Trinity News Archive

More documents

Recommendations

Info

trinity news thursday 5th may--page fouriklTRIN ITY N EWSA Dublin University Undergraduate WeeklyDublin’s down and outss o ., . .- .,.% ,... ,~The Times are Changing"Change.," said Bernard Trunyan, " is sometimesunnecessary~ especially from b~tter toworse." We hope that the unfamiliar look ofto-day’s issue of "Trinity News " will be shortlived.The question has been asked why thereshould be any change at all. Change is the lawof death. If things evolve they die a little."Trinity News" of last week was not the"Trinity News" of 1960 or 1953. Every newspaperis evolving all the time. Top Newspapersserve Society; if they are to do so successfullythey cannot divorce themselves from its badhabits. The unique eccentricity of "TheTimes" was its one virtue.There is no question of altering the essentialcharacter of "Trinity News." Some peoplehave expressed the dark suspicion that one ofthe reasons "Trinity News" is revitalising itselfis to get more Society readers. Of course it is.Any resemblance this leader may bear tothat in "The Times" on Tuesday is purelyintentional. As everyone knows~ "TrinityNews" goes to press on Monday.Chairman:Vice-Chairman :News Editor:Features Editors:Sports Editor:Photo Editors:Treasurer :Secretary :.Advertising:Sales :Staff-John NicksonSean Walmsl~y.Mike Heney.Charles Dutton, Pepeta Harrison, Jeremy Lucas.Robert Whiteside.Mike Welch, Robert Bolam.Gordon Milne.Kate Ellenbogen.Francis Ah~rne, John Armstrong.Tony O’Sullivan.Simon Morgan, Robin Mathew, Tim Cullen, DavidAltaras, Charles de Lapp, Tim McCormick, Gordon Godfrey,Jenny Storey, Helen Given, Norman Glass, AndyVei~ch, Robin Anderson.AT THE PHIL TONIGHT 8.15GEORGE ANDREWS, HARRY FANLIGHT,BRENDAN KENNELLY, GEOFFREY THURLEYTED HUGHESREADING SELECTIONS FROM THEIR OWN POETRY" Where do you live? said he.I do not live, I reside,I exist was the reply.And where do you reside?At the Tiger’s bay,And what hotel is that?That is no hotel~that is the Morning Star."The Morning Star is the chief hostel of the Legion ofMary for the so-called "Destitutes of Dublin". For 2/- abed, breakfast and supper is provided. It is run entirely byvoluntary labour and on charity collected funds. St. VincentDe Paul runs a hostel in a back lane on the same lines; theSalvation Army has a hostel in York St., and the corporationrun a night shelter in Townsend St. where for 6d. you canget a bed and cooking facilities. Apart from these nightshelters there are food centres, about 22 of them, where agood meal costs 2d. a course (main course, with vegetables,meat and potatoes).AT LUNCH time between11.00-2.00, these food centres arecrowded, and the people thereare the ones seen begging in thestreets, sitting on steps, leaningagainst closed-pub walls. As asection of society they cannot becategorised into groups, each oneis an individual, each has his ownstory--belief is optional.The itinerants form a communityof their own, camping inCherry Orchard, they come intom chanceTHAT TOM, to many a TypicalIrishman, should stand out againstthe backcloth of his own country,surely still teeming with them,is some measure of the independencethat assures him individuality.Possessing boundlessenergy, he is never predictable,and because of his inclination toact as a lone wolf he is not easyto get to know well. Restless,he will gyrate around a room, toleave it on some sudden impulse.With an extrovert’s lack of concernfor interior motives he hasa refreshing unselfconsciousnessuseful to a photographer ~ forhe is quite prepared to thrust acamera before the nose of someunsuspecting stranger in a busqueue. His photographs sum upa natural Dublin; a man yawning,a bicycle, a turf accountant;daily to beg and go home again,it is their true way of life andthey know no other. They areapart from the real down andouts.THESE DOWN AND OUTSare social misfits, alcoholics, mentallyabnormal people, who forone reason or another havedrifted down our cherished socialscale to the level of tramps. Manyhave come up from the countrylooking for big money and not~Photo Sean Walmsleyor a collection of colour photographsof grubby children.IN DRESS he resorts toshockwihtactics and wears shoesgiant b u c k I e s, withCarnaby Street denim His after-finding it, drinking their wayfrom flat, to garret, to boardinghouse, to hostel. They never adaptto city economics and are completelyincapable of holding a joblonger than it takes to save upenough money to move back fromhostel to boarding house, thendown to pub and back to hostelagain. Unemployment may bemoderately high in Dublin, butevery person in authority wespoke to maintained that thesepeople, could, and did, get jobs.They were just unable to keepthem.THE CASE HISTORY of oneman aged 60: He once owned alarge prosperous farm in thecountry. Eventually he took todrink; his wife kicked him out,or he left of his own accord whenthings got bad. He came to Dublinlast Christmas, since then he’sbeen staying in pubs and hostels.His wife sold out and brought thechildren to Dublin, she now ownsa guest house and refuses to seehim.NOT ALL these men rlrink.Some of the sisters in chargedescribed them as being mentallyabnormal. They don’t want towork, have no ambition, someeven refuse to collect the nationalassistance they are entitled to.shave collection is reputedlyexhaustive. He enjoys making absurdremarks which go downwell in Dublin pubs, but in Englandhis Irish patter does notelicit spontaneous anti-witticismsin return. His humour is specicallytuned to Dublin and he isnever at a loss for something tosay. Quick to note rather thandigest ideas, he will use themto enliven a discussion but isnot so eager to linger on a point.Similarly he will enjoy anythingwhether or not he understandsit. being equally at home at aconcert as in a discotheque.AS CHAIRMAN of TrinityNews he enthusiastically took upanything worthwhile and workedhard, deriving inspiration from hisendless cheroots. One can notfault his method, nor the wayoutgroovy ideas behind it"Alright if you like that sort ofthing" as he would put it. Tomeet him at a party one is immediatelyaware of two things.First of all he dances fantastically,extraordinarily. Second ofall not even drink can disquisehis charm or allow him to forgethis way home--both qualities essentialto a Dubliner.ThwFfrticalse:rat ar,T.inseblWATNEYSliEDBARRELAdamforGearDuke LaneOpen all daySaturdayYOUNG PARTIESUnique~ exciting holidays withadventure, variety and FUN: Sailing¯ . Snorkeling . . Pony Trekking . .Canoeing . . Caving. Choice of 18inexpensive tours in seven countries.Please write for a copy of our attractivebrochure¯ P.G.L. HOLIDAYS,Dept. 77, Commerce Lane, Letchworth,Herts.J. ~FI[. Nemtor Ltd.6 LOWER BAGGOT STREE~(Merrion Row Fred)Tel : 61058
trinity news thursday Sth may--page five!the casualties of societyEnjoy a drink i. ttvqThey merely exist ’as the manwho wrote the poem does. Theirfriends sometimes help them out.These people do not seem particularlyunhappy. They keepalive, they have the day to themselves,they are no part of therat race for money that goes onaround them. They can watchT.V., play cards and keep warmin the hostel. And this is theirlife. They are not all old. Someare in their Twenties, already setin a way of life they would finddifficult to change, not becausethey are unfit physically to do so,but because they simply do notwant to. A number of these youngpeople have come from remandhomes and find it difficult to getjobs with their criminal record.Yet one wonders whether it isreally all that hard. The attemptsat rehabiliation are confined tothe volunteer helpers finding jobsin the few firms in which theyhave personal contacts. There arevery few trained social workers.T.B. is still fairly commonamong the older people, and thisdisease, with its recurring attacks,prevents many from holdingsteady jobs. Though it is interestingto note that they seldomwork even in times of goodhealth. Again there are the onesthat have been born in the slums,raised in the slums, and havenever been able to adapt to anyother type of existence. Somebeg, others live off friends, someon the national assistance. Butonce again the common denominatoris a strong individualism,and no desire or ambition to gainmoney by work or any othermeans. This does not necessarilymean they steal. Some do, butthey haven’t the education or thebrains to do it regularly for largesums.SCATTERED AMONG these"Casualities of society "are whatone could call for want of a betterword, "The kinks". The old manwith the grey beard and theragged overcoat, pushing a tyreless,peddleless bicycle downPearse St. with a sack on thehandle bars, a sack where thechain should be, and another onthe saddle. The other one strollingalong Sandymount strand withlast weeks Sunday Times as insulation,reading this weeks editionavidily. One used to be in chargeof Customs and Excise until hegave it all up some years ago, investedsome of his savings in atent and a strong pair of shoes,and went on the road. Anotherwas a medical student in Trinity.Another was a high Court Judgeuntil, when drunk, he sentencedsomeone to death for a drivingoffence. They harm nobody andthey are as free as it is possibleto be in modern civilisation. Thepolice accept them, and seldommove them on from the busshelters. They have chosen to goon the road merely because theyhated a ’nine to five’ existence.Some live off savings. None wantto change their way of life.THE ACT OF 1939 defined aperson who could qualify fornational assistance as "One whois unable by his own industry orother lawful means to providethe necessities of life for himselfand dependents." The amounteach person receives varies enormously,but at most it neverleaves more than a few shillingsin the pocket after the weekshostel rent is paid. But more importantis the fact that so fewclaim it. Why? Nobody reallyknows. It may be pride, refusingto accept Government money, orrefusing to accept their ownproperty. In any case many ofthose who claim it, spend themoney on drink or the horsesrather than food and clothes.SO WHAT CAN be done?That depends entirely on whetherone believes that these peopleought to be helped any more.They are, for the most part, happy,and they would not fit into whatwe call normal society. But atthe same time they are a burdenon it in the shape of nationalassistance and charitable funds.At least their being theregives the Priests something to do!mouthp"lece--WnAT DO OUTSIDERS THINK OF TRINITY?SEARSONS12/44 UPPER BAGGOT STREETCHRISTY’SCUT YOUR HAIR THEWAY YOU WANT ITStudent Rates~ight of Lincoln GateT.y------1]AMMET’S BAR lBehind the Restaurant AFish - Poultry - GameT. MULLOY12 LOWER BAGGOT ST.Dublin. Phones: 62137-66133,[317i,;17:’Peo2~c in th~ ~treet were asked:~"WHAT DO YOU TH~NK OF TRINITY COLLEGE? ""There’s a lot more ambition in there than ability."" It’s the only real university in Ireland."jRAYS OF WlCKLOW ST.nice waitressesgood foodstudent prices7if:.7 ~ilil i4: ," Some of the students in there have more money to spend on themselvesthan I have for my whole family, there are five of us, I think it’sbloody unfair."" Nice, polite students."" Well, they’re snobs and anti-Catholic, but education is a rare enoughCommodity in this country, so I suppose they are worth the space theytake up.""I don’t like it. I’m a Socialist."" It appears to isolate itself. The average man is not aware of whatTrinity means to him and the life of Ireland. He no more looks in atTrinity than Trinity looks out at him. Shaw said: ’Look, for if youglance you do not see.’ Neither group is sufficiently curious about theother.""I think it stinks of Protestants.""It’s a breeding ground for affectation and social snobbery."" X collection of buildings of varying dates which make a wonderfulsymposium.""It’s a social club for the wealthy Irish and their English friends."" A little bit of Heaven in Holy Ireland.""It’s only a bloody social rat-race~I was there myself."" I always thought it was meant to be an Irish University, it isn’t atthe moment.""I think iCs wonderful, it adds colour to dirty old Dublin."" They are a lot of snobs. You get an Irishman going there andcoming out talking with an English accent. It’s still a symbol of Britishrule."PRONOUNCE IT " GUY"SPELL ITGAJFIND IT132 LOWER BAGGOT ST.Excellent MealsWine Licence until midnightVery Reasonable PricesSundays Openfrom I p.m. to 3 p.m.GAJ’s ARE GOOD(i. "ii:l¸b’fill’ii+." Trinity’s getting tamer. Students don’t do the wild things theyused to do. It’s a pity."" It doesn’t have enough influence in Ireland. We ought to have abloody government from it, instead of that crew in Leinster House."" A preposterous shadow, lengthening in the moontide of our nationalprosperity."’" Great, best in the world!"" It’s no different from any other University. Everyone’s trying to brmore eccentric than everyone else.""I’m the only sane person to come out of it in the last ten years."" Well, they are a race and a law unto themselves."A La Carte from Noon to 1.30 a.m. [The Finest Irish Steaks: Fillets, Sirloins, IRumps, Clubs, T-Bones. -- "A Steak|Superbly Grilled " |SS LR. O’CONNELL ST., DUBLIN 1 |Phone 43198IASSEMBLERS GARAGE18 LOMBARD STREET, WESTLAND ROW,Phone 775604LTD.DUBLINMORRIS MAIN DEALER -- South-East DublinSALES AND SERVICETHE CHERRY TREE SERV!CE STATION, Walkinstown. Tel. 501630TOWNSEND SERVICE STATION, 85 Townsend Street. Tel. 70434ASFIUR~T SERVICE STATION, Stillorgan Road. Tel 888320Where is it possible to haveSirloin steaks complete withchips, peas, tomatoes, mushroomsand french fried onionsfor only 12/6.SLATTERY’Sof courseIn colourful surroundings, acolourful menu of Italianspecialities:FETTUCCINE ALLABERNARDO (6/6)SCAMPI BERNARDO(DUBLIN BAY SHRIMPS)plus many moreBERNARDO’Sof Lincoln PlaceOpen : 12-3.00 p.m.;6 p.m.-1.0 p.m.Personalities Go toSYBARIS CLUBMiddle Abbey St.DANCING UNTIL 3 A. M.LYK-NU CLEANERS LTD.133 St. Stephen’s Green WestOur Invisible Menders andRepair Workers are on thepremises.Trousers taperedSpecial discount for students:L.i;
Page 1 and 2: TRINITYNEWSNc. 232 DUBLIN THURSDAY
Page 3: trinity new: thursday 5th may--page
Page 7 and 8: trinity news thursday 5th may--page

Trinity News Archive

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?