UCC Express Issue 11

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 11

Cork’s Enterprise Ecosystem Pg. 5 - News

ROCK N’ROLLIN WITH EOLANN: SU President-elect Eolann Sheehan is held up by his campaign team at Results Night

(PHOTO: Emmet Curtin)

Controversial President Elected for DITSU Bryan Danielson - News Writer

Controversy gripped the recent DIT Students’ Union elections, particularly surrounding Presidential candidate Boni Odoemene. Toryn Glavin, a leading Irish Trans* Rights activist & former President of the DITSU LGBT* Society, detailed a personal account of an encounter with the candidate on a bus many months before the election on her personal Facebook page.

In this post Ms.Glavin talked about how she had overheard a conversation between Mr. Odoemene & a friend who

discussed whether Ms.Glavin “was a man, a woman or an it. They decided I was a man in a dress.” This reportedly followed a discussion on why they would be voting No to the Marriage Equality referendum.

Ms.Glavin also stated that she had received many complaints about Mr.Odeomene during her time as DIT LGBT Society Chair.

In response to these allegations Mr.Odoemene denied these claims, posting a photo of him with a ‘Yes Equality’ sign and pointing out that no complaint was brought when he was

elected as a College Officer for the Aungier St. campus.

However, a former member of the DIT Students’ Union corroborated these reports, that the incident was known to them at the time but that no one had made a formal complaint.

Ms.Glavin made it very clear in her statement that this wasn’t a political move, asking people in DIT to vote for RON (ReOpen Nominations) or the other candidate running, just not Mr.Odoemene. Ms.Glavin’s statement was shared by members of the DIT Students’ Union Executive, including its

Accountability Checklist Pg. 8 - Features

Postgraduate Officer & current VP for Education.

On March 11th the votes were counted & Boni Odoemene was elected on the 2nd count.

Mr.Odemene received 99 votes more than his nearest opposition. Speaking to Ms.Glavin following this result, they said that the support they received following their statement has been fantastic and “even though the outcome was disappointing the support shows that DIT will protect its queer students and [of that] I’m very proud.”

Interview: The Sunshine Factory

BYLINE Magazine

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

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Inside Today: UCC in the Seanad Page 4 Homelessness & Cork Page 6 Accountability in SU Page 8 Concussions in Sport Page 10 Results Night Photos Page 12 Match Reports Page 14

Editorial team Editor-in-Chief: Brian Conmy Deputy & News Editor: Zoë Cashman Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahill Features Editor: Deirdre Ferriter Deputy Features Editor: Katie Jeffers Sport Editor: Dylan O Connell Sport Editor: Aaron Casey Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin Designer: Robert O’Sullivan Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson Music Editor: Holly Cooney Fashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain Fashion Editor: Kenneth Nwaezeigwe

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Letters from the Editors The Future

Brian Conmy - Editor-In-Chief

This is our second last issue for the year. Which means this is my second last issue ever. You can tell I’m very upset at this through text I’m sure.

So in the week following the election of the new Student Union, with many of you thinking of what next year may bring if you’re graduating, a new government trying and failing to form and most importantly the unveiling of the new Spiderman to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’ve been thinking about the future. I’m finally, FINALLY, done with college come August so hopefully I can find a job following that and pay off this student loan.

For many of my friends in a similar position, job talk has reached fever pitch. Some have ongoing interviews with various organisations, others are taking a more laid back approach and joking about Australia. So while thoughts of the future loom large on the horizon, I’m trying and failing to stay rooted in the here and now. Like many of you, I’m sure, the thought of the number of assignments due in the next while followed by the

SU Election Results President:

number of exams after that is weighing on me. But exams, like all things, will pass.

Unlike me if I don’t stop procrastinating by writing winding editorials instead of assignments.

If you’re busy with thoughts of the future at the moment, why not give the Express a thought.

On the back of Byline you can find an ad for our hiring process for the next year, all positions are open with Editor being chosen first. It’s a big responsibility in terms of time investment but it’s rewarding in so many ways. Of course all other positions are available and there should be something to suit anyone’s interests. If you’re lucky enough to be sticking around UCC for another year then give us some consideration!

Deputy President & Campaigns:

282

696 1,075

3,623

2,451 Quinlan, Katie

Sheehan, Eolann

Upton, James

RON

Moriarty, Kate

Comms:

Education:

109

71 1,330

1,774

2,655

Cosgrave, Xander

Hutchinson, Ian

Welfare:

RON

Doherty, Kelly

2,165

Whitaker, David

RON

Other Election Results:

210

3,965

O’Donnell, Rory

RON

RON

-Entertainments: Bee McCarthy -Equality: Ciara McCarthy -Gaeilge: Ann Hallissey -B&L Rep: Kayleigh O’Sullivan -ACSSS Rep: Aaron Frahill -SEFS Rep: Brian Hegarty -M&H Rep: Art Kelleher Thanks to Stephen Spillane, Markus Knutsson & all who helped with the tally for these stats.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

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UCD Students Reject USI return Zoë Cashman - News Editor

The Referendum to rejoin the USI came three years after UCDSU’s split from the national body.

UCD students have voted against re-joining USI with an overwhelming majority opting to remain independent of the umbrella students’ union. In the referendum, polling for which took place on March 8th and

9th, 26% voted Yes to rejoining while 74% voted to maintain UCD’s current stance. The total number of voters who took the polls was 2,921 excluding spoiled ballots.

The referendum, which was called as a result of a student petition that was brought directly past the SU and straight to the Returning Officer, was

ultimately strongly defeated.

This means that UCDSU will likely remain unaffiliated to the USI for at least another four years, when they are constitutionally obliged to hold another referendum on USI membership.

Reports during polling suggested that a low turnout, caused in part by the large number of un-

contested races for sabbatical positions, may have seen the referendum fail to meet quorum, the minimum number of votes required for a referendum to be considered binding.

However, the turnout of 2,921 was deemed by the returning officer Hugh O’Connor to be in excess of quora.

UCC is due to have a referendum on USI membership in the 2017/18 academic year.

Free Education is a Viable Option at Third Level Zoë Cashman - News Editor

The Union of Students in Ireland has claimed that it is no longer reasonable for political parties to pretend free third level education is not viable. It comes on the wake of reports that the Cassells report on Higher Education Funding will include free education as one of the three options to be considered by the next government.

USI President, Kevin Donoghue, stated that “Political

parties struggled to show real leadership on the issue of higher education funding prior to the election. Most of them were concerned about the implications of talking about increased fees or loans before a public vote”.

USI has maintained that Higher Education should be free and that Ireland should follow the example of some of our continental EU partners as opposed to introducing the much touted

loan scheme.

“Sweden can do it, Germany can do it and now the Cassells report is saying we can do it.

The writing is on the walls and in the paper - free education is a viable option and not the pipe dream so many people would make it out to be”.

Donoghue maintains that politicians should be delighted at the news. “Time and again politicians have argued that free

third level education would be great if it was viable. Well now we are being told that it is”.

USI is calling on political groups to ensure that a move to fully publically funded education is included in programme for government. “Considering our reliance on a highly educated work force for economic growth, the value it brings in a social and economic sense, and the opportunities it creates where there otherwise might be

none it is crucial that we secure investment in the sector now” concluded Donoghue.

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UCC Graduates Announce Candidacy for Seanad Zoë Cashman - News Editor UCC graduates Laura Harmon, Luke Field and Owen Dineen have announced their candidacy for the upcoming Seanad elections.

Former USI President, Laura Harmon, announced two weeks ago that she will run for the National University of Ireland panel, consisting of three seats, in the upcoming Seanad elections. Harmon stated that she is running on the platform of “modern Ireland” and “reform”. She expressed her views on the part women have to play in pushing politics in Ireland forward and also on repealing the eighth amendment.

“I believe it is now more

important than ever before that young people, especially women, get involved in politics to help improve our democracy and to campaign for progressive change in our country”.

Harmon went on to explain how her role as USI President will have prepared her for the Seanad. “During my time in USI, I came to see how archaic our voter registration system is and how many people are often disenfranchised as a result. I want to highlight the need for universal voting rights for all of our citizens and serious political reform of our parliament to make it more effective and relevant”.

Harmon, who acted as USI President for 2014-15, played a leading role in campaigning for marriage equality as part of the marriage referendum last year. The USI ran a successful voter registration drive campaign which added 30,000 new names to the electoral register in time for May 22nd.

UCC graduate Luke Field is also set to run for a seat and will contest for the NUI panel.

Field commented that he is running because “I want to represent the interests of the NUI to the Oireachtas. It is vital that the needs of our students, our graduates and our staff are met. That should be the main purpose of the NUI panel, and

it is what I intend to do”.

Field went on to say that if elected “While I will prioritise matters pertaining to education, there are obviously other issues I will be asked to provide input in as a Senator: I support the immediate repeal of the Eight Amendment; I support high-quality public services funded through a progressive tax system, and I believe our future depends on much greener and environmentally- sustainable approaches to energy and economic activity”.

Owen Dineen, who quit school at sixteen with no qualifications, found himself back in the classroom more than 25 years

later. Owen enrolled in an adult business studies class near his home and after passing all eight modules he was encouraged to study at UCC as a mature student. Four years later Owen graduated with a First Class Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and was named Graduate of the Year.

Dineen stated that he hopes to raise a wide range of issues from the floor of Seanad Éireann if elected, including political reform, education and sport.

Boards of Major Irish Organisations ‘Far Away’ From Parity Zoë Cashman - News Editor Irish organisations may have one or two women on their boards, but in 2016 the emphasis should be on equality and parity; a ‘token woman’ or two is not good enough, according to Professor Irene Lynch Fannon, School of Law, UCC. UCC’s School of Law launched a report on the role of women on International Women’s Day (8th March). The research, funded by the Irish Research Council, consisted of two surveys of the Top 100 Irish Companies based on the criterion turnover and of the Top 100 Irish Charities with a view to

answering a number of questions which had been raised.

Professor Lynch Fannon commented that “Our research shows that we are very far away from having gender parity on the boards of these major Irish organisations with less than 14% of companies and charities showing positive figures regarding the question of gender parity”.

She revealed that “58% of all organisations reported a male Chairperson. This was better than expected, but still favoured male dominance”.

The research found that 93% of for profit boards and 80% of non-profit boards did not have gender parity. Overall it found that only 13.5% of boards had gender parity taking both sectors together.

“In terms of multinational presence in Ireland, we had particularly interesting findings regarding the level and types of information available for the parent company as compared with Irish subsidiaries. These findings are not central to the equality agenda but warrant further research” commented Lynch Fannon.

“We had specifically asked about the ‘feminisation’ of the charity sector. This concern was not borne out by our research. There is no obvious evidence to suggest feminisation at board level in the non-profit sector”.

According to Lynch Fannon, the research found that there was not a very significant disparity between the numbers of women participating on for profit or non-profit boards.

This also contradicted perceptions of the ‘feminisation’ of the non-profit sector, which had been one of the concerns

raised.

The research also found that the non-profit sector was more equal when it came to the identity of the Board Chair, with 49% indicating a male Chair compared with 68% of organisations in the non-profit sector indicating a male Chair.

However, the research had a significant non-identified figure in the for profit sector so that could be higher.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

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USI & SIPTU Call on Government to Introduce Living Wage Zoë Cashman - News Editor

SIPTU and the Union of Students in Ireland are calling for all workers to be paid a living wage of at least 11.45 euro and will be travelling across campuses with a worker’s rights campaign informing students about their working rights this week.

The campaign will inform students about the best ways to deal with issues such as: how to make a complaint, unlawful deductions from wages, not permitted breaks, not permitted annual leave, insufficient rest periods, maternity leave, right to associate with a union,

unfair dismissal; and discrimination of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, sex, marital status, membership of traveller community, and/or disability.

USI and SIPTU will also be launching a petition for the introduction of a living wage in Ireland which is supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and which politicians of all parties are being called on to support.

In November 2015 the joint committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation launched

a report entitled Low Pay, Decent Work and a Living Wage (2015). The committee noted that “paying low-paid employees a living wage offers the prospect of significantly benefiting the living standards of these employees” and that “the state should become a living wage employer and that payment of the living wage should be stipulated as mandatory in government procurement contracts”.

USI President, Kevin Donoghue, commented that “Fair treatment of workers at all levels should be a key priority

for any government. We will be advising students on their rights at work; how to raise a complaint regarding issues at work; how not to get taken for granted in their part-time jobs; and informing them about SIPTU’s Workers Rights Centre which is offering a confidential advisory service to all students who are members of the USI”.

SIPTU organiser, Dave Curran, stated that “everyone deserves a living wage, job security and stability in working hours so that they can plan their lives.

In recent years there has been a push by some of the political

and business establishment to drive down wages and erode working conditions. Young people have borne the brunt of this with the proliferation of short term contracts, insecure hours, ‘if and when’ contracts, low pay and unpaid internships. Not only is this bad for workers but the insecurity and stress it creates are bad for society. Young people need strong unions, and unions need the voices of young people so we can build a better society for all”.

Blackstone LaunchPad to Boost Cork’s Entrepreneur Ecosystem Zoë Cashman - News Editor

Cork’s rise as an entrepreneurial hub has been further boosted with the opening of Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC, one of only three locations in Ireland to host the entrepreneurship programme. According to the newly-appointed director of Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC, Peter Finnegan, “this is an important development not just for UCC, but for Cork and the wider region in general”.

the Startup Nations Summit in November this year”.

venture creation support free of charge.

Hundreds of startup policy makers, advisers and public and private sector organisations from across the globe are expected to come to the city from November 18th to 20th, set to generate international attention for Ireland’s successful creation of a strong supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship.

Finnegan went on to say that “Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC brings entrepreneurship in to the full view of students from the day they enter university, and will be a resource that they can avail of long after they leave UCC’s environs”.

“Cork’s reputation as a great place to establish and build an enterprise has been copper-fastened by the fact that Cork has been chosen as the first ever European city to host

Located in the Creative Zone of UCC’s Boole Library, the Blackstone LaunchPad programme is open to UCC students, alumni, staff and faculty, offering coaching, ideation and

“Cork acts as a gateway to Europe and given its transport links can be described as a suburb of London. There is a great willingness among established companies in Cork to support the promoters of early stage ventures, whether it be in a

mentoring capacity or providing trial sites for the deployment of new solutions”.

Finnegan also stated that “Cork’s strengths in ICT, business services, biopharma, energy and agri-business are playing an integral role in Ireland’s economy and helping to drive the growth of Irish exports”.

BlackStone LaunchPad programmes are now being delivered in 17 universities worldwide, with Ireland selected as the first overseas location to deliver the programme, testament to the country’s

reputation for providing proactive and impactful support services and resources to early stage ventures.

The launch of the programme is a new departure, which Finnegan believes “students will see at first hand that entrepreneurial activity can be undertaken in conjunction with their studies and can be considered a viable career path from the day that their student journey commences”.

UCC Professor to Improve Care for Self-Harm Patients Zoë Cashman - News Editor

Ella Arensman of UCC and the National Suicide Research Foundation has been appointed by the Health Research Board (HRB) as one of four new Research Leaders.

Professor Arensman has been awarded 1.4 million euro over five years for her project titled Individual and Area Level Determinants of Self-Harm and Suicide in Ireland: Enhancing Prediction, Risk Assessment and Management of Self-Harm

by Health Services.

The National Self-Harm Registry Ireland has identified significant variation across hospitals in the assessment and management of patients presenting to hospital for self-harm, with a significant number of patients leaving without a care plan.

Professor Arensman intends to improve the care provided in Irish hospitals for people engaging in self-harm, which is expected to reduce repeated self-harm and suicide nationally.

The vision of the proposed partnership between the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), UCC, The National Clinical Care Programme for Mental Health (NCCP-MH) and the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), is for Ireland to take a leading role in improving the care for young people who engage in self-harm and to reduce repeated self-harm and suicide.

These organisations are prioritising the improved assessment and management of

self-harm patients. However, resources for addressing these strategic priorities are lacking.

In conducting the five-year research programme, Professor Arensman will examine predictive factors associated with risk of repeated self-harm and suicide among people with a history of multiple self-harm acts and those engaging in highly lethal self-harm acts.

The Research Leaders will act as role models and mentors to help build a ‘critical mass’ of

people with the specialist skills required to conduct population health and health services research, and apply their findings into policy and practice.

According to chief executive of the Health Research Board, Graham Love, “These awards are designed to address knowledge gaps in our health service. If you want to turn good services into brilliant ones, then research will give you that edge”.

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Homelessness in Cork Diarmuid Twomey - Features Writer

The gates of UCC were blurred, as sheets of heavy rain ricocheted off the outside of the windscreen, condensation now varnishing the inside. I perched my head forward and peered up, trying to get a better view of the B&B which had become obscured since we had parked. Next to me, my practice teacher spoke with someone on the phone, the anxiety and concern evident in her voice. “She’s up in Drinan street collecting the cheque”, said the distressed voice on the other end of the phone. Outside, students shuffled past a long line of street lamps, all of them draped with general election slogans. It appeared recovery was in the air, and we needed to keep it going. Meanwhile, just a ten minute walk away, a young woman and her three year old child queued in a small office on a side street, seeking financial assistance in order that they could access the security and warmth of the B&B I now had in my view. She desperately needed the cheque she was queuing for, but that desperation had become her normality. Living dawn to dark, not knowing where her temporary hearth would lay the following day had become her daily ritual. This had become the daily ritual of many.

Nine weeks ago, I started a professional placement with a family support project based in a disadvantaged area of the city. This is the first of two 14-week placements I must complete as part of my Social Work degree in UCC. Tasked with supporting families, project workers within this agency encounter a multitude of different issues on a daily basis. Their work can envelope addiction, mental illhealth, domestic abuse, issues with child development and a litany of other challenges in a single morning. As a result, my experience of the issues facing vulnerable families in disadvantaged communities has been somewhat overwhelming, and hugely humbling. However, amidst all the challenges I have encountered thus far, there remains a stand out issue; homelessness. We have heard ad nauseam about the issue of homelessness for the past number of months. Yet even with the best will in the world, most of us have no idea just how bad the issue is. While I always paid heed to the stories about the rise in homelessness, I could never fully relate to, or comprehend the issue, until now.

Unfortunately, the plight facing the young woman and child I acknowledged in the opening of this piece is no longer unusual. The very mention of the word ‘homeless’ garners images in your mind of a solitary man or woman, down on their luck, sleeping rough in a doorway. In the land of miraculous recoveries, political amnesia and ‘putting children first’ that is no longer the case. Busy hallways and backrooms in B&B’s and hotels throughout the city have become the ‘secure’ and ‘nurturing’ environment for vast swathes of children. They have evolved from being a stop-gap for adults and families in emergencies, to long term, pseudo social-housing units. Bedrooms have become entire homes and are shared between parents and children. Residential units for homeless women and children are bursting at the seams, somehow managing to struggle their way through the abyss that faces the women and children that now swell their doorways.

The Child and Family Agency recently released a statement on the homelessness crisis. While acknowledging it, and outlining how they would support families experiencing homelessness, I found their statement somewhat conciliatory to what is an unacceptable reality. While focusing on the protection of a child’s education, it failed to acknowledge the detrimental effects that homelessness can have on a child’s physical and emotional development and well-being. That being said, I wonder if their already overstretched service even has the capacity to tackle the issue, and if this harsh reality had influenced the statement? Has a lack of investment in services, and a previous embargo on hiring in the public service starved them of the ability to engage such an enormous challenge? While my very limited interaction with city council housing services during placement has been positive, I believe that issues remain with the vetting system also. Housing services discriminate on the basis of ‘anti-social’ activities, with no real clarity on how significant the severity, frequency, or historic nature of these activities will be in affecting your application. While this may sound fair to many, the knock-on effect of this is that innocent children suffer for the mistakes of their parent/s and/or families.

For many vulnerable parents, this also makes the process of applying for social housing extremely difficult, and fraught with complications. However, irrespective of these nuances, services need funding and resources. Ireland’s ‘recovery’ deemed social housing provision, as well as stability in the rental market, surplus to requirements. Lack of investment in social housing coupled with a lack of politi-

cal desire and will to regulate the rental market has created this crisis. The recovery has discriminated viciously.

A few days after that rainy day on the Western Road, I stood in a kitchen that overlooked a large slice of the cityscape. Houses littered the hills of the rolling landscape for as far the eye could see. Peering out that window, it seemed cruelly ironic that we shared this view with a mother of six who was soon to become homeless, a pawn to an unforgiving private rental market and an overburdened social housing system; priced out of one, seemingly unable to access the other. It felt hugely disempowering as my practice teacher and I stood there, hugely aware that the support of our leaning shoulders were all that we could provide, when the protection of a roof was what this woman and her family really needed. But in my experience thus far, that is the reality facing family support projects and community services. Tasked with supporting families, but unable to perform miracles, they work with the real-life consequences of government cuts, inadequate resources and political choices.

In recent days I spoke with a worker from one of the main residential units involved in providing shelter to women and children in Cork City. While I had gained some brief insight into the individual lives affected by homelessness, I was keen to understand the wider statistics. How many women and children swell the doorways of homeless services on a daily basis? How many children leave school today, desperately yearning to return to the warmth of a familiar hearth, unsure why the nourishment of ‘recovery’ avoids their family’s table? The numbers are staggering. At the time of writing, this one unit had ten families sleeping in their unit every single night. Coupled with the additional 18 single women that sleep there every night, this means they are consistently at full capacity, and have been for some time. They also have a waiting list of 23 families, accompanied by 39 children, waiting to access their unit and/or services. I also spoke with another worker in the same unit. As an outreach worker, this person is tasked with engaging women and families outside of the unit, the vast majority of whom are based in B&B’s and hotels. At the time of writing, this worker is engaged with 13 families and 37 children, all who are living in B&Bs or hotels. Shockingly, she relayed to me how at one stage she was actively engaged with 18 families and 46 children in B&B’s or hotels throughout the city. Simply put, this is unacceptable.

Just last week a report compiled by the European Commission in 2015 was published. Scathing in its assessment of the previous government’s “highly regressive” implementation of tax cuts over capital spending and public service investment, this report illustrates one thing in clear detail; the homelessness crisis was entirely avoidable. Political inaction and a right wing agenda has been responsible for the situation many families and children find themselves in today. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the incoming government to truly understand the daily reality facing men, women, and children most especially, in towns and cities throughout Ireland.

The time for empty rhetoric is over. As general election posters begin their descent down lamp posts and fences, their promises and statements stain the air, joining a colourful canvas of the promises that have gone before. ‘We will never fail children again’, our nation cried, as report after report on institutional abuse shamed our state, and our people. Yet here we are again, allowing our political system fail children. What kind of ‘recovery’ leaves innocent children without a home? What kind of state is happy to deny a small child the comfort of their own bed? On the centenary of our independence, it is ironic, that while I harvest enormous hope from having witnessed such incredible work over the past nine weeks, that my experience of the reality of the homelessness crisis, has ensured that I have never been less proud to be Irish.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

Positive Consent

Opinion | 7

Pip Keogh - Opinion Writer

Consent is a word you have hopefully been hearing more lately. You may have tuned into the Academy Awards this past week and seen Lady Gaga’s emotional performance of ‘Til Happens to You’ where she was joined on stage by fellow survivors of sexual violence. US Vice President Joe Biden introduced her and encouraged people to pledge to end sexual violence on university campuses. Here at home, you may have heard disconcerting stories from our own campuses about alleged ‘revenge porn’ rings and more positive actions like the piloting of mandatory ‘consent classes’. If you haven’t been hearing about any of these events, then all the more reason that we need to have this conversation.

“Consent has a murky history in Ireland. Sex education has been relatively non-existent until recently” Consent has a murky history in Ireland. Sex education has been relatively non-existent until recently, save for ‘ironic’ moralising from Catholic priests and cringe-worthy videos presented by a typical Irish mammy named Angela. We may laugh now but this type of education and the stigma associated with talking about sex has been immensely damaging to our psyche as a nation. Unfortunately our approach hasn’t changed as much as we may imagine. Many schools still fail to implement comprehensive and positive sex education, instead leaving the issue to ‘questionable’ outsiders who come with their own agendas. Often, the word consent is never even mentioned.

“We have conversations about sex everyday and don’t even realise. We make comments on women’s clothes as we pass them on the street and passively consume advertisements with half-naked models slathering themselves in baby oil” So what does the ‘consent conversation’ look like? In reality, it’s simple. We have conversations about sex everyday and don’t even realise. We make comments on women’s clothes as we pass them on the street and passively consume advertisements with half-naked models slathering themselves in baby oil. Consent is about questioning and challenging people on the impact of these actions and images. We sit in bars and talk with our friends about the girl or guy we fancy, commenting on what we would like to do them or have them do to us. Consent is about considering that person with empathy and respect, not as some kind of quest for to be conquered. You may be in a long-term relationship or just met someone in a dusty basement bookstore and bonded over your mutual admiration of some obscure Russian author that neither of you’ve actually ever heard of. Consent is about asking ‘Do you want to...?’, clarifying, and respecting the answer. Sometimes ‘Netflix and Chill’ literally means Netflix and Chill!

“No means No, end of conversation, there is no argument to that and rightly so” We need to be empowered to talk positively about consent. “No” means “No”, end of conversation, there is no argument to that and rightly so. It is positive to say “No”, and equally positive to say “Yes”, whenever you want. Consent is about asking for permission and expressing your desires, what you do and don’t want.

Consent is about guaranteeing you control of your body and ensuring others will take responsibility for supporting your wishes. Consent is about self-care, well-being, and empathy. Consent is important. Talk about it everyday. Talk about it in class. Talk about it at the water cooler. Talk about it online. Talk about it in bed, in the backseat, or wherever you happen to ‘Netflix and Chill’. Talking is sexy, consent is mandatory.

“At the core of the equality conversation were personal stories that impassioned us to change our country for the better” Last year, we witnessed the positive impact of the Marriage Equality campaign on

Irish society. At the core of the equality conversation were personal stories that impassioned us to change our country for the better. Young people talked to their grandparents about love. Couples shared their life stories. We cheered and cried with joy in celebration as a nation. Now, we need to continue the momentum of that empathy and compassion in our everyday lives and talk to each other about consent. We have a duty to ourselves, to our young people, to men and women, and the countless survivors of sexual violence to talk about consent. It should not be something you ignore “til it happens to you”. Consent is everyone’s responsibility. It is not about sitting down and having ‘the talk’. It’s about having lots of talks and continuing the conversation.

Positive Consent is a student-led campaign that aims to create these kinds of conversations and promote a positive language of consent. If you are interested in learning more about the campaign and joining the conversation, see www.positiveconsent.com or www.facebook.com/positiveconsent for more details.

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

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Keep Your SU Accountable Brian Conmy - Editor-In-Chief

Last week we say the election of the incoming Student Union for the academic year 2016/17. Some of you won’t be around for the next year but most will, as such the Express has decided to print a breakdown of the elected candidate’s manifestos. To highlight some of the main talking points of these manifestos we hope to inform the student body of who they elected and what they were elected for. Feel free to tear out and keep this breakdown next year and at every opportunity press your new representatives to ensure they’ve held up their election promises.

President - Eolann Sheehan Wishes to reform UCCSU’s relationship with nightclubs to allow the formation of a number of ties with a number of venues Bring back the night bus to bring students home after a night out for €2 Increase Society-SU joint events to bring a minimum of 6 comedians to campus per year Open a pop up bar in Brookfield during R&G week.

Develop a tab on uccsu.ie specifically covering student housing, enabling review of houses being lived in Lobby local TDs with regard student housing crisis Set up clinic hours for SU officers on satellite campuses monthly Develop R&G week events for satellite campuses Extend the outdoor capabilities of the old and new bar during R&G week Lift ban on music on campus during R&G week Investigate ways in which to utilize empty space in satellite campuses to develop more common rooms and spaces for students Co-opt a vice-Welfare officer of the opposite gender to the Welfare Officer Introduce a “town hall” where any student can put questions to the SU and college management Refine emails to students to ensure only relevant emails are received Introduce free drug testing kits available from SU offices Hold referendum on the stance of the SU with regard to decriminalisation of drugs Introduce a student innova4on fund, to allow aspiring entrepreneurs to gain access to the correct platforms and financial backing to develop their ideas.

Deputy President - Kate Moriarty Awareness campaigns with SSDP society around drugs and harm reduction Work towards disability-friendly campus with Building and Estates Run a male health promotion campaign around the idea of toxic masculinity Run campaigns utilising the repeal the 8th mandate put forward by students Dependant on Government policy on the topic, lobby politicians to protect the grand and ensure no further fee increases

Ents Officer - Bee McCarthy Launch a Festival Week to recognise the artistic side of UCC by allowing students to showcase short films, musical talents, have open mic nights etc.

Hold more daytime events on campus Hold more daytime events on satellite campuses Build on R&G week by bringing bigger names to campus such as Original Rudeboys or Hudson Taylor (as Mary I did for their equivalent week) Assist the Welfare Officer in the running of both Mental Health and SHAG Week Run R&G events during the year to raise more money and awareness for the chosen charities

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

VP Education - Ian Hutchinson Expand the UCC Works programme Develop the work placement programme offered by various courses Create a link between final year projects and dissertations to industry and create industry integrated research projects where applicable Ensure students receive a more complete education on computer literacy skills Expand the trial run UCC4U programme which taught students various life skills including stress management Collaborate with Irish officer to highlight “importance of the Irish language educationally�

Encourage lecturers to utilise audio/video recording facilities available in college to make lectures more readily available Better utilise both college and class reps with better training and supports Greater engagement with satellite campuses Create a 24hr study space for all students Stagger the release of exam results to avoid technical issues as seen this year

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VP of Welfare - Rory O’Donnell Have all auditors and team captains Safe Talk trained Have mindfulness workshops weekly (showing the benefits and teaching how) Form the UCC “Welfare Crew”, work with UCD, Trinity and UL and seek advice on the running of their Welfare Crew and how that structure can be incorporated into UCC Tackle Cyber bulling , in conjunction with the Campaigns officer, with close attention to applications such as “Yik Yak” where comments go unmonitored and unpoliced Have free Condom dispensers around campus so when the welfare office is closed, condoms could be received via a token system Increase the amount of FREE STI checks throughout the year and organise a campaign reducing the stigma of STI examinations.

Lobby to reduce the cost of the contraceptive pill and make it free for medical card holders Make drug testing kits available on campus from the welfare office Issue new students with information packs on tenant rights in fresher’s bags and information packs sent to homes.

Comms Officer - Kelly Doherty Issue manifesto progress reports throughout the year Ensure officer reports presented at student council are more widely available and publicised Better promotion of student council and the motions they are debating Bring high profile speakers to campus like Trinity or UCD commonly do (Amy Poehler, Ice Cube) Secure advertising space for the union, ideally the George Boole 200 banner poles Hold satellite campus clinics Create a Student Union membership card to entitle holders to special deals and offers in local businesses and for SU events Hold charity events to assist in funding the student assistance fund, similar to how R&G funding is raised Bring brands to campus to ensure healthy levels of sponsorship

Women in UCC SU Over 3 Years 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Candidates

Elected

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

Years in the above graph represent the years the candidates did take office/ would take office, i.e. 2013/14 represents the candidates that ran for election in March 2013. Results include Sabbatical & Part-Time officers, but does not include positions in the Equality Working Group, PostGrad Officer or Council Chair.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

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Concussions & the End of Sports Rob O’Sullivan - Designer

In 1889 the last sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing match in the United States took place, a bout won by champion boxer John L. Sullivan; one of the first recorded uses of the helmet in American football occurred in 1893. Turn of the century sports are generally regarded as ‘barbaric’ in comparison to modern equivalent games due to safety concerns such as these. That decade or so was a ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment of sorts, make-or-break time, where the sports changed for the better or ended. And with the passing of 100+ years we’re at another one of those turning points.

dementia in their later years.

“...inexperienced fighter Dada 5000 went without any liquids for weeks in an effort to cut massive amounts of weight for his fight. During his fight with Kimbo Slice he collapsed, “As a few years passed, and tragedies struck, more began his heart reportedly stopping” to be thought of the long-lasting effects of concussions”

Until the early/mid-2000s little to nothing was known about the lasting effects of concussions. The reaction, in most scenarios, was to just walk off the concussion, and if one was still groggy after a while, take some rest. As a few years passed, and tragedies struck, more began to be thought of the long-lasting effects of concussions; people began to think not just about what happens when an athlete suffers a severe concussion but about the effect of successive head trauma. The science of testing these effects, even in 2016, on living people is very new, but it is always progressing.

“The solution of the Victorian era will not help today. In fact, some would say that it did not work then” The solution of the Victorian era will not help today. In fact, some would say that it did not work then; an argument has been put forward that when there is an element of protection athletes become more reckless. This point of view would say that bare-knuckle boxers, under more financial pressures than modern pugilists, would generally avoid strikes to the head of the opponent as a break of their own wrist (and loss of potential future wages) was as likely as a knockout. A modern boxer does not have these concerns. The same comparison could be made between gridiron & rugby, and the significantly lower levels of shoulder & neck injuries in the latter.

“A recent study conducted by Ulster University discovered that one in five injuries in schoolboy rugby is a head injury” So more padding & protection doesn’t work; but are concussions & head-trauma that bad? The answer is, unequivocally, yes. A recent study conducted by Ulster University discovered that one in five injuries in schoolboy rugby is a head injury.

That statistic is incredibly scary when we are still discovering the lasting effects of head trauma. Daniel Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson), a professional wrestler who was recently forced to retire due to the massive amount of concussions endured in his 17-year career, is by all reports an incredibly intelligent, articulate person; yet he was still forced to retire, looking at similarly intelligent wrestlers from the past, Nick Bockwinkel & Red Bastien, who suffered from alzheimer’s &

Should this be the end of sport as we know it? Yes, in my opinion, it does. Take MMA: UFC (and most MMA organisations around the world) recently banned the use of IV drips in weight-cuts before fights. The idea is that a fighter, being naturally heavier than the weight class they fight in, will cut, or rapidly lose, weight in order to appear lighter than they are and have a weight advantage over their opponent. Conor McGregor, after the weigh-in for his fight with José Aldo for the Featherweight (136-145 pounds) title, reportedly weighed around 175 pounds by the time he walked into the cage. The reason IV drip usage was banned was to discourage the dehydration fighters go through to make weight cuts following the link between dehydration and post-concussion issues. This is an example of the dangerous culture in what has been described as the fastest growing sport in the world, and its effects are not limited to post-concussion issues: in Bellator, a rival MMA promotion, inexperienced fighter Dada 5000 went without any liquids for weeks in an effort to cut massive amounts of weight for his fight. During his fight with Kimbo Slice he collapsed, his heart reportedly stopping. He was in hospital for over a month.

“there are two things I cannot move past: the risk of young athletes ruining their lives while they do not know enough to make an informed decision and one incident in particular...”

While some will say that we must continue the research into post-concussion issues without stopping our sporting traditions, there are two things I cannot move past: the risk of young athletes ruining their lives while they do not know enough to make an informed decision and one incident in particular. In June 2007 Canadian professional wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead in his home, alongside his wife & son. Benoit, having murdered his wife Nancy & son Daniel, placed bibles by their bodies and hung himself with weight-lifting equipment. During the autopsy it was discovered that Benoit had the brain equivalent of a 90 year old Alzheimer’s patient. Described by all around him as a generally kind man, close friends of his still find it hard to believe he could commit such an act even a decade after the incident. We, as a society, cannot risk people’s lives, people’s futures on our own enjoyment. We must have that ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment, and we must have it soon.

(This article was originally published on UCCExpress.ie on February 29th. It has been republished here without change)

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Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

Photos Courtesy of: Emmet Curtin Photography

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Sport

Tuesday, March 15th 2016 | UCC EXPRESS

The Other Side Of Sport Amy O’Regan - Sports Writer

“At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black” these words; from actor and screenwriter George Clooney, as it highlights a simple truth, that progression has been made with legalising gay marriage both in Ireland and abroad, however a fact of the matter is that we’re still hitting a wall when it comes to identifying LGBT problems in sport.

It may seem harmless from some to throw out slang terms and insults at your friends during a soccer or rugby match, but for many of them it’s another story behind closed doors. It’s easy to laugh along with the taunts in public, but in the vicinity of the home the mind runs rampant, the stresses of daily life really starts to hit us. What if you were that your mother’s opinion of you would change if you came out as gay?

Or that your best mate during practice was terrified

you’d fancy him because you identified as gay? Those are the kind of struggles members of the LGBT community face when trying to come out to family, friends and members on their sports teams.

But, it’s definitely not all bad, with the likes of former Welsh Captain Gareth Thomas coming out in 2009 having featured on the Guinness advertisement and the Irish rugby player Pierce Egan closely following suit, making ‘coming out’ much easier for members of the LGBT community. The thing about people like Thomas and Egan coming out, is they are inspiring fans worldwide to go against the mainstream colours of one man to one woman if that’s not who they really are and to embrace their future in all the vibrancy and opportunity that they deserve.

our neighbours with their choices regarding sexual orientation. I would hope this level of progression will continue into the future, so that in five years we won’t have any players performances hindered by needless worries around who thinks badly of them because they’re a member of the LGBT group. In five years I would like to see less of a divide in the community between straight people and the LGBT community on the pitch, in the workplace and in our community. I want to be able to look my future child in the face and say “it’s okay to be a member of the LGBT community because your society loves you regardless of who you’re attracted to.”

Personally, I was impressed with the way the Irish Referendum went in 2015, that we as a nation stepped up to the plate voting ‘YES’ to legalising gay marriage in Ireland, supporting our siblings, our children and

Footballers Put It Up to Dubs in Narrow Defeat Aaron Casey - Sports Co-Editor

Dublin 2-14 Cork 2-10 Dublin narrowly prevailed in a hugely entertaining game in the National Football League at headquarters this evening. The away side started most promisingly with a blistering display out of the blocks, taking a 1-4 to no score lead after twenty minutes. Colm O’Neill had a hand in all five scores; converting two frees, striking one from play and feeding Paul Kerrigan, who stitched a point off his right-leg. The goal emanated from a penalty, given after Peter Kelleher was fouled as he tried to win a lobbed ball from Luke Connolly. O’Neill blasted the penalty to Dublin keeper Michael Savage’s left.

Cork were flying, surprising everyone after a heavy home loss to Roscommon last weekend.

Dublin responded in the best way possible. Cian O’Sullivan’s crossfield ball was collected by Bernard Brogan, who offloaded to the onrushing Diarmuid Connolly. The St. Vincent’s man clinically finished into the bottom corner.

Full-forward Paddy Andrews further narrowed the gap with a point just after the ball been picked out of the net.

Dublin’s danger men Bernard Brogan and Paddy Andrews were being well held by Jamie O’Sullivan and Eoin Cadogan respectively in the Cork full-back line. The defensive play by Cork was strong throughout the first-half. What was more admirable was the fantastic attitude evident.

This spirit was further shown by Kerrigan who brilliantly kept in the ball on the endline after it looked like the liathróid was going to win the battle.

His clever handpass across the goal was palmed into the net by Peter Kelleher.

The lead was further extended by a free converted by Cork’s Connolly – Luke of Nemo Rangers. The sides traded two points each to make the score Cork 2-7 Dublin 1-3 at half-time on a cold night on Jones’ Road.

Dublin started the second-half knowing they must atone for an error-strewn opening period. They enjoyed the lion’s share of the size 5 and put Cork under huge pressure as they went forward repeatedly. The response of the Rebel’s was negative. They gave away multiple frees allowing Dublin back into the game a little too easily.

The litany of frees given away made a Johnny Wilkinson of Cormac Costello as he pointed eight times in the second-half from dead-ball scenarios. On the other side Daniel Goulding had a nightmare with his frees - his boots seemed to be programmed to not connect properly with the ball.

Dublin got nine points without reply to put themselves two in front late on.

Cork nearly plundered another goal when a goalmouth scramble resulting from a high delivery in by Kerrigan saw the ball hit the post, much to the relief of the ever-vocal Hill 16. Sub Brian Hurley pointed from a free to give Cork their first score of the second-half.

Johnny Cooper was yellow carded, his second of the night as Dublin were left with fourteen men to see out the game.

It didn’t look good for them though as another Rebel sub Ruairi Deane fisted over to level the game. The lead was quickly regained through Costello but was just as quickly equalled again as Cork’s Mark Collins struck over the bar into the Canal End goal. Thankfully for the Dubs, Cormac Costello’s aim was true. Again he gave them a one-point

advantage, pointing a massive free as the game went into added time.

Cork just couldn’t find a way to equalise in the four minutes allotted. Dublin seemed content to play keep ball and see the game out. All of a sudden a sea of grass opened up in front of their wing-back James McCarthy, he motored through the space and finished brilliantly on the narrow near side of onrushing opposition keeper Micheál Aodh Martin.

Dublin were just about good value for a win, but not the four point win they got however – such is the nature of late goals. Cork should be encouraged by the way the put it up to the All-Ireland Champions. The target for them now however is to bring a level of consistency to their performance as they look to make up for a disappointing 2015 season.

Want to write for UCC Express Sport? Email Aaron & Dylan on Sport@UCCExpress.ie for more information

Sport

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, March 15th 2016

Power Surges to Pip Rebels

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Aaron Casey - Sports Co-Editor

Allianz National Hurling League: Cork 2-22 Kilkenny 2-23 In what looked to have been the final attack of the game, with the scores level at 2-22 apiece, Cork keeper Patrick Collins is bringing the ball out and assessing who to pass to. He spots Luke Farrell around the 45 yard line. Cork are still alive if he gets the sliotár to him.

Kilkenny sub John Power is between the two men. Collins mishits his pass, it goes to Power instead. The UCC student’s shot for point goes over and Cork are killed. Cork 2-22 Kilkenny 2-23, a suitably dramatic finale to a brilliant seventy minutes hurling in front of over 8,000 spectators.

Cork needed to show-up in Páirc Uí Rinn Saturday night in front of their own after an embarrassing loss to Dublin in Croke Park last week. Embarrassing not due to the ten-point losing margin, but the sheer lack of effort and care shown. They certainly cared this time however. Being clad in the blue 1916 throwback jerseys had an almost cathartic affect after their sub-standard performances in red this year.

Kilkenny were blown away in an initial burst of hurling by the hosts. The man who epitomised this was Seamus Harnedy. In at full-forward, he gave Joey Holden an absolutely miserable evening. Rubber stamping his influence

- the St Ita’s man goaled after he caught a long ball in from Lawton, turned and struck past Richie Reid into the top right corner.

14 minutes gone and the Rebels lead by 1-6 to 0-3. Three more drives at Kilkenny’s goal, by Harnedy (twice) and Farrell were well dealt with by the Noreside backs. It was telling that Cork had four goal chances in the first-half alone. It showed all their qualities of 2013: fearless hurling and running at the opposition. It’s nice to see it hasn’t disappeared, but the caveat here is that Cork supporters now rightly expect this team to play to their potential every time.

Kilkenny meanwhile were pedestrian.

TJ Reid missed an easy free early on from 45 yards, but it proved to be his last miss of the game; stitching ten frees in addition to his 1-2 from play.

Lehane had three great scores from play in the first period, which in addition to points from Harnedy, Horgan, Cormac Murphy, Brian Lawton and Lorcán McLoughlin gave Cork a 1-12 to 0-11 lead at half-time.

The initial purple patch of fury wearing off as Kilkenny settled into the game and kept the scoreline lower than it should have been. The second-half saw the Cats maintaining the steady flow of points. Reid’s accuracy was imperative in this regard.

Cork’s second-coming arrived and powerful it was. Again it was the long-ball tactic to Harnedy that proved integral.

A ball from midfielder Paul Haughney was controlled on the full-forward’s stick. He rode some heavy tackling and holding, the Kilkenny backs would have accepted a penalty at this stage.

He stayed on his feet admirably, if only Alan Pardew was there to see it, his shot after the exhausting drive forward was didn’t make it over the line but luckily Bill Cooper was on hand to turn it into the net. 50 gone 2-14 to 0-17.

O’Farrell’s first of the day came not soon afterwards; the resultant roar from the crowd nearly lifting the corrugated iron roof off the stand, as the home fans scented blood.

Unfortunately they had to settle for the comfort that is redemption. With less than five minutes left Cork were up by five. Colin Fennelly narrowed the gap to two points. His goal coming after a fantastic one-two with Richie Hogan in the narrow confines of the Cork fullback line.

Lester Ryan made it a one-point game with his third point of the night. The first of two daggers to Rebel hearts came when TJ Reid won a high-ball, re-enacts Fennelly’s goal by going on another one-two and finding the net.

O’Connor Cup Heartbreak for Leesiders Dylan O Connell - Sports Co-Editor

At the ends of all roads, no matter how far you have travelled or the rocky torn path beneath your feet; everything in life must come to an end. Unfortunately, this was the case for UCC Ladies football this week in Tralee with the 2016 O Connor Cup finals. After months of training, down in the murk and grime, impressive results and a squad bolstering with talent; silverware ultimately proved elusive for the Leesiders.

With a squad bolstering All Ireland winners such as Aine Terry O Sullivan as well as many winners of the 2015 All Ireland and up and coming talent such as Evie Casey, UCC travelled to Tralee with an impressive run of results. Throughout February, the college slowly plucked away through opposition, showing class and skill with each performances. Dominant score lines such as 3-14 to 2-9 against Queens University and edging out DCU 1-6 to 0-7 helped the college to book a place for the finals weekend.

Here, the challenges mounted for UCC. Up against favourites UCD who were hoping to claim back the

trophy for the first time since 2012, if the college progressed it would have set up a show piece final against three in a row seeking UL. However, the fairytale soon came to an end, with UCD proving he victors. For 60 minutes, UCC fought for every ball, broke down play and challenged for everything. With their hearts on their sleeves, UCC held the game to a 2-4 to 0-07 at the break. In the second half, the hunger of UCD proved too much for the Leesiders, and UCD ran away the victors with a 3-09 0-10 score line.

Cork weren’t for losing heart now though. Lehane pointed a free and levelled the game after striking over after a pass from O’Farrell. 71 minutes gone and the score is a fantastic 2-22 each.

A draw was just about a fair result but Power capitalised on young Collins’ error to give Cody’s men the points and guarantee Cork a relegation play-off.

Perspectives will have changed on this Cork side after the seventy minutes. To a man they hurled intensely and often intelligently. The key to this group of players is that they need to be tuned-in enough and up for a fight to utilise their obvious skill. Despite the rather negative state of Cork Hurling now, there are some fantastic players on the panel and they are good enough to be regularly challenging for top honours.

Wides proved to be an issue - hitting eleven compared to Kilkenny’s two. But we’ll forgive them for that. The most important thing was that they turned up. It’s grand turning up, however the Rebel faithful know that they’ll have to keep up the turning up and banish the malign on the team that is inconsistency. Then they’ll be fine and the obituaries for Cork Hurling can be withheld for a while at least.

ucc

sport

Tuesday March 15th 2016 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 11

UCC JUDO WIN BIG AT INTERVARSITIES

NUMBER EIGHT...ARMBAR: Competitor slaps opponent in an cross-armbreaker at the recent intervarsities

UCC Judo Excels in Olympic Year of 2016

(PHOTO: UCC Judo)

Katie O’Donovan - Sports Writer

Last February, UCC Judo competed in the 2016 Intervarsites Competition held in the Foyle Arena in Derry. There were 10 Universities taking part, with over 140 competitors in total. UCC Judo travelled the furthest and brought up 15 competitors. We came away with 28 medals in total and 3 prestigious awards.

UCC Ladies entered two female teams, the only university to enter two teams and I’m delighted to say that we took home the gold and the bronze in the women’s events. UCC Ladies A Team, captained by Katie O’Donovan, took home the Gold with a decisive 2-1 victory over the host team University Ulster. Our Ladies B Team, captained by Rosemine Achbang, were also successful in securing the bronze. We were then awarded the trophy for Best Ladies Team of 2016, UCC Ladies haven’t won this since

2003.

UCC Men entered two male teams this year and were also the only university to enter two male teams. UCC Mens A team, captained by Tim Kelly, secured the gold in a stunning 4-1 defeat of last years winners NUIG. UCC Mens B team, captained by Richard Collins, came up against a well seasoned University Ulster home team in their first fight and were knocked out. We were then awarded the trophy for Best Mens Team of 2016, UCC Mens haven’t won this since 2008.

home with 13 Gold medals, 4 Silver Medals and 11 Bronze Medals, with outstanding performances from all of our Judoka.

Andre Bilro Pereira de Araujo was also awarded the “Best Judoka; Charlie Hegarty Shield”.

This is an award decided by the referees on the day and is given to the one person who has outstanding Judo and totally embodies the spirit of Judo.

This is the first time that UCC have secured the double gold in both the ladies teams and the mens team finals.

The biggest thanks has to go to our coach David Holmes, as without him none of this would have been possible. Many thanks to Lisa Bradley the tournament director and all in University Ulster for an extremely professional and well run event.

As well as this success our 15 competitors also came away with an impressive 28 medals from the competition, the most of any other university. We came

It has been my honour and privilege to captain such an amazing, supportive, talented group of people this year, and I can only imagine what the future

holds for UCC Judo.

Full Results: Katie O’Donovan; Gold Team Event, Bronze 63kg Cara Nies; Gold Team Event, Bronze Upper Kyu Aobh O’Shea; Gold Team Event, Gold 57kg Rosemine Achbang; Bronze Team Event, Bronze 57kg Erin Brightoo; Bronze Team Event, Silver Lower Kyu, Bronze 70kg Ciara Gildea; Bronze Team Event, Bronze 52kg Tim Kelly; Gold Team Event, Bronze Open Weight Andre Bilro; Gold Team Event, Gold 90kg Luke Hickey; Gold Team Event, Gold Middle Kyu, Silver 73kg Brian Dowling; Gold Team Event, Silver 80kg Matty Adams; Gold Team Event, Bronze Middle Kyu Shane O’Connel; Bronze Under 90kg Novice Dylan Barrett; Bronze Over 90kg Novice Alex Kingston; Gold Over 90kg Novice, Silver Over 100kg

Judo Results Katie O’Donovan; Gold Team Event, Bronze 63kg Cara Nies; Gold Team Event, Bronze Upper Kyu Aobh O’Shea; Gold Team Event, Gold 57kg Rosemine Achbang; Bronze Team Event, Bronze 57kg Erin Brightoo; Bronze Team Event, Silver Lower Kyu, Bronze 70kg Ciara Gildea; Bronze Team Event, Bronze 52kg Tim Kelly; Gold Team Event, Bronze Open Weight Andre Bilro; Gold Team Event, Gold 90kg PREVIEW: Inside Round-ups of Women’s BasketballCup Final, Fitzgibbon & Siggerson Cup First Rounds