Motley Volume 13 Issue 2 October 2019

Global Climate Strike

Volume 13 Issue 2 October 2019

Brexit No-Deal Joker Review

OR L A GA RTL A N D YouTube, K-Pop and her new single "Did it to Myself"

MASTHEAD Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dan Webb

DESIGNGER

Tim Caruso

CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR

Maeve McTaggart

DEPUTY CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR

Molly Kavanagh

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Laurie Shelly

FEATURES & OPINION EDITOR

Méabh Lonergan FASHION EDITOR

Paul McLauchlan

ONLINE EDITOR

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Andrew Burke

DEPUTY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Cathal Donovan O’Neill PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

Grace Byers

Matthew Moynihan

Staff Writers Alana Daly Mulligan

Sadhbh Sullivan

Kane Geary O’Keeffe

Contributors KAYLA MAHER | GAEL CRONIN| MARK O’LEARY | ELISA SABBADIN | IMSHA COSTA | KYLE MCCARTHY DIANA SINUASKA| NIAMH BROWNE | TADGH MACCIONNAITH | JULIANNE POWER | HOLLY BUCKLEY CARLY FITZGERALD | BARRA O'DRISCEOIL | GRACE CLARO| CAROLINE KAVANAGH | RICHARD KELLY COVER PHOTO BY

Bjorn Franklin Motley welcomes letters from readers, emailed to editor@motley.ie. Motley is published by Motley Magazine, 23 Sheraton Court, Glasheen Road, The Lough, Cork. Printed by City Print Limited, Victoria Cross, Cork. Copyright 2019 Motley Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All efforts have been made to ensure that details and pricing are correct at time of print. Motley magazine does not take responsibility for any errors incurred. This magazine can be recycled either in your green bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point.

2 | OCTOBER 2019

FROM THE

Editor’s Desk...

In These Uncertain Times...

S

omething I have always struggled with, personally, is the sense of uncertainty that comes with the future. I often look back to the year of my Leaving Cert, and remember how uncertain I was about what I would do the following year. Would I end up getting the course I wanted here in UCC? Would I fall short by a few points, and have to follow a backup plan? Uncertainty certainly is a deeply ingrained vice for me. I therefore find a lot of comfort in knowing that I’m not the only person who struggles with these feelings, worrying about what may happen tomorrow or a month from now, or even in ten years time.

Even now as I sit here once again in my pyjamas, already writing my second editorial of the year, I wonder what the rest of my time as Editor will bring. I guess what I am trying to say is that it’s okay to be uncertain sometimes, after all, it’s a very human way to feel. I would like, however, to encourage anyone who may be struggling with their feelings at the moment to reach out and talk to somebody.

Sometimes taking a moment to just put everything into perspective and give yourself a chance to breath can make all the difference in the world.

As we now enter a busy and stressful time of the year for many students around the country, I would like to think that we here at Motley Magazine can provide a little respite and give you something enjoyable to focus your attention on, even if only for a few minutes of the day.

DAN WEBB,

Editor-In-Chief Photo: Ronan O’Shea

In Current Affairs, our fantastic section editor Maeve McTaggart takes a look into the work of young climate activists in her interview with Lilya Iman Chala, who founded Extinction Rebellion Youth Cork at the age of fifteen. Deputy Molly Kavanagh delivers her opinion on the latest developments in everyone’s favourite running joke, Brexit. Our Features section this month is jam-packed, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Méabh Lonergan. From Deputy Editor Laurie Shelly’s cover interview with Orla Gartland to an interesting look at a little known figure in Cork history, there is something for everyone here.

Entertainment once again proves to be very entertaining (I know that has the makings of a very bad dad joke, but sorry, not sorry). Andrew Burke provides an insightful look into the comedy scene here in Cork City, while Deputy Editor and allaround music guru Cathal Donovan O’Neill explores the city’s heavy metal scene. In Fashion, Editor Paul McLauchlan delivers another fantastic fashion shoot and also continues to gauge the UCC student population’s reactions to his unique style decisions.

This month certainly packs a punch when it comes to content, and I hope that we can serve as a little distraction from the stress of exams and assignments, if even just for a short while. Once again, if you enjoy what you are reading and want to get involved, please do not hesitate to send me an email at editor@motley.ie I hope everyone enjoys the fun and hijinks that come with the spooky Halloween season.

I think in uncertain times like these, we could all do with acting like kids again, even just for one day.

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ISSUE No2 - OCTOBER 2019 MOTLEY.IE

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FEATURES

Global Climate Strikes: An interview with XR Cork on the recent worldwide climate strike.

Sitting down with Orla Gartland about her new single "Did It To Myself"

P. 10

P. 20

ENTERTAINMENT

FASHION

Joker:

The sexism of Halloween costumes and photo shoot by Grace Claro

How does Joaquin Phoenix transform into this year's go-to Halloween costume?

P. 32

P. 38

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STUDY SEASON SADHBH SULLIVAN GIVES YOU SOME TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO TACKLE YOUR FIRST STUDY SEASON DURING YOUR TIME HERE IN UCC.

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he novelty of Freshers’ week (or month, for some) has finally worn off, and it seems as though everyone has begun to settle into a more structured routine, balancing lectures, exercise, and somewhat hectic social lives. October can be a daunting month for students; assignment deadlines are beginning to creep up and exams are just around the corner. While this can be a stressful time, there are a few things you can do to make preparing for exams and assignments that much easier.

Make a Plan

The quote “everything seems impossible until it’s done,” doesn’t discriminate against hefty college workloads. A long to-do list can seem discouraging before you put each item into an actionable plan. When it comes to making study plans, no two people are the same, so typically you can’t quite copy and paste your friends’ methods into your own life.

Because life can be unpredictable, I find it difficult to plan a week in advance. Instead, I like to sit down in the morning, and jot down some of the things I want to achieve that day, before putting them into a comprehensive plan. If I’m studying, I try to pencil in a five-minute break every hour. I’ll also save a few hours for going to the gym or doing something that I enjoy.

Take Breaks

When college work begins to start piling up on itself, it can seem impossible to stop and take a break, even when you need it. In order to be productive, your body needs to rest, so a combination of late nights and early mornings might not be the most efficient plan for you.

Try to get about eight hours of sleep every night, and timetable regular study breaks into your plan. Don’t be afraid to take a day off if you need it. College isn’t necessarily the ‘be all and end all,’ so put your mind and your body first.

Do More of What You Enjoy

Whether it’s going for coffee with your friends or watching your favourite TV series on Netflix, it’s really important to make time for yourself during the week. Once you’ve established a routine, life can become monotonous, so don’t be afraid to take time out to do something that you really enjoy. Life is too short to spend the entire day worrying about exams, so even if it’s for just thirty minutes of your day, take time to do the things you enjoy the most

Surround Yourself with the Right People

It’s hard to stay positive and focused when most of your day consists of lectures or studying but having a strong network of friends and family definitely helps. Spend more time with people that inspire you and encourage you to do your best, and don’t be afraid to avoid anyone that makes you feel otherwise.

Ask for Help

If you’re struggling with some of your lecture content or an upcoming exam, ask your lecturer about it. After all, that’s what they’re getting paid to do. If you’re not comfortable with approaching a lecturer during class, try to send them an email instead.

If you’re struggling outside of lectures too, don’t forget that you’re never alone, especially here in UCC. Don’t be afraid to turn to family or friends if you’re finding college overwhelming. UCC also offer a great free counselling service. See ucc.ie/en/studentcounselling/ devandtraining for more information about the service and how to book an appointment.

No matter how difficult it might seem sometimes, remember that there’s always someone there to help, and a shoulder to lean on is never far from reach.

CURRENT AFFAIRS Edit

OCTOBER

MOLLY KAVANAGH AND MAEVE MCTAGGART LOOK AT THE MA JOR STORIES OF OCTOBER, AND TRY TO FIND A SILVER LINING.

Happy Brexit!

The UK is due to leave the EU on October 31st and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still scrambling to pass a Brexit deal like a student who left an assignment to the night before. Donald Tusk has said the EU remains “unconvinced” about Boris’s Brexit proposal while the European parliament calls the plan “not even remotely acceptable.” Fishbowl is open until 1am on weekdays, Boris - you’ll need it.

The Party Leader Who Cried Wolf “Would we bring back wolves in our country? I think yes,” said Green Party leader Eamon Ryan earlier this month, answering a question no one had really asked.

Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, has rejected Ryan’s proposal to ‘rewild’ the Irish landscape with wolves which would, according to the party leader, simultaneously provide a new tourism niche. “I think the Irish people are ready,” he said. Are we?

Impeachment and a Flirty Phone Call

The U.S. Congress have launched an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump due to a whistleblower complaint that he was threatening to withhold aid to Ukraine in exchange for the investigation of his front-running Democratic rival, Joe Biden. The transcript of the phone call, read out before Congress, gets a bit hot and heavy. To Trump’s giggles, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine says, “the first time you called me to congratulate me when I won my presidential election, and the second time you are now calling me when my party won the parliamentary election. I think I should run more often so you can call me more often and we can talk over the phone more often.” Get a room, guys.

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 7

Ain’t That a Peach Have the Democrats Made a Mistake?

MAT THEW MOYNIHAN EVALUATES THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE CAMPAIGN OF JOE BIDEN - ARE THEY PLAYING A LOSING GAME?

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n September 24th, amidst a suitably muted and sombre press briefing in Washington D.C. out strode House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to deliver some of the most consequential political rhetoric in modern American history: “The actions of the Trump presidency [have] revealed the dishonourable fact of the president’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of the integrity of our elections. Therefore today, I am announcing... an official impeachment inquiry.”

The announcement came after it was revealed that a whistleblower report submitted to the Director of National Intelligence contained credible accusations that the US President had withheld military aid to the Ukraine for over a week for his own political gain. The supposed intention being to pressure newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25th phone call to investigate former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s unscrupulous business dealings in the Ukraine.

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The abuse of office by Trump is crystal clear in the partial transcript of the call which was declassified under the orders of the President and subsequently released by the White House. President Zelensky told Trump that the Ukrainian Government were close to making a new order of Javelin Defence Missiles to which Trump responded, “I would like you to do us a favour though [...] There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that... Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution [of his son] so if you can look into it ... it sounds horrible to me.”

After accusations of obstruction of justice in the Mueller Report, the Trump University scam, the manipulation of national emergency funds to maintain a political promise, the inflation of wealth in order to access streams of credit, multiple bankruptcies and multiple sexual assault accusations, who would have guessed that Donald Trump was both morally and temperamentally unfit to be the leader of the free world? Certainly not the American electorate - and as things stand it is quite likely he will be re-elected. Caught-up in a media ecosystem of Fox News and a diet of conspiracy theories, Trump supporters worship the words of their callous Messiah. Famously, he stated as much during the 2016 race at an Iowa campaign rally, proclaiming “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

The House of Representatives needs only a simple majority to bring articles of impeachment against the President, and as the house is controlled by the Democrats, we can take this as a given. The issue is the Republicans control the Senate, where the ultimate decision lies. A two-thirds majority would need to convict for the President to be removed. This would be unprecedented in American history, and bipartisanship is more prevalent than ever before. No matter what Trump does, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will still stonewall any attempt to remove the

President from office. The point is impeachment is intended to serve as a testimony for the American voterturned-judiciary in 2020, not as a basis to tear Trump kicking and screaming from the Oval Office.

The claims that Biden prevented the prosecution of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, which hired his son Hunter, whilst in office are completely unsubstantiated, but the danger for the former VicePresident and Democratic Party is that the Trump campaign will make these corruption claims the centre of their re-election campaign. For the Democratic Party, to choose Biden could be to repeat the mistake that was made in 2016. It would be Hillary’s emails plus four years, minus an American public able to discern reality. Biden in the context of impeachment is a liability for the Democrats. In 2+2=5 America, a lessmuddied candidate is the only hope of beating Trump. Even if it means an innocent must take the hit. The danger of not doing so is four more years of presidential vandalism.

The Art of Forced Silence GAEL CRONIN EXPLORES HOW ART CAN BECOME THE SOLITARY MODE OF COMMUNICATION FROM THE DEPTHS OF WAR ZONE AND TRAGEDY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD

I

n a time where every real-life horror story feels like déjà-vu, the search for a new Guernica - Pablo Picasso’s greatest political statement, an artwork reacting to the devastating Nazi bombing on the town of Geurnica in 1937 - seems appropriate. The senseless bombing of a tiny village in northern Spain on April 26th 1937 echoes so many others in the world; particularly those which happen on a daily basis in the war-stricken and hungry Yemen. The country has been plunged into an aimless war since 2015. Many villages, schools and hospitals have been completely destroyed. It is, in the words of António Guterres himself, the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

However, nothing is being done. The media blackout in the country makes it extremely difficult and even life-threatening for journalists to enter the territory and report on it. Over three million fathers, mothers, brothers, nephews, and little sisters have been forced to flee their homes due to the situation. Worse, tens of millions of people are at risk of starvation due to the Saudi embargo on the region.

The country is truly suffocating and there may soon be nothing left to save.

Pablo Picasso was devastated by the news of the decimation of Geurnica, one of his home country’s villages, in Nazi

bomb-testing in anticipation of a war Hitler would declare soon after. His ache showed through his painting. The characters in this giant masterpiece (349.3 cm x 776.6 cm) display a palette of pain and despair.

As a parallel, Yemeni artist Haifa Subay seems to be imagining her own version of the painting in the form of street art. Her pieces are very disturbing, providing a harrowing report of the war. Most of them are murals that can be found in the streets of Sanaa. Children can be seen holding their own limbs, and oftentimes their face isn’t visible, imagery that represents the media’s silence on the tragedies in Yemen and the grave reflection that the people of Yemen are being left to tend to the casualties of a war which is not theirs.

Murad Subay also presents the impact of this war on his people. The artist first joined the peaceful Yemeni revolution in 2011 and has now been creating art for about a decade, forced to include the events in his country in his works. He eventually left Yemen as the situation became too difficult, going to Egypt and now living in London. The United Kingdom is an ally to Saudi Arabia; both countries are involved in arms dealing amounting to 6.2 billion pound sales for the UK. It is therefore quite an impactful place to have his art visibly showcased.

These artists are, like Pablo Picasso, deeply wounded by the atrocities their country is experiencing for no apparent reason other than terror. Their work must be shown to the public as it is, to this day, the only proof of what is going on in Yemen.

Art by Patrick Cronin

CURRENT AFFAIRS | 9

Too Young to Save the World?

An Interview With XR Cork MAEVE MCTAGGART SITS DOWN WITH LILYA IMAN CHALA, FOUNDER OF EXTINCTION REBELLION YOUTH CORK AND COLLEAGUE CLODAGH PERROTT, TO DISCUSS YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVISM AND THE ADULTS WHO RESIST IT.

I

n a pantomime of politeness to children, older generations regularly stoop to the three-foot eye-level of a child and ask the playful “and what do you want to be when you grow up?” They fondly assume the answer to be ‘princess’ or ‘policeman’, ‘doctor’ or ‘dentist’, not to be rebuked with “what future?” in return. For young climate activists in 2019, its harder to answer questions about the future with fantasy once you begin to understand reality, once Fridays are spent striking from school to force climate action and ensure you even have a future to begin with. As I sat down with fifteen-year-old Lilya Iman Chala and seventeen-year-old Clodagh Perrott from Extinction Rebellion Youth Cork, at first I found myself assuming the same position of this baby-boomer pantomime - ready to

10 | OCTOBER 2019

hear some fantastical stories of climate action and not well-reasoned existential dread. From Greta Thunberg to Lilya and Clodagh, why is the world waiting for them to grow up before it can be saved?

Greta Thunberg went from motivating to malicious in the eyes of many pundits, politicians and people when she criticised older generations at the UN Climate Summit. With a lump in her throat she exhorted that “I shouldn’t be standing here, I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean, yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you!” The pill that admits responsibility for climate catastrophe is one which is hard to swallow. Becoming lodged somewhere between indignancy and panic, it is easier to be angry at the adamance for change you found adorable until it became your problem too.

Following Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN Climate Summit at the end of September, even “Late Late Show” host Ryan Tubridy recommended a “little return to the simple things” for the sixteen-year-old activist after her tearful condemnation of world leaders. Michael Knowles of FOX News referred to Thunberg as “a men-

tally ill Swedish child,” Andrew Bolt quaked at the “freakish influence” of the “deeply disturbed” activist, while the darkest corners of Twitter rallied around the idea that Greta Thunberg could be used in Nazi propaganda. The Asperger’s which she has long-referred to as her ‘superpower’ has become ammunition for adults hidden behind keyboards and irresponsibly-written op-eds, distorting their intolerance into some impersonation of concern.

In conversation about Greta Thunberg, many have seemed to resurrect the old English proverb that “children should be seen and not heard” - the notion that young climate activists are inspirational until they are inconvenient. “I’ve seen people say abysmal things about her,” Clodagh replies when I ask if the backlash is disheartening, “but I almost feel pity for those people. You can see how terrified they are [in] their willingness to jump to conclusions to make her not matter so that they don’t have to face this looming problem.”

In talking to Lilya and Clodagh, you are struck with the notion that the problem of climate change became theirs before it had to be. Lilya explains how it is not unusual

Photography: Jaco Bronkhorst

for meetings to be accompanied by overwhelmed tears of teens who inherited the problem but not the means for a solution. Neither girl is old enough to vote yet (by three years for Lilya, just one for Clodagh), both may miss the opportunity to cast their ballot in the next general elections, and yet they emphasise the need for legislative change which will make Ireland greener. “It’s just not right that kids are worrying about their futures,” Lilya states, brought into climate action herself after attending the first Extinction Rebellion Youth meeting in Dublin a few months before she founded XR Youth Cork. She was inspired by the passion of fellow climate activists and the feeling of “needing to do something,” now supported by the group in Cork which is currently over 40 members strong. Armed with a plan and a determination for substantial and sustainable change, it is difficult to understand why some adults refuse to share the problem that young climate activists so desperately need halved.

“I SET UP AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT AND FROM THERE IT GOT SPREAD AROUND. THAT’S THE GOOD THING ABOUT BEING A YOUTH ORGANIZATION, IT’S REALLY EASY TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.”

Verity Johnson of Stuff provides the argument that parts of an older generation may dislike young climate activists “because it makes them feel obsolete.” Change seems radical when old ways have for so long been the only way. Plastic-free feels dema-

gogic and zero-waste is debaucherous when extracted fuel and infinite new Penney’s lines are just so much easier.

Clodagh and Lilya are understanding but unimpressed, their XR Youth Cork origin story as Gen-Z as it can get.

“Well, it started kind of the only way I knew how,” Lilya laughs, Youth climate activism is new and practically instantaneous, scary to those who have had such an adverse reaction to it. Activism can be exercised in posting, not petitioning. “You can still make little changes such as resharing posts on your Instagram,” she continues, “little things like that do more than you realise, don’t get disheartened by the fact it’s such a massive issue.”

“I DIDN’T REALISE THAT THE EFFECTS WERE GOING TO BE FELT SO SOON. I THINK IT WAS KIND OF BLISSFUL IGNORANCE.

The inconvenience of climate action is enough to make anyone feign ignorance but, for young people like Lilya and Clodagh, they don’t have that luxury. “I didn’t view climate change as a huge problem until I started learning more about the climate emergency,” Clodagh admitted, Clodagh continues that, for her, hope was something she did not realise she needed before she learned the realities of climate change, it was something for the future, for an older version of her to have to face - not the seventeenyear-old. “It kind of fills me with sadness when I see that when the government says that they will take action to help prevent what is basically

mass extinction but then take none,” she sighs. “When they make all these empty promises it does fill me with dread.” She is referring wordlessly to the recent declaration of a Climate Emergency by the Irish Government.

The second nation to declare a climate emergency, Ireland was lauded in the international media despite only six TDs turning up to the vote - climate change seems to be a problem mostly uptaken by a few who can make the difference, never the many.

It seems ironic to call climate activists younger than me inspirational, as if I am beginning to perform the pantomime all over again, but there are few other words which could so succinctly articulate the movement that young people - globally - are starting. While Lilya says that sometimes “it feels that we’re just shouting and no one is hearing us,” Clodagh interjects that “it almost makes you feel more passionate to raise even more awareness so that even those people realise what a problem climate change is.”

A movement begun by and filled with children has made many adults uncomfortable. From Trump to Tubridy, grown-ups are having the mirrors held up by young people and getting so offended that they miss the point. The options are system change or climate change, and young people have made their choice - what now?

A Breakdown

BY MOLLY KAVANAGH

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ith the Brexit deadline quickly approaching, many people are still unsure of what Brexit actually means. We all know that the term is an amalgamation of the words ‘British’ and ‘Exit,’ in reference to Great Britain’s unexpected vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. But beyond that, the implications of a ‘No Deal Brexit’ are still unclear and difficult to conceptualize. Many people have given up on trying to understand the complexities of Brexit even though it’s a highly contentious issue that has been repeatedly discussed and dissected by the media and by the British government. And for some, the constant Brexit discourse is simply irritating background noise they’ve learned to ignore.

However, Great Britain is now set to leave the European Union on October 31st- whether Parliament has a withdrawal agreement in place or not. The impacts of Brexit will soon be more tangible, so it’s important to understand even just the basics.

So what is the withdrawal agreement? Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union outlines, in regards to a member state wishing to leave the EU, that ‘the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal.’ Having a withdrawal agreement in place is important for transitional purposes- it’s meant to mitigate the negative impacts Brexit

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will have on British nationals living abroad in countries that still belong to the EU, on Britain leaving the EU’s single market (which allows for free trade between member states), and on the Northern Irish border once it becomes a border between an EU member state and a non-EU member state.

A no-deal Brexit simply means that Great Britain would leave the European Union with no withdrawal agreement in place, meaning no transitionary period.

There’s no precedent to give us an idea of what this might look like because no country has ever left the European Union before. Parliament has been struggling to reach a consensus on how Brexit should be executed, and voted against proposed withdrawal agreements on three occasions.

The deadline had to be extended several times, but whether or not it will be extended again is unknown.

With Teresa May’s resignation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now attempting to see Brexit through before the deadline approaches. His Brexit plan differs from Teresa May’s in regards to the backstop- an insurance policy negotiated between the European Union and Great Britain that is meant to prevent there ever being a need for a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the case of a no deal Brexit.

The backstop is meant to continue allowing goods and people to travel freely from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, without being required to pass through customs, which typically takes place at border checkpoints.

Teresa May and the EU offered to allow Great Britain to

remain in the EU’s single market and customs union, which would eliminate the need for customs checkpoints and a hard border in Ireland- but this proposal was rejected by MPs who want the UK to remain autonomous and free to strike their own trade deals without EU interference or control.

Boris Johnson’s backstop proposal has several elements, including that it will be compatible with the terms laid out in the Good Friday Agreement. It will also, according to Johnson, ‘provide for the potential creation of an all-island regulatory zone on the island of Ireland, covering all goods including agrifood. . . this zone would eliminate all regulatory checks for trade in goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland by ensuring that goods regulations in Northern Ireland are the same as those in the rest of the EU,’ essentially eliminating the need for a hard border. He also claimed that ‘Northern Ireland will be fully part of the UK customs territory, not the EU Customs Union. . . Control of trade policy is fundamental to our future vision.’

Its needless to say that surgically removing a country from a political system as intricate and complex as the European Union has been incredibly difficult- in terms of both execution, and public understanding. We still don’t know for certain what will happen on October 31st, or if Boris Johnson’s proposed backstop alternative will be approved, but it’s important to understand the consequences of Brexit when the impacts become more apparent.

The Rebel Archive Ethel Voynitch MOTLEY WRITER NIAMH BROWNE TELLS THE STORY OF LITTLE-KNOWN IRISH WRITER ETHEL VOYNICH, AND THE INCREDIBLE LIFE SHE LIVED.

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et’s say you are at a dinner party. A fancy dinner party. In the midst of all the lovely red wine, someone asks the question “Who is the best selling Irish author of all time?.’ All the intellectuals of the dinner party will puff out their chests and discuss the merits of Wilde, or Swift oh but it must surely be Joyce. Few people in this scenario will name a woman, much less so Ethel Voynich.

Ethel Voynich, the youngest of George Boole’s 5 daughters, was born in Cork May 11th 1864. She wrote a book which was compulsory reading in the Soviet Union, has a minor planet named after her and had an affair with the spy who James Bond is based on. G’wan Ethel.

After the tragic death of her father, the Boole family moved to England. Her mother, Mary Everest, a mathematician and a rather unfortunate advocate of homeopathy, sent Ethel away to her uncle - who was “quite the religious fanatic” - after she contracted erysipelas. Here, Ethel was forced to play music for hours on end.

At the age of 18, she came into a legacy which allowed her to study at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin.

This is where she got into revolutionary politics (typical, send your kid to college and they come back a god damn Marxist), and founded The Society of Friends of Russian Freedom. She fell in love with a Polish man called Michał Habdank-Wojnicz, who later anglicised his name to Wilfred Michael Voynich, of Voynich manuscript fame.

The Voynich manuscript is the most tantalizingly difficult piece of writing that has befuddled cryptographers since its discovery. It has yet to be deciphered, with many believing it to be a secret language or code, perhaps a cookbook even, dating back to Renaissance Italy. For the

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last hundred years, it’s stumped pretty much everyone.

Wilfred Michael Voynich discovered this manuscript in 1912. Google it, it’s fascinating.

Ethel’s big moment, however, came in 1897 when she published her novel The Gadfly; A romantic tale of revolution and socialism. This led to its enormous popularity in the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, with the estimated sales of over 2,500,000 in the Soviet Union alone. It was basically the “To Kill A Mockingbird of the USSR”. The Gadfly’s particular popularity in the USSR resulted in two feature film adaptations being made. Shostakovich produced the score for the 1955 one.

Ethel had no idea of how enormously successful the Gadfly was until one day, a Russian diplomat visited her in New York, saying what an enormous fan he was of her book. She was later given $15,000 dollars in royalties.

The protagonist of the Gadfly, Arthur, is said to have been based on Sidney Reilly. Sidney Reilly is also the model for another famous literary figure, James Bond. In 1895, the two voyaged together to Florence where a brief affair ensued. Historians think Reilly was probably trying to infiltrate Voynich’s circle of Russian emigrés.

Voynich died in 1960 aged 94 in New York, having lived a long and class life. Her remains were cremated and scattered over Central Park. The minor planet 2023 Ethel was named in her honour in 1970.

T H E N OT S O LO N E LY P L A N E T

BY ALANA DALY MULLIGAN

THE SEARCH FOR SISTERHOOD The Sometimes-Scary Sorority Life Of America

“

I just want to know, do you wear cloaks?!” I joke. She chuckles a little and then looks at me; “I can’t disclose any information, literally nothing at all. All I can tell you is that I went through it.”

While I have a rather tormented relationship bouncing between the binaries, my femininity and desire for female friendships has always been important to me. Since coming to Maine, I’ve realised that gender plays a much bigger role in life in America than it does at home in Ireland. Sororities are one way how gender is regulated. “A typical sorority girl maintains a ‘lovely’ appearance in public, is basically ‘all that’ and more” says Tory Demmons Skidgel, a Junior Communications Major with a Journalism Minor, and a proud member of the Phi Mu (ΦΜ) sorority. Tory insists she is not your typical sorority girl, at least not by the movie standards, anyways.

I‘ll admit, going into the interview I had my prejudices about Greek Life from films I’d seen, which was further reinforced by the friends I’ve made over here. From all I had heard, the movement seemed wildly anti-feminist and dated, laced with stories of sexual assault, severe bullying, a restrictive hold over the autonomy of women, and a warped view of gender roles.

From the outset, Tory is brutally honest about the reality that Greek Life presents. “We try to make sure it’s like a sisterhood— it sometimes feels more like a business, but it’s really just a way to have friends.” She talks me through the week-long recruitment process (which is kind of like a more brutal version of The Rose of Tralee). The “dues” for a sorority girl can be upwards of $600 a year, giving them access to the sorority’s databases, allowing them to participate in secret rituals, and to go to events and sponsor the Phi Mu Foundation. She sees it as saving for the futures of her Phi Mu sisters and tells me “we [as a sorority] don’t do this for the money. We do this for the bonds and the sisterhood.”

While the advertisements for sororities promise life-long sisterhood and empowerment, there are major

issues with how sororities treat girls.

A diversity issue quietly rages within many Greek organisations: middle and upper-class, generally Caucasian students magnetise towards this secret culture. “We look at who the person is. We don’t look at where they came from,” she says, while assuring me that some sororities do care quite a lot about presentation right down to THE PHI MU what they wear. Clothing checks are COAT OF ARMS, common practice in most sororities.

WITH LATIN TRANSLATING TO I was shocked to learn about this “THE FAITHFUL restrictive measure, hoping it was SISTERS” just another dramatic Hollywood stereotype. “There are ideals from the past that we’re trying to uphold,” Tory tells me. “We don’t want to look sleazy. There is still an idea that ‘that’s hoe-y, don’t be a ho.’”

The conversation covered all things sorority; I discussed the dangers of secret societies, hazing, the lack of queer inclusivity in these spaces (particularly trans* exclusion), and sexual assault. Since arriving in the U.S., I have been warned about frat parties, even though UMaine is one of America’s safest campuses. Bottle re-sealers in basements of Frat houses and a string of rape cases resulted in one fraternity being temporarily suspended a few years ago. The sorority solution to these party threats is a buddy system. “If you go to the bathroom, you have a buddy. You are never in a room without a sister.” This idea that women’s organisations feel they are in danger when they are meant to be having fun in a place that is supposed to make them feel safe horrified me.

While I find most elements of Greek Life deeply problematic, there are parts I admire, the connection sisters claim to have to their history and their past being the main one. What scares me is the toxic environment it creates for women, and the control it has on the way they think about the world and how they view one another. But it begs the question, when you are lonely, what would you do to find a friend?

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 15

BE I NG IN P ar i s MARK O ’LEARY MUSES ON HIS RECENT TRIP TO PARIS, AND WHETHER ITS SIGNIFICANCE LIES IN ITS LOCATION OR THE FEELINGS IT INSPIRES.

S

ince my first visit to the city as an adult, last summer, Paris has occupied an almost sacred space in my self-conception. Traveling alone for the first time, Paris was the only place I had ever felt entirely untethered. The city had become a cathedral of the kind of authentic experience that I longed for. Yet twelve months later, as I once again strolled through the narrow cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter, It occurred to me that perhaps it was not the place but its place in my life which was special.

The architecture and the repetitive conversations with other travellers had started to turn dry.

I stopped for two pints at what was still nominally a little Irish bar, which had by erosion become authentically Parisian. Faded advertis-

16 | OCTOBER 2019

ing for Magners (the defunct name of the Irish cider which is now Bulmers) adorned the front, while the bathroom walls were scribbled with black and red marker, proclaiming ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS. I considered joining the only other patrons, two Parisian girls, but was deterred by the thought of the irritation I would feel if my evening in Tom Barry’s with a friend was interrupted by a French tourist, trying to find the ‘real Ireland.’

Boarding the Metro, I was resigned to meeting some other tourists to spend my evening with. Yet, when after just two stops everybody else in my completely full carriage rushed out the doors, I was driven to see where all of these Parisians were in such a rush to get to. Chasing them up the stairs, we emerged into an indistinct resi-

dential neighbourhood. Everybody began to filter out into different streets. There was nothing happening. I checked the time. It was 6pm on a Wednesday. Paris was merely returning home from work.

It occurred to me that this was the real Paris I had been searching for. These people were not awestruck by the Sacre Ceour and they probably almost never visited the Louvre. They thought about what to cook their children for dinner and whether they would have time to watch an episode of American Vandal season 2, just as much as the rest of us. I wondered if they ever stopped dead in the street to marvel at the architecture that they were surrounded by every day and concluded that they probably didn’t, just as I never stopped on Patrick’s Street and looked above the garish shop fronts at the beautiful Victorian buildings above.

Back on the Metro, I realised that in coming here I had been seeking a secret life that I had believed always existed around some corner. A life from a film, where all of the unimportant bits are edited out. I was convinced that my life thus far had been mere exposition. All I needed to do was finish school or to go somewhere different. Somewhere I would also be different. To think that life in Paris could be just as mundanely human as life at home, dashed a conception of a future that had always been central to my self-perception.

I concluded that if Paris was not this utopia, then it must not exist. Life would remain mundane, if perhaps punctuated by brief moments of excitement. I would remain the same person I had always been.

Later that night, two Australians and I stumbled toward the Eiffel tower. Its thousands of twinkling lights mimicked the night sky and I thought how uniquely arrogant it was for humans to try and recreate something so impossible to replicate. Yet in this case, we had come close enough to succeeding. The tower shone with all of the dumb expectation I had thought I had lost that day.

Hemingway called Paris a “moveable feast.” I think that he was slightly off the mark. It is not Paris but the feeling it inspires that is a ‘moveable feast.’ Paris is the place to go to learn how to bottle the awe that every brick of every house and every blade of grass at le Jardin de Luxembourg inspired during my first trip. Wonder is perhaps the most valuable human emotion. Maybe it is not the things we see that inspire it but how we look at them. Here’s to looking up on Patrick Street.

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 17

The Power of Pets JULIANNE POWER EXTOLS THE VIRTUES OF HAVING PETS AND INVESTIGATES THE POSITIVE IMPACT THESE FLUFFY COMPANIONS CAN HAVE ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH

I

n April of this year, the twitter account of NUIG shared snaps of the college’s new therapy dogs, labradors April and Max. The pictures alone were enough to make anyone smile, even us college students in the midst of well-known exam frenzy. There is more to the story than that, however. The gorgeous dogs were granted their own student IDs, attending the library throughout study week, offering students the opportunity to de-stress ahead of the ever-dreaded summer examinations and to spend some time with the college’s newest employees. And this is certainly no new phenomenon; the idea of college therapy dogs has been seen across America for many years, as well as in universities throughout the United Kingdom.

Of course, fluffy four-legged friends have long been known to make even the most resolute individuals crack. Just ask my dad who, to begin with, was far from enthusiastic to welcome a dog into the family home, and now has become inseparable from the little guy, or as I like to describe him, my dad’s new favourite child.

Anecdotes aside, the topic of pets, and their potential benefits to mental health, is one that has become widely discussed and heavily supported. According to a survey of pet owners in the USA, carried out by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 74% of those surveyed reported an improvement in their own mental health due to their pet, while 75% reported the

18 | OCTOBER 2019

same improvement to be seen in a family member or a friend. This result can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a reduction in psychological stress and an increase of oxytocin levels in the brain. Another example of such research is a fascinating study carried out by researchers Patricia Pendry and Jaymie L. Vandagriff of Washington State University. In this study they divided college students into four groups. The first group were given ten minutes to play with dogs and cats, the second watched this interaction take place, the third simply viewed a slideshow of animal pictures, and the fourth sat in an empty room for the duration. The researchers tested the participants’ cortisol (the hormone secreted in response to stress) levels both pre- and post-study. The results showed a significantly lower cortisol level amongst those who interacted with the animals, highlighting the difference even ten minutes amongst animals has the potential to make. UK charity The Mental Health Foundation carried out a survey of 600 cat owners and non-cat owners in 2011, half of whom reported having a diagnosed mental health issue. 87% of the cat-owners reported that their pet had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing, and 76% stated their pet assisted in their coping better with everyday life. It is possible for me to speak from personal experience, knowing that after a particularly long or taxing day, spending time with my dog alleviates my anxiety and stress almost instantly.

And it is not solely mental health issues for which pets have the potential to help. They can be seen to enrich and add value to the lives of many. For the elderly, particularly in more rural areas, a pet may be the only friendly face seen on a consistent basis, as well as being an encourager of exercise. Mental Health Ireland have also shared research on the idea that people with Alzheimer’s are thought to have fewer anxious outbursts with an animal in the home. Pets, particularly dogs and horses, have often been used in sensory integration activities with autistic children. We cannot forget the incredible work of service animals, who can even be trained to load and unload the washing machine. In Ireland we can also see the talent of the Garda Dog Unit and the Irish Search Dogs, who work alongside their partners in protecting and assisting the citizens of our country.

The healing power of what can be described as the ‘pet-effect,’ or the bond that can become established between pet and owner, and the benefits it can provide, has become a popular topic in recent years, and one which I am sure will continue to grow for years to come. After all, how could anyone resist the imploring eyes of ‘Man’s Best Friend?’

POETRY

Huge Animals ELISA SABBADIN Your thoughts align and disalign Like grains of sand rolled out on a beach For all the miles you can think Your thoughts align and disalign Like the space between each

The elephants are dancing unspeakably Their feet as big as the lions move slowly One side to the other They’re waving their trunks, turning their skulls Dancing in circles Around the newborns Dancing in circles Around the dying Dancing around the lions and whales The sand swirls in the center, rises and falls Into song.

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Something else beats and enlarges in the dark Huge hearts, lungs, and intestines rolled up Internal organs pulse among juices Heavy skulls turn slowly, one side and the other Stretching skins which could spread out like maps Of all the oceans and seas For many of the many miles you can think These are not really metaphors.

On the beach of your thoughts Huge animals dwell And beneath, the subterraneans.

Your thoughts drip from the ceiling above your head Small mountains of grains of sand on the floor In the dark room, you know The song of time Encircles the songs of desire and death Everyone is kneeling in the subterraneans Everyone is praying in the dark room Prayers grow into songs And songs grow like mushrooms Upwards and tall, upwards and blind

C O N TAC T E D I T O R @ M O T L E Y. I E F O R D E TA I L S

The whales are stranded on the thin Strand of sand between the two seas This is their last breath of dust From the dark room, you can hear Their hearts pulsing slowly and slower.

Then dying, The dark juices turn into song.

The lions are racing on the long Strand of sand rolled out like a bowel They’re as big as the whales, but mad and alive Biting into the flesh of each other Pushing and pulling and rolling in fight From the dark room, you can hear Their tearing and loving.

Then resting, The wounds turn into song.

The room is as full as you can imagine Eyes are closed, hands are open The child lays down, and looks up “Things eat themselves” he says in a loop You’re afraid of the child, close your eyes And swear You won’t look at the ceiling Please, O please Come join me in the dark room Songs grow like mushrooms Imagine this is a metaphor Come kneel in the dark Come melt into song.

Be with me Don’t look up.

INTERVIEW WITH

Orla Gartland

Photography: Bjorn Franklin

IN BETWEEN STOPS ON A U.S. TOUR, IRISH POP SINGER ORLA GARTLAND FOUND SOME TIME IN HER CRAZY SCHEDULE TO CHAT WITH MOTLEY ‘S LAURIE SHELLY ABOUT HER NEWEST SONG, THE CHANGING FACE OF YOUTUBE, WRITING FOR K-POP BOYBAND BTS, AND WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT POP MUSIC.

P

eople on the Internet speak nostalgically of a over the past year led to the release of her golden age of the video-sharing website YouTube.

Why Am I Like This EP in May, a mixture of zingy, upbeat They speak of a time before cheap clickbait, a tracks and spiraling songs on which she narrates her time before vicious beauty guru feuds, a time before Tide anxiety-ridden thought processes.

Pod-eating. During this golden age, they say, independent

Gartland played sold-out shows all over Europe on creators crafting original content were at the centre of a headline tour earlier this year, including a hugely popular YouTube, making videos about things they loved. People gig here in Cork in Cyprus Avenue in April, and she will wistfully recall the bad sound quality and low-resolution return to Irish soil for a show in Whelan’s in Dublin this of these earnest, early videos, and lament how the website’s November. It is early October when I speak to her, and she algorithm now favours high production value, petty drama- is touring the U.S., playing guitar in her good friend Dodie fuelled diss tracks and shallow, attention-seeking antics.

Clark’s band. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “We’ve been out

Orla Gartland is the kind of artist people think here for 6 weeks now so I feel properly immersed in the about when they think about the YouTube of old. The culture, which is cool.”

Dublin-born, London-based 24-year-old started posting

The little images Gartland inserts into her songs videos on the site when she was only 13. She caught are arresting; she remembers a girl she saw crying on a people’s attention with how adept she was on guitar, train and kicks herself for not asking her if she was alright; her creative cover versions of well-known songs and the she comes to the depressing realisation that getting all undeniable talent that shone through in the witty songs she nicely dressed up in your “Sunday best” can’t make you wrote herself, and quickly gained a vast number of devoted feel better or different, and might actually make you feel subscribers (at the time of writing, her subscriber count worse, pathetic, silly; she sings about the “half-light.” stands at over 228,000).

Gartland has an eye for detail - it’s just one of the many

When I catch up with her, I ask Gartland if qualities of hers that make her inarguably one of Ireland’s she still thinks YouTube is a good platform for aspiring most exciting young artists. musicians to use. “It feels important to have some kind of

Her latest release, “Did It To Myself,” is the presence on there, but it’s so saturated now,” she says. lead single from an upcoming mystery project. In an

If YouTube has indeed changed or declined Instagram caption, Gartland writes that the song is about in some way, this has by no means signaled the end for experiencing real, soul-crushing heartbreak for the first time Gartland - her talent transcends and “instantly understanding trend and reaches far beyond “I DON’T THINK [YOUTUBE] IS THE why so many songs have been the scope of a viral video. Since PLACE FOR BRAND NEW ARTISTS written about how it feels to the release of her first EP, Roots, suddenly be on your own.”

TO BREAK ANYMORE...THE in 2013, Gartland’s writing The song viscerally represents INTERNET IS REALLY CRAVING A that sick ache with a snarling has become highly astute and she has honed her own unique NEW, MUSIC-FOCUSED, MYSPACE- bass line and ricocheting vocal brand of punchy, introspective, harmonies.

TYPE PLATFORM RIGHT NOW.” guitar-laden alternative pop. A

Gartland has said steady stream of brilliant singles “Did It To Myself ” marks

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 21

a new chapter of her career, a new beginning. Why was “Did It To Myself ” the song she thought should open this new chapter? “I went through a break up last year that brought up every emotion under the sun for me over a series of months,” she tells me. “I had a lot to say and I wanted to run the writing tap, so in May I challenged myself to write something every day; a verse, half a song... just something. “Did It To Myself ” came on May 1st. Something about churning it out right away felt cathartic, like I wasn’t thinking too much and just wanted to get the feeling out of my system. When I later finished the next set of songs and picked my favourites, this one just felt like the right opener.”

The song’s music video shows a broken, expressionless Gartland staring straight into the camera, unresponsive to all the cheery friends who try to get through to her.

They eventually get fed up with her and stamp red paint love hearts into her white t-shirt (if my description is too vague and you can’t visualise this, I recommend you watch the video, it’s good).

“I was drawn to the broken heart symbol as a simple emblem to represent these songs and the video idea grew around that,” says Gartland. “The tone of the song was almost unemotional... the feeling of

acceptance, of disengaging and letting everything fall apart around me was something I felt really summed up the end of this relationship I wrote about, so the director Zoe Alker and I started there. The broken heart became a symbol for love lost, and each character throughout the video tries their best to seek out some kind of love or affection from me, to no avail.”

She has also dabbled in

“TO THOSE WHO SAY THEY HATE POP, POP IS MORE THAN TOP 40 TUNES ON THE RADIO. IF YOU SAY YOU HATE POP, YOU PROBABLY JUST DON’T KNOW QUITE HOW FAR THAT GENRE CAN STRETCH...

CHANCES ARE THERE’S SOME POP OUT THERE FOR YOU. PROMISE.” writing for other artists; last year, she co-wrote a song for the massive K-pop megastar boyband global sensation BTS, the track “134340” from their album Love Yourself: Tear.

“I was sent some backing tracks, instrumentals, and my friend Martin Luke Brown and I wrote a topline on top,” she says, explaining how the

crazy situation came about. “It was a chill day, we lived together at the time and just recorded the ideas in Martin’s bedroom. We sent the instrumentals back with our ideas on, forgot all about it, and got a call a year later to say the band loved a part of our song idea and would be translating it into Korean and vocalling it for the next album. Wild.”

Gartland is a true lover and advocate of pop music. “Right now, I’m loving Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, Cavetown and MUNA - their new album Saves The World is incredible.”

What would she say to those who (foolishly) dismiss pop and say it’s not a worthwhile genre, I ask? “Good pop is accessible, relatable, interesting yet simplistic in the best way. It’s a good sing-along chorus or an irresistible groove, it’s a musical hook or lyric that sticks in your head for a month straight,” she enthuses.

Can she tells us anything about her upcoming music? “Yes,” she says. “There’s a bunch of songs coming, “Did It To Myself ” is the beginning of this new chapter, and it’s all the most honest, close-to-home music I’ve ever made.”

Orla Gartland plays Whelan’s, Dublin, on Friday November 15th.

Her new single “Did It To Myself ” is out now.

JUST E R AS M U S THINGS Dealing with Reverse Culture Shock HOLLY BUCKLEY TALKS US THROUGH THE STRANGENESS OF ARRIVING HOME FROM A YEAR ABROAD AND HOW TO COPE WITH THE READJUSTMENT.

W

e have all heard of culture shock - that emotional difficulty and stress that comes from moving to a foreign country with different people and different cultures and different everything! It can be very overwhelming at the beginning and it’s important to remember that it affects people differently. Some people might not experience it at all. For me, I didn’t believe that I would ever experience it but as it turns out, I was wrong.

Now, reverse culture shock. Reverse culture shock is what happens when you return home after spending a prolonged period abroad. I bet you’re thinking, how can I feel culture shock in my own home? It’s possible! You are back home and things are different, even though it doesn’t look or seem like it. For me, returning home was a much tougher adjustment. I was lazy and negative. I felt like I had no purpose; I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was like I was sitting in someone else’s bath water, the shadow of the old me with all her old habits... not to be dramatic. In short, I was very down. I missed my life abroad and my friends. I missed how I had felt abroad and the person I had been.

Just as studying abroad demands so many lifestyle changes, so does moving home. You’re used to a different routine, and you miss your friends and the freedom you had. My big thing was how much I missed cycling and my bike (I lived in the Netherlands). You have been transformed and you might not know it! You have experienced something big, you have different habits and maybe different outlooks and new opinions. All of this comes to the surface, of course, when you return home.

Your fantasy bubble has finally popped and reality hits you hard. Don’t worry, it’s not all downhill from here. Amidst the array of confusing feelings, there is a light!

What I have noticed with myself is that the feelings come in phases. When I got home, I was excited to see my friends and family and my dog. A few days later, I wanted my life abroad back and spent so much time wallowing. Of course, everyone is different. A few of my friends felt disengaged when they returned home.

Suddenly you realise that most people don’t want to constantly listen to your stories. You might start comparing a lot of things about home to how things were abroad, and that might make you feel down or frustrated. You will feel like this every now and then but there are lots of ways you can deal with it.

I think it’s important to talk to your friends from abroad. They are going through the same thing as you and they are the people who will best understand your situation.

Keep your memories alive - make plans to visit these friends. They haven’t suddenly ceased to exist just because you don’t live in the same country as them anymore. What I felt worked well for me was trying to change things and try new things when I got home. For example, writing this article is one of those things. I changed the things that made me feel down. I got a new job; I gradually changed my routine bit by bit and thankfully did not fall back into my pit. Keeping busy is also a good way to change your attitude. If you return for the summer, make plans, even if it's just taking your dog for a walk. I think the most vital part is to give yourself time. Give yourself time when you come back to settle down and to spend time with your friends and family. Although you have probably spent a whole year chilling out, you need to take a break when you get home too! Don’t push yourself to be “the old you;” embrace yourself and your experiences and don't be afraid to acknowledge any of these weird feelings you might be feeling.

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 23

ME, MYSELF AND

Y H C R A N A

BY TADGH MACCIONNAITH

I PUT UP A POLL ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN READING AND THIS ARTICLE IS THE RESULT OF THAT VOTE. TRUTH BE TOLD, I’M SOMEWHAT TERRIFIED OF DOING SUCH A TOPIC JUSTICE INSIDE SUCH A WORD-COUNT; THIS IS ALREADY THE THIRD COMPLETE REDRAFT OF THIS ARTICLE. AT LEAST YOU, THE READER, WILL BE SPARED HAVING TO READ THE FIRST AND SECOND ATTEMPTS.

24 | OCTOBER 2019

What is Anarchy?

Anarchism probably isn't what you’re envisaging in your mind, particularly if you have a mental image resembling Mad Max Fury Road running through your head. Anarchism is best described as “Radical Democratic Free Association without Markets or Private Property”, or to simplify things even more, Direct Democracy Everywhere.

The reason anarchy is called ‘anarchy’ is it comes from the ancient Greek for the word ‘leaderless,’ anarkhia.

Unfortunately, the same term has become a synonym for chaos based on the assumption that hierarchy is inherently necessary for order.

Why is Anarchy?

There’s a lot of debate as to who had Anarchy first. Daoism is thought to have anarchic principles and a lot of anarchist philosophy is based on theories about self-determination. But politically speaking, anarchist political writers such as Proudhon, Kropotkin and Bakunin were concerned with how resources are distributed and controlled, along with where power lies. As much as anarchism is about taking power and responsibility back to the individual, it is also about critiquing hierarchy, power and the infrastructures that maintain them wherever they are found. Which unfortunately leaves anarchy in the unenviable position of having its most accurate representation in popular culture being the peasant scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Which Anarchy?

There are indeed different flavours of anarchy. For example, AnarchaFeminists strive for a radical democratic society free from the influence of patriarchy, which is a largely male-centric hierarchy.

Mutualists don’t really mind markets but still think production should be democratically run. Ecological Anarchists recognise capitalism as the chief destroyer of the environment and seek to dismantle it and repair ecosystems. Indigenous Autonomists are native populations throwing off the influence of the state to establish their own democratic confederations.

All of these anarchists work together on projects under the principles of Mutual Aid (A.K.A jolly cooperation).

For example, the current revolution in Rojava combines elements of all of the above. Myself, I’d be involved with the IWW, an international Anarcho-Syndicalist Industrial Union.

Why Me?

Why did I choose to become an Anarchist? To be honest, it took me a while, but a number of considerations led me down this path.

Questions such as: -Is Capitalism sustainable?

-What is exploitative -What isn’t?

-What is the role of the state?

-How do I contribute to crises?

-How much choice do I have?

-Do we live in a democratic society?

-Is socialism guaranteed to be authoritarian?

Amongst many others...

Do I regret my decision to become involved in anarchy? Yes, as I am more aware of the struggles of others. Ignorance is bliss. Has

it been worth it? Certainly, in my opinion. It has led me to interesting people and even more interesting debate and discussion. It was said to me by a lecturer that anarchy is primarily a philosophical exercise and in many ways they were right. I am sitting here writing about ideas and questions rather than action and impact, largely due to that being my experience of things. But at the same time, anarchism is not relegated to the realm of philosophy, with current and historical instances striving for its implementation. As long as that is the case, anarchism will remain politically relevant. The music is pretty good too— I might compile a list of my ‘Top Ten Songs To Question Authority To’ for Motley in the near future.

If I’ve left you with questions, the best place to get answers would be the Anarchist FAQ, a book found free online at TheAnarchistLibrary.org or in audio form on the YouTube Channel of Audible Anarchist. Or you can catch me if you can.

FEATURES & OPINIONS | 25

OPINION KYLE MCCARTHY EXPLAINS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CLIMATE LEGISLATION AND WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE.

J

ust over one year ago, Greta Thunberg began a movement that on the 20th September saw millions of students unite, from the Pacific islands in the East, to the U. S. in the West, to demand one thing: that action be taken on the climate emergency.

While the scenes of unity shown by the worlds youth were extraordinary, the response from political leaders was not.

Many responded with the idea that the students should be in school, a response echoed by the UK education secretary and many other politicians who would prefer to ignore the big problems and instead focus on short-term election goals. In Ireland, we once again are faced an unresponsive government, who responded with the usual ‘'we fully support the protesters' line. But what have they actually done to show they support us? In short, very little.

In 2015, Ireland signed the Paris Climate Accords along with almost 200 other parties, pledging to cut carbon emissions. Almost 4 years later, we have done the opposite. We are the fourth worst offenders for climate emissions in the EU. Our emissions have kept rising.

Last May, after the Green Party surged back onto the scene taking council seats and 2 EU parliament seats, the Government suddenly produced a Climate Action Plan.

One could be forgiven for only seeing this plan as a response to the Greens winning seats. Expert reports have consistently told us that the government needs to do more to achieve the deadlines we have to meet. These reports are routinely ignored. While Fine Gael must take some blame for this, owing to them being in Photo: Jaco Bronkhorst Government through all of this, the other parties must also shoulder the blame. Fianna Fail, who props up this government, could force them to take climate action if they wanted to, but like most of our political system, they too have taken the issue of Brexit as an opportunity to ignore all our other issues (including

26 | OCTOBER 2019

POLITICIANS HAVE FAILED US ON CLIMATE CHANGE climate change). Sinn FĂŠin, while great at playing the game of criticising the government, have fallen short in terms of providing any actual solutions while the Green Party continues to be tainted by the policies that helped crash the economy in 2008, which led to years of budget cuts and austerity. Labour meanwhile, was definitively kicked out of government in the last election in response to it breaking so many election promises, which was too much for the electorate to forgive.

Yes, our politicians have failed us in the face of climate change. That is a fact that is very hard to dodge.

We have however made some progress: the Climate Action Plan, if fully implemented, is a step in the right direction, and the EU beginning to implement a single-use plastic ban is also a positive step.

A step in the right direction is no longer good enough though, we need a leap in the right direction. We need ambitious policies if we want our planet to survive and it's easy to say in Ireland that we are small and make no difference. Everything makes a difference. In this country, it is time for the government and the opposition to sit down and actually agree on an ambitious plan to make us a green nation. We should be leading the way on climate innovation. Instead, we are lagging behind on all commitments. Saving our planet should not have to be an idea that is divisive or ignored, but right now it's as if our house is burning down and the firefighters are more concerned with the cat in the tree than they are with putting out the fire.

As Greta put it at the climate summit, politics as normal is no longer acceptable, and if our politicians keep failing us, we will never forgive them. The time to act is now. And the sooner the world and the Irish Government acknowledge this, the better chance my generation and all future generations have of not just survival, but of living in a better PROTESTERS IN CORK and fairer society. So act now. Keep DURING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE protesting until the politicians listen to us, it's our only hope.

POETRY

Global DIANA ŠINAUSKA

There is nowhere to hide I will grow old Between the shadow and the soul. My mind may be decaying And straying from reality.

I close my eyes and imagine everything’s okay But it isn’t I don’t understand a thing.

The wind creeps around me like the ghost of a thief.

Perhaps it’s many ghosts - Howling, begging to be seen, heard, noticed.

Its gentle violence shakes the bare branches Rattling them like bones.

A single breeze, a single breath. The dreary, thin air is getting to me, Making me think.

I’m faced with dark, desolate days And there’s no time.

There’s mainly darkness, or dim light But mostly just doom, I could swear I heard someone call my name, I feel hope rising up and there’s - Nothing, no one.

How foolish it is to hope, how human.

ENTERTAINMENT Edit

OCTOBER

ANDREW BURKE AND CATHAL DONOVAN O’NEILL SHARE THEIR TOP PICKS FOR OCTOBER

Disney +

November 12th The House of Mouse’s streaming service launches in North America, after months of anticipation and dread. Featuring TV and films from Marvel, Star Wars, The Simpsons and National Geographic, you will never leave the house again as you worship upon the altar of Walt. The Waltar. The streaming service will rollout in Western Europe over the next six months, with an Irish release date rumored for early March. What this means for Netflix and Amazon Prime remains to be seen. Thoughts and prayers to NOW TV.

The Darkness

November 25th at 20:00 The UK rock band The Darkness are playing a headline gig at Cyprus Avenue as part of their UK/European tour to promote the album they released back in October, called Easter is Cancelled.

They are most known for their hit songs such as “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and “Love is Only a Feeling,” released back in 2003.

Tickets cost €30 each.

For more info check out the event’s Facebook page.

Comedy Cavern Festival Coughlan’s Bar, November 5th November10th For the first time ever, the Comedy Cavern is having a gigantic comedy festival. Some of the best acts from Ireland and the UK will be performing stand-up comedy shows. There will be 8 shows with 8 great acts, such as CCCahoots, Shane Clifford, Bernard Casey and Chris Kent, all of which have massive followings on social media and are absolutely hilarious.

Tickets are €15 each and some shows are already sold out. Get your tickets while you can!

Credit: Sejbin

Ritual Of The Evil Eye

An Spailpín Fánach, November 2nd at 15:00 For something to get you into that horror zone, head to The Paranoid Pit for the Ritual Of The Evil Eye, a mammoth 9-band metal festival running across the entire day.

Headliners Ten-Ton Slug are one of the biggest metal acts in Ireland and the reputation of the other eight bands proceeds them. For a look into one of the minds behind the metal, check out our interview with Mark Morrisey in this issue.

Tickets for €25 at the door.

For more info, check out the event’s Facebook page

Credit: Gage Skidmore

The Motley Gig Guide

Every Sunday on Motley.ie For the last couple months, I’ve been chronicling the best gigs to go to from a student’s perspective.

There’s something for everyone every week in Cork, from hard rock to highly danceable pop.

Check the website for more and find your new favourite live act, or go through the archives to get a big picture of what’s been happening around town!

21 Bridges

In cinemas November 22nd After the success the Russo Brothers have achieved after directing two Captain America films and the two big films to finish off Marvel’s Infinity Saga, with Endgame now being the highest grossing movie of all time, what could they possibly do next? Well, they decided to produce the upcoming cop action drama film, 21 Bridges, starring Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther in the MCU films. Surely that is enough to convince you to see it!

THE CARTOON I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED BARRA O’DRISCEOIL TALKS ABOUT THE NEW CARTOON NETWORK SHOW INFINITY TRAIN AND HOW IT TACKLES MATURE THEMES

I

n 2016, Cartoon Network launched a pilot episode for a show called Infinity Train on their YouTube channel. The popularity of this pilot was so massive (reaching almost 5 million views), the cry from fans to make it into a regular scheduled show on the network was somewhat successful. It did make it on the channel, but as a mini-series, which in the end worked much better for the show. However, when the mini-series came out it was more different than I could have expected.

The show centres around a young teenager named Tulip, a child of divorced parents who runs away from home after her parents can’t bring her to game design camp.

While running away, a train suddenly pulls up in front of her. After she boards the train, she wakes up she finds that she is stuck on this train with no way out and notices a mysterious number on her hand. It is up to her, a corgi called Atticus and a robot with a split personality named One-One to try to get her to reach the front of the train and escape.

What really surprised me about the show was the theme of acceptance and letting go of the past. It was very clear that Tulip was bothered by her parents not being together and the show deals with her coming to terms with it. I wish I saw material like this on TV more frequently as a child. Not just a character coming to terms with change, but a character whose parents are divorced. Growing up as a child of divorce really made me feel different to other boys in my school, because not only did it seem like everyone else in school had happily married parents, it was the same on TV too. Because of this, I really found myself relating to Tulip throughout the course of the series. One episode in

particular highlights Tulip’s point of view on the situation— she tried changing the past in her memory because it feels right that her parents were happy until they suddenly got divorced. Characters and stories like this teach an important lesson; you have to accept that you can’t change the past, but it is okay, as the future is yours for the making.

The show also brings up another important topic, which is how we treat people who are younger than us. While we often see cartoons present themselves to appear to the demographic they are made for, it is quite seldom that we see a show take its audience, no matter the age, seriously. It is by no means the first show to do this successfully (Adventure Time and Young Justice have both done this superbly), but it is quite refreshing to watch a cartoon that doesn’t rely on bodily fluid jokes but instead incorporates mature themes in a way that is accessible to everybody. It makes a big difference; it makes subjects that are hard to explain to some audiences accessible and easier to talk about.

I highly recommend this show, because as well as presenting important themes and lessons, it is such an entertaining watch, with some very unexpected twists. I believe it is the most slept-on show of the year.

ENTERTAINMENT | 29

THIS IS HARDCORE CATHAL DONOVAN O’NEILL TALKS WITH CORK METAL PROMOTER MARK MORRISEY ABOUT ALL THINGS HEAVY

Photography: Paranoid Beast Promotions

M

ark Morrisey is the image of a metalhead: black band shirt, excellent beard, pure Cork accent. He’s got a day job, but by night he’s one of the two men responsible for the current explosion of metal in Cork. Every month, he and his partner-in-crime, Con Doyle, run The Paranoid Pit out of Fred Zeppelins, and the monthly gig has become metal central. October is a time for the weird, the angry, the out-of-your-comfort-zone, and there’s no better place to go than into the Pit.

There has always been a connection between heavy metal and Halloween, and I begin our conversation by asking Mark for his opinion of the horror-metal link.

He has thought about this before, and has used it to the Paranoid Pit’s advantage. “When you go back looking at old album covers like Iron Maiden and stuff, you always have that Eddie The Head killer. There’s a huge, huge connection with horror and metal and we actually use it ourselves in posters for the Paranoid gigs. Some of the very first posters were actually old horror posters.”

When the conversation turns to the State Of The Metal Scene, Mark gets a twinkle in his eye. He’s clearly proud of the grassroots metal movement that’s grown in the last couple of years, in no small part due to the efforts of him and Con. When I ask him about band recommendations, it’s as if I’ve asked him to choose his favourite child. “There’s so many good bands in Cork at the moment. I love Coroza, like.

We just put out Coroza’s first album on CD... It’s an absolute classic, in my opinion. They’re fantastic live. You have Aponym, another fantastic instrumental band, you have Parthenon, who are a post-metal band, you have God Alone, of course, and everyone knows them at the moment, you have that new band Gaelach, you have...”

Mark stresses the importance of the whole of Cork metal over the chosen few. There’s so much good stuff that he can’t just limit it to two or three best-ofs. After the interview, he sent me on a comprehensive list of all the ones to watch, and metals fans should take note: besides the above there’s

Soothsayer, The Magnapinna, The Last Vinci, Everdead Wood, Bailer, Worn Out, Bisect, Zhi Ren, Dirty Casuals, Red Sun Alert, Selkies, Arjunas’ Eve, Zhora. All on Spotify, all the real deal.

He also points me towards a metal zine called Flail Ov Venom. It’s a unique piece of metal memorabilia, an underground magazine that simultaneously harkens back to the DIY scene culture of yesteryear (mixtape-trading advertisements) while showing its modern roots with references to Bandcamp and a global purview. If you’ve got a few euro to spend, contact flailovvenomzine@gmail.com.

It speaks to the strength of the community here.

The venue’s big Halloween event is the Ritual Of The Evil Eye, a mammoth 9-band gig bringing bands from all over Ireland to Cork to blow the roof off. The event stretches from 3pm in the afternoon to past midnight and the bands speak for themselves. “Ten-Ton Slug are the biggest metal band in Ireland at the moment… they’d be playing festivals all over Europe every summer now at this stage, where they’d have become regulars. They started out playing the smaller stages and now they’re progressing into the main stages, so you’ll have 40,000 people watching these guys and they just blow ‘em away.”

The lineup is a rogue’s gallery of talent. Almost every band has a reputation for smashing it, for going nuts on stage, for being legends. Experimental industrial/ ambient Cursed Monk Records are setting the mood for a true black magic ritual: “He’s doing a kind of opening piece for us called The Invocation of Balor... He wears a big hood and he looks like a monk, basically.” There’s no better thrill than throwing yourself into a good metal gig and you don’t get much better than the ones here in Cork. Head to the Paranoid Pit; you won’t regret falling in.

The Ritual Of The Evil Eye is on November 2nd from 3pm onwards in An Spailpín Fánach. Thanks to Mark for the interview.

ENTERTAINMENT | 31

Credit: Chris Hernandez

REV I EW JOKER KANE GEARY O’KEEFFE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON JOAQUIN PHOENIX’S NEW TAKE ON THE CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME

A

s I sit here writing this review, before a poster of the Joker himself that has been on my wall for years, I’m quickly reminded of just how long I’ve been a fan of one of fiction’s most complex and well-known villains. The character has existed for over 75 years, yet still remains hugely popular in the eyes of the public today, a testament to his ever-present cultural relevance and status as a twisted mirror image of the time in which said public lives.

2019’s Joker, directed by Todd Philips, attempts to use this version of the character and his tragic origin to shed light on just what kind of world could spawn such a disturbed individual, one that is destined to become Batman’s arch nemesis. After two hours of increasingly disturbing imagery and a career-defining performance from

32 | OCTOBER 2019

Joaquin Phoenix, it seems to suggest that very world might not be too far removed from our own.

Those expecting some acid-spitting flowers and a Prince soundtrack akin to Joker’s appearances in previous visual media such as Tim Burton’s 1989 Bat-flick should really take heed before approaching the cinema this time.

This is very much a character study film, and a dark one at that. The film chronicles the sometimes tragic, sometimes brutal descent of Arthur Fleck, a failing clown for hire, into madness. It’s a journey carried solely on the sickly shoulders of a wholly committed Phoenix. There’s not a scene in this film without his presence, and what a presence it is. As the only fully realised character in the film, we’re given plenty of time to simmer in Fleck’s trauma as the world around him slowly crumbles, spurring him to don the iconic green hair and crimson grin we’ve come to know.

Phoenix’s use of Joker’s iconic laugh as something that causes him physical pain is one of many interesting nuances that allow his version of the villain to stand out amongst

Photo: Thierry Sollerot

past interpretations, and makes for one of the finest cinematic performances in my own recent memory. Watching Arthur gradually crack and heave until he finally lashes out in the film’s gripping climax makes it easy to see him landing plenty of Oscar buzz as the year draws to a close.

Todd Philips’s direction is also very much up to scratch. Stunning cinematography and clear visual cues taken from the early films of Martin Scorsese allow for a beautifully decrepit realisation of a city on the brink of social collapse. Many twists and a strong use of ambiguity keep the audience in contemplation long after the credits roll.

Where the film starts to crumble is its sometimes juvenile attempts at social commentary. Although it takes place in the 1980s, the film is undoubtedly attempting to depict a society that hits close to our own in 2019.

While the film does attempt to speak out about mental illness, and also about how our collective mistreatment and neglect of unwell individuals is what can create such disturbed individuals as Fleck, it does so in such overt ways that sometimes it feels like certain lines and thoughts in the film come straight from the mind of a disgruntled teenager. While the film will certainly start conversation, it’s unfortunate that such topics were dealt with in the way they

were. Having characters almost literally spell out ‘Society is BAD’ and other such messages for audiences was disappointing to see, especially when there was plenty of opportunities to deal with such relevant topics in more nuanced and thematically mature ways.

Overall, this more grounded take on a Joker origin story, capped by a monstrously enthralling lead performance and some truly beautiful imagery, help this film to earn its status as one of DIRECTOR the year’s most interesting and talkedTODD PHILLIPS about releases. While it’s not as perfect as AT THE 2016 some early reviews seemed to suggest, the DEAUVILLE AMERICAN film’s willingness to bring comic bookFILM FESTIVAL inspired cinema to new, much darker places allow it to succeed wholly, despite some shallow attempts at sparking a wider conversation. I wish they would do the same thing for the Justice League shows as well.

ENTERTAINMENT | 33

REV I EW INHALER at Cyprus Avenue CARLY FITZGERALD WAS ON THE SCENE TO CAPTURE THE HOT BAND’S CORK CONCERT. Inhaler is a four-piece rock band from Dublin that consists of Elijah Hewson (guitar and vocals), Robert Keating (bass), Josh Jenkinson (lead guitar), and Ryan McMahon (drums).

They met in school and bonded over their love of music and bands such as The Stones Roses and The Strokes. They have supported the likes of Blossoms and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and have played festival slots at Electric Picnic and Indiependence, as well as a few across the water such as Citadel in London and Pukkelpop in Belgium.

On September 25th Inhaler returned to Cyprus Avenue once again with support from Apre, after the Music Cork showcase, as part of their first European headline tour.

They delivered a gig that makes them a band to watch out for, infusing catchy lyrics with tantalising melodies to create an atmosphere that captivated the crowd.

The venue was packed and Elijah commented while onstage on how it had grown so much from just about twenty five people when they played at Music Cork.

They started off with “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” which they released back in March, and it was a perfect opener as people were familiar with it. Their new single, “Ice Cream Sundae,” is a feel-good synthy pop tune that you can’t help but dance to, so it had no trouble getting the crowd moving and singing the lyrics back.

They followed this up with a slower number that added dynamic to the set. “Cheer Up Baby” had the crowd enthusiastically buzzing with great riffs and infectious lyrics.

The band had commanded the stage at this point in the performance with Elijah even hopping up on the drum kit near the end of the song. He exuded confidence onstage and had no difficulty in fulfilling the frontman role, even though he apologised for some of his antics.

“My King Will Be Kind” was a personal favourite from their set. The rawness and honesty in the lyrics was complemented by the way the music became slightly muted at times, enabling an emphasis to be put on certain lyrics.

It is one of their less poppy songs and the way it contrasted

34 | OCTOBER 2019

with others on the setlist made it a powerful performance.

They closed with “My Honest Face,” which has over two million Spotify streams and was another well-known crowd pleaser. It was a high energy song and one that kept the crowd going until the end, so it was a good choice for bringing their set to a close.

Inhaler are a young band who are playing intimate venues at the moment, so catch them in one while you still can because if their Cyprus Avenue gig is anything to go by, they are going to be big. They have two Irish shows coming up in The Button Factory in Dublin on December 18th and 19th . Inhaler may be a Dublin band, but they sure have made their mark on Cork after this show.

Photography: Carly Fitzgerald

A GU ID E TO CO R K CO M E DY FR I

ANDREW BURKE DISCUSSES THE COMEDY SCENE IN CORK AND HOW YOU CAN EXPERIENCE AND BECOME A PART OF IT

C

ork has become one of the best places in the country for entertainment. Everywhere you look, you will see theatre performances, music gigs and, now more than ever, comedy shows. We have great talent from Cork, such as Desmond Bishop, Chris Kent, Ross Browne, CCCahoots, Lords of Strut, Richy Sheehy, Langer Laughs and more. So, here is a guide to the comedy scene right here in Cork.

M ON On Mondays you have the Coco Comedy Club open mic night, which takes place upstairs in the Roundy. If you are itching to do some stand-up comedy, this is the place for you. This is where a lot of Cork’s great talent started off.

SAT / SUN

TUE On Tuesdays, you have the Comedy Cavern, located in the back of Coughlan’s Bar, which hosts weekly gigs and monthly open mics. Anyone can go on stage and try out materiThey are also having a comedy festival with some amazing acts in early November - check out the entertainment edit for more information.

W ED On Wednesdays, you have the Coco again with its professional show, featuring at least one comedian who has been entertaining audiences at Monday’s open mics, and a special headline act every week. It is a guaranteed good time.

THU On Thursdays, you have the newest club on the scene, McCronins Comedy Club, located upstairs in Cashman’s Bar. This is where comedians who have been doing well on the scene and want to work on material can try out 10 minute sets. It is the most underrated club in Cork and a hidden gem.

Friday nights are special nights in Cork city, because you have two clubs to choose from. You have the longest club running in Cork, City Limits, located in the City Limits Comedy Club, which is the only dedicated building in Cork for comedy. You also have The Wonky Donkey, located in the Cellar Theatre as part of the Mardyke Entertainment Complex. Both are considered to be the premium clubs in Cork and are regarded as two of the best clubs in the entire country. Fridays feature the best acts from not just Cork, and not just from all around Ireland, but from the UK as well.

al!

On Saturdays you have City Limits again and even on Sunday nights you can go to the open mic in The Friary. There is a way to experience comedy every night of the week.

All of these clubs open at 8:30pm and every club is free entry, running on donations given at the end of each show to keep them going.

The exceptions to this are City Limits and The Wonky Donkey, which typically charge about €14 per ticket, but you absolutely get what you pay for with the quality acts and atmosphere.

If you are a lover of comedy and just want to laugh, any of these nights will satisfy your funny bone. But, if you want to try out stand-up comedy yourself, now is the best time to get into it. Start off at the Coco Club and the Comedy Cavern. Show up with friends for support, have 5 minutes of material prepared and go from there.

The important thing is to keep coming back and to not be afraid to return with the same material as the week before.

It is all about getting a good 5 minutes and then refining it. Once you keep doing well at the open mics in the Coco, you could be asked to do a 7 minute gig on Wednesday for the professional show. Once you get a good 7 minutes, you could ask for a gig at McCronins and get a good 10 minutes of material. Keep doing well and you could be asked to do a gig at The Wonky Donkey, and from there, you could go anywhere. For an exclusive online interview with two of Cork’s biggest comedy club owners, head over to Motley.ie.

ENTERTAINMENT | 35

BARE

The Lingering Spirit of Sexism in Halloween Costuming

BY KANE GEARY O’ KEEFFE Halloween is fast approaching and with it comes the inevitable cold gust that lets us all know winter is well on its way. To the vast majority that would signal a time to start layering up and doing our best to stay warm. However, it appears design teams creating women’s Halloween costumes have a very different opinion.

It only takes a quick search on Google to observe the startling disparity between the male and female editions of many popular costumes. Oftentimes the lack of material available on women’s costuming is unsettling to say the least, especially in comparison to the less sexualised and much warmer looking - male alternatives to several popular costumes.

Perhaps the most confusing is the skeleton costume. While the men’s version is all-covering, the women’s rendering features bare arms, shoulders, and exposed thighs. But why? It seems costume manufacturers are unaware that the very idea of flesh in a skeleton costume is ridiculous to begin with. It’s evident these companies are content with sexing up almost any costume available to women. In 2019, it’s frankly disturbing, especially when their efforts are as ludicrous as this.

Thankfully we live in a time in which women can wear whatever they please, which makes it all the more disappointing to see the lack of choice that many women face if they do not wish to bare skin and risk hypothermia in the name of a party on this Hallow’s Eve.

Dressing up as another person’s occupation remains an enduringly popular option every Halloween. It also serves as a reminder of how deeply embedded sexism is in the costume market. Studying occupational costumes, such as that of a construction worker, Halloween’s

36 | OCTOBER 2019

BONES

hypersexualisation problem becomes clear. While there’s nothing sexual about a high visibility vest and a will to be safe in a construction site, once again, the marketing teams don’t seem to agree, emphasising bare skin and a chilling lack of empathy.

Companies are content to reinforce the negative gender stereotypes that women need to look and feel ‘sexy’ when costume season comes around, whilst the men face much less pressure to do the same.

Even children’s costumes are imbued with this upsetting ideology, which in turn creates questionable differences in costuming. Should one look at the ‘cop’ costume for children, the girl’s costume feature a skirt, tights, knee-high boots, and a lack of sleeves, whereas the boy’s costume featured full coverage and a more realistic depiction of what a law enforcement agent looks like in real life.

In a world in which a policewoman can be a remarkably strong role model for any young girl, it’s disconcerting to observe companies warp the image of these positive role models in any young girl’s mind in order to push forth this sexist ideology to as young a demographic as possible. Any young girl should have the option to dress as any real world hero, as they would actually appear in our day-to-day, without the fear of having to fit into a distorted and sexist depiction of such a hero as is presented.

As more people become aware of this issue with each passing Halloween, it remains to be seen if costume manufacturers will finally begin to alter their archaic point of view. At Halloween, one’s fears should be limited to eating too many sweets, and the odd ghoul passing through the town. However, the thought of costume companies continuing to push forth these sexist ideals, and what that means for the next wave of trick or treaters, is a scary one indeed.

A W E E K I N M Y WA R D R O B E

BY PAUL MCLAUCHLAN

SUITS

FOR THE SECOND EDITION OF HIS MONTHLY COLUMN, PAUL WEARS A SUIT TO COLLEGE EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK TO SEE HOW STUDENTS RESPOND TO SEEING FORMAL WEAR AMONGST THE MORE CASUAL AND CONVENTIONAL STYLES WORN ON CAMPUS

F

or my second wardrobe experiment, I wanted to wear a suit to college for a week. To those that know me, this won’t come as much of a surprise.

I choose blazers over jackets most days of the week but this took things up a notch.

I love my suit. I purchased it in Topman for my graduation ball in 6th year. It’s black, slim-fit, comes with faux pocket details and two convenient inside pockets to avoid the awkward bulge of a wallet or iPhone in the pants pockets in photos. I own two other grey blazers, one from Topman, and another, a woman’s size 16 procured for €5 in a charity shop (the accompanying wide-leg trousers have yet to be tailored and failed to make it to this column page.)

On Monday, September 30, I arrived to college in my black suit, a white shirt and a tie. Yes, I showed up to the Fashion Society’s EGM looking like an undertaker. I thoroughly amused myself. ‘I don’t usually dress like this,’ I assured a confused crowd, as I represented Motley. ‘You are hilariously overdressed,’ chimed one friend, before the outfit. Others appreciated the smartness, checking in daily to see where the suit would go next.

For the second day, I swapped a white shirt for a black one, a skinny tie for a bow tie. Here’s the thing, wearing a suit for five days is too suffocating—shirt collars are tight, shoes are a bit too tight.

Boohoo, I know.

I’m guilty, like many reading this, of owning too much clothes. Especially t-shirts. So many t-shirts. You can understand why I don’t want to be bound to one look for an entire week. I love the polish and tidiness of tailoring but I cannot come to terms with the rigidity of the dress code.

Shirt, fully buttoned; tie, tightly fastened. Black dress socks.

Dress shoes, laced-up.

It’s why I deviated from the full suit look by day three because dress codes are outdated. Does anyone really follow them anymore? My pet peeve: white socks with black shoes—everywhere. My biggest pet peeve: white socks with dress shoes— ubiquitous. So I might as well ditch the shirt and tie and get creative.

The first iterations drew the biggest response. People took longer looks than they did with last month’s Birkenstocks. Why exactly was I wearing a suit to college? Did I have a funeral to attend? Work to go to?

I’m not sure if anyone figured out but it was certainly a talking point.

For the third day, a grey blazer and some black pants were balanced with an urban element: a black H&M hoodie (the hoodie was an appreciated addition, according to spectators - comfort first, again). On Thursday, an oversized Etro shirt (€8 in a charity shop) entered the mix with black Nike Air Force Ones. By Friday, with the weekend approaching, I questioned how to push the suit to its smart casual finest (there’s also something about wearing a shirt everyday that gets a bit old). A white t-shirt and blue jeans. A far cry from Monday’s black and white ensemble.

No shirt, no tie. Of all the outfits, in this one, I felt the most like myself.

Would I wear a suit again? To college, I’ll probably reserve it for clubs and socs balls rather than ping-ponging between lectures across campus. Yes, like many, I’ll probably have to in an office environment. Hopefully that will come with a nice paycheck so I can have multiple suit options to choose from to prevent boredom. Will you wear a tux to college? Suit yourself.

FASHION | 37

M OT L EY F E AT U R E

The Ghost Garden

P H OTO G R A P H E R

Grace Claro MODEL

Richard Kelly P H OTO A S S I S TA N T

Caroline Kavanagh C L OT H I N G

Miss Daisy Blue SPECIAL THANKS

Fota House & Gardens The Retro Workshop

Suit: €140 White Frilly Shirt: €36

Leather Jacket: €125 White Shirt: €42 Yellow Pants: €130

Dress: €540

Kimono: €280 White Shirt: €42 Trousers: €140

Brown Shirt: €34 Yellow Pants: €130 Blazer: €55, from The Retro Workshop

44 | OCTOBER 2019

Societies Spotlight

STUDENTS UNION PRESIDENT KAYLA MAHER SHARES WHAT' S COMING UP FOR UCC SOCIETIES WELCOME!

Here’s Societies Spotlight #2! Again, we have so many activities happening over the next few weeks! Don’t be afraid to get involved with our societies here in UCC. With exams coming up, it’s great to take a break and try something new. Time flies when you’re in college, so it is important to make the most of it while you can!

If you ever have any questions about societies,

don’t hesitate to email me (Kayla, Societies President) at president@uccsocieties.ie and I’ll help you as best I can!

WELFARE TRAINING:

Our Welfare Officer Hannah will be giving Welfare Training on the 13th of November.

It’ll be a super training session with lots of information on great ways to take yourself, especially in the lead up to exams. Be sure to check it out!

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Be sure to follow us on our social media pages!

Just search for UCC Societies.

46 | OCTOBER 2019

SOCIETIES WEEK:

We’ll have societies week 2 from the 27th-31st of January with events such as our alumni event and the Societies Open Evening, inviting school students from around Cork to visit UCC and to find out about our societies. It’ll be an excellent week to come in and see some of our societies and to find out about how you can get involved!

SOCS & SCONES:

We’ll be holding our monthly Socs & Scones event in the CEC on the 11th of November from 12pm-2pm. We’d love to see as many of you as possible— come say hello!

FASHION | 47

POETRY

Untitled Poems I M A S H A C O S TA

1 I wouldn’t have loved if I hadn’t known that it existed, that it was something created for pleasure and not for fragile souls.

The authenticity of love for others did not exist if I was not shown what love was.

That it was not only bodily touches, sensual wonders; heavenly fire that roared through our veins, songs sung from dead kings and prophets, to know what it was without knowing what it was; to love without expecting love in return.

Cruelty exists in its authenticity

48 | OCTOBER 2019

2 Thread-like, we were knotted, unable to tie the loose ends that we held together.

Overnight we melted, into fine gold waiting to be moulded into the hilt of the sword.

Our fire dissolving all the pieces of ourselves into the molten mixture, ready to be fixed.

We’re poured into the mould, the liquid reaching the ends, gently flowing; soft caresses a mother gives, fire burning still.

Still water, cooling our aftereffects, allowing us to be born again, to breathe; a baby from its mother’s womb, blood pouring out with each push.

Sine gold we were made into, cooled into, moulded into the sword that severed the lives, the souls of beings.

We were the angels of Death, casting out our enemies with mighty gold swords.

FASHION | 49

POETRY

Huge Animals ELISA SABBADIN Your thoughts align and disalign Like grains of sand rolled out on a beach For all the miles you can think Your thoughts align and disalign Like the space between each Something else beats and enlarges in the dark Huge hearts, lungs, and intestines rolled up Internal organs pulse among juices Heavy skulls turn slowly, one side and the other Stretching skins which could spread out like maps Of all the oceans and seas For many of the many miles you can think These are not really metaphors.

On the beach of your thoughts Huge animals dwell And beneath, the subterraneans.

The whales are stranded on the thin Strand of sand between the two seas This is their last breath of dust From the dark room, you can hear Their hearts pulsing slowly and slower.

Then dying, The dark juices turn into song.

The lions are racing on the long Strand of sand rolled out like a bowel They’re as big as the whales, but mad and alive Biting into the flesh of each other Pushing and pulling and rolling in fight From the dark room, you can hear Their tearing and loving.

Then resting, The wounds turn into song.

50 | OCTOBER 2019

The elephants are dancing unspeakably Their feet as big as the lions move slowly One side to the other They’re waving their trunks, turning their skulls Dancing in circles Around the newborns Dancing in circles Around the dying Dancing around the lions and whales The sand swirls in the center, rises and falls Into song.

Your thoughts drip from the ceiling above your head Small mountains of grains of sand on the floor In the dark room, you know The song of time Encircles the songs of desire and death Everyone is kneeling in the subterraneans Everyone is praying in the dark room Prayers grow into songs And songs grow like mushrooms Upwards and tall, upwards and blind The room is as full as you can imagine Eyes are closed, hands are open The child lays down, and looks up “Things eat themselves” he says in a loop You’re afraid of the child, close your eyes And swear You won’t look at the ceiling Please, O please Come join me in the dark room Songs grow like mushrooms Imagine this is a metaphor Come kneel in the dark Come melt into song.

Be with me Don’t look up.

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