1. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 7
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
The Union of Students in
Ireland launched their General
Election manifesto outside the
Dáil today, which emphasises
the deciding impact young
people will have on the makeup
of the next government. The
manifesto focuses on areas
such as accommodation,
Higher Education Funding and
Repealing the 8th.
USI President, Kevin
Donoghue, stated that “The
32nd Dáil has the opportunity
to introduce real and lasting
change for our citizens. 100
years on from 1916 and we can
build an Ireland our children
and parents will be proud of”.
The USI are campaigning
for an Ireland where workers
are paid the living wage and
there is a right to full bodily
autonomy. Donoghue continued
to say that the Dáil will have an
opportunity to create an Ireland
where “every person is treated
with the dignity and respect
that they deserve”.
“Ireland has gone through
significant change in the last
five years. The impact of
harsh and brutal cuts must be
accepted and those responsible
must now ensure that it is our
most vulnerable who see the
fruits of our recovery. In the
past two years alone, USI has
registered 80,000 students to
vote. USI and Students’ Unions
will be making sure that
young people vote in the next
election”.
Former UCC Student and
current USI Deputy President,
Annie Hoey, agreed by
saying “Young people want
candidates and political parties
to demonstrate leadership that
befits the positions they seek
and to map out a clear path to a
strong, sustainable future”.
“Education from early years
to post-doctorate is not just
a right but key to economic
growth. A highly skilled and
well-educated workforce is a
benefit to everyone in Ireland.
The next Government should
seek to follow the example of
most of our EU partners and
introduce free, publicly-funded
education”.
(Article continues on page 3)
USI Launch Gen. Election Campaign
GENERAL ELECTION 2016: USI Officers Launch General Election Campaign Outside Dáil Eireann (PHOTO: Union of Students in Ireland)
Free Legal Aid
Service Launched
Pg. 5 - News
Teetotalism in
University
Pg. 6 - Features
Interview with
Fish Go Deep
BYLINE Magazine
2. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS
Inside Today:
Flood Investigation Page 4
Teetotalism in UCC Page 6
Travellers in Ireland Page 7
Top Fashion Blogs Page 10
In Memoriam Page 12
Sports in Brief Page 14
Editor-in-Chief: Brian Conmy
Deputy & News Editor: Zoë Cashman
Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahill
Features Editor: Deirdre Ferriter
Deputy Features Editor: Katie Jeffers
Sport Editor: Neil Willoughby
Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin
Designer: Robert O’Sullivan
Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave
Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling
Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong
Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown
Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson
Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Comics Editor: Dylan O Connell
Fashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain
Fashion Editor: Kenneth Nwaezeigwe
Editorial team
/UCCExpress
UCCExpress.ie
@UCCExpress
2 |
Letters from the Editors
F**k It
In Memoriam - Louise Clancy
More of these editorials have been about death
and generally unfortunate situations than I
imagined they would be when I took this role. I
kind of thought these editorials would generally
be filler pieces, little insights into my relatively
dull life. Instead I’m writing this piece about
12 hours after this issue was due to go to print
because almost everything that could go wrong
in the design/editing stage that could have gone
wrong, did go wrong. Following that then when
content was finalised again, David Bowie passed
away.
Those who knew me may be unsurprised to hear
I got picked on as a little queer kid for being
different. Not even different in any interesting
way, I preferred reading to soccer and had a lisp
for a number of years. That was enough though
to make me feel and generally be quite left
out of my, would be, peer group for years and
years. So obviously someone like Bowie was an
inspiration to me in some ways. While I got into
his music more recently than I care to admit his
striking eyes and surprising acting talent were
things I enjoyed in films like Labyrinth before
ever I discovered his music proper.
But now he’s gone. And that sucks. It’s an odd
reality of getting older that these people you’ll
never meet but appreciate or even worship in our
own quiet way will be leaving this mortal coil at
some time. Morosely we hope this is before we
pass but that’s not always the way. The reality
of this is more apparent than ever following the
untimely loss of a UCC student over the Christ-
mas period. Louise Clancy and her mother were
involved in a car accident and both tragically
lost their lives.
Louise has previously written for the Express
and was a member of the Journalism society, our
thoughts are with her family and friends. Even
though I didn’t know her I feel some small kin-
ship for caring about this tiny little publication
or this contextually little college environment
we collectively make up for our short time here.
There’s nothing I can say that makes either of
these losses less shitty to those affected. Some-
times all we can do is muddle through. So here’s
the first muddle of 2016, hopefully it’s the last.
Sadly UCC Express was made aware of the
passing away of a former writer for this paper,
Louise Clancy, over the Winter break. Louise,
aged 22, was an incredibly active member of the
UCC community, being a well-loved member
of the UCC Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy
& Anime, Journalism and Mythological Socie-
ties. Journalism was one of her main passions,
writing for the Express, Motley Magazine & her
own blog during her years in UCC.
Louise, who had been studying in Brighton as
part of her year of study abroad, had returned to
her north Cork home to celebrate Christmas with
her family. Sadly, when travelling to do some
Christmas shopping, the car she was in was
involved in an accident, and both Louise & her
mother Geraldine sadly passed away.
A constant inspiration to all around her, and
someone with a bright future in her chosen field,
Louise will be sorely missed by all who knew
her. The UCC Express would like to express our
sincerest condolences to Louise’s family, friends
& colleagues.
If you need support you can contact the UCC
Students’ Union Welfare Officer on 086 383
6794, UCC Counselling Service on 021 490
3565 and the Samaritans on 116 123.
Brian Conmy - Editor-in-Chief
Robert O’Sullivan - Designer
3. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016
A 38 percent rise in housing
prices means Cork is now one
of the most expensive places to
buy housing in Ireland. The av-
erage price of a house in Cork
city is now €227,000, which
marks a 38% increase on the
lowest point from early 2013.
Property prices have also in-
creased across the country, with
the average price of property
risen 20 percent to €172,000
from the same period in 2013.
Cork is now the second most
expensive place to purchase
housing; second to Dublin
where the average property
price is €306,613.
These figures were released as
part of a report from Daft.ie on
housing prices for the fourth
quarter of 2015. These figures
arrived just as Cork county
council announced plans for the
construction of tens of thou-
sands of new houses across the
county in the coming years to
accommodate the population
growth in many areas such
as Ballincollig, Carrigaline,
Carrigtwohill, Glanmire and
Ballyvolane.
In the planning preparation
for the municipal district area,
Cork County Council has
outlined its vision for the future
which includes the construction
of nine thousand new houses
needed in the Ballincollig-Car-
rigaline area; requiring over
347 hectares of land. The
construction of four thousand
homes is planned for Ballincol-
lig and 3,500 in Carrigaline
which will be divided over two
sections. A further 900 new
homes will be required for
Passage West and an additional
12,000 are also expected to be
needed in the Cobh area includ-
ing Glanmire and Ballyvolane.
The author of the Daft.ie report
and Trinity college economist,
Ronan Lyons, praised the
new mortgage rules; which
will mean that huge spikes in
property prices will unlikely be
experienced again. Mr. Lyons,
however, stressed that tough
reforms are still needed to fully
tackle the housing crisis in
Ireland but stated that “at least
there are encouraging signs that
policymakers understand not
only the nature of the problems
but also of the solution.” Mean-
while Chief economist Marian
Finnegan is predicting only
single digit inflation in 2016,
which may prevent further
housing spikes in the future.
USI has released new survey
information which shows that
93% of student nurses have
considered emigrating when
they finish college. Over 600
student nurses were surveyed
across the country and 564 said
they have thought about emi-
grating when they qualify.
USI President, Kevin
Donoghue, stated that:
“If the vast majority of
student nurses emigrate
Ireland once they qualify,
Ireland will be deporting
essential skills, talent and
finance”.
“It’s easy to see why so many
student nurses have considered
emigrating. A lot of those who
move to England to start their
careers have their flights, first
month’s accommodation and
postgraduate paid for”.
More than 1,000 nurses are set
to retire from the health service
by June. Irish Nurses and Mid-
wives Organisation General
Secretary, Liam Doran, spoke
about how the hospital over-
crowding situation is affected
by the amount of staff. Doran
went on to say that the INMO
wants extra beds to be opened
but the hospital does not have
adequate staff to deal with the
current beds and cannot open
new beds without additional
staff to service them.
“Many student nurses feel
a better life awaits them
abroad.”
“Countries with a huge
shortage of nurses such as
England, America and
Australia are actively recruiting
Irish nurses - some are even
offering them positions before
they’ve finished their final year.
If the Irish government fail
to educate and maintain their
health professionals, it risks
repeating the mistakes of the
1990s when past generations of
newly qualified nurses had no
option but to emigrate”.
| 3
USI General Election Campaign (cont.)
Cover Story - Continued
Cork Property Prices Rise to Second Highest In Ireland
93% of Student Nurses Considering Emigrating
Chris McCahill - Deputy News Editor
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
“Education from early years to post-doctorate is not just a right but key to eco-
nomic growth. A highly skilled and well-educated workforce is a benefit to every-
one in Ireland. The next Government should seek to follow the example of most
of our EU partners and introduce free, publicly-funded education”.
In their manifesto, USI urges the next Government to reject any proposal to
increase third-level fees and/or the introduction of an income-contingent loan
scheme. This proposed scheme fails to bring state and enterprise contributions to a
sustainable level. Income-contingent student loan schemes have failed to deliv-
er the promised efficiencies in Australia and the UK. Donoghue commented on
this, stating that “USI wants an education system that is free of both financial and
societal barriers. Failure to adequately invest in education is a failure to invest in
society”.
USI also focuses on repealing the 8th in the General Election Student manifesto,
and urges the next Government to commit to holding a referendum on repealing
the Eighth Amendment of Bunreacht na hÉireann. USI requests that the new
Government repeal the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 and replace
it with laws that ensure safe and legal access to abortion, at a minimum, in cases
of rape, incest, risk to health or severe and fatal foetal impairment. USI also urges
the next Government to repeal the Regulation of Information Act 1995 and any
related censorship laws.
Student accommodation is also a topic of the manifesto, as USI urge that the Gov-
ernment should prepare a short-term solution, such as the use of NAMA-owned
4. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS4 |
New Study on Overpopulation in Flood-prone Locations
European Research Project Launched to Promote
Preventive Dental Care
Zoë Cashman - News Editor
Siobhán Maire O’ Donnell - News Writer
New research by Dr. Tom
McDermott of the School
of Economics at UCC, with
colleagues from the London
School of Economics and Ox-
ford University, has examined
the exposure to urban flooding
worldwide and whether urban
populations respond to large
floods by moving to safer areas.
Extreme rainfall during the end
of 2015 has resulted in wide-
spread flooding across Ireland
and the UK. With the devasta-
tion set to cost the UK econo-
my as much as £3 billion, an
important policy question has
been posed: why are so many
people affected by flooding,
particularly in locations that are
repeatedly inundated.
These recent events are just
an example of a major glob-
al problem. Over the past 30
years, flooding worldwide
has killed more than 500,000
people and displaced over 650
million people. The problem is
likely to worsen as populations
increasingly concentrate in
urban areas vulnerable to such
conditions; and with climate
change causing more intense
rainfall episodes and rising sea
levels.
In this new study, McDermott
and his colleagues look at the
effects of more than 50 large
floods, which displaced at
least 100,000 people each, in
over 1,800 cities in 40 coun-
tries from 2003 to 2008. The
study finds that low-lying
urban areas are hit much more
often by large floods; and yet
these vulnerable locations also
concentrate a higher density of
economic activity. The low-ly-
ing areas of cities also sustain
more damage when hit by
floods, but they recover rapidly
and economic activity does not
move to safer locations.
So the question is why do
urban populations not move
to safer areas in response to
flooding? Part of the problem is
that many historical cities were
built in flood-prone locations
whose risks were once offset
by access to rivers and oceans.
Another reason is that private
developers can build on cheap
flood-prone land without bear-
ing the full cost of their actions
and, consequently, too many
people end up living in these
risky areas.
McDermott commented that
“As a society we appear to be
overly-exposed to flood risk -
there are various reasons why
developers and house builders
do not take full account of
flood risk when deciding where
to build. Rising sea levels and
more extreme rainfall as a
result of climate change will
lead to greater flood risk - more
frequent flooding of existing
flood-prone areas or an expan-
sion of areas at risk”.
The new study has been pub-
lished as part of a Working
Paper series at the Centre for
Economic Performance (CEP),
LSE. McDermott concluded by
saying “At a minimum, tighter
planning restrictions are re-
quired to prevent new building
on existing flood plains”.
University College Cork is
now commencing work on The
ADVOCATE Project (Added
Value or Oral Healthcare), a
new EU research project with
the aim of promoting the use of
oral health treatments that are
able to prevent diseases before
they occur. Dental treatment
costs an estimated €79bn a
year across the EU, yet these
diseases are almost entirely
preventable. The key word in
this initiative is prevention.
This 6 million euro study is
funded under the EU Horizon
2020 grant programme. The
project is led in Ireland by Dr
Noel Woods of the UCC School
of Business, while the overall
project is directed by the Uni-
versity of Leeds in conjunction
with the Academic Centre for
Dentistry Amsterdam and the
University of Hidelberg, in col-
laboration with NHS England,
universities and dental insurers
from across Europe.
The Irish Dental Association
recently revealed that 10,000
children under 15 are been
hospitalised every year for
dental extractions under gen-
eral anaesthetic which is five
times higher than the UK. The
research project will work to
change circumstances like this
by collecting data on the self
perceived oral health status of
Europeans in a representative
and comparable way.
The project follows Dr Noel
Woods successful HRB grant
on Cost Containment Measures
on Drug Prescribing. According
to Dr Woods, ADVOCATE was
one of the five projects chosen
by the EU from 107 applicants.
A great achievement in itself.
The project will have access
to the patient record databas-
es, of six European countries
including Ireland, Britain, The
Netherlands, Germany, Den-
mark and Hungary. In addition
to hearing the views of pro-
fessionals the project will also
consult with patients in the
participant countries to identify
their preferences and gain their
perspective on the dental care
they receive. Thus, what is new
about this project is that there
will be a huge increase in the
amount of information which
will, hopefully, develop new
models for safe and efficient
prevention and patient centred
health systems.
The study will look at all
aspects oral health according
to Professor Helen Whelton,
Dean of the School of Dentistry
in Leeds, and former Director
of the Oral Health Services
Research Centre in UCC said:,
“We will be looking at things
such as how long teeth re-
main healthy with no need for
treatment or, at country level,
the amount spent on extractions
every year. This information
can be compared across differ-
ent systems and countries.”
The study will take place over a
4 year period, uniquely results
will not only be released at the
end of the study, but continu-
ous feedback will be provided
by the researchers. Professor
Helen Whelton said: “The hope
is that, by continually
assessing and giving feedback
on the performance of dental
professionals and healthcare
systems in keeping teeth
healthy, it will foster change in
practices and encourage a move
to more preventative dental
care.”
As Professor Whelton upholds:
“This is a fantastic example of
collaborations between univer-
sities, the public sector, with
the aim of improving the dental
health of an entire continent.”
5. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | 5
Dr James Kapolo Awarded ERC Grant
USI & TUI Launch ‘I Value Higher Education’ Petition
UCC Connects Startups to Free Legal Advice
Kieran Kelleher - News Writer
Lauren Mulvihill - News Writer
Siobhán Maire O’Donnell - News Writer
Dr James Kapolo, a lecturer
in the Religions department in
UCC, has become the second
UCC luminary to receive a
research grant from the Euro-
pean Research Council (ERC).
Kapalo has joined a prestigious
group of up-and-coming minds
developing exciting new ideas
in the field of engineering,
social and physical science and
the humanities. His project,
entitled ‘Creative Agency and
Religious Minorities: hidden
Galleries in the secret police ar-
chives in 20th Century Central
and Eastern Europe’, ques-
tions the negative assumptions
concerning religious minorities
that are still prevalent in some
European societies.
Dr Kapalo will receive a
‘starting grant’ of just under
1 million euro and, together
with a group of two postdoc-
toral researchers and two PHD
students, will focus on the
confiscating of material such as
pamphlets, books, diaries and
any other indications of how
people resisted totalitarianism
through their creativity. The
project will last for a duration
of four years.
Following the announcement
of the ERC award Dr Kapalo
highlighted the significance of
such an important project: “I
was absolutely delighted on
hearing the news as this project
will give me the opportunity to
work on important historical
and social questions that are
very close to my heart.” The
genesis of the endeavour was
formed after Kapalo recent-
ly travelled on sabbatical to
Romania for the Royal Irish
Academy and discovered many
personal items, lists and liter-
ature which provided a visual
truth to understanding the past.
Hidden Galleries will further
explore the communist-era se-
cret police archives in Central
and Eastern Europe to uncover
the creative ways in which
members of religious minorities
resisted both communism and
fascism in the twentieth cen-
tury. Dr Kapalo acknowledged
“the excellent support of the
Research Office at UCC” and
stated that “In the current inter-
national climate it is important
that as Europeans we reflect
deeply on Europe’s historical
experience of extreme ideolo-
gies and the profound impact
they have on ordinary lives.”
Dr Kapalo was one of six Irish-
based researchers, three male
and three female, awarded an
ERC grant in the recent an-
nouncement.
The Union of Students in
Ireland (USI) has joined forces
with the Teachers’ Union of
Ireland (TUI) as part of its #Ed-
ucationIs coalition to launch
the ‘I Value Higher Education’
campaign, which aims to safe-
guard higher education for the
next generation.
The ‘I Value Higher Education’
campaign “seeks to promote
the value of higher education in
Irish society”, according to USI
President Kevin Donoghue.
“The campaign acknowledges
higher education as a central
function within the social, cul-
tural and economic fabrics of
Irish society. It recognises the
contribution already made to
the Irish economic growth and
social development through the
provision of publicly-funded
higher education [and] pro-
motes free higher education as
a public good.”
The Irish state currently funds
14 institutes of technology, sev-
en universities and six colleges.
While the public higher edu-
cation sector has expanded to
meet growing demand, budgets
have not kept pace with this
development; funding in the
higher education sector was cut
by 32% (over €428.3m) over
the last 7 years.
The magnitude of the funding
cut over a relatively short peri-
od of time is having a profound
impact on the sector’s capacity
to function. In addition to the
budget cuts, student tuition fees
for undergraduate programmes
have increased to €3,000 per
year. The proposed student loan
scheme would deter students
from applying to college and
place a significant individual-
ised debt on each student upon
graduation.
Presently, there are just over
200,000 students attending
higher education programs
(undergraduate and post-grad-
uate) in the Republic of Ire-
land. Demand for places in the
higher education sector has
grown considerably, with an
up to 20% increase in student
numbers between 2008 and
2014. At the same time, staffing
levels have been reduced by
2,000 between 2008 and 2015.
The funding cuts, rising student
numbers and reduced staffing
levels are pushing the higher
education system to breaking
point.
“It is vital that students and lec-
turers work together to achieve
the aim of free quality higher
education which is accessible
to all,” according to Aidan
Kenny, Assistant General
Secretary at TUI. “Higher
education as a public good
should be funded collectively
by society.”
As the general election ap-
proaches, the ‘I Value Higher
Education’ campaign encour-
ages the public to raise higher
education as an issue with
political candidates. The cam-
paign’s online petition against
the erosion of publicly funded
higher education in Ireland can
be found on Change.org.
UCC has become the first univer-
sity in Ireland to offer free legal
information startups with the
launch of its new IT Law Clinic.
The Clinic is comprised by twelve
postgraduate law students collab-
orating with academic staff and
established law firms including
McCullagh Wall, Ronan Daly Jer-
myn and O’ Dowd Solicitors. To-
gether this team will be responding
to legal questions from startups,
ranging from protecting copyright
to ensuring websites comply with
data protection law.
The new IT Law Clinic has not
only an added a new niche to
Law Department of UCC, it fills
a much needed gap in the mar-
ket according to DC Cahalane,
founder of BUILTINCORK, a
community initiative to aid the
development of Cork technology
startups: “The new IT Law Clinic
at UCC provides a badly needed
resource for fledgling technology
startups in the region. Legal issues
are unfortunately something that
many startups avoid in their early
days because of perceived cost and
complexity issues.”
He further added that “Free access
to the expertise within UCC and
local established law firms will
be hugely beneficial in helping
startups get started the right way.
It’s another great example of how
UCC is playing a powerful role
in the development of the local
technology ecosystem.”
The Clinic was inspired by suc-
cessful IT clinics abroad and the
UCC clinic forms part of iLINC,
the European Network of Law
Incubators which collaborates with
many thriving clinics in cities such
as Amsterdam, Hamburg and New
York. One of the clinics co-found-
ers Professor Maeve McDonogh
explained that having seen the
model work really well in other
countries, alongside, Dr Darius
Whelan they set up the clinic with
the aim to bring together the talent
within the university to provide
this innovative service.
Access to legal advice is critical
for the future and stability of all
early stage companies, as noted
by Cian Hughes, General Manger
of Wave2WaveNetworks, yet it
is often at this early stage when a
new business can least afford it.
The new clinic tackles this critical
issue, providing what Cian Hughes
views as a “fantastic service” and
solution.
Such a programme will also do
much to inspire and provide
new opportunities for UCC Law
students. As Dr Whealan notes,
the clinic provides a valuable
opportunity for our postgraduate
law students to apply abstract legal
knowledge in real-life situations,
“It highlights UCC Law School’s
strong emphasis on exposing stu-
dents to the practical side of law as
well as its theoretical aspects.”
The clinic is an exciting new ven-
ture for the UCC Law School and
soon to be a sought after tool for
new startups.
6. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS6 |
On Teetotalism
Alexandra Philbin - Features Writer
“What? Really? Why not?” That is the usual response from a fellow student
when I reveal that I am teetotal. Sometimes, it is phrased more politely, with
a “if you don’t mind me asking?” to cover up their obvious surprise. Others
struggle more to hide their shock horror, recoiling with a “WHAT?” - the
way I would imagine a person would react were I to tell them I had com-
mitted brutal murder. Either way, though the first is entirely more tolerable,
it worries me that the question even needs to be asked by anyone. I do not
drink, quite simply, because alcohol is bad for a person. It makes it harder
to think clearly, leads to heart problems from cardiomyopathy to high blood
pressure, liver sclerosis in the long term, certain cancers, etc. Many of these
health issues are not simply down to alcoholism, to which students think
they are immune, but also from a single binge-drinking session. So avoiding
these deadly issues, at the expense of the supposed “deadly buzz” that alco-
hol brings, seems worth it to me. A simple logic.
‘Don’t get me wrong, a house party or a few is fine, but take away
my sleep when I want to sleep? We have a problem’
Nevertheless, as I began my CAO choices, looking for an institution brim-
ming with academia and logic, it never left my mind that I would be en-
tering the stage of my life where the drinking culture around me would be
most prevalent. It was my abhorrence of this culture that helped me in my
decision to choose U.C.C., in fact. With the option of alcohol-free accom-
modation at Victoria Lodge, moving away from home was made easier. The
prospect of house parties keeping me up on nights before exams and beer
bottles scattered around my kitchen floor did not appeal to me. Don’t get me
wrong, a house party or a few is fine, but take away my sleep when I want to
sleep? We have a problem. Days after the CAO offers came out, when I had
the joy of accepting U.C.C. as my university, I received the welcome pack,
with a letter from the President of the university inviting all incoming first
years to fill out the e-Pub survey, based on alcohol consumption. This further
consolidated my trust in U.C.C., above the other academic institutions in Ire-
land, to share my mind-set on alcohol and student life. But after a semester
in the university, did it match my hopes as a teetotal student?
‘When I told friends in Dublin that I was staying in alcohol-free
accommodation before starting, they often expressed the possi-
bility that I would share an apartment with socially inept “weir-
dos”. The opposite is true...’
I have had an absolute ball this semester, without a drop of alcohol. When I
told friends in Dublin that I was staying in alcohol-free accommodation be-
fore starting, they often expressed the possibility that I would share an apart-
ment with socially inept “weirdos”. The opposite is true, and my evenings
are spent in fits of laughter with my very funny, very lovely roommates.
When friends suppose these things about people staying in alcohol-free, they
separate me from their stereotype of a non-drinker. They do not seem to real-
ise that their comments are aimed at everyone who does not drink, a group
of which I am a part. People who do not drink are just as capable of having
a good time and of being “normal” (whatever that is) as anyone who drinks.
In fact, their ability to have fun without the use of a mind-altering substance
shows perhaps a greater sociability.
‘I have no problem with people who drink, everyone is entitled to
make their own decision’
I will not pretend that I am one for going out all the time, but occasionally I
venture out into the world of pubs and clubs. I have no problem with people
who drink, everyone is entitled to
make their own decision, but I do
have a problem with some of the
general attitudes I observe. Aside
from the previously-mentioned
shock horror, an issue that I come
across often as a non-drinker is
other students’ idea that I need to be
converted to their unhealthy faith.
Comments such as “oh we will have you drinking by the end of the night”,
even simple ‘ah go on’s are really irritating. It is as if what you are doing
is something that needs to be prevented. Then, there are those who believe
I have simply not been enlightened. “Everyone has to get plastered at least
once in their life”. Do they? Does everyone have to irreparably damage their
brain once in their life, on purpose? I wouldn’t say so. There is usually a
direct correlation between people who say these statements and their own
insecurity about their alcohol consumption. It is my advice to these people
that if they want to drink, they should do so, but should not convince other
people to follow them to validate their own behaviour.
‘One week in, I received an e-mail from a club I had signed up
for, revealing that they would be having a welcome social in a
pub...’
I was aware before starting that clubs and societies were helpful for socialis-
ing as a non-going-out-all-the-time, non-drinker. So, on clubs and societies
days, I signed up for many in which I was most interested. One week in, I
received an e-mail from a club I had signed up for, revealing that they would
be having a welcome social in a pub. I understand that there was no purpose-
ful attempt at exclusion here, but as a result of me not attending the initial
welcome, I felt too awkward to join a group of already-introduced people.
Many Muslims, based on their faith, would never enter a pub. Societies
meeting in pubs, some of which only meet in pubs, automatically exclude
these people. It could be deemed religious discrimination were it not due to
the mask of the drinking culture clouding that fact. I would invite the univer-
sity to do more to distance the university’s societies from pubs, to create a
more inclusive student life.
‘Improvements could be made to the various societies that de-
pend so much on pubs’
On the whole, I have had a fantastic semester despite of, and because of, my
teetotalism. While the exclusive attitude that alcoholism brings still exists
with vigour, the alcohol-free accommodation and care about student health
that U.C.C. demonstrates make me feel much more comfortable as a student
who chooses not to drink. Improvements could be made to the various soci-
eties that depend so much on pubs, however, to make me fully comfortable.
All I want is to be able to have as good time as anyone, and this university
really does help with that, though individuals within it can detract from
it. I have many friends here, all of whom value my contribution to debate
and discussion with no disregard for my non-drinking. I would encourage
non-drinkers to consider U.C.C., but as a culture within and outside the uni-
versity, we have a long way to go.
Opinion
7. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016
11% 154 x6
-11-15 x3.5
of Traveller deaths are caused by suicide excess Traveller deaths per annum the suicide rate of settled communities
years of life expectancy for Traveller womenyears of life expectancy for Traveller men the infant mortality rate
| 7
Irish Society & the Travelling Community
Deirdre Ferriter - Features Editor
The Travelling Community have featured heavily in the media recently due to the
tragic fire in Carrickmines where ten people lost their lives. Closely followed by
controversy regarding the relocation of the grieving community after the fire. Irish
society was very quickly divided into two camps, those who argued that the com-
munity should be shown compassion and allowed to move into a nearby housing
estate and those who supported resident’s resistance to a new halting site.
‘This conflict is indicative of a larger divide
between the settled and Travelling community’
Support for this resistance is largely bolstered by anecdotal ‘evidence’ regarding the
Traveller way of life and antisocial behavior. This conflict is indicative of a larger
divide between the settled and Travelling community which has existed in our soci-
ety for decades and appears to be worsening.
‘The general view of the Commission was that Travellers
were not an ethnic minority but a symptom of English
occupation who had ‘fallen out’ of Irish society’
Last week a submission by Sinn Fein to have Travellers recognized as an ethnic mi-
nority was rejected but this is not a new issue. Government policy pertaining to the
Travelling community began in 1963 in the form of a ‘Commission on Itinerancy’.
The wording of this report is truly shocking; the general view of the Commission
was that Travellers were not an ethnic minority but a symptom of English occupa-
tion who had ‘fallen out’ of Irish society. The Commission proposed a ‘final solu-
tion’ to the ‘problem’ of itinerancy and it was envisioned that the ‘problem’ would
be solved within one generation. Commission members consisted completely of
members of the settled community such as a High Court judge and the only effort
to consult the Travelling Community was to send a member of Dublin (blah) whose
ordinary role was moving Travellers on from halting sites. It’s difficult to do justice
to the blatant prejudice in this report. Two proposals which were considered but
rejected by the commission were firstly to give all Travellers identity cards to track
and discourage crime and secondly to take Traveller children from their parents and
keep them in institutions as a way to educate them.
‘Fifty two years on Government language has become
more politically correct but the Dail has just last week
rejected a proposal to recognize Travellers as an ethnic
minority which is symbolic of a widespread rejection of
Travellers in our society. This refusal is also shocking in
light of the UN recommendation that Travellers be
recognized as an ethnic group’
A recent health report entitled ‘Our Geels’ into the Travelling community which
had an 80% participation rate found some extremely worrying health issues in the
community. The gap in life expectancy for Traveller women compared to settled
women is 11 years and for men it is 15 years. The suicide rate in the Travelling
community is six times as much as the settled and amounts for approx. 11% of
Traveller deaths. This amounts to an excess of 154 Traveller deaths per annum.
Despite the avalanche of stories supporting protests about the Carrickmines reloca-
tion, no logical person could argue that these health statistics are proof that Travel-
ling community are largely neglected by our Government.
In my opinion it is clear that structural and societal injustice has been done to the
Travelling Community ever since the first policy intervention in 1963. Rather
than base our perception of Travellers on negative anecdotal evidence and a large-
ly negative or whimsical portrayals in the media, we should examine historical
Government intervention and the resulting living standards and health status of the
Travelling Community.
‘The study also found that three quarters of people would
be reluctant to buy a house beside a Traveller family’
A recent study by Fr Michael Mac Greil into the Travelling community entitled
‘Emancipation of the Travelling People’ which studies attitudes towards Travellers
found that one in five Irish people would deny Travellers citizenship. The study
also found that three quarters of people would be reluctant to buy a house beside a
Traveller family. The report showed that attitudes have largely not improved over
20 years.
‘Although the language has changed in Government
policy towards Travellers, it has been 52 years and
travellers are still not recognised as an ethnic minority
despite campaigns and UN recommendations’
I believe it is clear from early policy interventions that all efforts were made to
eradicate the Travelling way of life. Although the language has changed in Govern-
ment policy towards Travellers, it has been 52 years and travellers are still not rec-
ognised as an ethnic minority despite campaigns and UN recommendations. More
worrying perhaps is that Social Policy pertaining to the Travelling Community has
not improved relations with the settled community, if anything it has made them
worse. This in my opinion is a result of ineffective social policy which is socially
unjust and favours one section of society.
8. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS8 |
Hell Is Other… Housemates
Aisling Coleman- Opinion Writer
Opinion
Apologies to Sartre for hijacking his famed phrase, but I’m sure that anyone
who has ever gone through the experience of sharing their living quarters
with random people they’re not related to, that possibly make them despair
on a daily basis, and for which you’re paying a hefty sum to a member of
the landed gentry, will agree. I’m adamant that even Sartre himself had some
old roommates to thank, at least in part inspiration, for his oft-quoted words.
Since I’ve moved out of home, I’ve had the pleasure/horror of sharing a
house with thirteen different housemates. In fairness, most of the unlucki-
ly-numbered bunch have been lovely. I keep in touch with the vast majority
of them, and am firm Facebook friends with almost all of them. All things
considered, I haven’t had the worst luck as far as housemates go, at least
as percentage go. However, I have had a couple of, what could certainly be
loosely classified as, interesting, housemates.
‘I never once saw a single one of them clean their self-made
crumbs off the countertops!’
The only thing that I can truly complain about regarding the largest percent-
age of my thus-far housemates is: I never once saw a single one of them
clean their self-made crumbs off the countertops! As this is something that
majorly irks me, I was (even if only in self-appointed form) the official
countertop cleaner of the chez nous. And, usually ended up doing most of
the hoovering, mopping and bathroom cleaning. I was so innocent, wide-
eyed, and naive… If only I knew what I would end up cleaning…
‘I’m pretty adamant that I heard non-work-related moans
being emitted from the general confines of his bedroom one
day on passing’
The first unusual housemate I had was a guy I’ll call Clinton, on account of
my initial impressions regarding the amount of ladies he had coming and
going from his boudoir. I later found out that he was, at least sometimes,
doing work with them in said boudoir. But, I’m pretty adamant that I heard
non-work-related moans being emitted from the general confines of his
bedroom one day on passing, when he was holed up in seclusion with said
lady/ladies. So far, so-not-incredibly-scandalous. However, he rarely used
the shower, never used the washing machine, or the oven, or, actually (that
we could work out) any of the kitchen appliances. He never once sat down
with any or all of us to chat, or to watch TV with us. Clinton also either had
buckets of cash to blow, or was swimming in take-away-related debt, as he
ordered takeaway almost every single night - at least 4/5 nights per week. I
think there was food of his in the fridge twice: two bottles of milk that went
off before he touched them (they had to be taken out of the main bin, so that
they could be emptied and recycled, this is how I know they had gone off
before he used/binned them); and a 2 litre bottle of Sprite. Clinton would
always go straight to his room on arriving home, and pretty much stay there
until he next left the house. Surprisingly, he was neither overly pungent,
nor overweight. The next guy who had his room found that one of the main
planks of wood supporting and comprising the right hand side of the bed
was majorly broken, so make of that what you will. The rest of us living
there didn’t really ever have any problems with him, per se, but we were all
in general agreement that he seemed a bit unusual.
‘That Saturday night (I’m talking 1 a.m.), I awoke to the dul-
cet sounds of her headboard being bashed against the wall
with every thrust of her boyfriend’s bits and bobs’
Moving on from broken beds, let me tell you about the girl I house-shared
with who I am amazed didn’t have a broken bed. To set the scene, I’d moved
in on the Thursday. That Saturday night (I’m talking 1 a.m.), I awoke to the
dulcet sounds of her headboard being bashed against the wall with every
thrust of her boyfriend’s bits and bobs. I’m actually amazed that the girl
(let’s call her Blair) had any semblance of a wall left actually intact behind
her headboard. You could hear the banging of the headboard throughout the
entire house. It was kind of comical, yet entirely cringe-inducing. Oh, and
courtesy of her moans, I felt like I’d stepped on to the set of a pretty low-
budget porn flick. Moans that were loud and repetitive, and, ones I didn’t
know that I quite believed, to be honest. I didn’t quite believe that I was
hearing any of it, to be blunt. When I found out that it had just been her
birthday, I thought it might have been a one-off. I hoped that it was a one-
off. …It was not a one-off.
‘Jesus, the other girl that’s living here was seriously getting
banged last night. Is this a regular, noisy, head-board-bash-
ing occurrence?’
The next day, I met the housemate’s boyfriend. Let’s just call him Will. At
this stage, I didn’t actually know that it had been Will and Blair making all
the racket the previous night. There was another girl with a room upstairs,
next to Blair’s room, who I hadn’t met yet. I mistakenly thought that the
responsibility for the previous night’s noise-fest lay with her. So, when
Blair and Will invited me to watch a match with them in the sitting room, I
thought, “Great, friendly housemate and boyfriend-of-housemate. Brilliant.”
I ended up declining the invitation, as matches on TV aren’t really my thing.
In hindsight, it’s probably best that I did, as I very almost would have re-
marked something along the lines of, “Jesus, the other girl that’s living here
was seriously getting banged last night. Is this a regular, noisy, head-board-
bashing occurrence?”
‘A time passed until all sex stations were go again’
A time passed until all sex stations were go again for Blair and boyfriend.
They were deposited home, one Saturday night, drunk as skunks in heat. I
don’t know if skunks are ever on heat, and I’m quite sure they don’t drink,
but just work with me here. Well, ladies and gentlemen of the audience, boy-
friend was on form tonight. By God did that wall ever get bashed. The two
of them were going at it like skunks (I know, you expected that to read ‘rab-
bits’, but I’m both trying and failing miserably to extend my skunk-y meta-
phor) well in to the wee hours. And, again, come the next morning. I honest-
ly don’t understand how Blair wasn’t embarrassed when I bumped in to her
later on in the day. Some skunks have brass necks, I suppose (and there is
it, the sound of a terrible metaphor, wailing in embarrassment. Something
9. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | 9Opinion
Blair, clearly, wasn’t prone to do, may I add). I moved out not long after, but
I’m sure Blair and Will are still getting all hot ‘n’ heavy with the headboard
on the regular. And, also, are possibly in need of a new bed frame.
Sexual shenanigans over, let’s move on to the tale of a truly shitty house-
mate. The shittiest, if you will. Let’s call him Sergio. Sergio was foreign, in
his twenties, working nearby. The first few things about him that weirded me
out, I let go, but I was soon to find out that he was truly a shitty housemate.
When he first moved in, I would be cooking, and he would grab my ingre-
dients from the countertop, and rudely demand, “What’s this, what’s this?”
This was bog-standard, everyday stuff; I don’t yet have the chops to rival
Heston Blumenthal. He also grabbed my bottle of foundation, when I had
it with me downstairs, and did the same thing. One day, he picked up bread
rolls that were in the kitchen, and asked me what they were. I told him that
I didn’t know, that they weren’t mine. He stated he had bought them, but
didn’t know what they were. Are you scratching your head, yet, as much as I
was that day? He did the same with cuppa-soup – took it out of his cupboard
and asked me what it was. When I bemusedly told him that it was soup that
you made in a mug, he said that he didn’t know that, and acted surprised.
Somehow, the big mug of steaming soup on the Tesco Value packaging
didn’t give it away…
‘Every time I went to put a load in the washing machine over
the next few weeks, I would notice that loads of the detergent
was gone A.W.O.L. I half-wondered was he eating it’
When he wasn’t getting handsy in the kitchen with my stuff, or asking the
most nonsensical of questions, Sergio was using my stuff… He washed
his laundry with my expensive Vanish stain remover. Stain removed that I
hadn’t yet used, and which he had to break the seal to open it. He never so
much as apologised when I stated that it was mine. When I explained that
you had to use laundry detergent in the washing machine, I was asked where
the detergent was. When I told him that I had some, that he could use it now
if he needed it (I didn’t quite altogether abhor him, yet, at this stage), then
proceeded to tell me, as cool as you like, that he would use my washing
detergent, and would buy more when it was gone. He had to be told quite
firmly, “No, you can’t,” bearing in mind that he was in a good-paying job;
that I was in college; and also that he was abjectly taking the piss. However,
this didn’t stop him. Every time I went to put a load in the washing machine
over the next few weeks, I would notice that loads of the detergent was
gone A.W.O.L. I half-wondered was he eating it, there was so much extra
being siphoned. I ended up having to place it somewhere far more obscure
downstairs in comparison to its original cosy spot, to guard from his deter-
gent-thieving digits. I would later have to move it up to my boudoir, but all
in good time…
‘There was nothing for it, only hope, prayers and Dettol on
the daily’
He was also an inconsiderate-at-best, dangerous-at-worst chef, frequently
leaving the oven running when he had finished using it. He would burn hobs,
a fair few pots, and would leave the hobs switched to ‘on’ on the rare occa-
sions that he bothered turning off the oven at the mains. Which means, that
if you didn’t check that the hobs were switched to ‘off’ before powering up
the oven, and you happened to have a tea-towel, oven glove or other item
which can be fairly flammable when in contact with intense heat from an
unexpectedly-lit hob, you have a horrible recipe for a potential house fire.
As I’m sure won’t surprise you, Sergio was a hairy Sergio if ever there were
a hairy Sergio. A couple of hairy-bath-days after he moved in, I had to tell
him in no uncertain terms that he needed to clean the bath, that there was a
lot of his body hair in it. He lied, said it wasn’t his hair, that it was Clinton’s
hair. The same Clinton who tended not to use the shower, and had never
before left the bath like that... Funnily enough, the hair kept appearing, even
after Clinton moved out. There was nothing for it, only hope, prayers and
Dettol on the daily. Grim times, but not the grimmest there would be, in
relation to Sergio and bath-time.
One Friday night, when the buchaill was being his usual, considerate, noisy
self, he went up to the loo, then clomped back downstairs. With con-
crete-soled shoes, seemingly. A few minutes later I went to the kitchen for a
drink, and because I had a bit of a funny feeling. Turns out that Sergio had
either opened and left the front door open while inside the house, or left it
wide open from when he got back. And there’s just no way he was unaware
that it was open, it was too near his bedroom door. So, he left the front door
wide open, at almost 1 a.m. on a Friday night/Saturday morning. I knocked
on his door, and asked did he leave the door open, only to be met with a
denial. After turning away in stunned silence, he then asked me was the door
open…When told that it was, he then said, “Oh God,” in a faux-concerned
tone.
‘Lo and behold, on entering the loo, what do I spot, straight
away? Why, a smear of shit, front and centre, in the bathtub.’
If I haven’t yet impressed upon you the actuality of his shittiness, this final
tome just might. One weekend, I was home, alone. I popped up to the pow-
der room, which featured a shower that hung above a bath. Lo and behold,
on entering the loo, what do I spot, straight away? Why, a smear of shit,
front and centre, in the bathtub. Which, on further inspection, proved to be
a dry smear of shit. Which, beggars the question, if, somehow, you got shit
in the tub while having a shower, why wouldn’t the water from the shower
stream wash it away? …Because the smear of shit was a deliberate one, was
our only conclusion, after a fluffy of texts to the (now-blissfully-absent) oth-
er housemates. From that day forth, Sergio was known as shitty Sergio; the
landlord agreed to have words with him, and my detergent and everything
that I had in communal space was put safely in my bedroom.
‘Don’t let these tales put you off the wonders of houseshar-
ing, though, if you’re considering it’
So, between crumb-happy; bed-breaking, sex-mad and literally shitty house-
mates, I’ve lived with a motley crew. Don’t let these tales put you off the
wonders of housesharing, though, if you’re considering it; it’s far more like-
ly that you’ll merely be bunking in with pacifist crumb-symphathisers as op-
posed to shit-in-the-bath-ers. And, if you do come across a housemate whose
bath habits are of the scatological sort, you know who to call: the landlord.
10. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS10 |
Fashion
Top New Fashion Bloggers You MUST Read in 2016
Jessica NíMhaolain - Fashion Editor
Anita O’Brien
What Anita Writes About: Current trends and
how to wear them, including some makeup tips
too - and considering Anita is one of Lockdown
Model’s busiest models, she certainly knows
her stuff!
What I Like About Anita’s Blog: This is prob-
ably true of all the bloggers on the list but I’ll
write it nevertheless - her writing stye is effort-
less and flows so well. Anita makes sure her
pieces are constructed with a lot of her favour-
ite products or examples of new style trends
coming on line. If you’re a novice fashionista
or a well-dressed style-aholic looking for a few
tips - this blog is definitely for you.
Where to find it: While Anita has no Facebook presence specific
to her blog, you can read up on her posts at www.anitaobrien.eu -
don’t forget to check out her Instagram account too @missanitaob
Holly Barry - Along Came Holly
What Holly Writes About:
Anything you can think of that falls under “fashion, beauty and
lifestyle” Holly writes about it! Holly also writes lifestyle
pieces and has a few recipe blog posts too!
What I Like About Along Came Holly: Holly’s posts flow so well
together that you’d be forgiven for thinking they were chapters in a
well structured fashion, beauty and lifestyle novel! Holly’s pieces
are very honest also, which is important when it comes to fashion
blogging - her words ring true for those of us that know certain
trends may or may not flatter us. That kind of honesty in fashion
blogging is refreshing.
Where to find it: Along Came Holly has a strong presence across
the three main social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter and Ins-
tagram. The blog is available online also at www.alongcameholly.
com
Kenneth Nwaezeigwe - Dapper Sapeur
What Kenneth Writes About: As
the blog name would suggest, Dap-
per Sapeur is purely focused on
male style and offers advice on how
to reinvent and individualise style.
What I Like About Dapper Sapeur:
This blog is completely focused on
the importance of individuality when it comes to style which I love!
As most fashion bloggers will focus on trends and seasons, it is a
rare thing to find a fashion blogger who reinforces the importance
of breaking away from what is traditionally viewed as fashionable.
Where to find it: Dapper Sapeur has a strong presence on Insta-
gram under @dapper_sapeur which is filled with lots of suit ideas!
David Babington - Material Boy
What David Writes About: This blog
is one for you stylish fellas - or maybe
you’re not so stylishbut you’d like to
learn! Material Boy features plenty of
outfit ideas for all occasions, with full
purchasing information too.
What I Like About Material Boy: I’ve
said it about every blogger in this piece -
the flow to the writing style within
Material Boy is really effortless. For any
novices interested in understanding their style more, this blog is
so easy to follow and read. Material Boy updates his blog very
regularly too, so any budding style gurus can keep right up to date.
Where To Find It: Material Boy has a big presence across Face-
book and Instagram (Material_Boy_Fashion) where he provides
regular updates from his Blogshot page. He’s also on Snapchat
under materialboy5
11. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | 11
Features
For & Against - Star Wars Battlefront
For - Aoife Gleeson (Gaming Editor)
Against - Xander Cosgrave (Byline Editor)
With the recent release of the Seventh main-series installment of Star Wars, UCC Express looked at
Star Wars Battlefront, the latest video game based on the franchise.
It’s easy to be cynical about Battlefront. EA’s public image could be lik-
ened to that of Moneybags from Spyro the Dragon – constantly scheming to
extort more cold hard cash off you for access to content. Battlefront’s lack
of a single player campaign has raised many an eyebrow, causing people to
complain that EA was just cash grabbing by ensuring a release window that
coincided with The Force Awakens. And, let’s be honest: that’s almost defi-
nitely what happened. Such is the nature of movie tie in games: if you catch
the hype train on time, you can ride it all the way to the bank. Yet, asides
from all this dodginess, Battlefront is still a blast to play. If you manage to
park your cynicism at the door, then you’re in for a great time.
Battlefront’s greatest charm lies in its sheer, accidental goofiness: inhabiting
the Star Wars universe amid the sheer chaos of its online maps makes for
some great situations. Giggle with glee as you repeatedly fling your lightsa-
bre around and force choke rebels as Darth Vader. Experience an alternate
ending where Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader kill Luke Skywalker on
Endor, before Darth Vader is gunned down by a single rebel while Emperor
Palpatine escapes using a bizarre spinny flying attack. Watch as Boba Fett
accidentally jump packs right into an AT-ST before being trampled under his
feet, while a Millenium Falcon crashes inexplicably into the ground behind
them. Attempt to flee as a Stormtrooper on Endor (everyone can see you
because you’re white – play on Hoth, you’ll be an opposite ninja) after being
surrounded by rebels, only to hop onto a cruiser and immediately crash face
first into a tree (I feel for those Stormtroopers in Return of the Jedi, those
things are unwieldly).
I’m getting a bit carried away now but, the point is, Battlefront nails the
look and feel of Star Wars and lets you loose to goof around in it, providing
you with a fun, light hearted experience. It also brings back a mode that is,
unfortunately, frequently ignored in modern AAA gaming: local multiplayer.
Playing a survival map with a buddy is a lot of fun and is a good place to
practise if you’re getting repeatedly slaughtered online. All of the aforemen-
tioned goofiness comes up, just with less dying. Unfortunately, you can only
play split screen co-op offline, a definite minus.
Undoubtedly, Battlefront has its problems. The content, fun as it is, is not
all that plentiful: it definitely feels like a game that was reduced in scope
in order to meet a release window. Yet, what’s there is great fun and, if you
deprive yourself of Battlefront, you’re depriving yourself of an absolute treat
of a game experience in order to grumble.
Star Wars Battlefront is a game that needs to be reviewed in two parts, on it’s own,
and in comparison to the franchise it is reimagining. I should also say that I really
love Star Wars, so this review is probably less critical than it ought to be. On it’s
own it is an absolutely stunning looking game, with some amazing skyboxes and
graphics, and a massive attention to detail to make it feel like Star Wars. Which is
a good thing, but essentially, the end of the good things about it, because once you
go beyond that. and start getting into things like, I don’t know, unique design ideas,
it starts to fall down. It’s multiplayer modes are mostly interesting insofar as they
have AT-AT’s in some of them, and you can play as Darth Vader or Luke Skywalk-
er. Boba Fett and Han Solo can at least get around and do some fun stuff, and Leia
and the Emperor, in an ageist/sexist combo that’s still coming out of the games in-
dustry, are support units that are just not fun to play as. The often touted hero hunt
mode is cool because you have Star Wars heroes, but is once again, hardly new or
groundbreaking. You also have to progressively unlock gear and equipment to get
to play around with the fun classes, which means you do end up at a disadvantage
when you start off, which is perhaps a touch annoying for anyone who wanted to
play a game that didn’t involve grinding after paying a full Sixty Euro for it. The
only multiplayer part I can really get behind is the Fighter Squadron mode, but this
is because I get to fly X-Wings around rather than any exciting, if I wanted a genu-
inely good fighter simulation, I’d play ‘Elite: Dangerous’.
You’re not here for that though, you’re hoping for an interesting single player
experience, and you are completely out of luck. Battlefront comes with a ‘Surviv-
al’ co-op mode, also known as ‘Horde’ or ‘Firefight’ and the ability to play against
bots. There is no pretend attempt at a campaign, it is very clearly a multiplayer only
game, and when it comes down to it, is essentially DICE reskinning Battlefield and
adding some AT-AT’s. With all this in mind, you need to ask yourself if you want
to fork out 60 Euro for a game that will probably have it’s best parts behind a DLC
paywall,(which comes in at an additional 50 for the season pass) because it’s got
Star Wars on the front. Because if that sounds a bit daunting to you, you’re not
alone, and you are still a reasonable human.
Should you buy this game: Only if you really want every possible piece of Star
Wars drip fed into your veins, it is a overpriced vehicle for EA and DICE’s Hubris,
and is only marketable because it has a Familiar Name and Logo attached to it. So
NO, do not buy it, go download a Star Wars mod if you’ve got a PC shooter you
like, or play Battlefront 2 on your old console.
If all of this doesn’t phase you and
you’d buy it for the sake of Star Wars,
let’s look at the comparison to older
Battlefront games.
Battlefront is a poor attempt at
bringing back the classic charm of
the franchise. Firstly it is missing at least three quarters of what the game should
have, that is to say a single player experience, and the entire Clone Wars segment.
One of the key parts of older games in the Franchise was just how different every
unit felt, if you were playing the Droids, you had a very different experience to
the Clones, because you could roll around in a destroyer droid and ruin christmas,
and the clones were very obviously tailored to only fight droids, with their special-
ist unit being obviously designed to take out his droid opposite. Indeed the class
system meant that people were on an essentially equal footing, but guaranteed to be
different rather than the cards and progression of the modern game, which results
fairly indistinguishable units on both sides. I’m not against the idea of progression
and leveling up things, but it is poorly implemented here, and at the cost of a core
game mechanic.
Beyond that, the number of maps and planets leaves a lot to be desired. You have
12 maps in the base game and the free ones in the Jakku DLC, (It still costs the
same as Halo 5, which launched with 18, and is releasing 15 more in free DLC, and
also has a full singleplayer experience) which are spread across very few plan-
ets, and are visually different, insofar as you have desert, trees, more desert, lava
and Ice. If they had just taken the maps from Battlefront 2 they would have had
some greater bloody diversity at least, even if the maps would have been smaller.
Everything in Battlefront is a bit less than it could be, sure there’s more polish,
but that extra few frames per second or pixels in a Stormtroopers butt don’t make
up for the fact that it is ultimately another example of EA sucking out the quality
from a franchise with its vampiric gaze as it attempts to fuck gamers for more of
their money. Let’s not even talk about how cool the Alpha Footage for Battlefront 3
looked before it died either. Overall, if this is what’s going to happen to Star Wars
as it gets ground down into a mush that is more palpable to the masses, I am not
looking forward to the movies.
13. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016 IN MEMORIAM | 13
14. Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS
SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEFNeil Willoughby - Sports Editor
Sport
UCC W.F.C. Premier Squad Captain Laura Lynch has con-
tinued her impressive rise in recent years by signing on the join
Cork City Womens Football Club last week. Lynch, who plays in
central midfield, has been a crucial member of the UCC Premier
Squad for the last four seasons. The news signals Lynch’s second
spell in Cork City colours. She also represented Cork City during
the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Lynch was delighted at having signed on for Cork City fol-
lowing her treble winning 2013 season at Wilton United, “I’m
looking forward to playing in the national league with Cork City
again, having taken a break for a few years. After a few very suc-
cessful years with Wilton United I think the time is right to test
myself again at a higher level, with the hopes of improving as an
all round footballer.”
Manager Niall O’Regan was also pleased at the move, “Laura
Lynch comes from a family of great footballers, and we are de-
lighted to be able to have her on board for the rest of the season.
She will bring an added dimension to the squad and her knowl-
edge and ability is of the highest calibre and I can’t wait to see
her in the team in the coming weeks. 2016 is going to be an excit-
ing year for the club and the transfer window has been a massive
help in that respect. The club has seen a number of significant
signatures with the Management Team working hard to attract top
players into the club and we are delighted to achieve this with the
signature of Laura.”
Lynch could make her debut next weekend as Cork City
W.F.C. face Kilkenny United in the first round of this seasons
League Cup.
UCC Director of Sport and Physical Activity Declan Kidney was
in attendance as the 2016 Collingwood Cup was launched at the
Mardyke Pavilion. This years competition is set to take place in
Cork with UCC FC acting as hosts. College will host the com-
petition opener on February 23rd. The Collingwood Cup will
feature UCC, NUIG, UL, DCU, TCD, Mary Immaculate College
and Ulster University as seeded teams as well as NUI Maynooth,
RCSI and Queen’s University Belfast as unseeded teams.
The competition has a rich history
going back over one hundred years to
1914.
While the Cup will predominantly feature the best collegiate tal-
ent many sides will have League of Ireland players on show.
A busy Saturday of sport at the Mardyke arena was tinged with
sadness as UCC paid tribute to two of its former sportsmen. A
minute’s silence was observed for Eric Philpott before UCC’s
Canon O’Brien trophy match against Cork. Philpott won a Siger-
son Cup with UCC in the 1960‘s as well as representing Cork at
inter-county level. In recent years he had been brought into the
UCC football management team as a mentor. Philpott died fol-
lowing a prolonged illness on Christmas Day.
UCC Rugby also remembered one of their own in a minute’s
silence before the Senior side took on Corinthians in AIL Divi-
sion 2A at the Mardyke arena. Chris Martin, a member of the
clubs J3 side sadly passed away over Christmas. Martin was a
student of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science before
his unexpected passing.
Hurling: UCC came off second best in the Canon O’Brien tro-
phy match against Cork at the Mardyke on Saturday. The Rebels
won out 2-12 to 0-13 in a close encounter, the sides going in at
half-time with just two points in the difference.
Soccer: UCC’s Greg Yelverton has been appointed as the Head
Coach of the Irish Colleges and Universities National Team.
Yelverton is the first person to hold this position due to the amal-
agemation of the CFAI and IUFU.
14 |
Football - Lynch Signs for Cork City W.F.C
Football - Collingwood Cup Excitement Sttarts to Build
General - UCC Sportspeople Remembered
Sports Round-Up
15. UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, January 13th 2016 Sport | 15
Corinthians Crushed As Unbeaten Run Continues
UCC Men’s Hockey Claim First Peard Cup Victory
Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor
Fred McElroy - Sports Editor
UCC continued their
pre-Christmas dominant
form as they defeated Cor-
inthians for the second time
this season on Saturday. The
Mens senior side racked up
an impressive 44-3 win at
the Mardyke to continue
their rich vein of form and
extend their winning streak
to three fixtures after a shaky
start to the season.
UCC’s dominance told
from the very beginning
of the game and saw two
tries come in quick succes-
sion within the opening ten
minutes of the game. Chris
McAuliffe touched down to
give UCC a 5-0 lead before
former Ireland age grade
international Charlie Slow-
ery gathered the ball from
a messy scrum to go over
from Prop. Kevin O’Keeffe
stepped up to add the con-
version and a penalty before
the game moved into double
figures on the clock.
Corinthians struggled to
keep the ball in hand due
to the tough weather condi-
tions, frequently squandering
any territorial gains they
made. They managed their
only points of the game in
response to UCC’s opening
onslaught with a kick for
the posts to make the score-
line 15-3. Openside Flanker
Cathal Gallagher lead UCC’s
response to a Corinthians
resurgence by adding UCC’s
third try of the game before
O’Keeffe again knocked
over the additional two
points. Number 8 Edward
Earle wrapped up the bonus
point for UCC before half-
time with some impressive
handling to put Ben Mitchell
in under the posts leaving
O’Keeffe to send the sides in
at 29-3.
UCC again ignored the
weather conditions and
spread the ball wide, contin-
uing to keep the ball in hand.
Winger Paul Kiernan made
his way over the line after
another impressive attacking
move by the students before
adding UCC’s last and his
second of the day in the
final quarter. O’Keeffe
converted the former
and not the latter before
scoring a penalty to give
the students an excellent
44-3 win.
The win sees UCC extend
their unbeaten run to five
games now, their last defeat
coming in mid-October at
home in a tight 14-15 loss to
fifth placed Cashel RFC. A
draw with Queen’s Univer-
sity Belfast and wins over
Banbridge RFC, Thomond
and Corinthians home and
away has returned UCC to
the upper end of the table.
UCC now lay in fourth just
one point behind third placed
Naas RFC and two points
behind second place Malone
RFC. A gap has emerged
between the top four and the
mid-table sides leaving UCC
with a five point cushion
over Cashel RFC.
A tough fixture away to
league leaders Banbridge
at Rifle Park is next on the
schedule for UCC. The stu-
dents earned a 27-26 win last
time out at the Mardyke and
will be hoping for a repeat
performance next weekend
to shorten the eight point gap
between the two teams in
AIL Division 2A.
While most of us sat in a
slumber on St Stephen’s
day UCC men’s first hockey
team went in search of their
first ever Peard Cup win.
UCC had previously never
lifted the Peard Cup through-
out its 57 year history. Sig-
nificantly, this year saw the
notable absence of Church
of Ireland from provincial
competitions. The Cork side
have dominated the compe-
tition in the past, amassing
an astounding 40 Peard Cup
titles. Due to their partici-
pation in the EY All-Ireland
League they were ineligible
to play in this year compe-
tition. Their absence firmly
marking a new era for both
provincial hockey and the
Peard Cup. Nevertheless the
students were still facing
strong opposition in the form
of last years runners-up,
Bandon, who were also go-
ing in search of their maiden
Peard Cup title at Garryduff.
The game started as a nervy
affair with neither team
wanting to give anything
away early. Both sides
moved tentatively into the
game as the pressure of the
occasion impacted on the
initial proceedings. UCC
had the best of the chances
in the opening quarter. Good
pressure saw the students
win two short corners in the
early exchanges, but neither
opportunity saw UCC open
the scoring.
Bandon returned UCC’s
attacks with Darren Beam-
ish in particular dictating
things. Their pressure told
and Bandon were the first to
break the deadlock through
a nicely worked short corner
routine. David Smith fin-
ished with a touch on a drag
flick from Clinton Sweetnam
from just inside the D to give
Bandon a precious 1-0 lead.
UCC continued to threaten
in the final third of the pitch,
but it was the Bandon goal-
keeper, Ian Hosford, who
stole the show in the first pe-
riod. Hosford made several
spectacular saves to keep the
score 1-0 to the west cork
men and give them the edge
going into half time.
At half time UCC coach
Neil Welch was happy with
the overall performance and
stressed the importance of
his players approaching the
second half with patience.
UCC’s newly adopted calm
approach paid off as UCC
finally found the equaliser
at the 50 minute mark. UCC
veteran John Catchpole
pounced on a loose ball
and finished well to score.
The Left-Back picking an
ideal moment to score his
first goal for College in four
years.
UCC were spurred on and
moved into high gear as they
sought to get their domi-
nance noticed on the score-
board. Lovely work from
John Catchpole’s brother,
Peter, found his captain,
Fionn O’Leary, in space.
O’Leary took his chance
well as he lobbed ex-team-
mate Ian Hosford in the
Bandon net to put College in
the lead for the first time in
the game.
UCC pushed on as they
found their rhythm and it
wasn’t long after this that
the students doubled their
lead. A dangerous ball across
the goal from O’Leary was
deflected in from a Bandon
defender attempting to clear
his lines. The scrappy goal
making it 3-1on the score-
line.
Bandon continued to
attack in search of a goal to
make their way back into
the game. A lapse in con-
centration from the college
defence gave them their
opportunity in the form of a
short corner. Clinton Sweet-
nam’s low drag-flick beating
Peter Coulter at the fifth time
of asking, giving Bandon a
lifeline at 3-2.
UCC soon found them-
selves under the cosh again
as Bandon forced the majori-
ty of play into UCC’s defen-
sive third. Sam Grace saw a
chance and sent a searching
ball the length of the pitch.
The pass found Greg Cham-
bers in space, the threat forc-
ing Bandon to foul Cham-
bers and concede a short
corner in the dying moments
of the game. The Kilkenny
man ripped in a drag-flick on
the final whistle to finish the
move he started and to hand
the students their maiden
Peard Cup.
UCC 4-2 Bandon
(J Catchpole, O’Leary, OG,
Grace)
(D Smith, C Sweetnam)
16. While most of us sat in a slumber
on St Stephen’s day UCC men’s
first hockey team went in search
of their first ever Peard Cup win.
UCC had previously never lifted
the Peard Cup throughout its 57
year history. Significantly, this
year saw the notable absence of
Church of Ireland from provincial
competitions. The Cork side have
dominated the competition in
the past, amassing an astounding
40 Peard Cup titles. Due to their
participation in the EY All-Ireland
League they were ineligible to
play in this year competition. Their
absence firmly marking a new era
for both provincial hockey and
the Peard Cup. Nevertheless the
students were still facing strong
opposition in the form of last years
runners-up, Bandon, who were also
going in search of their maiden
Peard Cup title at Garryduff.
The game started as a nervy
affair with neither team wanting
to give anything away early.
Both sides moved tentatively into
the game as the pressure of the
occasion impacted on the initial
proceedings. UCC had the best of
the chances in the opening quarter.
Good pressure saw the students
win two short corners in the early
exchanges, but neither opportunity
saw UCC open the scoring.
Bandon returned UCC’s attacks
with Darren Beamish in particular
dictating things. Their pressure
told and Bandon were the first to
break the deadlock through a nicely
worked short corner routine. David
Smith finished with a touch on a
drag flick from Clinton Sweetnam
from just inside the D to give
Bandon a precious 1-0 lead.
UCC continued to threaten in
the final third of the pitch, but it
was the Bandon goalkeeper, Ian
Hosford, who stole the show in the
first period. Hosford made several
spectacular saves to keep the score
1-0 to the west cork men and give
them the edge going into half time.
At half time UCC coach
Neil Welch was happy with the
overall performance and stressed
the importance of his players
approaching the second half with
patience.
UCC’s newly adopted calm
approach paid off as UCC finally
found the equaliser at the 50
minute mark. UCC veteran John
Catchpole pounced on a loose ball
and finished well to score. The
Left-Back picking an ideal moment
to score his first goal for College in
four years.
UCC were spurred on and moved
into high gear as they sought to
get their dominance noticed on
the scoreboard. Lovely work from
John Catchpole’s brother, Peter,
found his captain, Fionn O’Leary,
in space. O’Leary took his chance
well as he lobbed ex-teammate Ian
Hosford in the Bandon net to put
College in the lead for the first time
in the game.
UCC pushed on as they found their
rhythm and it wasn’t long after this
that the students doubled their lead.
A dangerous ball across the goal
from O’Leary was deflected in
from a Bandon defender attempting
to clear his lines. The scrappy goal
making it 3-1on the scoreline.
Bandon continued to attack
in search of a goal to make
their way back into the game. A
lapse in concentration from the
college defence gave them their
opportunity in the form of a short
corner. Clinton Sweetnam’s low
drag-flick beating Peter Coulter
at the fifth time of asking, giving
Bandon a lifeline at 3-2.
UCC soon found themselves
under the cosh again as Bandon
forced the majority of play into
UCC’s defensive third. Sam Grace
saw a chance and sent a searching
ball the length of the pitch. The
pass found Greg Chambers in
space, the threat forcing Bandon to
foul Chambers and concede a short
corner in the dying moments of the
game. The Kilkenny man ripped
in a drag-flick on the final whistle
to finish the move he started and
to hand the students their maiden
Peard Cup.
UCC 4-2 Bandon
(J Catchpole, O’Leary, OG, Grace)
(D Smith, C Sweetnam)
UCC Claim First Peard Cup Victory
Inside Sport
Page 14
Wednesday, January 13th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 7
CELEBRATIONS: UCC Men’s Hockey team celebrate victory in the Peard Cup (PHOTO: Paul Colton)
Fred McElroy - Sports Editor
PREVIEW: UCC W.F.C. Premier
Squad Captain Laura Lynch signs
for Cork City W.F.C
UCC MHC Claim First Peard Cup Victory
ucc sport
