HALLS: Issue II

Issue II 

Welfare 

Take a look at our second 

semester survival guide 

Fun Weekend Things 

Ideas for those staying up for 

the weekend 

Opinion 

Putting the “Me” back 

into mental health 

Humans of Halls 

Get to know JCR president 

David Ola 

Dear Agony Aunt 

Our Agony Aunts offer tips 

and tricks for getting over 

college's hurdles 

Positivity 

Shit happens— 

what to do 

when things go 

south

–

TCD Counselling Service - 01 896 1497 

NiteLine Confidential Listening Service 

(8pm—2:30 am) - 1800793 793 

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre - 

1800 778 888 

Nurture: Crisis Pregnancy support - 

01 843 0903 

Living Links Bereavement Support - 

087 412 2052 

Pita House Suicide Prevention Centre - 

1800 247 247 

LGBTQ+ HelpLine - 1890 929 539 

Alcoholics Anonymous - 01 453 8998 

Narcotics Anonymous - 01 672 8000 

Aoife (JCR Welfare) - 

welfare@trinityhalljcr.com 

Damien (SU Welfare) - 

welfare@tcdsu.org

film 

THE EVERYDAY TRIUMPHS 

AND TROUBLES OF A WORKING- 

CLASS MAN is the central focus of 

this 1960’s classic. “Saturday Night 

and Sunday Morning” is one of a series 

of “kitchen-sink drama” films which 

was a British cultural movement in 

film during the late 1950’s and the 

early 1960’s. Its aim was to portray a 

side to British society which was not 

portrayed in film or on television before, 

depicting the everyday struggles 

of the working class with characters 

who tend to display a sense of disillusionment 

towards the society in which 

they live. Other noteworthy films of 

this genre are “Look Back in Anger” 

(1956),“ A Taste of Honey” 

(1961) , “The Loneliness of the 

Long Distance Runner” (1962 ) and 

“Alfie” (1966). The trend extended to 

television with the most famous example 

being “Coronation Street” which 

aired on 9th of December 1960. 

“Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” 

tells the story of rebellious and 

hard-living factory worker Arthur 

(Albert Finney). He works all week 

and then spends his weekends in the 

pub, smoking, drinking… and having 

affairs with married women. Arthur is 

determined to live life on his own 

terms and not become like his parents 

who are “both dead from the neck 

up”. Arthur is disillusioned with the 

expectations for his life - work, get 

married, have children - and he states, 

“What I'm out for is a good time - all 

the rest is propaganda!” His “good 

time” includes sleeping with a married 

woman, Brenda, (Rachel Roberts) 

whilst trying to win the affections of 

young Doreen (Shirley Anne 

Field). Arthur’s carefree lifestyle is 

disrupted when Brenda tells him she is 

pregnant with his child and she wants 

him to give her money for an abortion. 

After a failed back-street abortion, 

Brenda finds out about Arthur’s relationship 

with Doreen and announces 

their affair is over. She decides to keep 

the baby and tell her husband that it 

is his. In the meantime Brenda’s husband, 

Jack finds out about her affair 

and orders his brother, who is in the 

army to beat Arthur up to the point 

where he is bed-ridden for a couple of 

days. The film ends on a somewhat 

expected note; Arthur decides to marry 

Doreen and the pair look forward 

to starting their life together. 

You can take both an optimistic and 

cynical view on this film. Firstly, you 

can watch in awe at the way Arthur is 

determined not to follow convention 

and his determination to life live to 

the full. But you also can’t help noticing 

the feeling of pessimism at the 

end. Arthur has fallen into what he 

swore he would not, he has followed 

convention by settling down. It can be 

seen as society forcing its norms on a 

strong-willed character and using him 

as an example to deter from immoral 

behaviour. One other point I would

like to mention is the strength of 

both the writer and the actor in portraying 

the character of Arthur. The 

audience, even if disapproving of his 

actions, can root for him, we want 

him to succeed. It is a great skill to 

make an unscrupulous and dishonest 

character likable. 

This film is interesting to watch as a 

social or cultural history study but 

also the themes present still have 

relevance to today’s society. 

AS SOMEONE WITH A PASSION 

FOR HISTORY, the violent conflict 

that raged in Northern Ireland from 

1969 to 1998 (euphemistically referred 

to as “The Troubles”) has always fascinated 

me. For those unfamiliar with 

this period in Ireland’s history, The 

Troubles were a time in which Republicans 

(who were in favour of a 32- 

county United Ireland) engaged in 

bombings and gun battles with Loyalists 

(who were in favour of the six 

counties of Northern Ireland remaining 

a part of the United Kingdom); 

resulting in a multitude of civilian casualties. 

This cycle of violence only 

ended with the signing of the Good 

Friday Agreement in 1998, and many 

people still feel the effects of this violence 

today. In the early 1980s, as 

part of the British Government’s plan 

to end The Troubles, those arrested in 

connection with Troubles-related violence 

(from the Republican IRA and 

the Loyalist UVF) were housed in the 

specially-constructed Maze prison. 

Touted as a prison from which escape 

was impossible, it is here that the film 

Maze is set. 

Maze relates the story of the 1983 escape 

of 38 IRA prisoners as seen through the 

eyes of the escape plan’s mastermind, 

Larry Marley. Directly before this escape, 

ten IRA prisoners had gone on 

hunger strike in protest at the British 

Government’s decision to class them as 

common criminals, rather than political 

prisoners. Whilst the hunger strike had 

generated enormous publicity, it had also 

resulted in the deaths of ten IRA members, 

and so morale within the organisation 

was at an all-time low. Director 

Stephen Burke expertly captures this 

confused, directionless atmosphere in the 

film through the bland, grey sets and 

clothes of the characters. An eerie lack of 

music also adds to the unsettled nature of 

the film, leaving viewers tense and uneasy 

for long stretches at a time and ensuring 

that complacency never settles in.

Whilst Burke’s directional choices are 

to be applauded, it is Tom Vaughan- 

Lawlor’s performance as Larry Marley 

that truly makes Maze the masterpiece 

that it is. Irish viewers will probably be 

most familiar with Vaughan-Lawlor as 

drug-dealing Dublin gang leader Nidge 

in RTE’s Love/Hate. However, no trace 

of Vaughan-Lawlor’s Nidge is to be seen 

in his portrayal of IRA member Marley, 

with Vaughan-Lawlor instead choosing 

to portray him as a soft-spoken, almost 

weary, man. Such is the level of 

Vaughan-Lawlor’s talent as an actor 

that, as the movie progressed, I found 

myself beginning to empathise with 

Marley, and beginning to subconsciously 

root for him and for the success of his 

escape plan. Vaughan-Lawlor’s talent 

as an 

been friends. 

The Troubles in Northern Ireland remain 

a controversial period in both 

Irish and British history, and of 

course any artistic depiction of the 

events of this period will lead to accusations 

of glorifying or romanticising 

violence. However, Burke succeeds in 

actor again shines in his character’s 

scenes with prison officer Gordon Close 

(excellently portrayed by Barry Ward). 

Marley gains the trust of Close in an 

attempt to learn how the Maze prison 

works, and yet I couldn’t help feel that - 

if the Troubles hadn’t prevented it - these 

two men from the two different communities 

of Northern Ireland could have 

keeping Maze unbiased through his use 

of subplots to depict the harrowing nature 

of involvement in either Republican 

or Loyalist organisations at the time. 

One subplot in particular (concerning 

Marley’s teenage son), resonated deeply 

with me, as it portrayed the tightrope-like 

nature of Marley’s roles as both a father 

and a loyal IRA soldier. Viewers seeking 

a triumphant depiction of IRA victories 

during The Troubles will not find 

such a portrayal in Maze; instead, they 

will find a thought-provoking, fair and 

engaging portrayal of a significant moment 

in the history of Northern Ireland, 

with a spellbinding performance from 

one of Ireland’s greatest contemporary 

actors.

The Place 

Ciara Mc Manus 

Workman’s Wednesdays is the place to be, 

A Zaconey and Coke, or maybe three. 

There's Trev & Co. but Luke is my fave, 

You can fuck off to Hangar if you're looking for a rave. 

The black and yellow floor would make you real dizzy, 

There's never a week when it isn't mad busy. 

For guest list, just share the event online, 

Or, it's a fiver after a certain time. 

Everyone be bopping and throwing some shapes, 

But the DJs only have a limited number of tapes. 

The smoking area is where the coolest kids chill, 

There's Wowburger too, if you're looking for some grill. 

The photographer captures an interesting mix, 

But always expect those cringeworthy pics. 

I am found here with a smile on my face, 

Ending the night with This Must Be The Place. 

A Blinding Love 

Yash Pandey 

I wake up every day with your smile on my mind, 

It's a beautiful sight to behold, so bright and so kind. 

Beautiful is your nature so serene & so pure, 

A touch of innocence makes you so much allure. 

Then the most important thing that lies inside you, 

Is the beauty of your heart, if only people knew. 

Believe me when I say that your looks are redefined, 

With you I will start when inner beauty is defined. 

Every minute I'm not around you, 

I feel like I left something behind. 

Every time I'm not looking at you, 

I feel like I am blind. 

A beauty so blinding, 

Just don't know what to do.

The End of the Night 

Mairéad McCarthy 

A typical night out in the throes of Dtwo 

Drinking and dancing away those pre-assignment blues 

The squad is getting antsy 

There’s techno in the air 

And you’re really beginning to regret those heals you foolishly 

decided to wear. 

So you gather up the girls and head into streets 

Cause there’s no better way to end a night than with a bite to 

eat. 

A Chinese is much too messy, a burrito isn’t worth the trouble 

But the thought of some McDonald’s nuggets has you walking 

on the double. 

Feeling weak with hunger, and sloppy from some shots 

It’s beginning to look like a new definition of man’s not hot 

The neon lights are overhead 

You run and skip the queue, 

Fall flat on your face and drop your purse 

as if the cashier wasn’t already judging you 

But nothing beats that first bite, of a splendid salty chip 

The first nibble of a nugget 

And some sweet and sour dip 

Your 9am lecture beckons, 

Your essay is overdue, 

But there’s nothing like some greasy take-out 

To help you forget you’re screwed . 

Mountain Lion 

Anonymous 

Sometimes the heart wants what it wants 

It gazes longingly from afar, 

At something just out of reach 

The mountain lion stalk its 

Prey 

And stays away 

The crow croaks with yearning at 

His forgotten love. 

But you; you! You fit me like a 

Glove 

I am forever destined to gaze and 

Never be in a haze for 

You. My love 

Maybe life was just never meant for 

Me, for you love she. My heart is 

But a dirty rag 

You treat me like a hag 

I wish we could play tag.

Euphoria 

P 

eople often ask, "Do you believe in 

love at first sight? Have you ever 

looked into the eyes of someone and 

fell at first sight?" I say not once, but 

twice! Of course the first time was when I saw 

my mom. The second time was when I looked 

into the eyes of an innocent puppy, who was just 

as happy as I was! He's three now. In these three 

years he's taught me things that no human could 

ever teach me. He taught me about living each 

day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about 

seizing the moment and following your heart. 

He taught me to appreciate the simple things, a 

walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight and as they 

grow old, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught 

me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty. Truly, 

there's no better psychiatrist in the world than a dog licking your face! No matter 

how sad we are, how anxious we are, how depressed we are, just look a dog in 

the eyes and you'll find peace. Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil 

or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is 

to be back in Eden, where doing nothing is not boring, it is peace and joy.

fun 

weekend 

things 

Dear fellow Internationals 

and those staying up for the weekend, 

Waking up on a Saturday morning in the Halls ghost town, it can 

be tempting to get caught in the vicious cycle that is “Recovering 

from the Week” (typically not doing much at all, oops). 

Here is a list of cool things you can do on your weekends here in 

Dublin: 

1. 

Right 

3. 

next to Trinity, the National Gallery 

of Ireland is free and open till 5:30pm on 

Sundays! You can even attend a free 

guided tour of the main exhibits and the 

museum shop is wonderful if you’re 

looking for gifts to bring back to your 

family. 

If you’re into thrifting, the centre of town 

has a bunch of thrift stores and charity 

shops. Along with having a shop in the 

heart of Temple Bar, Tola Vintage often 

has massive kilo sales on the weekends, so 

be on the lookout for those on Facebook! 

2. 

There are so many nice 

brunch places around 

Halls – Grove Road 

serves great coffee that 

you can enjoy on their 

high stools overlooking 

the river. If you’re willing 

to walk a little further 

down, Brother Hubbard (South) is 

my personal favourite. The outdoor 

heated terrace is really nice and 

‘Bread and butter pudding waffles’ 

are among the best I’ve ever had! 

4. 

6. 

If 

In the city centre, head to First 

Draft Coffee and pick up a 

“Speciality coffee map”, you’ll 

have a list of all the best cafés in 

town! Once you’ve had coffee in 

their bright and airy space, you 

can pass through the minimalist 

Network on your walk back to 

Halls and grab a second one! 

the weather is nice, going out 

for a hike with friends is always 

really fun! My recommendations 

are the scenic walk near the 

Poolbeg Lighthouse, the hike 

from Bray to Greystones, and 

Howth Harbour to see some 

seals (and eat some fish and 

chips at the Oar House on your way out!). 

5. 

It’s easy to get so busy during term 

that you don’t have time to read at 

all - the weekend is the perfect time 

to get back into it! Catching up on 

classics and movies that you’ve 

always wanted to watch is fun too, a 

personal favourite of mine is 

“Whiplash” with Miles Teller. The 

cosy Sugar Club cinema near St 

Stephen’s Green also hosts viewings 

of the classics on Sunday nights. 

Hope to see you getting busy on the 

weekends! Also, try to do some of 

these things on your own; when 

you’re constantly around so many 

people in Halls it’s nice to take some 

time out to be with yourself x 

Emilie

“The Lovely Smiles Lady” 

- Interview By Shivangi Sareen 

S 

he needs no introduction, but we will give her one anyway: Edna is one of the most 

loved members of the Halls community, and when she’s on duty in Smiles, she’s always 

up for a chat and a...um Smile. 

Q: What’s your story? 

A: I’ve worked with Rehab Enterprises since 

2011. They come and go; but Trinity Hall is 

different. It’s a job, right? But I don’t feel like 

it’s a job. I feel like I belong to the community 

here, with the students. They are so nice 

to me. 

They give me credit; say I’m doing my job 

well. 

If I had money, I would study Business at 

Trinity and would live here. This is such a 

great environment. I’m from Africa and I see 

lots of other people from different nationalities. 

Everyone is so social. They all mingle 

together so well; one can be from Italy, one 

from India. Everyone gets along. We have ten 

shops and if someone asks me where I would 

want to work, I’d pick here, because it’s the 

best place to work.

Q: Why did you come to Ireland? 

A: I came here to study, but after a few years 

I stopped because I have kids. I have a job 

now so I don’t think I’ll be going back. Ireland 

is such a nice place to live. 

Q: What do you like about Ireland? 

A: I like it; it’s so nice and quiet. If you have 

a job and friends here, that’s all you really 

need. 

Q: What are your hobbies? 

A: I like to read and listen to music; I’m not 

so much into sports but I can watch soccer 

then and there, or basketball. But mostly, I 

enjoy walking, it’s just the only sport that I 

think I can do! 

Q: What do you think is the best way to 

start a day? 

A: I usually meditate; as a Christian, I pray 

for the day to be better. Anything that is negative, 

I take it out. I focus on the positive 

side. 

Q: Which place to visit is at the top of your 

list? 

A: Disney world. If I go there, my kids can 

do whatever they want and I can chill too. 

Q: What is your ideal way to spend the 

weekend? 

A: I am usually working during the weekends. 

So to relax my mind after work, I go 

shopping. 

Q: What’s your favourite TV series? 

different. The best thing though is the way 

we carry our children; suppose I’m at home 

doing some chores, like cooking food in the 

kitchen or cleaning the house, I would carry 

the baby on my back. That’s the only cool 

different thing I know. 

Q: What is your perfect pizza? 

A: Chicken and mushroom. 

Q: What is your favourite kind of music? 

A: Soft music. 

Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve 

been given? 

A: To slow down; because I seem to rush 

into everything! I’m like go go go, I need to 

get this done. See, I have two kids and I’m 

always thinking I have to go to work then go 

home, do the cooking and do the washing 

etc. So, somebody said slow down. Easy does 

it. 

A: Underground. I found it on Netflix; it’s so 

good. 

Q: What makes you smile the most? 

A: Talking to people! It’s what they say and 

do that makes me smile. 

Q: What are some of the things people do in 

Africa that is very different from what people 

do here? 

A: The way we make our own flour is very

“Kevin Keane” 

- Interview By Raphi Patterson 

I 

n this interview with the Big man himself (that’s a funny joke), we question Kevin Keane on 

his current agenda, listening to Students’ views, Repeal, and his legacy. 

Q: Hi Kevin, thank you so much for meeting 

me. For people who don’t know you well, can 

you tell us a bit about yourself? 

A: Yeah, so Kevin is my name and I’m the 

President of the Student Union this year. Before 

that I was studying Law, here obviously, 

and I was really involved; not so much in the 

SU but more so in SUAS - which was my passion 

project. So last year I was the President 

of that society, and I travelled to India with 

them, and that is sort of my background. I 

played basketball badly and now, this is my 

job. 

Q: So how did you get involved with SUAS 

and why? 

A: So, what happened with SUAS was, I was 

always sort of interested in school and stuff, 

and enjoyed the issues that SUAS deals with 

like global citizenship and that kind of stuff. 

To be honest what happened was, I was in 

first year and around October I had no mates 

and I went for lunch with someone who was 

going to an information night with this society 

I’d never heard of, and in order to spend 

more time with my new friend I was kinda 

dragged along to this event, and it turned out 

to be about their overseas trip to India and I 

was hooked - I signed up there and then and 

away I went. 

Q: As someone who has gone through the 

whole of Trinity and deals with people from

all interests and areas of the college, what 

advice would you give to first years to get the 

most out of their Trinity experience? 

A: Well I have advice especially for first 

years, because my first year was not a great 

one. I wasn’t really engaged in my course; I 

wasn’t on any committees, I wasn’t really involved, 

in fact I was very close to dropping 

out a lot of the time (as I think a lot of people 

are at some point in first year). I think my 

real advice would be to remember that most 

of us are coming from a background of 

school, where everything is quite regimented 

and organised for you; you know you go to 

your lessons and you go to your football 

training or whatever you’re into, but in college 

you really need to be the one to take the 

initiative yourself. So I think my main piece 

of advice would be to actively go and seek 

out something you have never done before, 

and be open to it. You might be a champion 

knitter, and you wouldn’t know because you 

have never done it before, the same could be 

said with rock climbing, or you could go and 

do Jailbreak with VDP. You can try things 

here that you end up loving which you would 

never have imagined would be something 

you would do. I think it’s really important to 

give that stuff its space, because yeah you’re 

doing your degree and you will learn a lot 

doing that, but I learnt exponentially more 

outside my degree than I did in it. And being 

involved in these societies and extra stuff has 

definitely affected my interests and where I 

want to go in life much more than my degree 

did. I actually got a great piece of advice from 

my local GP before I came here, where he 

said ‘go to university, but let the university 

go through you’. I think that’s really affected 

my route and really made me go and push 

my boundaries to do things I otherwise 

wouldn’t have. 

Q: As the elections for the new sabbatical 

officers are drawing nearer, surely you’re reflecting 

on your own experience as President. 

What have you found the most fulfilling 

parts of the job? 

A: There are a lot of things I found very fulfilling, 

but also a lot of things I found very 

difficult. Very very difficult. The main thing 

that I found really good was dealing with the 

group of part-time officers in the Union who 

all have different briefs (like Environmentalism 

or LGBT or Mature students, the list goes 

on) and who are all full-time students. We 

meet once every two weeks or so and hear all 

these amazing plans that these students have 

to support and improve the lives of everybody, 

and it is just amazing. To be able to 

facilitate that and help them jump over the 

hurdles that, as full-time students, they 

might struggle with, is really really brilliant 

to do. For example, Green Week which is 

coming up and will have just happened by 

the time this interview is published, is the 

brainchild of Simon (the Environmental 

officer); we support and facilitate his plans 

but it’s his vision and idea of what will help 

that’s being implemented, and it’s brilliant to 

see. I also find the Repeal campaign really 

fulfilling. It’s an interesting one because it’s 

maybe been a more political year than we 

have had in a while as a Union, and people 

forget that there are a lot of other things that 

we do as well. But, the Repeal campaign has 

been the most positive, powerful thing that 

I’ve ever been involved in, and its bringing 

people from all walks of college life together 

in pursuit of this goal. Now, obviously not 

everyone is in agreement with the campaign, 

but that’s always going to happen - you’re 

never going to have a situation where everyone 

is in agreement - ever - but that campaign 

has been really fulfilling for me; I’ve 

really enjoyed it. 

Q: Speaking of not everyone being in agreement, 

there is much talk across university 

campuses both nationally and internationally 

around the topic of free speech, and there are 

suggestions that people with views against 

the status quo on prominent issues, for example 

on Repeal, feel that their opinion cannot 

be openly expressed. Do you view this as 

an issue, and how do you think this attitude,

for lack of a better word, can be countered? 

A: The ability to disagree, and the right to 

disagree, is really, really important. And I 

tend to agree with you, in the general sense, 

that it is a phenomenon that’s happening 

globally. This feeling from people that they 

can’t voice their concerns, or their fundamental 

disagreement with stuff that isn’t 

fashionable or popular is a real issue, but I 

don’t know if there’s an easy fix for it in 

student experience in college, for example 

developing new student spaces or working 

with the library to make the experience of 

working in the library better or Damien giving 

out tens of thousands of condoms every 

year or Alice helping with academic issuesthere’s 

a huge range of issues and supports 

that we provide that maybe aren’t as well 

publicised as they could be, this year in particular 

because Repeal is so huge. You know, 

today we’re 107 days away from the 

Trinity alone, because I do think it is a global 

phenomenon. You see it across the water in 

the States, that people for a long long time 

didn’t feel as though…the people who were 

disenfranchised, who didn’t feel looked after 

by the system, didn’t feel as though they had 

any voice or anyone representing them. And 

that fermented, and it became toxic, and 

then it translated into Donald Trump, because 

people didn’t feel that they could air 

their grievances and disagreements with 

what was going on, and it festered and that’s 

never healthy. In terms of Trinity itself, we 

do do our best to foster that, and it’s perfectly 

legitimate to be a part of the Union and 

disagree with some of our political stances 

because our political stuff, that’s what I do 

primarily and its most of my work, but it’s 

not most of the Union’s work by any means. 

We do a huge volume of work in terms of 

student support and helping to improve the 

referendum, by the time this is published it 

will be around 90- that’s three months, until 

the biggest referendum on the biggest social 

issue that Ireland has ever had to vote on. 

Q: Why do you see this as such a key issue of 

our generation? 

A: I think that the right to bodily autonomy 

is one that should be fundamental, and in 

lots of places is. Ireland, I think, is at a sort of 

maturation point right now we have marriage 

equality put in a few years ago, we are 

becoming much more multicultural and diverse, 

and we are moving on from the conservative, 

majority catholic country that we 

once were, and I feel that bodily autonomy is 

in many ways the next great frontier of that. 

Allowing women and those who can get 

pregnant the option to choose, whether or 

not that’s something they want to do, is a

ight that we should be affording to people, 

and is the next step in the maturation of Ireland 

as a country and as a society. It will be a 

real meter-stick of where we really are in 

terms of how open and diverse and supportive 

a country we are. 

Q: Regarding the SU’s own impact on the 

campaign, and just playing the Devil’s Advocate 

here, how much of an impact on the national 

stage of the referendum do you think 

we can have? 

around 370,000 people in higher education in 

Ireland, and 1.9 million voted in marriage 

equality. 370,000 people is huge. Not all 

370,000 are pro choice and not all 370,000 

are eligible to vote, but those of us that are 

have huge impact. That 370,000 who are in 

USI, our spread in communities across the 

country is huge. In every single community, 

town, village, street in Ireland there is a student; 

and that student has the voice and the 

power to bring their message back to that 

community, which is really very powerful. 

A: Massive. Absolutely massive. However, it 

won’t be easy to measure. You know, there 

are some organisations that are doing great 

work in fundraising. There are some organisations 

that are doing great work in professional 

advocacy, like Doctors For Choice or 

Lawyers For Choice who are using their professional 

skills to elevate repeal. But, there is 

no organisation like students that has the 

volunteer power and the canvassing and 

word spreading power that we can have. We 

can’t raise huge amounts of money, we are 

not experts in our field, but we are people 

that are passionate, care about the issue, and 

have the time and the energy to go and 

spread that word. You saw that in marriage 

equality. Granted most of the readers of this 

won’t have been in college for that, but I was, 

and marriage equality was driven by students. 

It was students who were going back 

to their local areas and spreading the word of 

marriage equality to people who maybe never 

would have engaged with their point of 

view before. The student voice is so recognised 

as an instigator for change - on social 

issues students always lead the way, and 

without students we wouldn’t have marriage 

equality, we wouldn’t have a referendum at 

all. I really believe that: that without the students 

we wouldn’t have a referendum. And 

without students we won’t win the repeal 

referendum, and so we are absolutely pivotal. 

We as a union in isolation can have some 

impact, but we as a student movement nationally 

will have a massive impact. There are 

Q: Coming back to the Union here; as you 

said there are many roles that the Union fulfills, 

how do you weigh up, both in terms of 

time of the Sabats and time of the Part-Time 

Officers, and obviously funding, what you 

want to focus on? 

A: It’s a judgement call year on year. You 

know, we have a fairly high degree of discretion 

on what we do - we are mandated to fulfill 

certain mandates and that’s what we do, 

but within that we have a high degree of latitude 

in terms of what we focus on. For example, 

Damien (the SU Welfare Officer) spends 

a huge amount of his time on case work - on 

students who are struggling or who are a bit 

overwhelmed, and some with much more 

serious issues coming to him - and that’s 

what he spends his time on. Jonah (the SU 

Ents Officer) spends a huge amount of his 

time organising the big marquee events like 

RAG week and Trinity Ball, and I spend a lot 

of my time campaigning. But even within my 

own time, I spend a lot of my time dealing 

with things like student spaces, environmentalism 

and mental health provision which all 

take up a good amount of time. I’m going 

actually on Saturday to an all-day training 

event for a rally on homelessness. So there’s a 

really broad range of work that we work on, 

and in terms of deciding where we sort of 

balance them, it’s never a case of ranking issues 

in terms of importance. That never really 

features in my mind at all. It’s never, you 

know, a case of X issue is more important 

than Y issue and so I’ll spend more of my

time on that; it’s often a situation of urgency. 

So currently accommodation is massively 

urgent, and really important, and so we are 

focusing on that, it might not be as public 

but we are focusing on it. Repeal is 90 days 

away, and it’s the most urgent issue that is 

facing Ireland now. So it’s at the top of the 

pile as it’s the most pressing issue that we 

have. That is not to say it’s more important 

than any other issue, but it’s just purely a situation 

of urgency. 

Q: With the discussion that is currently ongoing 

regarding the fees for students when 

resitting exams, there are clearly strong arguments 

on either side; as an individual, what 

is your view on it? and are you going to be 

making the final decision on it? 

A: My view personally is irrelevant. There’s a 

referendum happening with the election and 

that will tell me what the students want. My 

job really is to implement the student voice, 

and do that as well as I can. So if students tell 

me that they want me to campaign for something, 

that’s what I campaign for. For example, 

say I didn’t believe in climate change, 

but we are mandated to campaign for banning 

single use plastics, or to turn Trinity 

fossil-free, then my climate change denialwould 

be irrelevant, because I’m mandated 

to campaign for something. So if students tell 

me they want to campaign for something, or 

choose any of the options on the referendum, 

that’s what I’ll do my best to do - my personal 

opinion is largely irrelevant really. 

For example, the new space in the TBSI is 

going to be 120 meters of new student space, 

the Hamilton 24 hour library that I am working 

on and then the student centre, picking a 

location for the student centre- all those 

things are going to happen in my time. And 

that’s what I’d most like to be remembered 

for, kinda developing those new projects, and 

making the physical buildings of Trinity better 

places for students to be. I am also really 

proud of the Communities Liaison position, 

which came from my manifesto, cause I think 

it’s really important to remember that the 

Trinity community doesn’t sort of stop at 

front gate - that people who study here and 

make their lives here, also have to go home 

at the end of the day. Remembering that is 

really important. So, I’d really love to see that 

position grow and develop over the next couple 

of years. But yeah, there’s no question 

that Repeal is going to be the big issue. 

Q: And as an individual, not the SU President, 

but just as Kevin Keane the guy, how 

would you like to be remembered? 

A: Oh right. I mean to be honest, I’d like to 

just be remembered as someone who did my 

best. Not everything I have done is perfect, 

and there have certainly been some mistakes 

along the way. I am very proud of the body of 

work we have done as a Union, very proud of 

it, but obviously there have been some mistakes. 

As there always are with everybody. 

But yeah, just as someone who did their best 

- worked hard, did their best, and gave it an 

honest effort, that’s really all I can ask for. 

Q: When, in a few months time you leave 

the job (sorry to keep reminding you of that), 

what do you want to be remembered for, in 

terms of both changes you’ve achieved in the 

SU and as a President in the SU? 

A: Ohh good question. Surprisingly enough, 

I haven’t really thought about it much. I 

think there’s no question that the big issue of 

my presidency is going to be Repeal. But also 

I think, I’ve been really involved with a lot of 

large capital projects, like space projects.

“Aoife Grimes” 

- Interview by Raphi Patterson 

A 

oife Grimes The verb to welfare conjugates very strangely: I welfare, you welfare, 

Aoife loves welfare. In this interview with the Humans of Halls Editor Raphi Patterson, 

we dive into the responsibility, care and the role of our very own Welfare Officer 

Aoife Grimes. 

Q: Hi Aoife, thank you so much for meeting 

with me. So, we all know you as the JCR Welfare 

Officer, but for those who don’t know 

you 

personally, can you tell us a bit about 

yourself and your background? 

A: So, I am from Kerry, but I was born in 

Dublin, lived in Dublin till I was 5 or 7, and 

then moved to Kerry. I was in secondary 

school in Mercy Mounthawk in Tralee, which 

is a secondary school nobody has heard of, 

and then I moved to Dublin to do Law. I 

chose to do Law as I hopefully want to work 

in human rights or public policy or something 

like that- I want to actively use the 

privilege that I’ve been given to help as many 

people as possible, so I figured that Law is 

the best way to do that. And yeah, that’s 

about it. 

Q: So, talking of wanting to help people, I 

want to ask you about your job. How would 

you describe your role? 

A: I feel my main role is as a peer supporter 

in Halls; so I’m somebody that people can 

hopefully come to as an interim point between 

college services which could seem 

quite intimidating to somebody who has 

never reached out before, and their friends- 

who can’t be objective to anything that they 

say. So I’m hopefully very objective, and 

anything anyone says to me is confidential to 

the service, and I am hopefully someone that 

people can reach out to when they are in 

need, and then I can help them by maybe 

just listening, which sometimes is enough for 

people, or by directing them to the right services 

that they could find useful; by putting 

them in contact with the people they need to 

be put in contact with- kind off like a sign 

post if listening isn’t enough. And then yeah, 

what else? Oh, I give out condoms, lots of 

condoms. People always text me asking 

about college services or asking how to set 

up a meeting with this person or asking me if 

an issue is something they should be approaching 

their college tutor with- I think 

people kind off see me as a sign poster; I give 

them the information that they may not have 

access to. And then obviously I’m part of the 

JCR, which is the committee in Halls, which I 

really enjoy - I feel that I’m very privileged to 

be where I am, I hope that I respect the position 

and the privilege that I’ve been given 

and use them to help people. 

Q: This time last year you must have been 

thinking about applying for the welfare position 

on the JCR, what made you decide to do 

it? What made you decide that it was what 

you wanted to be doing in second year? 

A: I don’t know really aha, I love to help 

people and I figured this is the best way I

could do that. I loved being in Halls, if you 

ever hear me talking about Halls I’m really 

passionate about it. I love the history behind 

it- that it was like an set up in 1911 as an all 

female residency, because all the men who 

went to college lived in town and at that time 

the women weren’t allowed to do so; and so 

they were put in Rathmines which was considered 

like a nice safe area for all the women, 

they used to have a curfew and there was 

a house warden and they had to be in by like 

7 o’clock every day; but I love that it still has 

such a community atmosphere. I love that 

people are so different when they come to 

Halls from when they leave, and I love all the 

friendships I made when I was a first year in 

Halls, so I guess I really wanted to a part of 

that in a tangible way for second year. 

Q: How has it been for you to be a second 

year in Halls? 

A: Oh, it’s great craic! I love it. I think at the 

start, I felt divided from first years just cause 

I didn’t know any of them, and especially because 

I came to Halls with a lot of friends in 

second year- like a lot of my friends would be 

in Halls. But I’m also blessed that I have a lot 

of friends outside of Halls as well, but yeah, I 

think at the start it was kinda hard to become 

friends with first years but now I would 

find that I know a lot of them very well. 

Q: From the perspective of someone who 

has been in Halls both this year and last year, 

looking at the feel of Halls, the atmosphere, 

the vibe if you will, what has really stood out 

for you about this year’s Halls compared to 

last year’s? 

A: I think that I can never be objective 

about it. Although I have been here both this 

year and last year, I’m in a very different position 

this year as I was in last year. Last year 

I was like any other first year- I was going out 

all the time or whatever, and I’m entirely 

different in second year like I have to concentrate 

in my lectures, I have to concentrate 

on welfare, so I don’t think I can really look 

at it objectively. I think my perspective on 

Halls is going to be inherently different to 

any other person’s, but I think that both 

years have had a really good community, everyone 

seems as happy as can be, in that if 

they are not happy, hopefully they have services 

that they can reach out to. But I do 

think that a theme in Halls is that there is 

always a really good community, and I’ve 

seen that this year and last year- people are 

staying up in their kitchens until 3am having 

tea, or like smoking by the benches, or building 

snowmen or in the forests behind Cunningham 

or whatever. There’s always something 

going on in Halls and it’s always people 

doing it together. 

Q: Coming back to the job, what aspects of 

the job are the most challenging and fulfilling? 

A: I find the most challenging thing is to 

not be worried about people all the time because 

people come to me with quite serious 

issues and I obviously direct them in the 

right place if those issues are serious enough 

for me to be like actually worried. But I find 

it very hard, especially when you’re living 

with, like not with obviously, but like in the 

same tiny area as the people who are coming 

to you with really quite serious issues, it can 

be very hard to leave it at the door because 

there’s no door everyone is just, like we’re all 

living in the same area so it’s quite hard to 

isolate yourself from that. I’d say that’s the 

most challenging aspect, to not be so worried 

all the time about everyone, especially on 

nights out and stuff. Oh and the most fulfilling 

thing, definitely when people come up 

to me (and it’s always it’s always when 

they’re drunk), people are like in the smoking 

area of a club or whatever and they come 

up and are like, “Aoife thank you so much for 

talking to me” and it would happen once in a 

blue moon. But it has happened a few times 

and someone’s like, “thank you so much for 

talking to me,” having met with me, it’s made 

such a difference; be that I was the first person 

they ever opened up to or that I’m one of

the reasons that they were able to stay in 

college. To be the person who’s helped even 

one person in any kind of tangible way is just 

like the most rewarding thing that anyone 

could ever experience and I’m super privileged 

to be able to say that I’ve done that. 

(People coming up to you must be a reason 

to go out?) 

Going out it’s so funny anyone who knows 

me knows I’m like really obsessed with 

google calendar, google calendar is my favourite 

thing in the entire world I genuinely 

would marry it as a concept. But I put my 

nights out in, I have to, everything in my life 

because if I don’t organise it, if I’m not really 

anal about organising, nothing happens. So, 

like I literally put my nights out in my google 

calendar, you can see the nights I had 

planned to go out that week. I find it much 

harder this year to go out spontaneously and 

get drunk, unfortunately I have to plan it in 

advance, I have to plan missing the lectures 

the next day. 

Q: What advice do you have for first years as 

a whole to help them with their physical and 

mental wellbeing over the next few extremely 

busy months? 

A: Ya well I’m hoping to intern this summer, 

so if you’re a person hiring interns and 

you’re reading this please hire me as an intern, 

I really want an internship! I want to 

work as an intern in Dublin for the summer 

with like an NGO or something, or just a law 

firm if I can’t get an NGO one. Then next 

year, kind of focus on my degree a good bit 

hopefully because I’ve been neglecting it; I’d 

like to get quite involved in college in societies 

and the SU maybe like a nice committee 

position on something that I’d be interested 

in. It’s been a really hectic year I’d like to 

kind of take a step back next year maybe, 

well not even a step back, just a bit of reflection 

and see where it goes from there. I think 

that I definitely will have a lot more time 

without JCR and I’m the kind of person that 

whenever I have empty time I fill it, so hope 

fully I’ll be filling it with fun and exciting 

things. 

Q: Tea or coffee? 

A: Coffee always. 

Q: Pizza or Chinese? 

A: Chinese, well garlic cheese chips. 

Q: Ideal night out? 

A: Pub until like ten like Doyles or Whelans 

or like a nice bar boppy disco place but not a 

club. Actually, scratch that: old Opium. I 

miss it every day, my favourite night out ever, 

bring it back, bring back that old smoking 

area. It’s my favourite night out. 

Q: Ideal night in? 

A: A nice movie, a M&S meal deal, up till 

3am talking over tea. 

Q: Favourite burrito place/ favourite place 

for lunch near campus? 

A: Mamas Revenge, it does the best vegetarian 

burritos and guac is free and it’s only a 

fiver So Mamas Revenge for burritos. Carluccio's 

do this student pasta for like €3.50 and 

it’s actually really good pasta so ya Carlucio's. 

Q: Favourite night out this year? 

A: I’m trying to think, there were good 

nights in Refreshers. They all just kind of 

blur in my head. I had good nights in Button 

Factory and Doyles recently. 

Q: Netflix or pub? 

A: Pub. 

Q: Favourite just got home and are drunk 

food? 

A: Garlic Cheese Chips. 

Q: Favourite JCR? You don’t have to answer 

it. 

A: I don’t have a favourite JCR member. I 

love them all the same. It’s the comedy 

officer, they know who they are, it’s the comedy 

officer.

“Spicing Up Halls” 

- Interview By Shivangi Sareen 

A 

chat with Yash Khatri, a computer engineering student telling us about his experience 

in Halls. 

Q: Why did you choose computer engineering? 

A: I actually wanted to do mechanical engineering 

but I had enough points to go into 

computers and so I did. 

Q: From Thapar, India to Trinity. How has 

your journey been so far? 

A: It’s been good. In the beginning however, 

it was a bit tough because I wasn’t able to 

communicate properly. I was applying for 

internships but I got rejected even though I 

had the technical skills. So, I decided to improve 

my speaking skills. I made a few 

friends eventually. That was a little difficult 

too because socialising is going to pubs and 

drinking, and the first three months that I 

was here, I didn’t drink, but in due course, I 

started to.Coming here I’ve realised that it’s 

not all about academics. There are social and 

professional skills that I’ve developed and 

improved on which is really great. 

Q: You had an Indian curry feast in Halls. 

What gave you the idea? 

A: Oh yes! It was amazing. Initially, I was 

living with all international students — from 

France, Poland and elsewhere. I used to cook 

curries all the time with a lot of masala. My 

flatmates were very drawn to the aroma of 

the food. My neighbor once visited my apartment 

and she was like “Yash, we need to have 

a curry night”. Being Indian, I just couldn’t 

refuse. 

Q: How did it go? 

A: I had planned to make three curries. I 

started at 2:30pm and it took me 6 hours. I 

had invited 20-25 people but 50 showed up! I 

cooked a lot of rice, trust me, but it was all 

gone within just half an hour. Non-Indians 

aren’t used to spicy food, so I prepared three 

curries with different levels of spicy. One was 

sweet; I used a lot of milk instead of water. 

The other two were medium and super spicy. 

My friends’ friends showed up. People got me 

chocolates and small gifts. I was so happy. 

People are already looking forward to Curry 

Night 2.0. 

Q: What did you think of your event? 

A: I think it was great and we should definitely 

have more of these in Halls. We should 

talk to people of different nationalities and 

find out what’s happening in their countries. 

With events like these, you learn more about 

their culture and the kind of food they indulge 

in. It provides you ample opportunities 

to interact with others. Bonding over food is 

the best.

“David Ola” 

- Interview By Ann Moroney 

Y 

ou’ve all heard of him. Rumour has it he lunches with Kevin Keane and shares a yacht 

with Bono. We saw him on the first day – he promised us the sun, moon and stars; but 

what does he do all day in the Oval Office of 89? Let’s get inside the mind of ….David 

Ola. 

Q: So, tell us a bit about yourself! Who are 

you, where are you from etc? 

A: I’m David Ola, I’m JCR President this 

year, I’m from Carlow - Graiguecullen specifically 

and I’m studying human genetics. 

Q: What’s it like being JCR President? 

A: It’s great! It’s interesting, like its different 

to be back in Halls the second time and see 

everything with a different perspective, cause 

like I’ve done everything before. JCR President 

is a tough job but it’s a really rewarding 

one at the same time and I really really love 

it. 

Q: Why did you decide to run for it last 

year? 

A: Well, last year I just had such a great 

time in Halls. Me and all my friends had like 

the best year of our lives; which was what 

was promised to us by the president that 

year, and my whole thought process was if 

she can give us the best year of our lives, I 

wanna do that for the next first years. I wanna 

make sure they have just as good a year 

here; all the residents here, so that’s why I 

ran. 

Q: If you could do it all over again would 

you still run for President?

A: 100%. Just because I feel like this year has 

taught me so much and shaped me, and I’m 

learning all these skills like teamwork, motivational 

and leadership skills, that I wouldn’t 

have gotten otherwise and that makes it 

worth it for the rest of my life. That’s something 

I can say I did and I hope I can say, succeeded 

at but we’ll see by the end of the year. 

Q: What are the most challenging aspects of 

your Presidency? 

A: It’s very challenging because some of the 

rules this year have changed, obviously that’s 

fair because there’s a new warden. We’ve all 

had to change with these rules, and being 

JCR President it’s a lot more responsibility. 

Because she’s a new warden it’s been really 

tough on her, so it’s my job to try and make 

it as easy as possible and encourage people to 

obey her rules as much as possible. I try and 

be strict but also friendly and as approachable 

as possible. That’s the hardest thing 

about being president y’know? I really do 

want people to feel like they could knock on 

my door and we could have a nice chat or 

whatever. 

Q: Would you like to get involved in the SU 

perhaps in the following years? 

A: I dunno, we’ll see how it goes. My course 

is very demanding so going into third year is 

gonna be really difficult because it’s worth 

35% of my overall grade so I need to start focusing 

on my course as well as giving back to 

the community. Will I get more involved? 

Well my brain says no but my heart says yes- 

so we’ll see, like I’ll definitely be involved in 

some way, shape or form next year. 

Q: What has been the coolest or the most 

interesting aspect of your presidency so far? 

A: The coolest aspect has been meeting 800 

to 1000 new people. It’s mental, like there’s 

so many people that when I walk around 

Halls I’m like ‘I’ve met you before, I know 

you, you’re a great person. You’re from 

America, you’re from China, you’re from anywhere!’ 

People are from everywhere and it’s 

got this really cultural mix which is really 

cool and that’s the most interesting thing 

about it, seeing all these new cultures. That’s 

what I love about this job. 

Q: JCR Presidency has often been called a 

popularity contest in the past. Do you agree 

with this claim or do you think there is more 

to it? 

A: I feel like it’s a mixture of things. To say 

it’s a popularity contest, like I can justify it 

but I can also argue against it because if the 

most popular person in Halls got JCR President, 

would they be suitable for it? Like 

would they be able to put in the hours? The 

sheer amount of hours that go into it, I mean 

Stephen and I are working on something in 

there and we are gonna be there for the next 

hour and a half. The most popular person 

might not necessarily be suitable for their 

job. I wouldn’t call it a popularity contest 

because you have to pass a certain criteria to 

be suitable in the first place and that’s the 

whole reason I love this selection process because 

the people of Halls choose the most 

representative person of their year to be 

president. So like, it’s not a popularity contest 

but I can see how people would see it 

that way. 

Q: What changes or developments would 

you like to see in Halls before the end of the 

year? 

A: I feel like Halls this year has been really 

really good. I feel like a lot of people know 

each other, and from the very first weekend 

that was one of me and Shane Kenneally’s 

aims; we wanted everyone to know the people 

in their building and the buildings beside 

them and then it would build up to knowing 

as many people as you could and as many 

people in Halls as possible. I feel like a lot of 

people know each other and I really love 

that. If I could see one change… I dunno it 

would be like, I’d love to see students in

Halls starting their own little clubs and taking 

initiative, say running nights or something 

and we would support them in terms of 

promo and stuff. Also, I’m really interested to 

look at the elections because I wanna see 

what demographics run and stuff. I know 

there’s been a lot of chatter recently about 

the SU elections and whatever and I know 

that we are going to run a Women in Leadership 

campaign soon hopefully, I know Aoife 

Grimes wants to. I really want to see people 

it up. It’s really interesting but really difficult 

because I was thrown into the deep end in a 

sense but I really love it and I’ve learned and 

gotten better as the year has gone on. 

Q: I know you’re a drummer so tell us a bit 

about music in your life, are you in a band 

etc? 

A: I love drumming, and I’ve been drumming 

since I was like seven. I started off 

drumming in the local church so I was a 

in Halls get involved in college so I can look 

back and be like oh all the residents are involved 

this is great. 

Q: What is it like working in such close contact 

with the wardens and the assistant wardens? 

A: It’s interesting because they treat me like 

I’m an adult, so they’d be like you are responsible 

for you decisions and the consequences, 

y’know? I love that because up until this 

point we all went to primary school and then 

secondary school and you were treated like a 

child. In first year you are learning how to be 

an adult and in second year you are still 

learning really. This year, for someone to 

treat me like an adult sort of threw me into 

the deep end, I’m like ‘okay, every decision I 

make, I can be held accountable for’. I need 

to know my own rational and be able to back 

gospel drummer and I’ve been drumming all 

the way up and loved it. I got to college last 

year and was like well drumming is gonna 

come out of my life eventually because I’ll 

have nowhere to use it, y’know? Then one of 

my friends decided to start a jazz band and I 

was one of the original three and then we’ve 

grown and grown since then. We are called 

Midnight Zoo and we played a load of Balls 

last year. We literally just played at the Science 

Ball two days ago and we are gonna play 

BESS ball. I really really love it and drumming 

is like my outlet because it’s really 

stressful sometimes being JCR president and 

being able to go and let it out on the drums 

is great. 

Q: You obviously like structure so following 

on from that how do balance college work, 

music and JCR presidency? Do you find yourself 

getting overwhelmed or do you have a

pattern that you follow? 

A: I have a structure that I follow. I mean, 

obviously there’s sometimes that college will 

take a hit, sometimes music will take a hit. 

Actually, never this year has JCR taken a hit 

because it’s my priority, and it was clear last 

year that it was my priority when I was running 

and I have to be held accountable for 

that. I structure it so that I don’t miss labs or 

tutorials and go to as many lectures as possible. 

With JCR, when I have to do it, I do it 

like there’s no two ways about it. You can 

perceive it as healthy or unhealthy but it 

works for me; and as for music, music just 

tends to fall around the rest. It’s really nice 

because I have music practice on Wednesday 

nights and most gigs are in the nights and 

the evenings so it’s grand because they’re all 

near college or whatever. I find juggling it all 

actually kinda fun because I’m the kinda person 

that if I’m bored or whatever I will just 

watch Netflix till the end of time. So, you 

know I love being busy and it actually kinda 

works for me. 

Q: You study Human Genetics, so what jobs 

would you be looking for in the future with 

that degree or are you looking at a different 

career path? 

A: I have a couple paths I’m thinking of; so I 

might like to finish after the four years and 

do a Phd and there’s a few universities like 

the University of Toronto which I’m looking 

at. My mum lives in Canada which would be 

really cool. So either a Phd or working with 

one of those big pharma companies like Viser 

or those. Or I might start my own business 

even. Like those are my three main options 

at the moment but I’m sort of leaning towards 

a Phd so we’ll see, I’m not sure! I feel 

like a Human Genetics degree is a nice broad 

one because some of my classmates will go 

into genetics counselling, some will become 

bioethics officers and some will do Phds or 

go into different science strands. There’s only 

sixteen of us, which is such a finite amount 

that we are in decent demand. 

Q: I know that you’re president and all but 

what is it like being a second year back in 

Halls? 

A: It’s crazy because last year I used to live 

in 91 and all my friends were in 84 and this 

year I walked past 84 and I was like that’s 

where Joey and Shane and all those used to 

live but they’re not there anymore. It took a 

while for me to get used to my friends not 

being here. Like I’ve made new friends this 

year obviously but it’s just weird at the start. 

As you go along you do compare the whole 

time being like ‘was this as good as last 

year?’. But like I love it, it’s grand ya know? I 

have all my flatmates who I love, all the second 

years and I have so many first year 

friends as well. 

Q: What is your favourite overall aspect of 

college? 

A: Overall, I just love learning how to adult. 

The educational part so far for me is just like 

routine, like they’re still building up a layer 

of foundation before stuff you actually wanna 

know. Learning how to adult is important; 

like learning how to cook for yourself everyday 

is mental. I still haven’t mastered it at all. 

Also learning how to do my washing all the 

time. All that cool stuff, you know adulting; I 

find it really difficult but that’s the most fun 

part of college cos I’m like balancing night 

life, with education, with adulting which is 

the hardest part. But I think after second 

year they say that you get into a routine, so 

we’ll see. 

Q: Starbucks or Costa? 

A: Costa 

Q: Favourite Film 

A: Now You See Me Two- *he tried to back 

track and say Star Wars but it was too late. 

Q: Ideal Night out?

A: Dtwo - which is controversial because 

I’ve only been once this year. 

Q: Ideal Night in? 

A: Fifa with the boys. 

Q: Favourite Drummer? 

A: YOU CAN’T ASK ME THAT. Okay um 

Buddy Rich. 

Q: Favourite after night out food? 

A: Kebabs. 

Q: Favourite colour? 

A: Black- you can wear black on anything. 

Q: Favourite night out this year? 

A: Copper’s for Con and Josh’s birthday. 

Q: Go to TV series? 

A: How I Met Your Mother but the ending 

was rubbish. 

Q: Favourite song to prink to? 

A: Bitta Kendrick – Humble. 

Q: Tea or Coffee? 

A: Coffee. 

Q: Favourite JCR? 

A: I love them all equally

THE IMPORTANCE OF 

CLASSICS IN THE MODERN AGE 

I 

n an increasingly digitized and 

technology-driven world, we 

lovers of the smell of paper and 

special re-printed editions of 

books (the older they are, the more we 

love them) often have to face the sarcastic 

question of, “But will those books 

seriously provide you with 

employment?” 

As an English Literature 

and Classics student, I believe 

that Classics in particular 

is the preferred target 

when it comes to this kind 

of sentiment, probably because 

Classical subjects are 

associated with ancient 

things that are buried in 

the past. Therefore, on an almost daily 

basis I hear “What is the usefulness of 

Classics in 2018?” or “What do you 

need the Greeks and the Romans for?”, 

often accompanied by a wide range of 

metaphors taken from the financial 

world in order to connote 

“employability”, “value on the market”, 

etc. In short, what many try to do is 

“monetize” the non–monetizable, to express 

in economic terms what can only be 

expressed (or better, felt) in a way that 

does not take into account the 

materialistic logic that rules 

the modern age, perhaps 

more deeply than we ever 

realize. 

However, as Baudelaire 

said long ago, “oh hypocrite 

lecteur!”, affirming that, 

since the Industrial Revolution 

and due to the unstoppable 

machine of progress, art 

has lost its halo and even the role of the 

artist has started to fall from grace. 

Therefore, when I get asked the question 

“Is what you study going to put

modern Freudian psychoanalysis too. 

Such a radical change in our common 

cultural encyclopedia would feel like a 

change of alphabet, of the common 

values in which our identity is deeply 

rooted, not only as citizens, but as human 

beings. 

food on the table?”, I don’t reply giving 

the answer that says the only reason to 

study Classics is to understand the origins 

of western civilization. Rather, I 

like to make people reflect upon how important 

it is to know your past in order to 

live your present life in a different, more 

conscious way. 

In fact, if we stopped reading the Aeneid, 

we would lose contact not only 

with the Roman world, but also with 

everything that has happened after 

that. Losing Virgil would mean losing 

Dante as well, and forgetting the 

meaning of the Oedipus myth would 

have probably signified the loss of 

Studying Classics is not about what is 

valid, but rather about what prevails - 

the development of a mindset that 

allows us to see and deal with the 

world and make use of a different perspective 

that is enriched by the 

thoughts and philosophies of those 

who have questioned the essence of 

life before us. In addition, seeing the 

world through the eyes of people from 

these ancient cultures almost brings us 

back to childhood and a dimension 

marked by innocence, since these people 

used to explain everything 

through myths, which may now appear 

almost ridiculous to us, or maybe 

just naive. 

Yet, looking back at the mythological 

past has the healthy effect of bringing 

us back ro a sort of primitive harmony, 

in communion with nature and 

imagination, things that almost seem 

totally lost now.The Greeks and the 

Romans express a reality that is alternative 

to the one we live in daily, and 

I invite everyone to rediscover it with 

enthusiasm. 

EUROVISION—BRINGING EUROPE TO- 

GETHER OR PUSHING IT APART? 

F 

or as long as I can remember, 

the Eurovision Song 

Contest has been my guilty 

pleasure, minus the fact 

that I don’t and have never felt a 

pang of guilt as a result of my nearobsession 

with the event. I’ve been a 

card-carrying member of the fandom 

for as long as I can remember. Having 

an undying love for such a marmite 

week of tack, flamboyance, and charisma 

comes with the role of having to 

defend its relevance and importance to 

anyone who will give me their ears 

once a year. My devotion to the cause 

dates back to the night Ireland

watched with awe-filled eyes as Mickey-Joe 

Harte graced the stage of Riga, 

Latvia in 2003. Little did we know as 

a nation that, on that particular 

night, we would fall asleep singing 

Amhrán na bhfiann and wake up the 

next morning in communal agreement 

that our national anthem had well and 

truly been replaced and upgraded… 

see what I’m getting at here? 

Yes, at the end of the day the Eurovision 

is a commercialised souvenir of 

simpler times, when it was socially 

acceptable to wear flared pants and 

wear a white suit while pleading with 

200 million viewers to “Hold me 

now”. While some cynics might raise 

their eyebrows scoff at the title of this 

article and call the Eurovision an outdated 

waste of time, I’m begging you 

to lift the veil of cynicism that is 

clouding your judgement and give me 

a chance here. Christer Björkman, the 

Swedish producer of the Eurovision 

Song Contest, spoke out to criticise 

the BBC’s attitude to Eurovision, 

blaming Terry Wogan’s critical commentary 

for creating a generation of 

Song Contest any greater merit, be it 

cultural or political? 

The contest was envisaged as a way of 

unifying a continent left ravaged by 

the devastation of the Second World 

War, of fostering a common European 

identity through a celebration of the 

diversity of culture across the continent. 

As the number of participating 

countries grew, so too have repeated 

accusations of bloc voting. In recent 

years, Brits have decried the repeated 

patterns of voting which have seen 

former Soviet countries consistently 

Brits unable to see the contest as anything 

but a kitsch and irrelevant piece 

of light entertainment “fluff”. Whilst 

the kitsch and camp of Eurovision is a 

fundamental part of its appeal for a 

large part of its British audience, is it 

perhaps true that years of mirthful 

mockery have made us unable (or unwilling) 

to recognise in the Eurovision 

reserving their highest scores for Russia. 

If the original aim of the Eurovision 

song contest was to foster a 

sense of unity and common identity 

among participating countries, the 

glaring political divides that the whole 

event has highlighted could be taken 

as evidence to suggest that it has ultimately 

failed in this goal.

Perhaps the contest’s founding principles 

of unity and the celebration of 

diversity have not been lost after all. 

“When strangers are coming, they 

come to your house, they kill you all 

and say, ‘we’re not guilty, not 

guilty.'” The harrowing song “1944” 

refers to the mass deportation of Tatars 

from Crimea under the orders of 

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin during 

World War Two. Jamala has said that 

the somber lyrics were inspired by the 

experiences of her great-grandmother, 

who was one of the quarter million 

Crimean Tatars deported during that 

time. The tragedy, which the Ukrainian 

government recently recognized as 

genocide, dates back to the early 20th 

century. This was the winner of the 

show two years ago from 

Ukraine. Such raw messages are often 

portrayed in Eurovision entries and, 

while the Eurovision has emphasised 

its disdain for countries trying to use 

the platform to disperse political messages, 

it remains somewhat of a political 

soapbox, nonetheless, and an effective 

one at that. 

There was a period in the early 2000s 

where the Eurovision slightly lost the 

run of itself as it desperately chased 

after the cool kids of up and coming 

talent shows such as X Factor, whilst 

simultaneously attempting to rebrand 

itself as controversial and tech-savvy. 

In recent years, however, the main 

goal of the Eurovision - creating a 

common European identity - has been 

re-established, thus taking the pressure 

off people like me to defend the 

show. 

Eurovision goes far beyond the tinsel 

and lights that is the semi-finals and 

final that take place for one short 

week in May. Despite the deep chasms 

that exist between nations and countries 

in Europe for reasons that are 

cemented in centuries of history, the 

Eurovision’s sole purpose has and will 

always be to put political differences 

between countries aside and to remember 

the common identity we all 

share. Even in turbulent times such as 

these, when euroscepticism is gaining 

increasing traction, the Eurovision 

Song Contest encourages peace between 

nations deeply rooted in hate, 

hostility, and disregard for each other 

through the expression of a language 

which is common to us all - music. 

TO HELL OR TO HALLS 

F 

ive months ago, like all of 

you fellow Freshers, I made 

the biggest transition of my 

otherwise uneventful life: I 

moved to Halls. Many changes happened 

that fateful weekend. I didn’t 

just go from eating proper food to living 

on cold Apache or to suddenly 

viewing six hours as a good night’s 

sleep, I also moved from the country 

to the city. From rural to urban. Now, 

when I say that I’m from the country, 

I don’t mean any place west of Leixlip 

(i.e.how Dublin people tend to view 

the countryside), I mean proper grassin-the-middle-of-the-road, 

more cows 

than people sort of rurality. I hail 

from the bottom of a small boreen in 

south Mayo surrounded by fields, and 

six miles away from the nearest shop. 

Farming is still the main source of employment, 

GAA is life and everybody 

is related. That is no exaggeration - 

NEVER underestimate how intermingled 

the communities are in the west 

of Ireland. You may well end up insulting 

someone’s second cousin.

Then, explosively, after eighteen years 

of this sort of peaceful existence, you 

are plonked in the middle of 

Rathmines, which is without a doubt 

a very urban environment. Suddenly the 

accents change and its apparently socially 

inappropriate to wave at every car you 

see on the road. There are buses everywhere 

and you are only a Luas journey 

away from the main urban metropolis of 

Ireland. Adaptation is not just necessary, 

it’s vital. You sink or swim and 

try not to act too shocked when someone 

doesn’t know who Lee Keegan is. Those 

first few weeks were hectic to say the 

least. The first time I used the Luas was 

about as traumatic as being hit by one. 

It was the Sunday evening of the All 

Ireland final way back in September 

and I was making my way back to Halls 

from Croke Park. Distracted for obvious 

reasons, the vital mechanics of the ticket 

machines eluded me and I stood at the 

Stephen’s Green stop for twenty minutes 

as Luases came and went until I finally 

worked up the courage to ask a woman 

beside me what to do. I remember distinctly 

that she looked at me like I was 

clinically insane and begrudgingly told 

me to click the Milltown stop and insert 

coins. Maybe that look was because I 

couldn’t work a simple ticket machine or 

because I was wrapped in my huge 

Mayo flag, still sobbing, with mascara 

stains all down my cheeks. Who knows. 

Hall and Dublin life is different from 

life back in the West in nearly every 

way. Take nights out, for example. 

Instead of being limited to the one 

local nightclub, which is usually 

crawling with sixteen year olds, we 

have the whole of Harcourt street on 

our doorstep. However, this comes 

with the price of over-reactive bouncers 

and the actual imposition of the 

age limit law. They don’t even play 

the Amhran na Bhfiann when the club 

closes up here. Back home, the doorman 

of our local nightclub knows 

most of my friends by name and the 

best part of the night can sometimes 

be in Supermacs afterwards (not 

McDonalds or Burger King, it’s always 

‘Smacs’), where you see everyone 

and the finer details of the night 

are analysed at a drunken depth. The 

ubiquitous nature of taxis up here is 

also something that was alien to me. 

In the country, you get dropped to 

and from everywhere by your parents 

or the burdened friend who got their 

driving licence before everyone else. 

After nights out, it’s the local minibuses 

that chauffeur us half way 

around south Mayo and north Galway, 

dropping everyone to their respective 

houses. This can often take 

up to two hours, and on one particularly 

memorable night last summer 

the bus came within a hair’s breadth 

of hitting a cow that was standing in 

the middle of the road at five in the 

morning. This is typical cow behaviour 

to all you city dwellers. 

Overall, the transition from the 

depths of Mayo to Dartry Road has 

been huge but, as you can all admit, 

pretty damn exciting as well. Sure, 

you may see less GAA jerseys but you 

also see more expressive fashion. The 

smell of slurry is replaced by car 

fumes, local pubs by cocktail bars, and 

chicken rolls by burritos. It’s a whole 

new world of exact change for buses 

and ordering takeaway straight to 

your house. And though Dublin is 

such a buzzing place to attend college, 

nothing can beat seeing the stone 

walled fields become more regular 

once you cross the Shannon and hearing 

the familiar west of Ireland accents 

as you get off the Go-bus on a 

drizzly Friday evening.

PUTTING THE “ME” BACK INTO 

MENTAL HEALTH 

M 

ental health: possibly 

one of the most prevalent 

and popular terms 

when we think about in 

twenty-first century society. It has 

become a widespread phenomenon 

that worries, concerns, and affects almost 

everybody in this modern age. 

But what exactly does the concept of 

‘mental health’ entail? Mental health 

does not just mean frightening and 

perhaps misconceived illnesses like 

depression, anxiety or obsessivecompulsive 

disorder (OCD). The term 

has a much more simple, basic and 

inclusive aspect. It should have a significant 

personal dimension. It should 

involve ME. 

Undoubtedly, the term has become 

almost like a fashionable or modish 

trend. Particularly within pop culture, 

celebrities often admit to their experiences 

of mental health problems or 

disclose that they are suffering from a 

form of mental illness. Another notable 

example of how mental health has 

become remarkably intertwined with 

the media is the latest Netflix sensation 

- ’13 Reasons Why’. This infamous 

TV series actually broke a record 

for “being tweeted about more than 

any other Netflix show in its first 

week of streaming”. The show sparked 

a huge amount of controversy and 

concern in relation to depression and 

suicide with an alarming emphasis on 

its interaction with youth and adolescence. 

However, this is not what mental 

health is. Mental health affects 

every minute and every aspect of a 

person’s life and requires action to 

care for and improve by that person. 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 

the term ‘mental health’ is 

defined as a person’s condition with 

regard to their psychological and emotional 

well-being. Well-being is the 

state of being comfortable, healthy 

and happy. I believe that mental 

health is a personal quest to be these 

three things. In an increasingly complex 

and modernised world, it has never 

been so important to take care of 

oneself. Although many of us are selfless 

and altruistic, mental health requires 

putting oneself ahead of others. 

It requires focusing on one’s own personal 

needs, wants and fulfilment. 

It is imperative in today’s world that 

we take time out from our stressful,

eventful, and demanding college lives 

to make room for three key components 

that are not only vital for our 

physical health but also our mental 

and emotional health also. These key 

components are adequate sleep, 

healthy eating, and regular exercise/ 

physical activity. Although these 

three things may not prevent one from 

suffering from a mental illness, they 

are all proven to positively contribute 

to one’s mental health. There is no 

doubt that it can be rather difficult to 

maintain these necessities as students 

in a university environment, but we 

should try our best. 

Between keeping up with academic 

course-work, a vibrant society life, 

enjoying the Dublin nightlife scene 

and working part-time, college life can 

be both demanding and actionpacked. 

Although having a social life 

and spending time with friends and 

peers is essential to having a healthy 

and happy well-being, I think that 

students, or anyone at any age, should 

never be afraid to take a step back and 

create some ‘me’ time for themselves. 

When life gets a bit too much, there is 

absolutely nothing wrong with putting 

in those earphones, catching up 

with that episode you missed on Netflix, 

or having a warm shower or bath. 

Studies have shown that such relaxation 

techniques can aid those suffering 

from anxiety and can reduce the 

symptoms of depression. Relaxation 

and moments of tranquillity can have 

many other health benefits, such as 

lowering fatigue, reducing muscle tension 

and chronic pain, and improving 

concentration, mood, and the quality 

of sleep. I think that constantly valuing 

yourself is highly significant in 

terms of protecting your own mental 

well-being. You should always treat 

yourself with kindness, respect and 

constant self-praise. Avoid selfcriticism 

at all costs. 

Although making time for yourself is 

crucial, making time for friends and 

family is just as important. Evidence 

shows that spending time with your 

loved ones can really boost your happiness 

and positively affect your mental 

health. Sometimes those closest to 

you in life can be a good source of support. 

Just sharing things with trusted 

friends and family will go a long way 

to boosting willpower. They are the 

people in your world that know you 

the best. 

To conclude, mental health is a mostly 

personal concept that requires selfaction 

with regular help, encouragement, 

and assistance from loving family 

and friends. It is always important 

to remember that we need to think of 

mental well-being not just as something 

that we see on our phones, TVs, 

or any other source of modern media. 

It is a relatively simple concept that 

involves self-care, respect, and fulfilling 

basic physical needs. If you feel 

that your mental health is trouble and 

that you are silently suffering from a 

form of mental illness, do not be afraid 

to seek help! Trinity College offers a 

fantastic and impressive Student 

Counselling Service (SCS) where you 

can make an appointment or just 

make a call on (01) 8961407. 

We have advanced a long way from 

the conservative, ignorant and somewhat 

oppressive years of the past 

where the notion of mental health was 

non-existent, and many were left to 

suffer in silence. We now live in a progressive 

and forward-thinking country 

that fully values every citizen for who 

they are and what they experience in 

their lifetime.

POSITIVITY 

SHIT HAPPENS 

kay ladies, let’s be real. Sometimes life gets 

you down. You’ll be bopping around, doing 

your best to look on the bright side of 

things, and then Life will just punch you 

straight in the throat with some inescapable realness, 

like that assignment deadline I’m currently ignoring 

(ha hah ha hah ha ha). You know those curve balls 

that the universe decides to pitch at your groin, like 

Derry Girls only having six episodes or your card declining 

when you try to buy a shot of tequila in the 

George. Unexpected library fines, Ticketmaster crashing 

at the last minute, Luas inspectors that ONE time 

you didn’t tap on. It’s not easy being positive. Sometimes, 

shit happens. 

Literally. 

Like, right on your armchair. 

And you’ve no idea who or when or why or anything. 

But I digress. The point is you just can’t be positive 

all the time. You’re going to have those moments 

when it seems like the world is out to get you specifically, 

and just when you think it can’t get any worse, 

it does. There’s always going to be times when you 

feel so crushed by the world that you just don’t see 

the point in being positive, or you just don’t want to be 

positive. Like, it’s exhausting, and hey, that’s okay. 

You’re entitled to a little bitterness every now and again. 

It’s healthy! Don’t be afraid to wallow in self-pity from 

time to time, it’s good for the soul. 

Really, it’s impossible to be upbeat all the time. Don’t 

trust people who seem to be; they’re either sociopaths 

or “have their lives together,” which everyone knows 

is just a myth anyway. So don’t tell yourself that you 

have to be positive all the time. You’ll burn yourself 

out, which is just so counter-productive. Self-care is 

letting yourself be human, people. 

Having said that, take your negativity like you take 

your alcohol; in moderation (lol). Just because it

hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even 

your year, don’t embrace cynicism with open arms. 

While expressing your negative emotions can be refreshing, 

being negative 24/7 takes its toll as well. Being 

in a perpetual bad mood just is not a Good Time, 

so don’t give up on the sunny side of things. It’s minus 

craic going through life being sullen and sour. So 

even though shit happens, don’t dwell on it. Pick 

yourself up and keep on keepin’ on, for your own 

sake. 

Also, no one wants to sleep with someone who’s miserable 

all the time, and that’s the T pals. 

LATE BLOOMER 

sat, mid-chew, in the downstairs kitchen of my 

digs, as I received an email confirming my place in 

Halls. I remember squealing; and immediately received 

a disconcerted glance from the fifty something 

year old woman whose house I was living in. 

These encounters with my ‘assigned’ family were part 

of my daily routine as they got ready to trudge off to 

work. IMAGINE the stress of having to grab a meagre 

bowl of cereal when functioning and capable human 

beings sat beside me. IMAGINE sleepily walking 

downstairs in your Penney’s pyjamas to be greeted by 

said functioning family who have their life together. 

The apparent composure of it all was bit much for an 

idiot nineteen-year-old, and when January came, I 

ran for Halls like the dogs. 

I was assigned a shared room in House 80. When I 

broke the news to a few Halls friends, (I know, look at 

me go,) they laughed and told me that I had been sentenced 

to my death in the ‘graveyard.’ Moving in was 

a breeze though, the shame of emerging into a kitchen 

in my Penney’s getup was suddenly overlooked; as it’s 

standard uniform here. Digs certainly had its perks, 

with them mainly being in the form of a clinically 

clean kitchen. It was lovely to have non-drunkenly 

rampaged Fruit and Fibre to wake up to. It was also 

lovely to have someone hoovering my floor every 

Tuesday morning. However, there is something transcendental 

about the hectic Halls lifestyle. The stereotypes 

have all panned out to be true. Putting a face to 

some of the infamous ‘Big Names of Halls’ has been 

quite the experience, and there’s something romantic 

about a kitchen submerged in €12 bottles of Nikita 

and paper cups. I have managed to lose my keycard 

four times, and I am now skint… I think I may have 

cracked Halls.

I have kissed goodbye to using Colgate and opened 

my arms to Lidl’s Colgate. I am no longer the diva 

with the little green towels and toiletries attentively 

laid out for me. (It physically pains me to have to 

purchase toilet paper; may I add.) Having said this, 

I’m one month in and can’t complain. It’s gas! 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME 

always knew I would be an international student, 

but as time got closer to leaving everybody I knew 

and everything I was familiar with, I started to 

doubt my ability to care for myself in an unknown 

country. Little did I know, the community of Trinity 

Hall would embrace me and make my transition to 

college smooth and enjoyable. 

In the TCD international orientation, I made 

several friends who also live in Halls and have become 

my closest friends. We met each other's roommates 

and other international friends who all live within the 

gates of Trinity Hall. If it were not for the events put 

on by the JCR and the community of sharing, I 

would not have met the diverse group of people that I 

am delighted to call my friends. We come from different 

countries, we have different cultures, and we’re in 

different courses, but Halls gave us the platform to 

create life long relationships. 

Living in Halls not only gave me amazing 

friends, but it also taught me very quickly what I 

wanted to avoid. I am not one to party more than 

once a week; getting eight hours of sleep is very important 

to me. Plunging into college life made me feel 

pressured to go out whenever I was invited. Thanks to 

the diversity of Halls, I found people who gave me the 

wisdom every person should eventually learn - be 

yourself, even if haters are gonna hate. Now if I don’t 

feel like going out, I have the confidence to say “no”. 

Doing homework with friends, being able to share a 

taxi home on nights out, having international brunch 

on the weekends (when Irish friends go home), and 

the wisdom of the JCR and the Welfare team all contributed 

to making Trinity Hall a home away from 

home.

elfare 

Your declassified Halls college survival guide 

college 

RIONACH DUFFY and CHLOE STEVENSON 

Taking lecture notes… 

BEFORE : 

- Read the section that will be 

discussed in class 

- Make shorthand notes on the section 

- Prepare any questions you have for the 

lecturer 

- Use a calendar to mark out important 

upcoming dates 

DURING : 

- Adjust notes you previously made, 

adding in any extra information 

- Highlight information emphasised by 

your lecturer 

- Get your questions answered 

AFTER : 

- Rewrite your notes into neat and 

colourful summaries 

- Explain things in your own words and 

ways you understand- you will love 

yourself in April when you have notes 

that make sense 

• have a checklist and 

schedule of what you need to 

do 

• drink lots of water to stay 

focused 

• use mind maps to organise 

your ideas 

• use diagrams to explain 

points 

• flashcards for quick 

learning 

• look, cover, write, check !

food 

Tortilla de patata 

Preparation time : 20-30 mins 

Servings: 4 

- Once the potatoes and eggs are fully 

mixed and you have a little bit of oil in 

the pan (you can reuse the oil you 

used to fry the potatoes earlier) , add 

the mix to the pan and wait until one 

side of the tortilla is cooked. 

- (The fun part) Place a plate on top of 

the pan and flip the pan around, leaving 

the tortilla on the plate. Do this 

quickly and steadily so the tortilla 

doesn’t break 

- Let the tortilla slide carefully from 

the plate to the plan again and wait for 

the other side to cook 

- You can then serve the tortilla warm 

or chilled! 

Ingredients : 

- 5-7 potatoes 

- 4-5 eggs 

- 500 ml oil 

- ½ onion 

- 1 tsp salt 

Tip: You can let your potatoes fry for more 

time in the oil if you prefer your tortilla 

softer. Remove the potatoes earlier to have 

a more compact tortilla. 

Instructions : 

- Add a good amount of oil to the saucepan, 

chop and fry the onion until golden 

- Cut the potatoes into irregular pieces and 

add them to the pan. You might need to add 

more oil if the potatoes are not fully 

covered 

- Wait until the potatoes are cooked (you can 

check this by seeing if they easily break with 

a spoon) 

- Use a spatula to move the potatoes from 

the pan into a bowl, making sure to leave as 

much oil as possible in the pan 

- In a separate bowl whisk one egg and add 

the salt. Crack the other eggs into this 

bowl and whisk 

- Use the spatula to mix the potatoes with 

the eggs 

Recipe by Guillermo Castellanos

Food deals 

We all know that Dublin can be expensive, especially 

as a student with limited funds and an effective 

inability to properly manage them. The last thing we 

want to hear is another person boasting about how 

much ‘cheaper things are in the North.’ So instead, I’m 

here to provide a comprehensive list of student deals so 

we can attempt to prevent any monetary complications 

while also enjoying some good food. 

• WOWBurger: a slightly cheaper but just-asgood 

‘Five Guys’ for all your American foodie 

needs; they also offer student loyalty cards 

which can make the occasional difference to 

your funds. 

• Pitt Bros: €8 lunch deal; including your 

choice of burger, side and can, as well as a free 

fill your own ice-cream cone. 

• McDonalds: €5 student saver meal (I’m sure 

everyone knows this but I’m going to throw it in 

anyway). 

• Bobo’s: €10 lunch deal including a burger, side 

and can. 

• Smoken’ Bones: €6.50 student lunch meal; 

includes a main and side (an extra euro for a can 

if you’re feeling fancy). 

• Captain America’s and Wagamama: 2 for 1 

mains Monday to Friday. 

• Tesco Express: maybe not quite as enticing but 

they do some great deals on hot food, such as €2 

for a choice of soup and a roll and €1.50 for a 

large bag of cocktail sausages. 

• Skinflint: 2 for 1 Pizzas on Mondays. 

• Tolteca: €6.50 burrito and drink. 

• KC Peaches: €5 takeaway boxes and sit in plates. 

fun 

mon tues wed thurs fri 

O’Reilly’s - Shots 

from €1 and if you 

book a table for 10 

you can get a free 

bottle of Sambuca 

Dicey’s – All pints 

and bottles €2, 

however entry is 

€10 after 11pm 

Hangar - €2 entry 

and drinks with 

Vipsy 

Copper’s – Get the 

Guestlist app for 

free entry and for 

anyone blessed 

enough to be 19 

Mother Reilly’s – 

Pub Quiz on 

Tuesday as well as 

€4.50 selected 

pints every day for 

students 

Café en Seine – 

Free entry with 

Vipsy (although 

drinks aren’t 

cheap). 

Dtwo – Free entry 

with Guestlist app 

(also 3 jäger 

bombs for €10). 

Hangar - €2 entry 

and drinks 

Dtwo – 90’s night 

with free entry on 

Guestlist 

Cinema 

- Savoy (O’Connell Street) : €5 tickets 

on Tuesdays as well as €5.50 tickets 

if you book online on Thursdays 

- Omniplex (Rathmines) : Half price 

tickets on Tuesdays 

- Dundrum : €10 for a ticket, large 

popcorn and drink on Tuesdays 

Dublin Zoo - With a student card you 

can get a ticket for €13.20 rather than 

€17 

Guinness Storehouse - Tickets for 

students at this famous attraction cost 

€14.50 (including a pint) 

hannahwarren.com

Balanced lifestyle 

University or college, as much as 

it can be an exciting time to find 

yourself, can come with a 

feeling of being overwhelmed 

24/7. I am not going to claim to 

be an expert in balancing the 

highs and lows of college life, 

but I have learned a lot from 

this year. 

- Take charge of your own life; this is your 

life and you’ve already made it this far, to 

hit a brick wall now wouldn’t be fair to you 

and your hard work. 

- Prioritise what needs to be done; whether 

it’s assignments or going to see ‘Evita’ the 

musical. By managing your time you will 

leave no room for procrastination but will 

give yourself time to do things you enjoy. 

- Simplify your life; know when it’s time to 

let go of something or someone that is 

making college a burden for you. 

- Don’t sweat the small stuff (easier said than 

done, I know); in the end, this is an 

adventure that you yourself have chosen, 

don’t regret what could have, should have, 

would have done. 

If student life is taking its toll, don’t worry 

most people are feeling the pressure as well! 

Try these tricks to help settle those worries 

and get yourself back on track: 

1. Wake up earlier and go to sleep sooner, this will 

help you fall asleep much faster and avoid the 

pesky night thoughts that can keep you awake. 

Try to keep a regular sleeping pattern. 

2. Prepare for the week; lay out all you have to do 

and tick it off task-by-task. 

3. Are there any societies you regret not joining in 

Freshers’ Week? If so, join now! Better late than 

never! 

4. Make time to exercise; whether that be the walk 

to the luas or college, just give your brain some 

fresh air. 

5. Take a break from social media; this sometimes 

only adds to the feeling of being overwhelmed. 

6. Write a journal entry to describe how you feel; 

getting the thoughts out of your head can make 

things clearer. 

7. Listen to your favourite songs that make you 

happy. 

8. Try new things and forget about old things! 

9. Drink lots of water and eat healthier foods; avoid 

too much caffeine and meals late at night as this 

can prevent sleep. 

10. Accept that you can’t control everything; some 

things are out of your hands and you can’t control 

them, so stop worrying about them. 

hannahwarren.com 

- GET INVOLVED in societies, in college, in 

Halls; go out and have fun, leave your room, 

socialise with your flat, catch up on lectures, 

read something; because at the end of the 

day, college is what you make of it, so don’t 

sit back and have regrets. 

hannahwarren.com

HALLS: Issue II

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