapons. Over the course of the search, innocent villagers of all ages were raped, murdered and dumped in a 49-foot deep well. Pimentel was given 30 years of jail time for each victim killed in the attack, as well as 30 years for general crimes against humanity.

The aged and grey-haired Pimentel denied being

Ex-Guatemalan soldier Pedro Pimentel Rios. present at the massacre, claiming to have left the area in November 1982 to prepare enrolment forms for the School of the Americas in Panama. He had been living in Santa Ana, California working in a textile factory for years until he was detained by immigration authorities in May 2010. He was extradited to Guatemala the following year.

Guatemalan authorities are seeking to clean up atrocities from the bloody 1960-1996 internal conflict in which nearly a quarter of a million people died or went missing. A major investigation into the killings was launched in 1994 and unearthed 162 skeletons. Several years later, authorities issued arrest warrants for 17 ‘kaibiles’ but the cases languished. The news of Pimentel’s conviction follows on from the trial opened in January against former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who ruled Guatemala during 1982-1983, regarded as the bloodiest period of the war. He is accused of ordering the killings of at least 1,700 innocent Maya indigenous people. Montt’s trial awaits a verdict.

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#Occupy: More Than Just A Movement media is so much more then a mere clean up in the run up to the festival. It sends a very strong message to the world about us. Only certain voices have the right to be heard. The Occupy Movement, with over 2000 camps in over 80 countries, has irrevocably struck a chord with the World. It has changed everything, from how we protest to how we view what it is to be a citizen.

MARTINA O’KANE On Thursday, March 8th, the Occupy Dame Street protest camp site outside the Central Bank in Dublin was dismantled by Gardaí, following a request from the Central Bank. As many as 100 gardaí were involved in this operation. At 3.30am, they moved in and proceeded to remove all structures and tents as the handful of protesters, who were being held back, could only watch on. As morning came, bar a few protesters that lingered on site, any evidence that this thriving camp ever existed, had long been cleared up by council workers. This forced eviction came only a fortnight after the removal of the Occupy London Camp outside St. Paul’s Cathedral.

It would appear to be the opinion of the Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar that clearing the Occupy Dame St. camp was a key factor in the lead up to the St. Patrick Day celebrations. He said the parade was “very much targeted at the diaspora” - both the living diaspora of people who had left the country in recent years, and also the “generational diaspora”.

The Minister’s attitude is myopic in the extreme.

Can he be so unacquainted with the social justice ideals of the movement or the last two hundred years of this country’s history? He fails to recognize that many of the diaspora and their descendants only left this country due to the social and economic inequality they experienced, the same issues that the Occupy Movement so strongly opposes today. There is an obvious link between the two and the camp could have symbolized how we have progressed as a country and value free speech from a wide spectrum of voices. This “sanitation” of space, in preparation for the gaze of the world’s

So what is the Occupy Movement you may ask? The Occupy Movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed at, and voices its extreme dissatisfaction against, the present system which promotes and instigates economic and social inequality globally. It represents the 99%. (As a fellow student, you’re more than likely to be safely within the 99%.

Occupy represents you!) We are the people who exert the least power over governments and who profit nothing from the current political and economic climate. The occupiers enact many direct democratic processes on site. They promote exercising personal and collective responsibility, and come together engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy, including their General Assemblies. The layered National and International dimensions of the movement and how their ethos flows through borders is remarkable.

The movement itself, like the people who support it, cannot be defined through any preconceived boundaries, whether they be global, ethno, media or ideology. These individuals form one of the most exciting modern movements, practicing and promoting principles of solidarity as their points of unity.

So what relevance does this have on an individual level? Active Participation has become a key factor in how we negotiate the important issues. I feel it’s a throwback to the Ancient Greeks, the Athenians in particular. The most important aspect of polis citizenship, to be a citizen in Athens, you had to fit to participate politically. (This excluded women, we were deemed to irrational to be “proper” citizens!) Polis meant both the political assembly as well as the entire society. It remains a unique and intriguing experiment in direct democracy, where

the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right. As a country, Ireland is not famed for its activism. The collapse of the Celtic Tiger has made many Irish citizens seriously reconsider their position within the European Union. No longer a key player within the Union and struggling with the debts of the 1%, people are enacting their citizenships and voicing their anger more than ever. This movement has changed what it means to be a citizen and indeed, a protester. In this country especially, it has redefined what it means to be an activist. There is no shame in being one of the 99%. As it is an umbrella that covers so many issues, no one is left unrepresented.

with just the words “Who is Ailbhe Mahon?” The next day, people woke up to find that they had been tagged in photos in an album titled “Who is Ailbhe Mahon?” The Facebook page grew to almost 100 ‘likes’ before he had even announced what position he was running for.

Another VP SEC hopeful who ran a successful digital campaign was Mal Callan (the race’s eventual winner). Mal released a two-minute “NUIM NEWS” video on YouTube. One main anchor of Callan’s campaign was the introduction of this Newsreel as a regular feature to run alongside The Print next year. Borrowing the delivery style from comedy film Anchorman, Callan sought to inform students in a lighter and more humorous way. He sits at a desk, wearing a Newsreader-esque suit and apparently taking a swig from a glass of liquor.

The video was a resounding success, with over 800 views to date. Mal narrowly lost the election last year by 60 votes, and he clearly saw this year as an opportunity to make the position his. Callan also brought Pat Byrne of “The Voice” fame to entice voters towards his side.

The position of Vice-President for Welfare and Equality has been a position that has attracted the existing VP to run for a second term, and this year is no different with Fiach O’Neill putting himself up for election again. The logo he chose for his campaign was the popular Mr. Men and Little Miss cartoons, branding himself as Mr. Equality and Welfare. Using a popular symbol and attaching it to

a campaign is something that isn’t a new idea, but O’Neill’s use of a cartoon that really represented his ideas was what made it stand out.

Also in the running for the VP Welfare and Equality was a candidate that promised to reduce the price of oil for students. Podge Sheridan sought to bring students to his side by promising to reduce cost of living for all students. This was a controversial promise that had Sheridan promising a wider scale impact on a position that usually focuses on more personal issues that students face.

This potentially offered students an actual moneysaving promise that he had, according to him, already secured with a distributor.

The role of the President this year was a two horse race, with Seamus Reynolds and Naoise Ó Cearúil vying for the top-spot. Both candidates took very different approaches to the campaign, with Reynolds staying close to the more traditional methods while Ó Cearúil took the offensive and worked closely with The Roost. The staff in The Roost wore the bright red “VOTE NAOISE” t-shirts, and it was nigh impossible to lean against a wall without covering up one of his campaign posters. But it was the promise of RAG week, in conjunction with The Roost that was a crucial part of the campaign. The Roost publicized on their popular Facebook page about how Naoise would bring back RAG week, and it would centre on events run by The Roost.

Some of these techniques worked this election

Occupy Dame Street shortly after its inception last year.

As I waited outside the Central Bank Plaza to do my interviews, I was intrigued by simple structure of Occupy Dame Street’s make-shift camp. Old bits of plywood and plastic were the only materials separating the occupiers from the harsh wintery elements that night. I got chills - chills that something so simple could be both so effective and so symbolic to so many people. Spokesperson for the camp, Steven Bennett said in the aftermath of the clearing, “They may have destroyed the camp, but they haven’t destroyed the movement”.

The Occupy Movement, I guess this is what real horizontal power looks like. Minister Leo Varadkar, take note.

Novelty On The MSU Campaign Trail

CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

So the Maynooth Students’ Union elections are over for a year. No longer will you have to run for cover between John Hume and the Arts Block to avoid carrying your own weight in stickers and manifestos. But this year saw some candidates try something different, a move away from the usual posters, t-shirts and class talks. This is not to suggest that these new techniques worked, but we are simply going to take a look at what some of the candidates did over the course of the past few weeks.

An area that has opened up a lot more in the last few years is the social media side of the campaign.

With the vast majority of students on Facebook, all of the candidates had a social media side to their campaigns. Ailbhe Mahon, while running for VicePresident of Services, Events and Communications (VP SEC), attempted to use the element of social media to begin his campaign virally. Once the nominations were closed and all other candidates were out telling everyone what their name was and what position they were running for, Ailbhe Mahon’s campaign team rolled out “Who is Alibhe Mahon?” posters, along with the Action Man logo and the words “Action Mahon”. The campaign team went out to The Roost nightclub where they got people to hold a white cut-out of Mahon’s face,

Fiach O’Neill poses beside his campaign banner. year, and like it or not, many of the techniques showed that although some students in Maynooth do read the manifestos, attend hustings and talk to the candidates, many simply vote for whomever they feel like on the day, the last poster they saw, or what gimmick the candidate used. For anyone thinking about running for a position next year, remember that your campaign is first and foremost about getting people to like you: a grim reality that rings true in all elections.

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

“On The Ning Nang Nong, Where The Cows Go Bong”: Ten Years Without Spike Milligan CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

This month ten years ago saw a man buried under the inscription on his gravestone “I told you I was sick.” Even after his death, Spike Milligan was making people laugh with his wit, silliness and witticisms. But Milligan was no ordinary comedian; he was a talented musician, a World War Two veteran, but also a manic-depressive. Gay Byrne said of Milligan that he loved having him as a guest on the Late Late Show, but one was “never quite sure which Spike would show up.” Milligan once described his bouts of depression as “just suddenly black, black doom.”

Milligan’s seven-book account of the war he experienced swing from brilliantly witty to somber and despondent, making it both one of the funniest and most tragic series of books ever written. The first half of the series we hear funny stories about incompetent Generals, terrible food and chasing women. The books seem to have a joke or a play on words in every sentence. Even at the very beginning of the first book, “Adolf Hitler, My Part in His Downfall”, Milligan tells the reader that he was given a picture of Hitler and told “This is your enemy.” Milligan then says that he searches the entire length of the train, but Hitler wasn’t there. One of his defining characteristics was these childish jokes that delighted all ages.

However, the fourth book “Mussoilini, His Part in My Downfall”, sees Milligan narrate

the experience of the German artillery directly hitting his battalion in the battle of Monte Casino.

Although there are still some jokes and puns in this section, there is an undercurrent of pain and anger.

He lost many of his friends and found himself hospitalized. Milligan suffered serious shell-shock and he was deemed unfit for service. To add insult to injury, he was demoted from Lance-Bombardier back to Gunner by the unsympathetic Major Evan ‘Jumbo’ Jenkins.

Because of Milligan’s talents, he wasn’t out of the war effort. He joined the comedy-jazz band, The Bill Hall Trio. Milligan played the guitar, drums and trumpet, along with his singing roles in the band.

His performances were to raise the morale and he spent the rest of the war entertaining the Allied troops. Once the war was over, Milligan sought to continue as an entertainer, working with touring variety acts, just barely scraping by.

However, Milligan wanted to embrace relatively new medium of radio, and he established himself as one of the greatest comedians of all time through “The Goon Show” on BBC radio. Milligan wrote and starred in the show that ran for ten years, with now comedy legends, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine. In 1968 they hired John Cleese to be the announcer for the Goon Show; a dream come true for the future Monty Python member, who recalled that he never missed a single broadcast of the Goon Show when he was a teenager.

The Goon Show shot Milligan and the others into international fame, and because of this they felt more and more pressure. Milligan had a mental breakdown during season 3 of the show and has since blamed the breakdown of his first marriage on this pressure. He suffered several mental breakdowns throughout the years, some lasting over a year. He suffered from severe bipolar disorder, drastically shifting from deep depression to jovial and magically funny.

Milligan always had a love for children. He loved the innocence and joy they radiated, and released “Silly Verse for Kids”, a book which contains his most famous poem, ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’.

This poem was voted Britain’s favorite children’s poem and has received literary acclaim as the best example of nonsense poetry.

There was some controversy when he won The Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 1994 where he called Prince Charles a “groveling bastard.” Milligan wrote to the Prince of Wales afterwards saying “I suppose a Knighthood

but around the globe.

When the crisis hit our shores the Banks who had loaned money to developers soon found they had a diminishing cash flow as individuals struggled to pay back their mortgages. This domino effect and lack of funds put into motion a series of events that would cause the State to fall into recession. The government at the time needed to take the steps necessary to minimalise the damage to the Irish economy. Enter NAMA. The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) was set up in December 2009 by the then Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan. The intuition behind this agency was to restablise the Banks who were under severe pressure from debtor’s inability to pay back their loans. NAMA’s primary role was to repurchase bad debts from various Banks (such as AIB, Anglo, BOI and EBS) by issuing a debtfor-equity swap, in which debts were taken off Banks balance sheets and in return they received ECB bonds thus making NAMA assume the role of collector for these debts. Initially NAMA was to purchase 71 billion euro worth of debt at a price of around 31 billion euro and has so far secured a total of 72.3 billion in loans and assets for 30.5 billion euro. Bad debts are loans due to a Bank from an individual who are more than likely going to renege on their payment. The logic behind this

swap was simple. Buy toxic loans from the Bank to stabilise it preventing it from collapse at an average discount of 58% but retaining 100% of any and all loan repayments. This discount was used so NAMA had a buffer in case they did not receive 100% of the loan due. The expected lifetime of NAMA is 10 years.

Overall NAMA’s role is only that of collector for the State, it does not however regulate or advise the Government on its spending or what it does with the collected debts. But that does not mean the current Government should not take note of the efficient manner in which NAMA conducts itself.

Frivolous spending (as seen in recent Departmental documents) show large bills that question how the Government utilises tax payer’s money. After the overwhelming NO vote in the recent Oireachtas Inquiry Referendum, the Government spent 41 thousand euro analysing why the public chose to reject it. Further, Minister Howlin’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s accounts show spending of almost 23 thousand Euros on UPC, Vodafone and O2 contracts last year and a further 328 thousand on computers and related goods which the Minister insists was split with the Department of Finance.

This spending is paralleled by NAMA’s decision to hand over 2000 houses and apartments to Social

Famed funnyman Spike Milligan in his youth. is out of the question now?” In reality, the two were good friends, and Milligan was awarded an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire title, on account of his Irish nationality.

Spike Milligan died at the age of 83 ten years ago, but ever the comedian, he had “Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite” (I told you I was ill) written on his gravestone to ensure that his fans never stopped laughing.

R.I.P Terence Alan Patrick Seán “Spike” Milligan.

(16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002)

You’re Still Unsure Of The Mess We’re In? A Guide To NAMA And Government Spending DARREN CROWE During the boom (1997-2007) Ireland’s economy grew at an exponential rate that was not ever seen before. This was spurred on by low corporate tax and European Central Bank (ECB) rate amongst other factors. The average income spiked, business flourished and the good times were had. However, this was to be short lived as the Global Economic Downturn in 2008 took its toll on Irish Banks who had an interest in the property market which plummeted downward.

The Bank had basically handed over millions of euro to mostly property developers who profited and took advantage of the economic climate by constructing vast amounts of buildings on credit to the Banks and selling them for inflated prices to buyers. The Bank’s heavy financial dependence on the construction industry proved fatal for institutions like them and others, not just at home

Housing schemes over the next few months, a move that was welcomed by Focus Ireland (a charity that assists homeless people around the country).

However NAMA seems to be more and more restricted in its efforts to reclaim debt owed to the taxpayer and this was highlighted by the Derek Quinlan case of late. Quinlan owed 600 million to NAMA but the agency had proof he has received ‘gifts’ from the billionaire Barkley Brothers which they were virtually unable to access due to red tape.

The loopholes that have been taken advantage of by debtors are still in place today and these , along with the worsening economic climate and questionable Government spending makes NAMA’s role more difficult than ever and it’s expected live time of 10 years may need revising if these issues are to be left unaltered.

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

Suicide: Causes And Prevention FIACH O’NEILL

Vice President for Welfare & Equality The mental well being of 1 in 3 college students is showing cause for concern, the level of mental health of students is lower than the average person aged 18 to 24 years old. The mental well-being of all students is adversely affected by their college experience. 1 in 3 students run out of money on a regular basis, to put this into terms of our own campus, that’s approximately 3,000 Maynooth students.

With the widening of admission routes to college beyond the Leaving Certificate, greater social diversities have entered our college with 17 percent to third-level this year being over 23. An increase on the percentage of low third level entry rates from low income areas could possibly have a link to this as well. Approximately 30 percent of our students are the first in their family to ever attend college.

The current grants system is flawed and is failing students. The recent changes to the maintenance grant, coupled with the rise in the ‘student contribution charge’, has add further stress to our students. As stated, a third of our students regularly run out of money and this is having a devastating effect on their mental health.

There is also greater financial stress added to students living away from home. Other potential factors point to stressful accommodation situations and the jump from the regimented second-level education system to the more unstructured third level environments. Research is necessary to examine the level of student financing and interventions that could be introduced or developed to make sure that stress and strain due to financial factors are reduced.

Even with having a free counselling service, free medical centre and along with the advancements in treatments, students are still afraid to seek help during tough times. Stigma is still a huge factor in students being afraid to ask for help. A lot of work has gone into addressing this stigma on campus but

there is still so much more to do. No student should feel ashamed about asking for help, it is inexcusable that the lack of awareness of mental well-being issues still causes a significant delay for students seeking help.

There is still a massive stigma attached to mental health issues in Ireland. There is a lack of understanding especially among young people with the attitude ‘suck it up and get over it’. At present a lot of students and family members have lost their full time or part time jobs and with this their sense of purpose, belonging and self-worth. I see students within the college many of whom feel hopeless and are in a great deal of emotional distress.

More than 1 in 4 young people have felt suicidal in the past with 1 in 5 said they had self-harmed.

Although emotional well-being issues are felt by both sexes, women have battled psychological distress more than men with nearly 1 in 3 admitting to feeling suicidal at some stage. These statistics are disturbing and heartbreaking. The pain that many students experience is not just evident in the statistics, but also in the comments made by many brave students who ask for help.

During the last decade, Ireland was seen as a place where students sat back and enjoyed the ride through life without much hardship. This has all changed over the last few years with the dreaded ‘R-word’. Not only do today’s students have to put up with a Recession involving job loss, poverty, dole queues and emigration, students also still have to ‘find themselves’ .

Over the last year as Welfare Officer, I have been heavily involved with Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention. I have been at conferences, talks, schools, colleges etc. I have talked to so many people about why it is so important to talk about your problems, to speak out and to have some courage to change your life as a young person. I have had people talk with me, cry with me, laugh with me but yet suicides in Ireland are increasing faster then ever before.

“One person attempted to take his or her life or inflict self-harm every nine minutes in Ireland, Denis Naughten (FG) told the Dáil. “It is far greater than the statistics for road traffic accidents yet it is being brushed under the carpet every day.’’ Mr Naughten said that when researching the issue he found 60,000 people had attempted to take their lives every year. “I did not believe the figure, and I had to double check it.’’ - MICHAEL O’REGAN -

The Irish Times - Friday, May 6, 2011.

These figures are disgusting and the government should do more to combat these issues. The current government has failed this country miserably countless times in more ways than suicide prevention and mental health awareness. These days, politicians are more worried about saving their jobs than saving lives and to expect them to be capable of tackling the massive issues of mental health and suicide is unrealistic.

With the increase in the numbers of young people dying by suicide in the Maynooth area, noone asking why we have failed our young people.

Why is more not being done to help our students and the youth of our community when they are going through tough times? It makes me so sad when I hear of a young life lost to suicide, but most of all it makes me ANGRY. It’s up to us as young people and as educated students to tackle the issue of youth suicide. We need to come together as a collective group as this

times. People are afraid to talk about the issue in case the emotional issue will be passed onto them.

This is beyond narrow-minded. This still happens on a regular basis. People need to realise that talking to people, simply saying ‘Are you alright?’ may be just what someone needs to hear. Support is crucial, whether intentional or not. We need to change this attitude of ignoring the issue. It won’t go away, it will certainly only get worse.

Loads of organisations around the country are working to help reduce this stigma. A national campaign has already begun. We need to change the mindset of the majority; from the past idea of ignoring and hoping it will disappear. No one ever wants to hear those life changing words that a friend has taken their own lives. Yet, more and more people are losing more than one. It is rare to hear of a person who has not been affected by this devastating tragedy.

One life is too many. We need to readjust our thinking, be more open to just talking to friends and asking how they feel. Our own personal thought process has to be altered. We need to be more aware of our words, our phrasing. Throwing away the issue as nothing is not working. We

cannot sweep this issue under the rug. The next time you are going to say how stressed you are, think about your phrasing. Too many flippant remarks are thrown about and so many people don’t realise the potential damaging effect this can have on someone that overhears it. Common courtesy is crucial in this issue.

Any number of reasons may be the trigger, but if you don’t feel yourself or you notice a change in how you think, don’t ignore it. Head to the doctor and chat about it. You wouldn’t leave a lump unchecked, it’s the same principal. There are so many supports available to students and staff within this college alone. Outside the college, the supports are endless. A quick search on the internet will bring up any number of options.

Please talk to someone if you don’t feel right.

People won’t look down on you. In fact, so many will have nothing but admiration for you for speaking up about your own health. Mental and physical health should be treated and looked after in equal parts. As a whole, society needs to change how we think, so let’s start the change with ourselves. Think about it and make the effort, if we all do it, we will break this stigma down.

If you or a friend are feeling suicidal, please reach out for help as soon as possible. is the only realistic way that change will happen.

Students have always been social innovators, if you take for instance; racial equalities, gender rights, gay rights etc. nearly every civil rights movement over the last number of decades have been student led, and this is where our power lies. We need to step into the Maynooth community along with stepping into our own local communities, stand up, take the lead and say enough is enough. Suicide is a national problem, but more importantly, it’s a community problem and who knows more about our communities than ourselves?

It’s time for us to step up, to get out there, to get involved in local mental health awareness or suicide prevention organisations, to get our voices heard as young people and make a real difference. So now, make your friends listen, make your family listen, make your community listen, make politicians listen and let’s tackle the problem of youth suicide in Ireland and eradicate it forever.

Your Mental Health Is So Very Important KELLIE FAGAN Mental illness surrounds us in ways we don’t even realise. Depression is a huge but silent part of so many college students lives. Stress from academic work loads can cause people to struggle, to cope.

If it is so normal, as many as one in four will suffer, why can’t people talk about it? If more people felt comfortable talking to their friends about how they feel, their depression may be identified and treated earlier. This massive stigma that surrounds the words mental health and depression is baffling.

It is a normal condition that can be brought on by any number of reasons, so why is it treated the way it is?

Mental health has become the leprosy of our

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“I Am Home When I’m In Ireland”: An Interview With Fionnula Flanagan only believes that the Irish talent thrives on screen alone, but directors and other crew in behind the scenes roles have made a name for themselves, and “distinguished themselves by their work”

CONOR McCRAVE With over fifty years experience in theatre and television, Dublin born actress Fionnula Flanagan has made a name for herself both sides of the Atlantic. Working in several genres throughout her career, and starring alongside some of Hollywood’s finest including Nicola Kidman, and Jim Carrey, even the term versatile can seem an understatement.

More recently the actress returned to Dublin to pick up the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at Februarys Irish Film and Television Awards. She follows some of Irelands best loved actors including Maureen O’Hara, and Pierce Brosnan in receiving this honour. No stranger to the IFTA ceremony Fionnula received the Best Supporting Actress Award in 2007 for ‘Transamerica’ alongside Felicity Huffman, and again picked up the same award this year for ‘The Guard’.

With an ever increasing amount of award nominations under her belt, we caught up with the actress to find out how she felt receiving the Lifetime Achievement honour, what it means to be Irish in Hollywood, and what’s in store for the star in the future?

Humbled to be recognized by the Irish film industry, Fionnula told us her initial reaction was an equal combination of joy, and amazement. Upon hearing the news from Ifta member Aine Moriarty she said, “Actually my first reaction, most people would say thank you very much that’s wonderful, my first reaction was I said to Aine Moriority, it ain’t over yet Aine!”

She added “Im very happy to report that the other people that were awarded this same award in the past few years or so are all thriving and working, and going forward with their various endeavours” Although, Fionnula was aware ahead of the ceremony that the award was coming her way, she hadn’t considered she might win the Best Supporting Actress for ‘The Guard.

“I was totally not expecting to win the second one, the one I got for The Guard, I really wasn’t expecting that so that was a huge surprise, and a very nice surprise.”

Previously receiving an Emmy for her role in ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’ it seemed only fitting to ask how does the Irish talent, and green carpet compare to the more lavish red carpet stateside.

Using Liam Neeson and Saoirse Ronan as prime examples, Fionnula believes the Irish are well received in the Hollywood film industry. She not

Fionnula’s advice for anyone looking to branch over seas and make a name for themselves in the Hollywood movie industry, is to have a body of work behind them - her own method of success.

“I already had a body of work behind me when I came here. I had a body of work in the theatre, and in television when I came here, so I did have a starting point.”

In her early thirties Fionnula Flanagan took to Boradway, only to be nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Ulysses in Nightown, based on the James Joyce classic. Joyce in particular featured early in her career, not only starring in but also writing and producing the film ‘James Joyce’s Women’ Fionnula also starred in movie adaptations of other classics of literature including ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and more recently in ‘A Christmas Carol’.

“Im always interested when someone wants to do that. The classics when properly adapted, play wonderfully and play forever on screen” she told us.

A Christmas Carol brought Fionnula alongside funny man Jim Carrey for the second time in her career. She had previously starred in ‘Yes Man!’ back in 08’ and told us her experience of The Mask actor is much distant from the characters he plays on screen.

“Jim had spent so much energy as you can see when he’s performing [...] so when he’s not actually on camera he sits very quietly to the side. But you couldn’t possibly keep that kind of expenditure of energy up 24/7. So he’s actually quite reserved and quite quiet and then he is in front of the camera and he is able to sum it all up with an amazing energy that he has.

Playing Annie Higgins opposite Helen Mirren in ‘Some mothers Son’ saw Fionnula exercise her talent in a more serious on screen role. The plot centres on the hunger strike of 1981, and was one of the best depictions in Flanagans eyes.

“There are certain projects for me that stand out because they had wonderful scripts and it was a wonderful role in Some Mothers Son.” She added “It was about something important, about a watershed in our history, that I still think is the best depiction of the hunger strike that we’ve ever seen.”

For Fionnula its down to the script, and where the story will take you, as to how she chooses her movie roles. Commenting on ‘Transamerica’ where she starred as the mother of a transsexual she told us “It is a picture that is about something important, about how transsexuals are appallingly treated by the rest of us, by the community at large.”

Continuing she added “It was an important picture, still is an important picture”.

Although Fionnula has been friends with politician Gerry Adams, and introduced him to audiences in the U.S during his lecture series

IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Fionnula Flanagan. promoting the peace process, a role in politics is far from her mind right now, and with a tight schedule as it is, she tells us there are far more able people for them jobs than herself.

“It never crossed my mind, and I think there are more able people who take that route. Even though I did endorse Martin Mc Guinness in his presidency run, I think that Michael D. Higgins is an extraordinary man and a very able politician.”

Even closer to Fionnulas heart was Michael D. Higgins dedication to the arts.

“He is a wonderful man for the arts, being an artist himself, and he’ll help support and keep the arts alive, and I think he understands the importance of the arts, not just for the economy but for the whole culture and life of Ireland, and Irelands image.”

Drawing our conversation to a close, Ms Flanagan assured her Irish fans that Ireland will always be where she considers home.

“People say to me, are you going home, and I say well I am home when I’m in Ireland” “I’m too connected there through my family history, the culture and everything Ireland gave me, and everything I feel i want to try and preserve about it and further it in the world. I think there is magnificent talent, and I think there are people with many wonderful gifts, and I’d like to be associated with them and help them further in what they’re doing.

Talking to Ms Flanagan, we met with that ever inviting grace, we watch on screen. Just finished wrapping ‘Lifes a Breeze’ Fionnula Flanagan is planning some rest time, with plans to indulge in gardening and family. Its to be expected that this time may be cut short, as with no signs of slowing down, and a proven record of interest both sides of the pond, this is clearly an actress that wont be leaving our screens anytime soon.

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The Ever-Majestic Meryl Streep ALLY KERR @AllyKerr_

From The Deer Hunter (1978) to The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep has captured audiences; moving them, making them laugh and making them cry.

She has been nominated for the Academy Award an incredible seventeen times (which is more than any other actor or actress), and has won it three times. Streep won her third Oscar last month for her portrayal as Maggie Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Streep’s previous two Oscars were as Best Supporting Actress for Robert Benton’s Kramer vs.

Kramer (1979), featuring Dustin Hoffman, and as Best Actress for Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice in 1982, with Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol.

She is widely regarded as one of the most talented film actresses our time. She admitted that it was the phenomenal actress Bette Davis that made her want to pursue an acting career. She was initially interested in singing opera until she became interested in acting while as a student at Vassar and upon graduation she enrolled in the Yale School of Drama. She gave an outstanding performance in her first film role, Julia (1977), and the next year she was nominated for her first Oscar for her role in The Deer Hunter (also starring Rober De Niro and Christopher Walken).

Streep made her professional stage debut in

1971’s The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with Julia.

Not only has she received seventeen Academy Award nominations, but was also nominated for twenty-six Golden Globe nominations, winning eight, more nominations than any other actor in the history of either award. Her work has also earned her two Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Cannes Film Festival award, five New York Film Critics Circle Awards, two BAFTA awards, an Australian Film Institute Award, five Grammy Award nominations, and a Tony Award nomination, amongst others. She was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004 where Jim Carrey announced “In the category of the best actress EVER, the nominees are - Meryl Streep, Meryl Streep, Meryl Streep and Meryl Streep. And the winner is – guess who?” Jim Carrey also added “There are no flaws in the women! She’s a shapeshifter!”

Streep’s first feature film was Julia (1977), in which she played a small but pivotal role during a flashback scene. Streep was living in New York City with actor John Cazale, who was terminally ill with bone cancer. He was cast in The Deer Hunter (1978), and Streep was delighted to secure a small role because it allowed her to remain with Cazale for the duration of filming. She was not specifically interested in the part, commenting, “They needed a girl between the two guys and I was it.”

Arguably her best role was the part of Madeline Ashton in Robert Zemeckis’s Death Becomes Her alongside Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. In July 2010, it was announced that Streep will star

Critically acclaimed actor Meryl Streep. in an upcoming comedy entitled Mommy & Me alongside Tina Fey who will play her daughter.

Meryl Streep is now sixty-two years old and has aged gracefully. Hopefully it won’t be too long

before she wins her fourth Oscar and reaches the rankings of record-breaking actress Katherine Hepburn.

New Bridge In Slovakia St. Patrick’s College Stage Named For Chuck Norris Philadephia Here I Come LYNDSEY FARRELL

REBECCA LYONS

A wise man once said “There used to be a street named after Chuck Norris but it had to be changed; nobody crosses Chuck and lives.” But the people of Slovakia are ready to defy the odds and are hoping to use the star’s name for a new bridge. Those brave, brave people.

For the last number of weeks, thousands of the Slovakian people have been voting for what they think should be the name of the new pedestrian bridge, situated at the Morava River just north of the capital city, Bratislava. The government were those who decided to allow the public to vote on the bridge, which is still currently under construction. Governor Pavol Freso stated that although a regional assembly will make the final decision in May, they will very much respect the wishes of the people: “The same way as we have so far been building [the bridge] in full sight of the public, we will seek that the name is accepted by the public as well.” At the time that this article went to print, “Chuck Norris Bridge” was topping the polls with an impressive 75% of the votes.

After many years serving in the United States

Want to get an idea of how good a play is? Ask a kid. I’m serious. There’s one sitting in the row in front of me; quiet as a mouse and oh-so-wellbehaved, up until the point, that is, that Public Gar appears on stage. Then it’s all giggles and laughter and contortions in his seat. As far as theatre reviews go, I’d say that’s all you really need to know. I mean, I sat into Saint Patrick’s College’s production of Brian Friel’s “Philadelphia, Here I Come!” - it’s an “a”, not an “i”, poster making people! - not knowing what to expect. I ended up much like the boy: cackling madly, and twisting in my seat a lot.

It was quite excellent. Coming in at a fair two and half hours in length, the thing is no joke to sit through, let alone perform. But the actors did it, and did it well, capturing the angry resentment and burning frustration at the heart of the play.

In a story that centres on a young man fighting to make himself heard on the day before he leaves for America, while struggling against the bonds that keep him in Ireland, its serious business. But, as the kid will attest, there was plenty of humour in St. Pat’s production: the Canon O’ Byrne and his ridiculous repetitions, Madge with her cutting comments and even “Screwballs”, Gar’s Dad, as he

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog Chuch Norris, now immortalised by a bridge.

Air Force, Chuck Norris rose to fame as a martial arts expert and even founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do. Throughout his career, he has appeared in several action movies, including the 1980’s Way of the Dragon, starring alongside fellow martial artist Bruce Lee. However, he is arguably most well-known for his starring role in the American television series Walker Texas Ranger, which ran from 1993 to 2001.

In the last few years Chuck Norris has become somewhat of an icon, thanks to the internet memes of 2005. Such memes include hilarious and infallible “facts” about Norris such as, “Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle” and “Chuck Norris doesn’t dial the wrong number, you answer the wrong phone!”.

Whether “Chuck Norris Bridge” was chosen for the love of the actor, or just for the craic remains to be unseen. But if it stays at the top of the poll when voting finishes in April, Chuck Norris could soon have people walking all over him.

The part of the Private Gareth (Gar) O’Donnell. tottered about the stage.

Public and Private Gar deserve a special mention, bouncing around like demented Jedward clones.

They cast a long shadow, and such was the stage presence of the two actors that sympathy seemed skewed towards those Gar was leaving behind, as he railed and screamed at them. By the time the last act rolled around I was ready to go up and knock Private and Public Gar’s heads’ together for being such an idiot. The set was a clever thing too: the makeshift kitchen and bedroom built like the twin sides of Gar’s personality, joined by hidden stairs.

As the play draws to a close, Gar’s father does not remember the blue boat. The connection is lost.

Private Gar laughs in a broken high pitched shriek.

I look at the kid. No-one is else in the audience is laughing, and even he is silent and staring. That’s how you know a good play.

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Jay Z And His Occult Symbolism ANDREW BROWNE

We are, yeah, I said it, we are This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance Get y’all fatigues on, all black everything Black cards, black cars, all black everything From “Run This Town”.Jay Z ft. Rihanna.

Doesn’t sound like the prophecy announcing the age of a New World Order does it? Everybody knows this open secret, that East-Coast American rap have long been the public voice of the Freemasons. NO?... Don’t believe me? Fine. Let’s take a sneaky look at Jay Z and hat he’s been up to in the last few years then.

Jay Z’s recent work features quite a lot of striking symbolism. From ladies holding burning torches, illuminating the true path to the face of the Baphomet appearing in his music videos, JayZ is literally knee deep in occult symbolism. Couple this with his Rocawear brand screaming the slogan “Do What Thou Wilt” and even his obsession with the triangle, could it actually be possibly that Jay Z is a Freemason or a member or the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), Aleister Crowley’s Luciferian Religion. Oh of course it’s bloody well possible.

Videos like ‘Run This Town’, directed by long term collaborator Anthony Mandler smack of the occult. In the opening scenes we get Rihianna holding a burning torch high in the air, quite Statue of Liberty like, a gift from the French masonic government. Co-incidence or not?

What adds more fuel to the fire however is Z’s offstage persona. The commercialisation of his person into the ‘Roc’ brand (Rockefeller connotations anyone) is where his occultism is most evident. The “Do What Thou Wilt” slogan is directly lifted from the OTO principle of “Do What Thou Wilt be the whole of the law”, essentially a

rejection of the convention moral ethics and way of life in search of ones “True Will”.

What about the triangle? Jay Z is literally obsessed with it. Its significance in occultism is amazing. It is a perfect half of the pentagram, a phallic symbol, trilateral logo and ancient Egyptian structure. Masonic and occult visual metaphor sees the pyramid with the unenlightened masses at the base, and the chose few at the top above everything else. It appears on the American dollar with the all Seeing Eye and is the symbol of the Germanic Illuminati. Jay Z’s fans make this symbol at his concerts while he performs in front of it. The uneducated masses literally looking towards the enlightened one.

Convinced yet that there is a secret order hiding itself in view of the plan public, dropping clues to when the new age will come? Well, I mean there could be, but I’m highly cynical.

What Jay Z is doing is creating a bit of mystic around himself; give his personality a bit of an edge. It’s something that’s been going on in the music industry since like late 60’s. Led Zeppelin did it with the ZoSo symbol for example, but most famously it was used by the Beatles in the “Paul Is Dead” myth claiming Paul died and was replaced with lookalike William Shears. Instead of symbolic music videos the Beatles used every available photo shoot and album cover to perpetuate a conspiracy that has last over 40 years. Look at the Abbey road cover; it’s clearly a funeral procession with Lennon the minister at the front. Next comes Ringo dressed as the undertaker, then Paul shoeless and out of step, symbolically dead. Finally we get George as the gravedigger. How about the Sgt. Pepper album cover? Does it look like a gathering around freshly dug graves? Most chillingly of all how about when John clearly says “I Buried Paul” in the Strawberry

Hip-hop and rap mega star Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter.

Fields Forever fade out. There are literally hundreds of books, documentaries and pictures about the Paul death controversy. But look what it’s achieved.

40 years since the breakup of the Beatles it is still one of the most famous instances of conspiracy.

Here we see the Beatles doing exactly what Jay Z is, creating some hysteria around his work and image.

The more we see “evidence” of symbolism the more we read into it and the myth continually recycles itself each time gaining more and more momentum.

So all in all there you have it. Artists having a bit

of fun playing around with the public’s conception of who and what they really are. It’s an Idea as old as time itself, a ploy to get morons like me writing about it. If it’s worked you’ll go home and start reading into all this yourself, in turn perpetuating the myth.

Either that or the new age is coming. The real Paul died in 1966. All hail Jay Z. The truth is out there.

Skins To End Following Prepare For The Craze: Seventh Season Finale The Hunger Games REBECCA LYONS

CONOR O’BRIEN News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

Hugely popular and controversial Channel 4 show Skins is to conclude next year with the end of its seventh season.

The show – one of the channel’s flagship productions for the last decade – is to be axed following a run that in the end will span seven years. Over that time, it has featured some of the most powerful teen drama to hit television screens this side of the millennium and in doing so has helped bring a host of teenage-related issues to the fore.

Since debuting in 2007, Skins has charted the ever-eventful lives of a crop of youthful characters in Bristol, all interconnected in some manner. From the outset, the show was praised for utilizing local, undiscovered talent over more established stars, and in the process has helped launch the careers of several notable young actors, not least of all Dev Patel who went on to star in the Academy Awardwinning Slumdog Millionaire.

However, its habit of completely overhauling

the cast after every second season drew more mixed reviews, with some critics arguing that this impeded the development of enduring empathy with the characters. Others argued that the show got progressively worse as the season’s piled up, unable to uphold the continuously high-standard set by its ground-breaking debut series.

The realism of the show – or lack thereof – also generated criticism at times, with the drug-fuelled escapades of the characters cited as overused at times and unrepresentative of actual teenage behaviour. Despite this, the show proved a phenomenal hit with its target demographic on both sides of the Atlantic, although its American counterpart found itself hampered by advocacy groups protesting its illicit content.

Despite its apparent exaggerations of the wilder excesses of typical teenage antics, Skins’ greatest legacy will perhaps be the attention it brought to the genuine pressures faced by young people in modern society, from burgeoning substance abuse to same sex relationships and mental health. This, combined with its youthful infusion of sex and rebellion, will make it a significant loss.

On March 23rd, the world is going to change.

Well, not really. I mean, birds will keep on singing, we’ll still find our way to The Roost, I’ll still be broke, that sort of thing. But there’ll be a tiny break in routine that day, a little change that will, among other things, have thousands reaching for their wallets. Here it is. The Hunger Games movie is coming.

For those of you not plugged in, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a teenager and resident of District 12, as she’s cruelly launched into the Games. Once there, she must do one of two things: kill the other “contestants”, or die herself.

Not a lot of options, and she’s not the only one in trouble. No, in this dystopian future pretty much everybody loses, not least of all the kids forced to duke it out in the arena. Behind all this, there’s the shady Capitol, the sinister President Snow, and the rest of humanity, starving in their Districts, forced to watch it all on live TV. It really is great fun. The novels, having made their author Suzanne Collins a very wealthy lady, are being ushered in as a Junior Cert text already.

It has potential to become a modern classic, what with all the insights it offers into the human condition. Aw, heck. We just love all the death. So do the teenage masses, going by the book sales.

The movie trailers would have you thinking something different. Look - another love triangle, more beautiful people in the woods, and, best of all, Taylor Swift performing the theme song!

Honestly, it’s enough to give Twilight survivors acid

The Hunger Games logo. reflux. But don’t worry. This is not the pretty story Hollywood wants it to be. It’s about survival – pure, bloody, simple-minded survival - and how far you’d go to stay alive.

That’s part of why Katniss is such a loveable girl.

Existing in violent opposition to Twilight’s Bella Swan, she’s not likely to simper over the fact that you were watching her sleep. No, she’s more the girl who’d punch you in the throat, then demand a restraining order. Not the screaming blonde who gets killed off in the first five minutes, then.

Despite the strong characters, the movie may have teething problems. Everyone looks very pretty considering it’s the end of the world. It’s all a bit... shiny. Nevertheless, it’s worth a look. Go see it. Or, even better, read the books! Give a copy to a kid and scar them forever. Do it. Just remember: The Hunger Games is going to main, kill or emotionally destroy everything you love. I did warn you.

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Batman Voted Greatest Super Hero LYNDSEY FARRELL

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog Fans of DC Comics’ superhero Batman were ecstatic to hear that the Caped Crusader has been voted the number one superhero of all time in a poll created by UK magazine Comic Heroes. The results of the votes saw Batman reach number one in a list of Comic Heroes’ “Top 10 Comic Heroes of All Time”, which also saw Spider-Man and Superman placed second and third in the list respectively.

Although Batman’s utility belt doesn’t exactly match Spider-Man’s spider senses or Superman’s super-strength and ability to fly, his selection of gadgets (are we allowed to include the Batmobile as one giant gadget? Filled with teeny tiny gadgets?) and the fact that he defeats villains without superpowers are what make him so appealing to the public. Editor of Comic Heroes magazine Jes Bickham stated, “[Batman] doesn’t have superpowers; he gets by with his mind, his wit and his physical abilities. He’s got the best costume and the finest gadgets.”

Batman was created by artists Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939 and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 the same year. He gained huge popularity from this appearance and in 1940 was given his own comic book series. From here, Batman became a cultural icon, remoulded by several artists and writers throughout the years as well as branching out to every media source imaginable, including T.V. series, video games and blockbuster movies. The 2008 Academy Awardwinning movie The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, made $158,411,483 in its opening weekend at the Box Office in the United States alone.

After witnessing the murder of his parents as a child, billionaire Bruce Wayne creates his alias, Batman, who seeks revenge on the villains of Gotham City, some of whom becoming just as iconic as the Caped Crusader himself. Bickham believes that these villains (The Joker, Two-Face and Bane to name but a few) are also what make Batman such a fantastic comic hero: “[Batman’s] rogue gallery is the most frightening and freakish collections of villains ever assembled; a cavalcade of criminality unmatched in modern comics.”

The announcement of Batman’s new title comes ahead of the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to hit our screens this summer.

Although there are those who might disagree with Batman’s new status as the greatest superhero of all time, few can deny that he’s still a bit deadly. I mean, how many superheroes have their own butler?

Batman: the greatest super hero of all time.

Entire Michael Jackson Back Catalogue Stolen

Forbiddon Fruit & Electic Picnic Artists Announced

MSUGHTER IWAR

SIMON MERNAGH

Sony music have suffered their second major security breach in a year as reports have revealed that two British hackers stole the entire back catalogue of the late ‘King of Pop’, Michael Jackson.

This includes about 50, 000 songs and unreleased material worth about £164 million, making it the biggest cyber attack in the company’s history.

Sony acquired the rights to sell Michael Jackson’s whole back catalogue as well as previously unreleased tracks from the Jackson estate in a deal approximately worth $250m (£164m), making it the biggest recording deal in history. The deal also entitled the firm to use his music in computer games, television adverts and elsewhere, with profits from the arrangement to go into a trust shared by the singer’s mother and three children.

Last Friday, the two men arrested for the crimes appeared in court in the UK accused of offences in connection with the alleged security breach.

The suspects James Marks, 26, from Daventry in Northamptonshire, and James McCormick, 25, from Blackpool, denied charges under the Computer Misuse Act and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act at Leicester crown court. While they have been released on bail, the Serious Organised Crime Agency reports that they are due to stand trial next January.

This attack comes almost a year after the details of 77million gamers were stolen when Sony’s

The names of bands playing at the Forbidden Fruit and Electric Picnic festivals have been announced.

The Forbidden Fruit festival, which is only in its second year of existence, is going to take place at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin 8.

The award-winning festival will feature big names such as 80’s synth legends New Order and the up and coming Death Cab For Cutie. Other smaller acts announced include alt-country veterans Wilco, a DJ set from Bloody Beetroots, dance-act Leftfield, indie rockers Beirut and dance-punks The Rapture. Irish artists confirmed are songwriter James Vincent McMorrow, singer Toby Kaar and the genre-bending Rarely Seen Above Ground. The duration of the festival has been extended from two days to three, and a comedy tent has been added, though the lineup is yet to be confirmed. The festival, which is sponsored by Bulmers and POD, shall take place from Saturday 2nd to Monday the 4th of June. Day tickets cost €49.50, two-day tickets cost €89.50 and weekend tickets come to €115. The event is strictly over-18s and photo-ID shall be required. A wide variety of healthy food and drinks will also be available.

Further west the annual Electric Picnic festival shall take place in its usual location of Stradbally, County Laois. This year continues its trend of

The erstwhile King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

PlayStation Network was hacked last April. That attack cost them £106million and damaged their reputation. This incident does not help re-establish that reputation.

This has also raised question about the safety of other catalogues Sony music have in their possession, which include, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Foo Fighters, Avril Lavigne as well as Jimi Hendrix.

attracting a mix of major international artists alongside a batch of underground and local talent. Major names booked include The Cure, Sigur Rós, The Killers and Elbow. The remaining confirmations are a diverse musical bundle: Bat For Lashes and Ed Sheeran represent singersongwriting talent, while Grizzly Bear and The Horrors will appeal to the indie crowd. The acclaimed Irish traditional musician Christy Moore shall also be performing. In addition to the musical aspect of the festival, a comedy tent as well as various artistic and theatrical productions shall be present. A debate, dubbed ‘The Leviathan’, shall be hosted by pop economist David McWilliams. The festival also advocates Fairtrade and markets itself as an eco-friendly experience, as the Global Green initiative shall be returning. Electric Picnic is taking place on Friday 31st of August to Sunday 2nd of September. Weekend tickets cost €230, though day tickets are available for the Sunday only, at €99.50.

The festival is over-18s and ID is required.

With the absence of an Oxegen festival this year, Forbidden Fruit and Electric Picnic could be said to be Ireland’s most significant popular music events of 2012. This may result in smaller festivals, such as Milk and Cookie Stories in the Secret Garden, Martinstown House, County Kildare, getting more exposure. In short, these two festivals are ones to consider for summer and autumn 2012.

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A Blog from Abroad: Karl Largerfeld’s New Oslo, Norway KARL Range In BT2 MAEVE KAVANAGH @maevekxxx

An example of the architecture in Oslo, Norway.

ROWAN MOORKENS O’REILLY Seen by some as a cultural theme park, others as a gateway to a land of winter sports, Oslo remains an eclectic snowy metropolis with enough Norsk traditions to attract both lovers of Ibsen and lovers of Skyrim. Although renowned for being expensive, anyone who has bought anything in Dublin will not notice the price difference, and the purchase of the three-day Oslo Card helps significantly, providing the holder with free public transport, entry into nearly every possible attraction and discounts in multiple restaurants and a fjord cruise. The city is beautiful to look at, featuring gorgeous buildings such as Stortinget and the Royal Palace, and the food ranges from gourmet hot dogs to traditional smoked salmon to reindeer steak. Oslo’s past as Christiania can be seen in Kvadraturen, which includes the Akershus Fortress, built around 1290 and has been used over the years as a castle, a barracks, a prison and the mausoleum of the royal family.

A shell-shocked atmosphere still covers the city, and intensive restoration work has begun in the wake of the bomb attack on the Prime Minister’s Office last July. It once seemed impossible that such a tragedy could strike a city that celebrates peace, embodied by the huge town hall, or Rådhus, which hosts the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony every year on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Every chamber of the building is the size of a cathedral’s nave, and every surface is adorned with decorations from artists Krohg and Sørensen, including the largest oil painting in Europe. The nearby Nobel Peace Centre is well worth a visit afterwards.

On the evening of January 27th, in an attempt to see the northern lights, I had hiked to Kirkeberget, the highest point in the municipality of Oslo.

However, despite being far away from the light pollution of the city, the entire area was blanketed by heavy snowfall. Predictions that the snow would cease proved to be false, and so I was denied the sight of the northern lights. To add insult to injury, I discovered that the aurora had been seen from Donegal. Compensation arrived in the form of Frognerseteren. Retaining the snowy forests of Kirkeberget, what makes this area remarkable is its close proximity to Oslo and its fabled ski trails.

Adventurous Norwegians, seeking a more natural experience than the entrapments of Holmenkollen, take their skis and snowboards to Frognerseteren.

Perfect for those looking for an adrenaline rush and those looking for a picturesque hike in the snowy woods, the magical area is reminiscent of Narnia.

For those with an interest in Viking lore, the treasures in the Vikingskiphuset in Bygdøy warrant a visit. The world’s best-preserved Viking ships are on display, dating back from the 9th century, including the mighty Oseberg vessel, richly detailed with spirals and dragons. Not too far away is the Frammuseet, containing the scientific polar ship which carried explorers Nansen, Sverdrup and Amundsen on their expeditions. Nearby is the KonTiki Museum, detailing Norweigian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s oceanic voyages using craft based on millennia-old design. The papyrus boat Ra II is on display, as is the fragile Kon-Tiki itself. To the north of Bygdøy is the Norsk Folkemuseum, containing the Gol Stave Church. Dating back to 1200, it has come to be the architectural personification of Norway.

Perhaps the most surreal of available experiences is a midnight walk through Vigelandsparken. It can be considered Oslo’s equivalent of Phoenix Park, except littered with statues of malformed human bodies. The creation of sculptor Gustav Vigeland, the figures are meant to represent the cycles of life and relationships. Seen at night, many of them can be terrifying, from the family twisted into a garland, to the man crushing infants under his feet. At the core is the Monolith, a soaring pillar made up entirely of bodies, curled up like corpses and cemented together. The entire park serves as paranoia fuel; you truly feel that the statues move when your back is turned. Their hollow eyes seem to follow you, and the park perfectly captures the Norwegian expressionist fascination with melancholia.

I decided to end my trip to Oslo on this note, and the next day, I made the artist’s pilgrimage to visit The Scream, on display in the Nasjonalgalleriet. Stolen in 2004, and rediscovered in 2006, Edvard Munch’s masterpiece is on display amongst the works of Van Gogh and Sohlberg. The soul-piercing quality of the painting is trippy as hell, and was complimented by the sunset greeting me as I left the gallery. The crimson skies conjure up comparisons to Munch’s words - “Over the blue-black fjord and city hung blood and tongues of fire.” Oslo is a city filled with emotions, ditching Parisian charm for feelings of adrenaline, reflection and existentialism. A thought-provoking tour de force and containing an impressive number of experiences in such a small area, it is the perfect gateway to the wild extremes of Norway. Upon visiting Oslo, like Munch and countless others before me, I too “felt the great Scream in nature.”

Friday 2nd March saw a new brand hit the famous BT2 store on Dublins Grafton Street – a place renowned for its fashion, famous faces and nightlife.

KARL by top designer Karl Largerfeld arrived after months of anticipation. This surely puts Dublin on the map as a style capital. Karl Largerfeld is renowned for his glamourous creations as creative director of top design houses such as Chanel and Fendi.

His new personal collection, KARL, showcases a range of structured, masculine pieces. It’s all about collars, tailored jackets, and short dresses.

The colour scheme is monochrome for the most part, but he throws in some exquisite sequins and metallics too, which I love! The accessories and shoes in the range have a slight funky, futuristic feel to them.

Fashion fans can buy into the new range for just

Famed fashion designer Karl Largerfeld. €19 for a shopper bag, prices on the clothes go up to about €1000 for a snakeskin textured leather jacket.

Karl Largerfeld’s fashion career started in 1955 when he was awarded an apprentice position with Pierre Balmain, he stayed for 3 years and from there, he moved onto Jean Patou and designed collections there for 5 years. Largerfeld launched himself as a freelance designer in 1962 and worked with fashion brands such as Mario Valentino, Rapetto, Tiziani, Chloe, Curiel and Fendi.

From 1982, Largerfelds fame rose internationally.

He collaborated with Diesel founder Renzo Rosso on a denim collection in 2002, designed costumes for stars such as Madonna and Kylie, collaborated with Swedish high street store H&M in 2004 to offer a limited range of Largerfeld designs in selected stores, in 2006 Karl announced the launch of another personal label dubbed K Karl Largerfeld, and now, 2012 has produced the stunning new KARL collection exclusive for retail in BT2.

The Empty Glass Guide ROB GILMOUR & SHANE McNALLY Domaine Du Wachu, Gruner Veltliner, 2009

Score: 89. Price: €17.99 from Next Door.

An intense golden hue surrounds the edges of the wine. The nose is clean and of medium intensity.

Punctured with pears, lemons and blossoms with a peppery spice growing a little, well controlled and all very elegant. After two glasses I did something very un-Austrian and cheated. I put the cork back on, and left it until the following day, which is now ritual with me. Big G needs to breath. And Breath a lot, a testimony to its ability to age. What happened next is why I love big G. Zest and a racy mineral life with almost paradoxical creaminess. These are serious wines. Don’t write them off without giving them a fair chance. Great acidity on the palate. A creamy medium body with pronounced notes all things citrus. Lemon taking the fore again, with notes of apricot, grapefruit and some greenness similar to lime rind. Minerality and spices are batter home the point that these are refreshing little wines. The finish is medium with a clean crispness to them.

Secret De Chai, AC Saumur, Chenin Blanc, 2010 Score: 82. Price: €11.95 from Mill Wine Cellar.

Chenin Blanc is another the world great undiscovered grapes, often unduly dismissed, it can offer wines of great variety, from sparkling to sweet wines to what we have here, a refreshing bone dry example from the Saumur region of Loire. The first thing that is picked up on when opening this wine is the fresh qualities that the wine embodied.

Opening with a lively elderflower notes on the palate which is followed by fruits such as lime, lychee, peach, melon and apricot. A crisp dose of acidity leaves the wine refreshing. Floral notes add

more freshness to the wine. A dry wine with great notes of nectarine and honey suckle keeping the wine from being harsh.

Chateau Ksara, Reserve Du Couvent 2009 Score: (A) 90. Price: €14.95 Mill Wine Cellar

Once the bottle is opened, you get smacked by every conceivable favour a wine can embody, cherries, plum, raisins, you name it it’s there.

However, the notes that are there in hints, say blackcurrant and tobacco leaf that’s where it starts to get interesting as these in a sense hijack the wine. Revisiting the wine you find notes that would associate with the two other bad boys. Blackcurrant and Tobacco enter the fray. It continues to throw out more blackcurrant and berry notes on the nose and more on the palate; however the plate is still dominated by tobacco and various other fruits overpowering each other. An hour passes and you stick your nose in, and you are welcomed by a tremendous slap of blackcurrant and blackberry, not to mention the undertone of tobacco which lingers. However consider the notes of pepper, tobacco and the fading red berries and other red fruits. These keep the wine interesting and a bit of a journey. Fantastic wine and for the price excellent value.

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THE RAVEN

of flawed screenwriting, but also the way in which the film is shot. Indeed it almost appears as if a different cinematographer worked on this section, one lacking in Film. 111 minutes. Directed by James style and confidence.

McTeigue. Starring John Cusack, Alice Eve, In terms of performances by the cast, John Cusack, in the titular role, easily eclipses his fellow actors. His Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Luke Evans, Kevin portrayal of Poe is humourous, verging on pantomime. It McNally. Released 27th April 2012. is reminiscent of Robert Downey Junior’s Sherlock Homes and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. This makes his character likeable, if not lacking in depth. The main flaw in terms of performance is the portrayal of Poe’s love interest Emily,

by Alice Eve. She is wooden, hard to warm, to and most James McTegiue’s latest feature The Raven, reinvents the importantly unbelievable especially in regards to her lack final days of famed writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe into of chemistry with Cusack. Her embodiment of modern a quirky, who-done-it, murder mystery, thriller. The killer concepts of beauty seems out of place in the otherwise takes his inspiration from the fictitious gruesome world dark period piece. She appears as awkward , and stunts of Poe’s murder tales and is hell-bent on making them a the development of the film as a whole , given the extent reality. This leaves Poe with no other option but to lend to which her character is important for the plot. Brendan his services to the police. Set in 19th century in Baltimore, Gleeson fails to shine in the role of Emily’s father, Colonel the picture is a mish-mash of contemporary gore, period Hamilton, though largely through the fault of poor character thriller, darkly camp humour ,and romance. The Raven development rather than performance. The ensemble relies attempts to be all things to all people and therefore, lacks largely on two columns to keep the film afloat, Cusack an ability to simply be comfortable with itself. It is flaw and Luke Evans as Detective Emmet Fields. Evans can be that results in an overall entertaining yet disappointing forgiven bouts of overacting due to his endearing and film. engaging portrayal of an otherwise bland character.

The first section of The Raven is fantastic.

The Raven is an entertaining but flawed film. It simply Cinematography is stylistic and commanding , and packs doesn’t match the standard of McTeigue’s work, most a punch when coupled with snappy editing and dominant notably the phenomenal V for Vendetta. The Raven is best visual effects. The final section follows in a similar manner. suited for a night of entertainment , rather than substance The major problem with The Raven is its overdrawn and and is guaranteed to make you laugh while simultaneously somewhat fatigued middle section, which is disappointing unnerving you. considering the strong start. This is not simply a question CHRISTINA MURPHY

ALBERT NOBBS

Film. 113 minutes. Directed by Rodrigo García. Starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson. Released 21st January 2012.

For thirty years, after performing as Albert Nobbs on stage, Glenn Close has been trying to bring the story to the cinema and has only recently succeeded. She needn’t have bothered really. This film, set in 19th century Ireland, is nothing spectacular if not quite the opposite. Glenn Close stars as the title character – a woman living as a reserved and quiet man to make a living as a waiter in a reputable hotel. Well-liked by clientele, Nobbs collects tips and saves them to eventually live out his dream of running a tobacconists with the wife he’d like to one day take.

Neither the plot nor the sub-plots go anywhere or have any real substance. Nothing is rounded off, they are simply cut off and ended in unsatisfying ways in a rather “don’t ask, don’t tell” manner. There are the makings of several half-baked storylines linked together loosely and presented as incredibly dull. Much of the first half of the film is spent wondering not what is to come, but when exactly they will roll out the predictable circumstances we know are to come, such as when Nobbs is first to be discovered as

a woman or when decorator Mr. Page will take out his lady-breasts too. The second half is spent waiting for conclusions that are pretty lazily laid out by the end. The first scene seemed promising and enjoyable, but a lot of the rest of the film just felt uneasy and unbalanced.

Close herself is one of the only redeeming features of the film. Some may consider her acting to be cold or think it lacks personality, but to me, the clinical take on the role highlights the care Albert Nobbs must take in his life so as not to draw attention to himself making people question his secret. In fact, Close’s portrayal is incredibly sweet and hopeful, even naïve. Her acting skills succeeded in making me view the character of Albert as an old man, not as a woman hidden behind a veil or a Tootsie-esque transvestite. Her effectiveness in this is possibly best shown during a scene in which Albert dons a dress for the first time in years and the image of a woman wearing a dress seems actually comedic. It is an unusual sight as you get the impression that through years of dignified masculinity, he has lost a certain grace.

Close along with Brendan Gleeson and a couple of others were this films saving graces. Mia Wasikowska was probably one of the hardest things to watch in the film; her acting and accent were horrendous (probably a word she’d manage to fit 3 or 4 unnecessary vowels in).

The score was playful, almost to the point of comedic, even through scenes without much humour and was overly romantic during more melancholy scenes. The cinematography was actually very attractive, but overall, this is definitely one to miss.

DYLAN COLLEY @DylanColley

MICHAEL

Film. 94 minutes. Directed by Markus Schleinzer. Starring Michael Fuith, David Rauchenberger, Christine Kain, Ursula Strauss. Released 2nd March 2012.

Markus Schleinzer makes his directorial debut in Michael, a film which mirrors the Joseph Fritzel and Natasha Kampusch cases. It focuses on Michael, a man who appears to his community and family to be completely ordinary, even boring. However, Michael’s true monstrosity lies in his chameleon-like ability to assimilate into social expectations. His suburban home is a prison to a ten year old boy Wolfgang, who is the victim of Michael’s depravations and his captive. The relationship that is portrayed is complex and alienating to audiences.

In terms of its technical features, Michael makes interesting use of lack of sound, with the noises of suburban comforts which is one of the main sources of discomfort whilst viewing. The lack of soundtrack music really makes the viewer focus on the visual portrait in front of them. Michael never allows its viewers to slump or escape from the suffering depicted on screen. Crucially

this is not exploited in a voyeuristic way, which makes the reality of sexual abuse much harder to escape from.

The film does not contain much graphic detail, but hints masterfully at the horrors of Michael’s abuse.

Performances by the central actors deserve praise.

The young David Rauchenberger delivers a performance well beyond what is expected from a child actor. In his portrayal of Wolfgang he doesn’t simply rely on plucking the audience’s heartstrings, but makes them feel for him due to the realistic and somber elements to his performance. Michael Fruith is perfectly cast as the central villain. His awkward and unnerving appearance match the repugnancies of his character. He is hard to watch, just like Michael. Fruith unnerves audiences because of multiple moods which his character goes through. The one flaw in his performance is that, he leaves the character almost as a monstrous caricature rather than a person who can easily adapt to the various realms of society.

Michael is an outstanding achievement from a first time director. It is truly a film which makes you think, not only about what you have just seen, but also whether it is possible that someone like Michael could easily go unnoticed from your gaze. The film deserves praise for its unflinching, unnerving and unrelenting portrayal of the vile underbelly of society, whilst never exploiting this to the level of becoming a mere spectacle.

CHRISTINA MURPHY

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SINEAD O’CONNOR HOW ABOUT I BE ME (AND YOU BE YOU)?

Album. 44:50 minutes. Shamrock Solutions.

Released 6th March 2012.

Sinéad O’Connor’s is no stranger to controversy even in her old age; in the last few months she has accused presenter Ryan Tubridy and RTE of anti-Sinéad sentiments, rather desperately pleaded on twitter for a husband, eventually got married and then they broke up in the same weekend (only to later patch it up). But that is all hearsay as on this first album release in over five years O’Connor is finally pleading for a bit of normality; How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? On this album O’Connor engages with the usual topics that she has been so heralded for successfully tackling over the years; children, marriage, the Catholic religion, emigration and love. She also breaks new ground with a ballad for all the homeless junkies out there “Reason With Me”, the song also touches on her own drug problems and the desperation that comes with public self destruction. It does fall on the slightly cheesy side though with lyrics like “I even stole your granny’s rosary, for 50p/Oh, so long I’ve

JULIA NUNES SETTLE DOWN

Album. 49:54 minutes. Kickstarter funded release. Released February 28th 2012.

In a world saturated with musicians thrust into the limelight through TV shows, it is comforting to know that some artists are still doing things the old fashioned way…

Kinda.

Musicians used to get their name out there by playing gigs every night in any venue that would have them, and some, notably Ed Sheeran, still take this approach.

But YouTube and similar sites now offer new forms of self-promotion for musicians to have their music listened to by potentially millions.

Julia Nunes started out on YouTube in 2006 by doing ukulele covers of other artists’ songs. As her popularity grew, Nunes began recording her own songs. Because of the popularity of her videos, YouTube made her a partner, basically giving her a portion of the advertising revenue that appeared on her videos.

This freedom allowed Nunes to use unconventional instruments like bottlecaps, egg boxes and wooden spoons,

been a junkie/I really ought to wrap it up and mind my monkeys”.

First song on the album “4th and Vine” somehow manages to make that brass Irish voice match perfectly to a reggae beat. It is the upbeat intro that this classy piece of work deserved. It is instantly one of those classic tracks which you feel you have already heard before. “Old Lady” jumps into the reality of falling in love throughout the aging process and the pitfalls that comes with the territory, but the track is as upbeat and optimistic as O’Connor could possibly have mustered up. “Take Off Your Shoes” is one of the best songs on offer with the guitar led ballad tackling the concept of worship and Jesus. The track features Damien Dempsey on guitar but O’Connor’s haunting voice is the real champion here. She really is back to her best when finally placed into the screaming vocal capacity in the vein of hit “Nothing Compare 2 U”.

On “I Had A Baby”, which is as straight forward as the title suggests, she tackles the problem of how she will be able to tell her child that he was born out of wedlock as the result of an affair with a married man. This track alone highlights the one thing which is so fascinating about Sinéad O’Connor apart from her voice; her ability to channel her life experiences into songs so effectively, and with a quick listen of this album the sheer variety of life experiences is quite astounding. This album really makes one feel like shaving their head and taking to the airwaves; but it will surely never be as good as this Celtic goddess?

DEAN HEALY @OnaedInSpace

yet the album has a very smooth and professional feel.

There are six songs on the album that are simply professionally recorded versions of Nunes’ most popular songs from her YouTube videos. Among these is the deceptively upbeat ‘Into the Sunshine’, the music moves quickly and chirpily, but listening to the lyrics reveals the song to be an almost mournful song. The song typifies Nunes’ songwriting style, and reflects a positive outlook that her songs hold throughout the album.

The album mixes acoustic guitar and ukulele driven songs, with all of the new songs on the album written on the Uke. Nunes doesn’t fall into the trap of using the highpitched, happy sound to write happy, unreflective songs, instead making her songs sonorous and mature.

Nunes’ personality comes through in the album, with the playfulness her YouTube videos coming out in the 25-second vignette, Pizza, where Nunes talks about “burning the roof of her mouth on some Pizza that was not even good.”

For those who have followed Nunes for years, this album will feel strangely polished and a move away from the realness and intimacy that comes from her videos, but people hearing Nunes for the first time will hear an artist that sings passionately and truthfully. If Nunes is ever going to break into the mainstream, this is the album that will do it.

CONOR PHELAN @conorphelan1

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY - I SEE A DARKNESS

Album. 37:56 minutes. Domino Records.

Released January 19th 1999.

1999 saw the release of what would make Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy the most recognisable of Will Oldham’s monikers. This was the classic ‘I See a Darkness’. It might seem a bit premature to call the album a classic after only 12 years on the shelves, but no, it’s not – fuck you! It’s bound to be a classic someday, so why wait? The record taps into emotions and subtlety to perfection – so much so that the late Johnny Cash has even covered the title track. I would call it probably the best LP to come out of the 90’s.

This album is by no means upbeat; it is perhaps even his most melancholic. However, this isn’t to say it is overly dour. Melancholy appears to be where Oldham works best, seemingly feeding off negativity and pain to create beautifully atmospheric soundscapes and imagery.

The music itself on this album is incredibly and vividly picturesque. The instrumentation consists, more or less from start to finish, of light, unconscious brushes of

chords on a guitar, jauntily placed piano lines, the tickling of drum skins and pounding pulses of bass. The sparse production on I See a Darkness suggests the band is playing in a massive, empty, black abyss. There are a couple of slight exceptions, such as the jangling delay heavy ‘Madeleine Mary’ and the intimate acoustic ‘Black’, but there is still a distinct desolate quality which will no doubt make any listener feel themselves detached from the world while being part of this experience.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s vocals are fittingly and distressingly broken. Throughout, he seems to have accepted and even embraced the darkness and pain. Even in the gentle swaying of ‘A Minor Place’, his voice rings with melancholy, and the lyrics only back this up. In one moment, Oldham can conjure up desperation as he pleads for you to “save me from this darkness” or at the close of the record, ‘Raining in Darling’, in which he assures his lover “I can stay awake all night” before finally having to assure himself “I know you love me… I know you do.” Yet, in another moment, he can seem perfectly at ease with the brokenness and sorrow like in ‘Another Day Full of Dread’.

My personal favourites come in the forms of the playful arousal of the narrator at human pain in ‘Death to Everyone’ which pours through the verse until the powerfully swamped chorus and ‘Today I Was an Evil One’ which has Oldham putting off his want for being good for now despite the pains of being otherwise. The whole album, though, is near perfection and should be heard by all.

DYLAN COLLEY

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Sensationalism And Its Real Dangers MATTHEW MULLIGIAN @_mattuna

When an internationally renowned news website chooses its “Editor’s Pick” for the day, one would expect a certain amount of factuality of the news contained within. We would like to see, for example, an in depth report about recent financial or political scandals; a story which is interesting and noteworthy, and at the very least based on fact.

“Shock Video Imagines Iran Attack” was the headline for the “Editor’s Pick” on the Sky News website recently. The article featured an image of a very realistic explosion (a still from the aforementioned video) and the subtitle offered no explanation as to why this was highlighted as an important news story: “an apocalyptic vision of Israel coming under nuclear attack is portrayed in a video, which its creator warns could become reality.” In the video nuclear clouds plume over Israel; the year is 2013, and Iran has overrun the Israeli state. The name of the video is “Israel’s Last Day”.

This piece of scaremongering was accompanied by the usual anti-Iran comparisons to Hitler and the Nazis, with a huge hyping up of the threat posed by Iran. It left out the fact that Iran, while surrounded by nuclear powers, has signed the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

It was created purely to advance the case for Israel to go to war against Iran and to push that agenda by any means necessary. It served to counteract the very advice that the President of the United States had given out earlier that day, and which received a lot less notification.

The problem I have isn’t that this video exists; anyone could make a video attacking any other

country. The issue that really concerns me about this video is that while it was highlighted on the Sky News homepage, tucked away in the side bar was an article regarding a speech Obama made to AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The President warned of “loose talk” of a war with Iran. “Loose talk” would most certainly involve promoting a war hawk attitude by highlight an amateur video showing an “apocalyptic” war waged

by Iran on Israel.

When an editor of a website chooses to highlight something on its homepage, it’s their responsibility as journalists not to hold up a sensationalist story.

The decision by Sky to highlight this story instead of Obama’s speech which stressed diplomacy and peaceful resolutions to the tension just shows how far the mainstream media has fallen in regards to its responsibilities.

The rise of 24 hour news networks has meant that as soon as any huge news comes through the cameras start rolling; sometimes to hugely detrimental effect. For example, when the fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his apartment, our friend Sky News (I really want to know who their editors are) broadcast live footage of his corpse being removed from his home and placed in a waiting ambulance. Apparently these are the images that the public want to see, or at least the ones that Sky News wants people to want to see.

Television news with rolling cameras will create the product and even in some cases the controversy surrounding it in order to keep the avid constant news junkie entertained, the cheapest and easiest form of that being the blowing up of a news story and stretching it out to huge proportions. Then they can capitalize on the controversy to draw in even more customers in a self-referential mind f*ck of epic proportions. The print media in some cases are equally guilty; The National Enquirer publishing its latest edition with Whitney Houston’s body on the front cover obviously helped it shift a few more copies.

Another area in which the rolling news networks have fallen down is in their coverage of school and college shootings, with helicopters and rolling footage of the sight of the shootings, eerily macabre

A still from the fabricated footage showing the supposed date. photos of the perpetrator in poses reminiscent of Taxi Driver and endless, endless detail of how s/ he walked into the building and opened fire. Again and again we see images of the shooter, with the reporters seemingly begging for answers: “How did society let this happen? How can we stop this from happening again?” Maybe by not giving shooters the notoriety they want by hanging on their every action.

A psychiatrist from the American Psychiatric Association gave advice to the BBC in the wake of

some such shooting: “Do not start the story with sirens, do everything you can to make the body count not the lead story, localize the story and spend as little time on it as possible”. Because as he said, when the media sensationalizes this kind of story, a repeat attack happens in a short space of time. There is a real cost to those extra viewers.

Report the story and keep the sensationalism to the audience; they will decide what deserves debate and discussion, not you.

The Irish Third Level Education Veruses The U.S. Third Level Education: My Experience

CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

Last year I studied abroad in Boston and got to experience the American system of education and grading. The main difference between the two systems is that the Irish system is usually based on one final exam or paper, whereas the U.S. system has continuous assessment throughout the whole year.

The American system is essentially a continuation of high school education, with weekly quizzes, short papers and graded attendance.

Although it takes away the huge pressure felt by Irish students at the end of the semester, it means that there is constant pressure on students to do well in every test. It gets to the point that students in American colleges put so much emphasis on

study that many miss out on the other, arguably more important, aspects of being a student.

Students in Irish colleges and universities are able to spend time discovering more about themselves, and my Dad told me that he learned a lot in college, most of it outside of class.

It helps to think about it from an employer’s perspective. Say you have two candidates for a job: both went to good colleges and did similar degrees.

One of the students has a perfect 4.0 grade average and spent every minute of their college life in the library. The other person has a lower G.P.A. but they were involved in, say, the Swimming Club and the Media Society since their Freshman year and now in their final year they were the treasurer for the Drama Club. You know that the person with the perfect score would do the job well, but the other person has had such a broad experience while in college that they bring so much more than their degree to the table.

This is not to say that you cannot do well in school and take part in social activity, there are many people that disprove this, but they are the exception rather than the rule. It is difficult to balance all of these things, especially when you have three readings, two short essays and PowerPoint presentation to get through. The system really only allows for one activity other than college work.

The Talbot Building on the Boston University campus.

The Irish system really runs with a laissez-faire attitude to students, professors assign readings to students but if students don’t read them and leave their paper to the last minute, well that’s their problem. Instead of students being held by the hand

and guided through their workload, they are asked to plan out how and when they will do their work, allowing time to be a student and, maybe most importantly, take some time to just relax.

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Emigration Expo To Depature Longue AOIFE THOMAS After the emigration expo that took place at the RDS the weekend before last, the only place for the young and educated of today’s Irish society seems to be the departures lounge of Dublin airport.

Advertising influences appear to easily draw people to establish a life on the other side of the world; “Finish your American dream and get yourself a green card”, “Experience a life down under” and “Canada; the land of opportunity.”

These driving forces are more than enough to encourage the vulnerable populations of Ireland that there are greener fields on the other side. After twenty five minutes of opening on Saturday the RDS were forced to shut the gates after they quickly reached full capacity. Free visa assessments, travel insurance, immigration advice stations and many other facilities were available throughout the course of the exhibition.

On Monday the 5th of March it was announced that a second bailout for Ireland looking likely; it seems that funds are to run out by 2014 and there will be further difficulty regaining market access.

How much more evidence does one need to suggest that the only way out is to simply get out?

We, as students have spent thousands on our college courses and eventual degrees, dedicating huge amounts of time and motivation to our studies, only to come out at a loose end, with a

government telling us that to repay our college loans we will have to seek employment abroad. Our active population queue in their thousands to leave the country, while Fianna Fail wave goodbye!

In January of this year the finance minister, Michael Noonan, went so far as to say that for the droves of young people leaving Ireland emigration is simply a ‘lifestyle choice’, as “It’s a small island a lot of people want to get off.”When his remarks were met with controversy he claimed that he was commenting on one example of the reasons people chose to emigrate. However, many remained vigorous in their viewpoint that there should be no cause for young people leaving in the first place.

It is not a choice anymore; not a desire or a wonderful opportunity to travel abroad, it is now a necessity. Young people no longer see the benefits of a future in Ireland, the place which they call their home and where they are leaving behind family and friends.

It reminds me of the departing of the coffin ships during the great famine, only this time it is not the potatoes’ blight that is driving us away but a continuous lack of stability and promise from our government.

An elderly man was furious on Saturday at seeing the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis set up next door in the Shelbourne Hall; “They have a neck to be up there, 100 yards away, given the shite that they left behind them.” The man mistakenly thought the expo was also featuring jobs available in Ireland. He explained that his 35 year old son had left to find work after he lost his job as a construction manager, and he was visiting the expo in the hope that his son could come back.

The expo generated a lot of comment across the media in the past few days. Joe Duffy was met with a group of frustrated parents expressing their

The massive queue of people waiting to enter of Working Abroad Exposition in the RDS. anger at the Fianna Fail government for the damage that they have caused, witnessing their young, vulnerable yet well-educated sons and daughters leave Ireland for the hope of better welfare abroad.

The impact on this country of the amount of young people leaving is immense. One must understand that they are huge numbers of potential voters, immersed in a youthful and active population. I fail to understand how our economic circumstances are supposed to improve if active, skilled workers - those that we rely on most for government revenue - are emigrating in their thousands. It is gradually changing the

future generations of Ireland; it is inevitably tearing families apart and doing little to ameliorate our economic crisis. But is it the only way forward?

249 students dropped out of NUIM last semester and numbers are on the increase. Many students can no longer afford the expense of college, and with the rise in the cost of living and the darkening cloud of an unknown future hanging over our active population, emigrating seems like the only viable option. With 350,000 available jobs between now and 2020 in British Columbia being advertised, I will probably be one student amongst many that will not be returning to college in September.

MAGHNUS MONAGHAN

medical evidence what-so-ever.

It is interesting to note a recent trend of gender specific abortions in the UK. BBC News recently reported on a Department of Health inquiry which is investigating whether doctors are performing abortions based on a preference of the mother for a certain sex. This practice has been going on for some time in China and India where boys are considered more socially valuable. The result has been a huge imbalance in the boy/girl ratio in the population which is already becoming visible.

Abortion which is often touted as being a ‘women’s issue’ is in fact doing enormous damage to the female population.

Clare Daly’s bill is timely, following the government’s establishment of an expert group on abortion in response to a ruling from Europe that we must clarify our legislation on abortion.

Note that we must ‘clarify’ and not ‘legislate for.’ It is time for us to legislate in this area but it is important that we have the right type of legislation legislation which values the life of both mother and child, and which will maintain Ireland’s first rate standards of care for expectant mothers.

‘Mademoiselle’ Removed Is It Time For Ireland To From French Legislation Legislate The ‘X Case’?

GRAINNE HALLINAN Features Editor

Last month saw a victory for gender equality as women are no longer forced to reveal their marital status on Government documents in France. The out-dated term ‘mademoiselle’, referring to an unmarried woman, will be abolished from all new official paperwork and will simply be replaced by ‘madame’. The decision was made following pressure from women’s groups, which saw the term banned in Brittany and Normandy two months ago.

Along with ‘mademoiselle’, women will no longer be asked for their maiden name on forms, but their ‘family name’. France has been slow to catch up with much of the rest of the Western world as the term ‘Ms.’, which does not acknowledge any marital status, has been used for decades in Britain and America, while in Portugal, Denmark and Germany only the ‘madame’ form is used.

Asking someone to reveal their marital status on official documentation is simply an invasion of privacy. It is an outdated, hierarchical practice that determines a women’s status by whether she is married for not. There is no equivalent for men, either in French or in English. In France, the masculine equivalent ‘Damoiseau’, meaning

‘squire’, was abolished decades ago. In fact, the word ‘mademoiselle’ taken in its literal meaning comes from the term ‘oiselle’, which mean ‘virgin’ or ‘simpleton’. As cohabitation is on the rise and marriage holds less and less importance in society, it seems more irrelevant than ever to define someone by their decision to walk down the aisle - or not.

This move by the French government interestingly comes against the backdrop of the struggle of gay and lesbian men and women to obtain the right to marry. Some may argue that western women are simply taking for granted their right to marry by wanting to abolish any formal acknowledgement of it. However, I believe the removal of ‘mademoiselle’ is in fact another victory for equality. These redundant titles reveal yet another example of how marital status has been used to discriminate against people.

Some commentators have put this rejuvenation of feminism in France down to the fallout from the sex-scandal involving Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

After the alleged assault on the hotel chambermaid took place, more than forty feminist groups held what was widely considered the biggest conference on women’s rights in a decade.

Now, French feminist groups Osez la Féminisme (Dare Feminism) and Les Chiennes de Garde (Guard Dogs) are calling on companies and private organisations to follow the decision by removing the terms from their own official documentation, deeming the title to be unflattering and intrusive.

However small a step it may be, the removal of the term ‘mademoiselle’ is a victory for gender equality in France.

Several weeks ago Clare Daly, T.D. (United Left Alliance) tabled a bill which would allow for abortion services to be made available in Ireland.

Her call comes after many years of unwillingness from political parties to legislate on abortion, following the Supreme Court ruling in the ‘X Case’ which allowed for abortion to take place in circumstances where the life of the mother was in danger.

While at the time the ruling was not considered satisfactory by all groups with a vested interest, it has now become clear that it was mistaken in its judgement. Clearly the life of the mother is a priority over the course of a pregnancy; since in most cases if the mother dies so does the unborn child. However the ruling requires some qualification.

The term ‘abortion’ in normal usage refers to the intentional killing of an unborn child.

The only purpose is to kill the child. There may be circumstances where over the course of the pregnancy the mother becomes ill and requires treatment which could damage the baby’s health or even lead to its death. Of course all efforts should be made to preserve both the life of the mother and the unborn child but this is not always possible. This event is NOT an abortion; it is a tragedy and is the standard practice in Ireland. Women are of course entitled to receive all necessary medical treatment while pregnant but an abortion (intentionally killing the child) is in no circumstances a necessary treatment. It was rather remarkable over the course of the ‘X case’ that the Supreme Court heard no

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Reality Television’s Unrealistic Reality

JAMES DUNNE

Reality television – a straightforward title for a straightforward concept, right? Does what it says on the tin. But how authentic is reality television? The guise of “reality TV” has pretty much been a late 20th Century/ 21st Century phenomenon, yet it has infiltrated public consciousness so profoundly that it’s hard to imagine a world free from it. The lives of the stars in our favourite shows have become obsessions to many, but exactly how real is their “reality”?

The origins of reality TV are more recent than you might think. Widely lauded as the original reality TV series, MTV’s “The Real World” began broadcasting in 1992, its main purpose being an original social experiment. The world was a completely different place then, much less intrusive and invasive than now. Only a mere two decades ago the internet didn’t exist, never mind the concept of reality TV. The idea of giving unprecedented access to the lives and relationships of 7 or 8 individuals from varying class, ethnicities and genders was the stuff of social experiments, not prime time television broadcasting. Yet the format, which attracted viewers through basic human curiosity (a polite way of saying we’re all nosey as hell), proved successful, and progressed from there.

I suppose for most Irish viewers, our first experience of reality television was Channel 4’s original broadcasting of Big Brother in 2000. The format was generally the same as MTV’s show, except that the contestants were kept completely isolated from the outside world. Hugely popular, the show allowed everyday viewers to observe, judge, cringe and laugh at other human beings from the comfort of their armchair (it’s a bit weird when you put it like that).

So, from such a fresh and original concept, what has reality television morphed in to? Those of you who haven’t been living under a rock for the last decade don’t need me to point out that giving today’s programmes the title “social experiments” would be a laughable. The world of reality T.V has got increasingly louder, brasher and more in your face. Big brother itself progressively got worse and worse each year as (surprise surprise) contestants realised the benefits of appearing on the show.

Entering the Big Brother house became more of a career move than genuine participation, destroying the integrity of the show, and definitely giving rise to the title “Z List Celebrity”.

In mentioning the failing integrity of a reality TV show, you can’t avoid mentioning what I like to call the Holy Trinity of the new, unashamed face of realty television; Jersey Shore, Geordie Shore and (the cringiest in my opinion), Tallafornia. I don’t think human beings have ever acted in those ways without cameras on them.... I think the apes we descended from didn’t even act in those ways.

Abrakebabra at 3am on a Thursday night couldn’t hold a candle to the levels of public embarrassment members of these shows subject themselves to.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll happily admit to following the exploits of these characters with real interest (Mike “The Situation” has always been a firm favourite, but Cormac from Tallafornia is a force of pure awkwardness to be reckoned with).

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have at least a passing interest in these shows and didn’t have at least some notion of the ongoing storylines. They’re a guilty pleasure, and if there are people out there willing to make a fool of themselves on a global scale for my entertainment, you won’t see me stopping them. I’m like any other human being, I love laughing at the idiocy of others.

Oh, Damn You, You (Possibly) Cruel Word!

REBECCA LYONS If I told you I had stolen a few of my flatmate’s teabags, would you think less of me? How about if I told you that my money fell into the canal by the train station, and that’s why I had none to buy teabags, therefore I had to steal theirs? How about now? Would you blame me?

Well, that’s the way our minds might work, or should, according to an article in The Irish Times not so long ago. In it, the Emeritus Professor of the Biochemistry Department at UCC (AKA more educated than me) argued that we have two ways of thinking; emotionally, and logically. In the above situation, you should be more inclined to pardon me because my money fell in the water. But if I hadn’t told you about that accident, would you have reacted differently?

That’s the thing. Morality is complicated. It’s further confused by the thought that the universe may have had something to do with it. That’s right. The universe drowned my money. I am not to blame for my act of theft. It’s not my fault I nicked their stuff. I am the victim here, doomed by a vicious Fate to steal teabags eternally. Guilt is pointless. But, if you believe that I took the Barry’s (yes, Barry’s, nothing else will do) in a universe that

Lots and lots of tea bags. does not interfere with my actions, then I would need to apologise, because the theft was a choice.

I chose the forbidden beverage. I have only myself to blame.

Blame. We don’t talk about it much. Say you missed a lecture because you were still drunk from the night before. How do you rationalise it later?

Do you own up to the fact you didn’t ever plan on going? Or do you reason that it was a friend’s 21st the previous night and you had to be there? Well?

Is it your fault you can’t get the slides on Moodle the next day? And do we all do this? Because, let’s face it, that other version of the truth is kind of unflattering. In a non-fate determined world you’re just drunk, and I’m a thief. It wasn’t anyone else’s’ choice. It was yours.

This is a terribly stupid article, which is kind of the point. Nobody really cares about these decisions, and in the end they make no difference.

But if it was serious, about stealing lives and not tea, skipping funerals and not lectures, then the whole thing would be very different. I leave you with a final question.

Would you condemn a girl for a few stolen teabags?

I don’t really care. Next time, I’m buying coffee.

The cast of the popular Jersey Shore reality TV programme.

Retaining the title of “Reality TV” for these shows is a bit misleading though. Let’s be honest, if half the situations (excuse the pun) that occurred in these character’s lives happened to any normal person in reality, they’d think they were being filmed secretly for some wind-up show. And isn’t that what’s essentially happening really? The reality

of the characters on modern “reality shows” is a manufactured one, a reality designed to draw an audience. And as hilarious as this often proves to be, “Reality TV” has ironically lost touch with reality.

Obesity: The Big, Big Elephant In The Room DARRAGH FLEMING

Sitting on the bus this morning was a man who was so exceedingly obese that he took up two seats.

I felt myself become angry and began to ask who was responsible for his massive weight. Was it him? Why do we have this tendency to over feed and to overeat? It’s something that is never really addressed, and when it is, it’s either too late or the person doesn’t think they have a problem.

When a person becomes morbidly obese, a number of things happen. They put increased pressure on virtually every one of their organs, they put pressure on their skeleton, they put pressure on the government and, most importantly, a morbidly obese person is the most difficult patient to treat in any hospital situation, especially surgery.

Parents are also in the equation, and they should be. While in secondary school, I took part in a debate entitled ‘This house (the government and state) would remove morbidly obese children from the care of their parents’. How do we change this part of our society? How do we get kids out of their bedroom and off their game consoles? Should we remove them from the care of their parents until such a time that the child is deemed healthy? Other suggestions that came up in the debate I mentioned were: the set up of exercise camps, the abolition of fatty foods in and around schools and regular checkups on the situation.

There will, undoubtedly be people who disagree with this on the basis that the country doesn’t have enough money to fund this, but this is immediately invalidated when we realise that the welfare of our children far outweighs the cost. Increased physical

Fast food has obvious connections with obesity. education classes, extra credit, increased focus on sports and team activities are just a few ways that this can be achieved.

It would benefit us in so many ways. The most obvious is that there would be much less pressure put on the health service to treat obesity and the related health problems, but we would also see a dramatic shift towards a sector of our society, being the young people, exercising, becoming fitter and becoming healthier.

The only way we’re ever going to make the step from obesity to healthy is by taking action, not by sitting behind someone on the bus and writing an article giving out about his culture. A recent survey, conducted by irishhealth.com revealed that just 26% of people knew that excessive weight caused diabetes. Education seems to be the key to this change, and we need people to realise that being excessively overweight is not ok, and is not something that can continue in society.

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Our National Pride Versus Pragmatism CONOR O’BRIEN News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

Last week we saw much surprise in the Dail with the announcement that the Irish people would indeed be given the right to vote on the EU’s proposed fiscal treaty, which would see tougher budgeting rules implemented for all member states in an attempt to avert a repeat of the current Greek fiasco any time in the future. For the third time in less than two decades, Ireland’s constitution forever a problem for eurocrats seeking to pass laws without being held to account - entitles our people to make choices which could impact the entire continent, and potentially pave the way for a future European super-state.

The news of an impending treaty should - given the EU’s track record in this regard - be taken with a helping of salt; twice now, the Irish people have learned that any vote of theirs that proves inconvenient to Europe’s ruling elite is redone until they get it right, causing us to rightly ponder the changing nature of democracy in an increasingly integrated Europe.

Pro-EU sentiment in Ireland has lulled as of late, although the country has yet to see the emergence of an anti-EU political entity such as UKIP in Britain or the Freedom Part in the Netherlands, forged out of, among other things, a

growing discontent with the Euro project among everyday Europeans, with low turnouts for MEP elections and the obvious lack of a common culture transcending traditional borders leaving many disenfranchised with the direction in which the continent is heading. Eurosceptics on these shores meanwhile might well be less than enamoured with the latest treaty, which would involve sacrificing a substantial portion of our sovereignty.

Not surprisingly, Sinn Fein has been quick to take helm of the anti-Treaty faction, with the coalition and Fianna Fail advocating the changes which they see as vital for Ireland’s continued economic survival. Ergo, the outcome of this treaty could prove not only a breaking point in Ireland’s relationship with Europe but also a watershed moment on our indigenous political landscape.

Should Sinn Fein prove to be Ireland’s answer to the anti-EU parties now springing up in other member states, the party would be well placed to capitalise on the growing eurosceptic segment of the Irish electorate to add to its already impressive stake in latest opinion polls. If the treaty is rejected by referendum, it could herald a wider shift in popular opinion away from the pro-Europe stance of the ruling Fine Gael-Labour axis, which would weaken support for the government and leave a re-galvonized Sinn Fein well placed to build for the next general election.

Labour’s Eamon Gilmore has been quick to point out that this referendum is a once and for all affair, with no possibilities for ratifications on the table.

Supporters of a yes vote advocate that a rejection of the treaty would see Ireland deprived of urgently needed funding in the future, which given the fragile state of our finances, could be as catastrophic as denying a diabetic of insulin. Cynics might conclude that our elected officials have consistently

The people of Ireand will be asked to vote on the EU’s new proposed fiscal treaty. shown since independence that they simply cannot be trusted not to run the economy to ruin, and that a yes vote would put a halt to the boom-bust cycle currently afflicting our economy.

This, however, would come at the cost of sacrificing an essential element of our autonomy by imposing tight budgeting restrictions in an attempt to keep debt in check. Affording such authority to

Europe paves the way for similar treaties to further strip us of our sovereignty.

A tough choice awaits the Irish people, with pride pitted against pragmatism in a referendum with the potential to have radical ramifications, regardless of the result.

The Shadey Side Of The Sean Sherlock: “Bitching Kony 2012 Campaign About Copyright”..?

FEARGAL Ó CLÉIRIGH Under ordinary circumstances, I would be thrilled to find so many people enflamed about injustice in our world, but instead, the Kony 2012 campaign has left me deeply disheartened.

Like many, I became aware of the Kony 2012 campaign and the crimes carried out by the man through a short documentary which recently went viral across social media. From the outset, I was slightly suspicious of this campaign. Friends had mentioned in passing that the group behind it had received much criticism. Even with only a cursory knowledge of the complex politics of the African continent and Uganda, I was perplexed as to why this particular issue was garnering so much attention, and why now?

As I watched Joseph Kony’s malevolent face begin to dominate my Facebook newsfeed, I decided to investigate the matter for myself. It wasn’t long before I came across information on Invisible Children, the activist group which produced the documentary, which confirmed my unease. The group, which is registered as a notfor-profit organisation, spent $8,676,614 in 2011.

32% of this was spent on direct services while the rest went towards salaries and expenses. But there’s

more to the malignant nature of Invisible Children.

The organisation is in favour of direct military intervention into the country, while also supporting the Ugandan government’s army and various different militias. These same government forces have been the subject of many accusations of rape and looting, similarly to the conduct of Kony and his group, the LRA. This information in itself would have placed me firmly against Invisible Children, but there is also a level of absurdity to their campaign. At present, the LRA is largely defunct with only about 400 members, and Joseph Kony hasn’t been in Uganda since 2006.

One of the most disheartening things about the Kony 2012 campaign is how natural the call for military intervention began among its supporters. Many are ignorant to the violent history of US intervention in the continent. Like the 1961, CIA sponsored assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first legally elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and his replacement with the dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.

But despite being naive, calls for intervention, are out-dated. Obama announced he was sending Special Forces into Uganda, in October 2011. The Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has received $45 million in military “aid” from the US. The intervention has already begun.

EOGHAN DUNNE

“There is no point in students bitching about copyright”, comes the voice of Minister Sean Sherlock down the phone. I managed to snag a quick interview with the under-fire TD a few days ago. To his eternal credit, he agreed to speak with me concerning the controversial “Irish SOPA” which he signed into law earlier this month, despite over 80,000 people signing an online petition calling for him to reconsider. I could write an article lambasting him, calling him every name under the sun - which he has already experienced eighty thousand times over – but I will try to be mostly impartial.

Was Sean Sherlock backed into a corner in bringing this amendment in? Considering that it came weeks after the record company EMI decided to take the Irish Government to court for not taking enough action against ISP’s that allow hosting of copyright breaching content, it certainly looks like it. The main aim, though, is always stated as “removing barriers to innovation” and closing a loophole that allowed EMI to sue UPC in 2010.

Sherlock expressed a desire to grow “new business models”, like that of Pledge Music, and Topspin Media.

Facebook is safe. You won’t get Twitter taken down if you post a link to an illegal download. It may seem obvious, but a disproportionate action like that would be illegal under Irish and EU law.

Now about us “bitching”, Sherlock suggests that students contribute to the online consultations on a new copyright law review by taking their 86 question survey, contacting them through the

Sean Sherlock TD. Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website, and by reading the consultation paper of 140 pages, as he remarks that people nowadays are “more used to dealing with 140 characters.” While I believe he is right that complaining about copyright legislation that allows copyright holders to seek injunctions against ISP’s from an armchair does nothing productive, I also believe that to ignore an 80,000 strong petition, hundreds of calls, texts and emails from concerned members of the public is not productive either. When I say “ignore”, I mean he did not take them into consideration, Sherlock is known to be incredibly good at replying to people.

Sherlock stands by his amendment to Irish copyright law. He is not swayed at all, and of course my little phone call did nothing to change his mind, either. The law, however safe it may purportedly be, is open ended. There is room for doubt. I am no lawyer though, just a concerned citizen trying to do a little more than tweet angrily from an armchair.

Sherlock said he would agree to come to NUI Maynooth and discuss this with the students, and I look forward to his arrival. Read the consultation paper. Bring him here.

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

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New iPad? We’ve Seen It All Before DEAN FISK There have been whisperings that since Steve Jobs’ death, Apple would ‘drop the ball’, so to speak, and slide down the stock markets in a similar fashion to when the co-founder first left the company in the late 80’s. The first real test of the continued strength of the most valuable company in the world, was their now anual unveiling of a “new” iPad. As march 7th rolled around, the anticipation and rumour mill had built up a sufficient storm surrounding this “new” iPad. Throughout the years, particularly in the latter 10, Apple have become known for their process of innovation, followed by a continued evolution, to help keep them above the competition. This continued process of evolution does still not deter those apple enthusiasts from hoping and rumouring what their fabled company are going to whip out next.

This evolutionary process was confirmed much to a mixed release of bated breath from those in the room of the keynote speech of new Apple CEO, Tim Cook. The “new” iPad is both something revolutionary, and evolutionary. It features an almost identical form factor that graced our hands

previously with the iPad 2, however, it now features the ‘Retina Display’ that the iPhone 4(s) already has, and an A5x processor along with quad -core graphics. This is another evolutionary step in the Apple process of continually making their products greater than that of the competition.

There is however, an air of disappointment surrounding apple. Yes, the upgrades are fantastic, and keep their devices so far ahead of the competition but there is a feeling that something is still lacking from the device, as Apple aim to bridge the gap between tablet and computer. There is no doubt that the device will sell well, as proved with the previous installment of the iPad, but the drop of the number from the title along with an introduction of this, “new” tag, seems pointless, and its similar form factor leaves a lot to be desired.

Tim Cook and his Apple cohorts are clever at marketing such a product. Apple have a long history of leaving their devices lacking in basic functionality and behind other devices in their genre. Apple have once again shown consumers a slightly upgraded product as the previous year, yet the capabilities of their marketing department will prevail over consumer sense.

Overall the “new”iPad itself is still outstanding, and with its unmatched ‘retina display’ it will keep those Apple fans happy, however, there are a lot of “new” titles in Apple at the moment, and you cannot help that there is a growing feeling that we’ve seen it all before.

Is the “new” iPad really worth all the hype?

CNN Expaned Online 48 Network Launches Presence Via Mashable For Those Aged 18 - 22 MSUGHTER IWAR

SHANE KIERNAN

In the web-based social media age we live in, the competition between news networks has a new battleground, which is the Internet. In this light, the report that technology news service, Mashable is to be acquired by CNN comes as no surprise.

However, the genesis of this company that is now valued at about $200m (£128m) is an interesting one because of how it fits the theme of most of the web-age companies à la Facebook, Tumblr etc that have been given birth to by the internet.

Peter Cashmore, once dubbed the ‘Brad Pitt of the blogoshpere’, launched Mashable from his room in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, in 2005 when he was just 19 in a bid to escape the boredom of his studies.

The website was initially focused on documenting the rise of the social web giants, Facebook and YouTube. However, seven years later and the 26 year old Peter Cashmore oversees a news service that offers news related to both start-up services and established companies in the fastest evolving internet sector. It has a monthly traffic of about 20 million unique visitors and a twitter page that has racked up 2.7 million twitter followers.

If this $200m deal comes through, the New York based company will join the growing list of smaller news services being acquired by the media juggernauts. Just last year, AOL bought the

In an interesting turn of events in the mobile technology world, a new network named 48 has been set up to exclusively cater for the mobile needs of young people aged 18 to 22, hence the 48 months you spend being that age. The other clinching detail is that the monthly membership only costs €10 to have calls and texts to any network. In general, the idea seems quite ingenious, but there are a few queries that I am sure that I am not only thinking of; are there any extra/hidden charges?

How does the phone/SIM compatibility work out?

Are there data plans for people who like to roam on their phone?

After doing a small amount of research, I discovered that there does not seem to be any extra or hidden charges to the €10 monthly top-up fee, which makes the network all-the-more lucrative to those of us without that much money. Secondly, the phone/SIM compatibility is based on whether or not your phone is locked to a network, which in most cases it indeed would be. To get around this little hiccup, you yourself would have to call up your network provider and ask to have the phone unlocked, which for someone between the ages of 18 and 22 seems like a serious amount of effort.

Technology Editor @shanezor101

The Mashable.com logo. popular news and lifestyle website Huffington Post for a reported $315m (£201m). AOL has a strong record of purchasing companies to bolster their online content business. They purchased the news site TechCrunch in 2010 for about $40m (£26m) and five years later they did the same with the acquisition of gadget blog, Engadget as part of a deal that cost about $25m (£16m). CNN, which is owned by Time-Warner Inc have been trying to expand its digital business to compete more effectively in the web-based social media age to compete with businesses like AOL. Last August, they bought Zite, an iPad news application that provides a personalized magazine-like experience, for up to $25m (£16).

Most social media experts feel this is a positive move for CNN because it could lead to the methods behind Mashable being adopted by CNN so as to deliver their stories in new ways and reach large audiences in the growing social media ecosystem most of us inhabit now.

Promotional imagery for the 48 network.

Lastly, there are data plans which seem very iffy and changeable; the source I used stated that there are hourly plans that you can pay for, or weekly plans for €2 for 500mb of data. On the whole, these terms seem quite lenient for such a cheap network.

My only concern is the whole idea of it, which I do think is good, yet how can people prove they’re in the age demographic; I’ve just signed up out of curiosity and there was absolutely nothing in the online for about age detail. I guess I’ll just have to wait until I receive my SIM card...

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

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A Golden Age of Irish Rugby Looms?

SAM HOLT

When Ireland took on Wales at the Aviva Stadium last month, one particular statistic immediately stood out; the age of the Welsh squad.

Six members of the starting XV have played U20 rugby sometime in the last 4 years. Another three of the seven replacements also fell into that category.

Not only this, but left winger George North is still eligible to play at U20 level. Did he or any of the other youngsters look out of their depth? Not a bit.

North had a superb game, combining astonishing raw power and pace with the subtlety of Sonny Bill Williams. Another youngster, Sam Warburton, was Welsh captain, while Leigh Halfpenny, who also falls into the ‘youngster’ category, kicked the winning penalty in a high pressure situation. He was ice cool under pressure. No surprise really.

He was a Lion 3 years ago, despite just turning 23 back in December. Oh yeah, one last thing. Wales won 23-21. And they thoroughly deserved to win. The circumstances that ultimately won them the game were lucky, but the better team on the day won. This didn’t happen by accident either.

Wales have invested in their young players. Coach Warren Gatland has given these young players an opportunity to showcase their talent, and they have rewarded his faith in them.

For this, Gatland deserves a huge amount of credit. It’s certainly a risk to throw young players into the test arena, but these players have gradually turned potential into genuine quality. Ireland had three players on their match day 22 who were recent underage internationals, one starting and two on the bench. However, one of these players, David Kearney, was only drafted in at the last minute due to Keith Earls withdrawal for personal reasons. Take a look at the World Cup as another example. Wales

reached the semi finals, playing an entertaining brand of rugby. Their inexperience was never really an issue. Ironically, they defeated Ireland in the quarter finals, and to be honest, they rarely ever looked like losing. This was despite Ireland having their golden generation on the field, full of Heineken Cup winning players. Yet, the pressure got to Ireland. Tactics were certainly an issue, and Wales were spot on. But it takes a talented group of young players to execute a game plan as effectively as the Welsh did that day in Wellington. Speaking of the World Cup, Australia are another example of giving youth its chance. They finished third at the World Cup, despite having one of the youngest squads in the tournament. And they have produced some precociously talented young players like Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and David Pocock, who can all claim to be among the best in the world in their given positions.

Yes, it is easy to tell Declan Kidney to throw in the youngsters and give them a chance. The talent has to be there. But I believe it is. Our U20’s play Wales every year in the Six Nations, and we regularly beat them. So if young Welsh talent can make the transition to the full international stage, why can’t the Irish talent?

With nearly four years to go until the next World Cup in 2015 in England, Kidney has the opportunity to blood new players and build towards the tournament. Wales and Australia have both done it in the last few years, and it has born fruit, and will continue to do so. An investment in youth is a sound investment. What is key is that any young players are afforded a genuine chance. It is a path that can be strewn with banana skins. Defeats may come, but that is the best way for a young player to learn his rugby at the highest level. It is a process that will require patience. But will the IRFU

Irish scrum half Conor Murray. afford Kidney such patience if results go against Ireland? Possibly not, and that may be an issue.

Conor Murray is a prime example of why youth deserves it chance. This time last year, most people had no idea who he was, and he was playing the majority of his rugby in the AIL with Garryowen.

But an injury to Tomas O’Leary have him a chance with Munster, and funnily enough, he turned out to be quite good. A year on, he is now Ireland’s first choice scrum half, and has been mentioned as a potential Lion for 2013. Other players have certainly stepped up this season when required, Peter O’Mahony (now an international) and Simon Zebo at Munster spring to mind. Zebo’s finishing and pace has marked him out as huge prospect.

Leinster and Ulster too are full of talented young players like Andrew Conway, Rhys Ruddock, Nevin Spence and Craig Gilroy to name but a

few. Connacht too have massive potential, having won this year’s U20 interprovincial championship, ending Leinster’s strangle hold on the title. Eoin Griffin and Tiernan O’Halloran are two players to watch out for in the coming seasons for Connacht.

Ultimately, Declan Kidney has a decision to make. Does he continue to be conservative in his selections, working on a year to year basis, or does he give youth an opportunity and put in place a three year programme, with the 2015 World Cup in mind? This may mean sacrificing potential grand slams and triple crowns, but I think we would all afford Ireland the patience required if it means bringing home the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2015. Now is the time to bring in the next crop of youngsters and lay the foundations for our next golden generation.

Tommy Bowe Set To Ulsterman McIlroy Return To Ulster Rugby Claims Golf ’s Top Spot SHAUNA LOUISE KELLY

AINE McMANUS

Irish rugby international Tommy Bowe will be going back to his roots this summer following a move from Welsh team Ospreys to Ulster announced last week. Bowe, who joined Swanseabased Ospreys back in 2008, says he is delighted to be moving back to the team he dreamt of playing for as a child. In an interview with the Irish Times, he said that “the vibe at Ulster is undeniably positive. I’ve been training and playing with some of the Ulster boys during the Six Nations and there is a real energy and sense of anticipation as to what lies ahead for this Ulster team.” He previously played for Ulster for four years, after breaking through to the senior squad towards the end of the 03/04 season.

Although the winger’s contract was terminated with a year still left to run, Ospreys chief operations officer, Andrew Hore, has emphatically denied rumours that the switch was acrimonious. “He has never been anything less than a great servant to the Ospreys and we are sorry to see him leave […]

Tommy is a proud Irishman who wants to represent his country to the best of his ability, which means attending all IRFU commercial and rugby events

Rory Mc Ilroy reached world number 1 after winning The Honda Classic at Palm Beach in Florida, becoming the first Irishman to do so. The impressive Antrim native finished 2 shots clear his closest competitors. He has ended Luke Donald’s nine-month reign at the top of the rankings with a final score of 12 under on the day.

Although Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood played rounds that could have won on another day, Mc Ilroy was up to the task of seeing them off for the title. After a bad start to the final day, former world number one Woods shot an astounding 62 to get him back in the race with an 8 under par. An on par finish was enough to seal the victory for Mc Ilroy in the end.

It seems the 22 year old has come a long way since The Masters last year when he experienced a total meltdown in the final round. He has proved many people wrong by not letting The Masters affect his game in any great way. Mc Ilroy has dreamt of reaching the top of the rankings for years, and that he always wanted to be world number 1.

He has said the outcome of this tournament is ‘very special’ to him.

His parents were on hand to witness his victory,

@YourTextHere

Tommy Bowe playing for the Irish rugby squad. throughout the season. With this in mind, all parties are in total agreement that the best place for him to be playing his rugby is at home in Ireland hence us coming to this joint agreement.”

Bowe has won a number of awards for his match performances in recent years, including being named the Player of the Championship in the 2010 Six Nations. He has scored 25 tries in 47 matches since his debut for Ireland in 2004. His time in Swansea hugely increased his international reputation with many teams vying for his signature, including two-time Heineken Cup winners Munster.

World number 1 golfer Rory McIlroy. however girlfriend and professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was not present. She sent her congratulations via Twitter from New York. Rory also showed his tennis skills after his win in Florida when he briefly joined Wozniacki on court at an exhibition match against Maria Sharapova.

The next major task he faces is The Master’s in Augusta where he needs to put his demons from last year’s performance to rest. The big question on Ireland’s mind however is whom Mc Ilroy will play for in the London Olympics? He has played under the golfing union of Ireland all his life, however he does hold a British passport.

Mc Ilroy is the second youngest world No. 1 ever after Tiger Woods, and is keeping in line with recent trends of European’s topping the rankings list. Rory is only one year older than Woods was when he reached number one, and many would argue he is hot on Tigers tracks with the standard of golf he is playing.

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

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Juventus’ Andrea “Pearl-O” Pirlo CILLIAN SHIELDS @pile_of_eggs

Andrea Pirlo enjoyed ten glorious years at AC Milan, winning two Scudetti and two Champions League winners medals during his time there.

Last summer, in somewhat of a surprising move, Pirlo left the Rossoneri to join rivals Juventus. The Bianconeri have suffered a torrid last few seasons and Pirlo was the exact thing they needed to get themselves back on track, and he’s doing just that for his new club.

Pirlo is often referred to as the “quarterback” of the team. In American football, the quarterback is the player on offense that dictates their entire way of playing. Almost all attacks that the Old Lady make are done through Pirlo; he gets the ball in a deep-lying midfield playmaker position, picks the right pass to make, and executes it in ways that other players simply can’t do. Pirlo’s contribution to the team has been outstanding this year, as Juve currently lie in second place in the league, three points behind champions AC Milan, with a game in hand on the Diavolo.

Last summer Juventus once again made wholesale changes to their playing squad, bringing in lots of new, expensive talent and getting rid of those that didn’t feature in their plans for the future. Amongst the new arrivers were Alessandro

Matri (€15.5 million, from Cagliari,) Mirko Vucinic (€15 million, from Roma,) and Marco Motta (€3.75 million, Udinese.) However the single most important and most valuable signing they made came in the form of a free transfer of the 32-yearold World Cup winner.

Pirlo played an important part in Max Allegri’s title winning AC Milan side the previous season, despite being plagued by injury for a lot of it. The one league goal that he scored came in a 0-1 away win to Parma, and was easily one of the goals of the season. Allegri changed the essence of the way Milan’s midfield played football. He introduced a faster, more energetic style of play that worked perfectly, as he won the league in his first season in charge. Feeling that his chances of playing would be limited with this, Pirlo decided to leave the club he had been with for ten years.

His genius and creativity was signed up by Juventus. Last season, the Bianconeri had failed to even qualify for a Europa League place, ultimately finishing 7th, whereas so far this year, with Pirlo conducting their midfield, they are unbeaten and closely contesting a two-way race for the title. He is the gem of the side who has made the good season that they are having possible.

Really highlighting the importance of Andrea Pirlo in his teams, it has been evident numerous times this year that Milan were greatly missing a player like him. In the derby defeat to Inter, Milan dominated the possession stats, but were never able to break Inter’s defence down and score. They threatened to, but once the creativity they employed wasn’t working, it looked as if Milan panicked about the situation and didn’t know what else to do. Had Pirlo been in the Milan midfield that day, his job, as he so often perfectly does, would have been to unlock that Inter defense, in a way that only he can.

Andrea Pirlo playing for Juventus.

Against Juventus this season too, AC Milan have somewhat struggled when it came to creating clearcut opportunities. Milan are a very good team going forward – Ibra, Robinho, Pato, Boateng, Seedorf, Aquilani, Nocerino and to slightly lesser extents El Shaarawy, López and Emanuelson gives them plenty of firepower that would have most defenders in world football trembling. They are the leading scorers in the league so far, with 53 – nine goals

ahead of Napoli who have scored 44. But when faced with stern defences not giving anything up, they can fail, and have already this year, in losses to Juve, Inter, Napoli and Lazio.

If Andrea Pirlo wins his second league title in a row, with a new club, remains to be seen. Juventus could well win their first (recognised) title since 2003, and if they do, they will owe a lot of thanks to Andrea.

Lukas Podolski Set To Chelsea Seeking A New Make Move To Anfield? Manager... Once Again DARA FOLAN

CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

Unconfirmed sources say that German international Lukas Podolski will be making a move to the Emirates in the next few weeks. The 26-yearold is currently playing for his hometown team of Cologne, where this season he scored almost half the team’s goal tally.

There have been fears that he is being brought in to replace the imminent departure of Robert Van Persie. In the wake of last summer’s flight of Arsenal players to Manchester City, Wenger has sworn that Van Persie will not leave the club, especially not to go to Eastlands.

Podolski is a somewhat similar player to Van Persie, with his pace, field vision and striking ability terrorising defenses, but that kind of player may just be able to slot into the Arsenal attacking unit.

For Cologne he worked as a lone striker, picking up whatever scraps the team’s struggling midfield could get to him, but he is best known for his work on the wing with Germany. He is just as comfortable holding up the ball and linking up with other strikers as he is with smashing left-footed shots from distance.

German international Luka Podolski.

The Polish-born star could be what Arsenal, and Van Persie need coming into next season.

This season Van Persie has scored 24 goals in the premier league out of the club’s 55, showing their over reliance on the injury-prone 28 year old.

Podolski could work well with the Dutchman, and there’s no doubt that Wenger would like to see the two share the goals between them.

However there is some worry about Podolski, playing with Cologne, he was playing at a lower standard and was the standout player, but when he had a brief spell with German giants Bayern Munich, he failed to impress and returned to Cologne in 2009. Podolski’s record of 43 goals in 95 appearances for Germany is something that Wenger will hope ‘Poldi’ can bring to The Gunners.

The usual question about Continental players coming to the big, bad Premier League is whether they can handle the physicality of it. This question can only be answered by Podolski himself, and we will just have to wait and see if he has the answer.

With Roman Abramovich once again exercising his itchy trigger finger, Chelsea have registered yet the latest victim on their long list of managerial fatalities. Andre Villas Boas, who just last year was emerging as Europe’s brightest young managerial prospect, is now unemployed, sacked and cut adrift from his Chelsea ‘project’ after just 9 months at the helm.

Villas Boas arrived at Chelsea after remarkable season in which he won the Portuguese Primeira Liga and Europa League in dynamic fashion, with a style and attacking flair closer in style to Barcelona than an archetypical Chelsea side. Villas Boas’ appointment therefore seemed a perfect foil for Abramovich’s long-term fixation for attacking football entertainment. However the tenure of AVB, for a variety of reasons, proved too short and sporadic to even impose his ideals on the club. Selection disputes, a fractured squad and inconsistent performances conspired to end his premature reign.

Defeats to Napoli and West Brom proved the critical blows, specifically the former given the precedence placed on European success. Despite his sudden sacking, he can take solace from the post-Chelsea careers of Ranieri, Mourinho and Ancelotti; a P45 from Chelsea is a paradoxically rewarding one and given the absolute nature of the chairman, it is widely considered a ‘free pass’ in the profession.

Abramovich’s ruthless and so far failed quest for European success draws parallels to the exploits of a classic Bond Villain; in his twisted vision for World

(European) domination, his impatience and thirst for power ultimately serve to undo him at the final hurdle. If Abramovich is akin to Scaramanga, he is yet to find his Knick Knack; a loyal servant who will do his bidding and agree to cede power and control to his overboss.

If he is indeed searching for this loyal subject who won’t take affront with his sometimes meddling ways, he is unlikely to find that in the current list of touted candidates. Jose Mourinho is a frontrunner for the post, and although he seems to retain an affinity to the club and to London, the acrimonious disputes and circumstances which led to his previous departure from Chelsea would render such a return a conflicting occurrence.

Given that he is currently in a good position professionally and aiming for his first La Liga and Champion’s League titles with Real Madrid, such a return appears unlikely.

Mourinho’s rival Pep Guardiola is another coveted potential candidate. However, at Barcelona the board grants him relative autonomy over his affairs and tends to abstain from interference in the transfer market, a luxury that can’t be guaranteed at Chelsea. The eventual successor to AVB will have to make serious personnel changes to overhaul a club that has never truly gotten over the Mourinho era. In its current administration, the running of the club is unsustainable and further knee-jerk dismissals will only hinder prospective domestic and European success.

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March 14th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 10

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The Miraculous Jack “Jabby” Jablonski MIKE CARROLL

Non-officiated fights, One hundred- forty kilometer/hour slap shots, and merciless open ice collisions. These are the characteristics that define the sport of American ice hockey and keep devoted fans tuning in week after week for a glimpse of the violent spectacle they have grown to love. Tragically however, for the town of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, these intense qualities quickly turned to tragedy when two defenders collided with Benilde-St. Margaret forward Jack “Jabby” Jablonski at the end of the boards and sent the young star tumbling to the unforgiving ice. The air was sucked out of the arena as hundreds of fans took to their feet and watched helplessly as paramedics scrambled over to where the accident took place and rushed the immobile player to the hospital. After several long hours with family, friends and teammates packing the waiting room, doctors at last broke the news to Jack that he would never be able to skate again.

This hit left sixteen-year-old Jack Jablonski with two broken vertebrae in his neck, and an unclear verdict regarding the extent to which he would ever be able to recover. In the days following the accident, Benilde-St.Margaret could do little more than spectate as the young man they watched learn to play the game of hockey now struggled to regain movement in his fingers. Yet in this time of utter catastrophe, the town rallied behind their fallen player, displaying their undying support to Jack and his family and making it clear that the doctors would not be the only ones helping the young man over what could only seem like an insurmountable obstacle. On

Minnesota’s National Hockey Day, banners and t-shirts proudly displaying Jack’s name and jersey number (13) flew high over the rink’s rafters at a game played in honor of the fallen star. In the month following the hit, the hospital phone rang off the hook with phone calls from players such as Canadian legend Wayne Gretzky and Boston Bruin’s captain Zdeno Chara, all wishing to speak to Jack and offer inspirational support during such a difficult time. As the proud owner of signed jerseys from nearly every NHL team and a “get well soon” card from musical sensation Taylor Swift, Jack now looks ahead to the future knowing that his arduous journey will not be one that he needs to brave on his own.

This unbelievable level of community support has helped Jack in ways his family, and even the doctors, could not have ever imagined possible.

From the start of his recovery in the beginning of this year, Jack retained feeling and movement in both of his arms after less than two weeks of treatment, a landmark originally deemed a long-term and potentially implausible goal for the young athlete. After two months of treatment, he continues to push the limits of his body’s threshold, refusing to quit until he’s reached his daily goal.

Despite the severe nature of his injury, Jack remains hopeful that his speedy progress provides hope for overcoming future hurdles he never thought he’d encounter.

On February 29th, with their season lying in the balance, the Red Knights of Benilde-St. Margaret entered the rink for the Minnesota State SemiFinals with a single goal in mind: “win this one for

Jabby.” Prior to the game, the players dedicated the game to the fallen player and took the ice to honor the teammate who wouldn’t be skating alongside them. In his first trip outside of the hospital walls in two months, Jack was led to a box suite at ice level where he was able to watch his team fight in his name for the right to play in the 2A Minnesota State Championship. Led by forward Jake O’Borsky who opened up the game with its first score and gave his team a power play goal late in the second period, the Red Knights took an early lead over Minnetonka and entered the third period ahead by a score of three to one. As the third and final period of regulation drew to a close, the Red Knights held onto their lead to win the sectional title and go on to play in the Minnesota State Finals. As Benilde-St. Margaret went to the red line to claim their sectional trophy, Jack Jablonski, carried by his family and teammates, accompanied his team to center ice. Not a single seat was filled as spectators from both sides took to their feet to honor the young athlete that gave everything he had to the sport that he loved. With cheers echoing throughout the rink, Jack was carried holding the trophy to the Benilde-St.Margaret student section, an image forever engraved in the memories of every person in Marriuci Arena that day. Tears glossed the eyes of friends and family alike as Jack was at last reunited with his team, carrying the trophy he had given everything for. It was two months exactly from the date of his accident, a date marked not by tragedy, but by Jack Jablonski’s heroic return to the ice.

“I don’t believe in miracles, I rely on them.”

Jack “Jabby” Jablonski.

These are the words quoted by Jack in the yearbook two years prior to his accident. Though his spirit has been tested by unimaginable difficulties, with the perpetual support of his family, friends, and unwavering sense of community, the limits of what this young athlete can accomplish truly know no bounds. A week after his return to the ice, the Red Knights went on to win the Minnesota 2A State Championship, and although Jack wasn’t present at the game, chants of “we love Jabb!” were still heard reverberating from the Benilde-St. Margaret stands.

It remains unclear if Jack will ever take to the ice again wearing his Red Knight’s Jersey, but his spirit and determination will forever inspire those who skate for Benilde-St. Margaret.

Liverpool Win But Some Bohemians Strike New Questions Still Remain DHL Sponsorship Deal CILLIAN SHIELDS

MARK DILLON “Gerrard wins the cup for Liverpool”. Hardly an unusual headline, but it was Anthony, not Steven Gerrard this time, as his penalty shoot-out miss meant Liverpool won their 8th League Cup. The mood emanating from the club after the win was ‘onwards and upwards’, but questions still remain over Kenny Dalglish’s project. For instance, their league form has been faltering at best. Building on a cup win by losing at home to Arsenal is not the kind of thing that will get Liverpool back in the Championship League.

That defeat was only one in a woeful run of form that has seen Liverpool win one league match since the beginning of 2012 (all stats as of March 8th).

Liverpool’s owner, John W. Henry, has stated that it would be “a major disappointment” were Liverpool not to qualify for the Champions League.

Yet, Liverpool languish in 7th place in the league, 10 points behind 4th place Arsenal and a whole 27 behind Manchester City, and not a word is spoken against Dalglish. That sort of league form is what got Rafa Benitez sacked. This form has been without the distraction of European football as well, something that seems to have been overlooked.

With Liverpool competing in the Europa League next season, how can they expect to qualify for the Champions League with all those draining midweek matches, when they couldn’t qualify without them?

@pile_of_eggs Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish.

There won’t be many fresh faces to achieve it either, with the Liverpool board unlikely to sanction any more expensive signings, having seen decidedly mixed results on that front so far.

There has been lots written about Andy Carroll, the man who cost £35m more than Demba Ba, but the rest of Dalglish’s signings have hardly set the world alight either. Stewart Downing cost £20m, and so far hasn’t contributed a goal or an assist in the Premier League. Luis Suarez cost £23m and did very well to begin with, but hasn’t been in the best of form this season, and has become a liability with some of his antics. Jordan Henderson cost £20m, and while he has plenty of time to prove himself, it does sometimes feel like that fee was inflated. It must be said that Craig Bellamy and Jose Enrique have done well, and Charlie Adam was worth the money, but Dalglish has spent a lot of money on players who may not get Liverpool that coveted 4th place in the near future. Though not highly regarded, the League Cup is still a good start for Liverpool if they want to return to the upper echelons of the English game. Whether it will happen anytime soon though, remains to be seen.

Bohemians have struck a deal with leading global courier service DHL as their primary sponsors for the 2012 season. The deal sees the DHL logo printed on Bohemians shirts, as was debuted in the Gypsies first home game of the season to Shelbourne.

Bohs had already played one league game (vs Derry away) and three Setanta Cup games (twice vs Portadown, once vs Crusaders away) without the DHL logo. For these games, the charity Lean On Me was printed on the shirts, as a form of free advertising for the depression support group.

Managing Director of DHL, Bernard McCarthy, explained in an interview with ExtraTime .ie’s Peter O’Doherty that the company was delighted to be getting involved with the League of Ireland club.

McCarthy expressed particular delight as he is a Finglas native himself, and was a “regular visitor to Dalymount Park in [his] younger days.”

Chris Brien, President of Bohemian FC, was naturally very happy with the deal. “We are delighted that a company with such high brand recognition has come on board as the club’s new title sponsor.”

The agreement comes at an excellent time for both parties, as the Phibsborough club has been struggling with their well-documented financial

Dalymount Park. troubles, but has also recently qualified for next season’s Europa League, due to Derry’s ineligibility.

The club being featured in European competition brings more of a spotlight on them and DHL as their sponsor.

The stylish new Bohs jersey depicting the DHL emblem made was first seen in the 2-0 home loss to Shelbourne. In the game, Bohemians were much the better side before Paddy Kavanagh’s wonder strike for The Reds against the run of play in the 20th minute. Philip Hughes was quickest to react to a Craig Sexton save to make it 2-0 in the second half, putting Shels in a decent position after two games.

After the game, Bohs boss Aaron Callaghan remarked that the first goal was the main difference between the sides. “The first goal changes everything. If we had gotten the first goal, we’d have put them on the back foot, but we didn’t. They did and they grew in confidence from it, and they obviously had something to hold on to and fight for.”