More and more countries have followed the lead of places like Amsterdam in decriminalising Cannabis in recent years. Is it time for Ireland to take another look at the issue?
Everyone has an opinion on cannabis. Is it harmless fun or an addictive drug? Should it still be a criminal offence to possess it?
People are extremely divided on the effects of cannabis, some argue it is as damaging and addictive as any drug, indeed a lot of its effects on the brain are still being studied. Others argue that it is no more harmful to society than alcohol, and they also have a legitimate argument.
Some may feel a nation as conservative as Ireland would never follow this lead, however even 20 years ago who would have thought we would be on the cusp of a referendum to legalise same sex marriage?
Daniel, Donal and James of TheCity.ie took to the streets to ask people where they stood on the issue. As you may expect the results were divided.
On May 22nd, the country will vote on the same-sex marriage referendum which will decide if gay marriage is voted into law.
If you haven’t heard anything about the referendum, you quite simply must have been living under a rock for the past few months. In recent weeks, the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns have been in full flight with both sides vociferous in their criticism of the other.
There has been some controversy, with the ‘No’ side complaining that their banners are being defaced and pulled down. Then there was the mural on the side of the building in Dublin, depicting two men hugging, which was brought to the nation’s attention when Dublin City Council threatened to remove it.
But the vast majority of the referendum debate and news coverage has been focused around Dublin. The capital is obviously of huge importance but we already know that the majority of Dubliners are voting ‘Yes’, what about the rest of the country and how they view the upcoming referendum?
In light of this Donal, Daniel and James took the City.ie on a tour of Wexford to explore people’s opinions on the referendum in the sunny south east and investigate whether there is a rural-urban divide.
The key finding was that the majority of people were firmly in favour of a yes vote. This would appear to be in line with the popular view in the capital. Whatever way the vote goes on May 22nd, it is important not to forget the rest of the country and be sucked into a city only view of the vote.
This past Saturday the showpiece event in Irish club rugby took place in the Aviva stadium. The Division 1A League final between Clontarf and Lansdowne.
Both teams had successfully navigated themselves through the long season to finish in the top four and then through the playoffs. Clontarf with a nervy 9-0 win over Terenure, while Lansdowne left it late to clinch a victory over Young Munster with an injury time try to win the game.
The IRFU and Ulster Bank did their best to promote the event. Moving the final to The Aviva was a nice touch, giving the occasion a feeling of significance that it deserved. They put together some great footage of the occasion as well, evening gathering good luck messages to the teams from pro players. There was a surprisingly large amount of noise generated by the loyal pockets of supporters that attended.
Ulster Bank had erected inflatable goal posts for a special drop goal competition for those who wanted to try their hand at it. They also had photographers placed outside the ground that were on hand to take pictures of the younger supporters. These were then shown on the big screens in the stadium at halftime, no doubt making many of young child’s day.
The game itself lived up to expectations with some thrilling rugby being played by both sides. Lansdowne were dominated at times by the Clontarf team who put together some excellent passages of play only for the final pass to ultimately let them down.
Being without their first choice outhalf and top points scorer David Joyce, Rob Keogh stepped up and took over the goal kicking duties. Keeping his side in the game with a series of penalties.
Scott Deasy’s excellent cross field kick was gathered by Ian Fitzpatrick who did brilliantly to collect the ball and then feed Mark Roche who finished the try superbly. But Clontarf kept the pressure on Lansdowne, Colm O’Shea and winger Conor O’Brien worked fantastically down the right wing to create a break and had the line at their mercy only for the last pass to hit the deck and possession to be turned over. While stand out centre Matt Darcy made a break down the opposite flank off a midfield scrum only for a similar outcome to happen.
Darcy then intercepted an incredibly telegraphed pass from Scott Deasy to race over half the pitch to score for Clontarf after half time putting Clontarf in a commanding position. But Lansdowne were beginning to come back into the game, this lead to them marching into the Clontarf territory and ending up with a line out right on the opposition’s line. What followed was a well worked try from Man-of-the-Match, Joe McSwiney, from a maul close to the Clontarf line.
No doubt, the turning point of the game when Clontarf substitute Ariel Robles was sin binned for a fairly innocuous looking tackle on full back Cian Kelleher. But down to fourteen men Lansdowne took the upper hand. This eventually lead to Scott Deasy landing a tricky kick to give them a one point lead. And that was how the score stayed, Clontarf were awarded a late penalty on the halfway line that looked to be out of range for their kickers, instead opting to tap and go leading the ball to be turned over two phases later. This must have been a hard pill to swallow for the men from north Dublin, having already lost the Bateman (All Ireland Cup) to Cork Constitution. They will not doubt rue their missed opportunities that they had to put this game away.
On the 22nd of May this year Ireland will vote in a referendum to legalise same sex marriage. This has been a hotly debated subject over the last few months with both the Yes and No sides trying to promote their own views. This piece will try and give a brief overview of the arguments and comments that both sides are presenting to the public before the decision goes to vote later on in the month.
Many Irish celebrities have come out and expressed their support for the Yes campaign. Actor, Colin Farrell has said the following about the vote in GCN magazine, an LGBT magazine, “This referendum is a chance for us to arise. To wake up yo the conviction that true love from the heart of one being to another cares not for the colour, nor the creed, nor the gender of who it chooses to share that path with.” Irish music superstar Hozier was featured in the same magazine expressing similar views to Farrell, “The more I consider the difficulty and frustration any LGBT community member might face living in a society that ‘others’ on an institutional level, the more I consider this referendum not just an opportunity to correct an injustice, but an opportunity to offer a long overdue gesture of solidarity and acceptance to fellow brothers and sisters on a national level.” Other Irish Stars like Niall Breslin, Glen Hansard and Brian O’Driscoll has also expressed their support for the Yes vote.
Eamonn McGee, a long time serving member of the Donegal football GAA panel is also quoted in GCN. “If I ever have a child and he or she turns out be be gay, they could say to me ‘you had a chance to make a difference in that vote’. I don’t know would I be more ashamed that I didn’t vote or the fact that I voted against it. it comes down to equality and one less difference in society.” McGee was in the news earlier on this month when he was vilified by a local Donegal priest for his Yes vote stance, telling the congregation that McGee was wrong to support the cause. This style of sermon angered some of the parishioners for criticizing McGee, leading them to walk out on the service.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the country’s second most senior bishop has declared that he’ll be voting No on May 22nd. The Archbishop, who rarely announces his decision to vote said the following, “A pluralist society can be creative in finding ways in which people of same-sex orientation have their rights and their loving and caring relationships recognised and cherished in a culture of difference, while respecting the uniqueness of the male-female relationship.” He added that, “I know that the harshness with which the Irish Church treated gay and lesbian people in the past – and in some cases still today – may make it hard for LGBT people to accept that I am sincere in what I am proposing.” Archbishop Martin did go on to say that his views were not the same as saying, “that people in differing marital and other relationships cannot be good parents,“much less to deny that they even deserve the title parents.”
The No campaign suffered a setback recently when a couple used in one of their promotional posters expressed their disastifaction with their image being used. “We completely support same-sex marriage, and we believe that same-sex couples’ should of course be able to adopt, as we believe that they are equally able to provide children with much-needed love and care. To suggest otherwise is offensive to us, and to many others,” was their comments about the subject in a statement released through Amnesty International
Ireland’s leading economist, David McWilliams has looked at a different side of the referendum, he wonders what a Yes vote could do for a actually do for the country’s economy. He writes, “recent Us research reveals that a leading indicator of wealth of a city or region is a strong and open gay scene. The reason is very simple: there is, and has always been, a strong correlation between tolerance and wealth.” McWilliams argues that cities with a high blue-collar population are much more open to competition from third world countries to steal their trade. This has a knock on effect with more and more jobs being lost out of a region, the more introspective the region becomes. This eventually leads the creative classes of the region to flee to more attractive places where the arts and cafe society are thriving.
Billy Hannigan writes in his opinion piece for GCN how even if a Yes vote is passed, LGBT people will still be fighting inequality. He explains how the Civil Partnership Act 2010 ensures serving and future public servants the offer to give pensions to their partners (husband or wife). Hannigan points out that for retired public servants who were faced with this before 1984, the offer was essentially meaningless as gay people couldn’t marry in 1984, there by not allowing them equal rights as their other co-workers. He goes on to criticize today’s government stating how, “for presenting itself as an upholder of equal rights for the LGBT community should at the same time be denying a fundamental right, the right to a pension to LGBT people, on the basis of a meaningless offer made to them over 30 years ago.” He goes onto explain the situation by saying how, “the situation could be remedied with a stroke of a pen, because there is no legal barrier to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform , Brendan Howlin doing so.” Hannigan stresses that even if a Yes vote should pass later this month, the LGBT community shouldn’t get carried away with itself. Thinking that it will solve all their problems and give equality to everyone.
Ireland’s first openly gay politician, Leo Varadkar has been quoted recently saying how a No vote would send a message to gay people that they’re no equal citizens under the law. He continued by saying how, it would be incredibly unfortunate for the vote not to pass, commenting that it would be a “backwards” step for the country. He then went on to talk a little bit about himself and the feedback that he’s experienced since he came out earlier on this year. Explaining how he had letters from people offering to “save his soul” since he announced his homosexuality.
CC Flickr Image courtesy of Federazione Italiana Sport Orientamento
Originally set up by the Scandinavian military to teach keep their troops physically fit and to help with their map reading skills. Orienteering has blossomed into one of Ireland’s best loved alternative sports.
The sport is one of many that’s funded by the Irish Sports Council. There are three different ways that you can get involved in the sport. You can attend a “Come and Try It” event which are specifically designed for newcomers. Or you can join one of the 14 different orienteering clubs in the country.There are 6 cubs situated in leinster and 3/4 in the South east region alone. There is also the associations “active calendar” which is an up-to-date list of all events that take place throughout the coming year. The association is also launching a “Summer Series” this summer, which is specifically designed to introduce families to the sport.
The website (http://www.orienteering.ie) is the best source of information for anyone that is newcomer to the sport. They have some brilliant instruction videos on not only the rules and regulations of the sport but what type of gear you need to compete. These videos even have views from Sweden and Norway. The facebook page has over 800 followers, which communications director Finn Van Gelderen describes as “100% organic followers, as we haven’t bought any advertising to promote the site. The main aim of any of our social media platforms is to funnel people back to the website, as we believe that it’s by far the best source of information for not only seasoned competitors but also to novices.”
When asked about other ways that the Association have tried to encourage new members Van Gelderen adds “We’ve launched a summer series this year, that’s specific aim is to try and introduce families to the sport. There are a wide range of different courses, that are suitable for all ages. Some small kids see going round a course as like doing a treasure hunt, which is brilliant. The series finishes up at the end of the summer in Hollywood Co. Wicklow, with a big BBQ and party.”
What is becoming more and more common now is the establishment of urban courses. Schools or colleges can be mapped and used as by clubs. These are usually “Sprint” events meaning that they’re shorter course than the traditional ones. Both UCD and Trinity run such competitions and our great ways for people to get involved too.
This past Saturday there was a Come and Try It event in UCD, which was attended by just under 100 people. The event is aimed to try and introduce people to the sport and get people involved in orienteering. Obviously running around UCD is quite different to the forests that would usually be used as courses. These events are normally held nearer to Dublin or cities instead of out in the country, to try and encourage the highest levels of participation.
Urban Orienteering is becoming more and more popular. Colm Moran is captain of the UCD Orienteering club explains how it differs from the more traditional form of the sport. “Urban is much more about being quick and making good decisions. It’s relatively easy to be able to navigate your way around a college, so it’s more about seeing how to get the quickest possible route. You don’t want to run around a corner and then be stuck in front of a wall or some awkward obstacle. The normal form is more about endurance and your ability to be able navigate more complicated terrain.”
Moran’s been involved in the sport since he was ten years old, “My mum used to bring me and my brothers and sisters to the events, we’d maybe go one Sunday a month to an event. It was great because it’s really for all ages, from the age of ten up orienteering can cater for all ages. Obviously running around UCD is quite different to the forests that would usually be used as courses. These events are normally held nearer to Dublin or bigger cities instead of out in the country, to try attract as many people as possible and encourage the highest levels of participation.”
Obviously a vital aspect of the orienteering is the map. Crucially, it is the clubs that pay for the mapping of courses and not the association. So if clubs want to create a new course or update an old one, fundraising for their incredibly accurate maps (1.5000 or 1.10000) must be done.
How they map their courses is incredibly interesting. This is done by a method called Lidar (Laser Illuminated Detection And Ranging) Mapping. The association gets an additional 20-23 thousand euros to help with this process. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes it as follows “This method uses a pulsed laser to measure the range of the earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.”
Targeting people in schools is the most ideal place admits Van Gelderen. “There’s a primary schools event that takes place in May and we’re expecting nearly 700 kids to be participating in it. One of the main reasons why you would chose to get involved in orienteering is that it’s a sport for all ages. All levels and abilities are catered for. It is inclusive of the whole family, and there’s a great social element to the whole day.”
Most people get involved in it through Scouts or in school. Whenever our club goes to league or championship events, some of the older members are really helpful with lifts and stuff. They really encouraging to some of the younger members, because they can see where we’re coming from. Some of us are just beginners while others are more experienced. Moran
They have also linked up with Coillte, which manages Irish forestry to make permanent courses. So whenever you feel like doing an orienteering course all you need to do is print off the map and head outside.
Daniel Pim looks ahead to the upcoming season of the hit political drama as it makes its long awaited return.
House of Cards returns to our screens this Friday. The Netflix series is back for its third season and with it comes the return of everyone’s favourite Machiavellian character; Frank Underwood. Season two left viewers salivating when they saw Frank finally reach his lifelong ambition of becoming President. Now that he’s the most powerful man in the world, the burning question is: what direction will the show take? Will Frank rule with an iron fist or will all his scheming and lies come back to haunt him?
This article is going to look at some of the best rumours being circulated about season three to give fans a taster of what is in store:
In an interview with E-news, Spacey talks about how both writer-producer Beau Willimon and producer David Fincher “have a desire to see just how dark that well is and how deep does it go.” What exactly this means for the show and its characters remains to be seen. But it’s incredibly exciting news!
Russia will play a large role in the upcoming series. International relations with China played a huge role in season two and now it seems that the focus has shifted. Lars Mikkelsen has been cast to play the Russian president. From the above trailer we see Mikkelsen’s character refusing to shake Frank’s hand. He’s also seen kissing Claire in front of Frank at some type of function. While fans don’t quite know how large of a role Mikkelsen will play just yet, it’s fair to say that he will cause Frank some serious problems during the infancy of his Presidency.
Increasing tensions between both Frank and Claire seems to be a theme for the upcoming series. Now that they have finally achieved their goal and become the most powerful couple in the world, what more is there left to achieve? Well, quite a lot apparently. The internet is loaded with rumours of Claire’s ambition and a role with the United Nations seems to be gaining traction with each sliver of information being leaked. Netflix released a very interesting preview about the newest season: “Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright return to Washington with the stakes now higher than ever. President Underwood fights to secure his legacy. Claire wants more than being First Lady. The biggest threat they face is contending with each other.”
In the original BBC series Francis Urquhart (Underwood) is killed by his wife, who hires an assassin to kill him. Elizabeth’s (Claire) reasoning for doing this is that Francis’s legacy will remain intact. Can we really see Claire killing off her Frank like in the original? Hell yes, she is the most interesting and complex character in the entire show. Impossible to read, viewers would agree that she certainly has enough ruthlessness to order Frank’s execution. Will the President meet his untimely demise? Will it follow the original and finish up at the end of season three? One of the co-executive producers Rick Cleveland divulged that as long as the lead actors Kevin Spacey (Frank) and Robin Wright (Claire) agree to keep coming back, the Netflix series will continue.
Celebrations around the world are already under way for the Chinese New Year, which begins on Thursday 19th February and lasts until 5th March.
Often marked by fireworks and family feasts within China, it’s also known as the Spring Festival. Chinese New Year is widely regarded as the most important celebration in China and is given official public holiday status, during which most Chinese get eight days off work. Here are some of the most famous traditions.
Chinese New Year Decorations. CC Image courtesy of Ivan Bandura on Flickr.
“Cleaning your house”
This tradition is done with the belief that cleaning your house will “sweep away the bad luck” that has gathered in your house over the previous year. It is also thought that decluttering and cleaning will make room for new luck to enter your household.
Traditional Chinese lanterns. CC Image Courtesy of [Duncan] on Flcikr“The hanging of Fu”
Much like a Christmas wreath, hanging this Chinese symbol on your front door is a must throughout the New Year celebrations. The symbol normally means “blessing” or “happiness” but oddly it must be hung upside down. When it is hung upside down it’s meaning is changed to mean “arrival”. This is done so that the symbol takes on a double meaning, both welcoming people into your home and wishing them happiness.
New Year’s parade. CC Image Courtesy of Shawn Clover on Flickr
“Red and Gold colouring”
Red and gold are the two colours that are synonymous with Chinese New Year. Red in Chinese customs, symbolizes joy and good fortune while gold symbolizes money or wealth. Everyone dresses in red coloured items for the day and parents hand out red envelopes filled with money to their children. This is called “Hong Kao”.
Traditional New Year’s Eve meal. CC Image courtesy of Robyn Lee
“New Years Eve dinner”
New year’s Eve dinner is probably the most important meal throughout the Chinese year. It is normally a reunion dinner for families who live or work very far from home. Two of the most common dishes served during the dinner are fish and dumplings. This is because both of these dishes signify prosperity. People then often stay up for long periods of the night to watch the fireworks, and to warn off the fearsome “Nian”.
Chinese Fireworks. CC Image courtesy of Victoria Pickering on Flickr
“Fireworks”
Fireworks are one of the main features of Chinese New Year celebrations. The fireworks come from an ancient tradition whereby loud explosions and the colourful flares of gunpowder were thought to warn off evil spirits. An ancient evil spirit called the “Nian” was believed to come and haunt children around the time that New Years is celebrated. The loud explosions were thought to frighten “Nian”. The beast was also said to be terrified of the colour red.
While you may think that China is a million miles away, you can get involved in the celebrations right here in Dublin. Dublin City Council have put together a useful website http://cny.ie/, giving you dates and times for all the events and celebrations that will take place. You and your family can immerse yourself in Chinese culture by learning about the country’s food, history and traditions.
Transfer deadline day can be one of football’s most exciting days. Big money/name deals have fans watering at the mouth, and invariably teams always leave it to the last minute to make a purchase or secure a season-changing loan deal.
But that only adds to the excitement, with deals being pushed through after the deadline has passed leading to fans waking up to see that their club has brought in a new star signing. January often doesn’t live up to the buzz that the summer deadline creates, but big names and big money still change hands. Here’s a look at five winners and losers from the January window.
Winners:
Tottenham
Spurs were able to sign Dele Alli from MK Dons, though Alli will stay at Stadium MK for the remainder of the season and will join up with Tottenham next season. Since he has been described by some pundits as the next Steven Gerrard, Spurs fans are already pleased by his signing.
Delle Alli a great signing, one for the future. The deal with MK Dons also one for the future when we play PL in their stadium. #Levyed
Also signing Harry Kane to a new extension that could keep him at White Hart Lane until 2020 deserves a mention, rewarding the 22-year-old for his stellar breakout season.
West Brom
Tony Pulis has successfully begun his “Pulisification” of West Brom: Darren Fletcher and Callum McManaman are the first players through the door. They’re both strong and athletic players exactly in the Pulis mold: fans should be happy with the new signings that will bolster the squad for the remainder of the season. They will be slightly frustrated that the Carlton Cole deal fell through.
Everton
Bringing in Aaron Lennon on loan could turn out to be a fantastic bit of business for Roberto Martinez. Seeing his career stall at Tottenham, Lennon could really kick start it back up with the help of Martinez and that attractive brand of football that they play. Adding Lennon also adds good depth to the already exciting wingers that are at the club including Aidan McGeady, Fifa starlet Christian Atsu and the injured Steven Pienaar.
Chelsea
Chelsea were able to unload three of their squad players while bringing in one of their top targets in Juan Cuadrado. Shipping Andre Schurrle out of the club to join fellow Chelsea cast-off Kevin de Bruyne for £23 million as well as making Ryan Bertrand the fourth most expensive player bought in the transfer window was good business. Cuadrado made his name at the World Cup with Colombia and was second in assists for the competition, Mohamed Salah meanwhile goes in the other direction to Fiorentina. By the sounds of things teaming Cuadrado with Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas will make Chelsea truly frightening going forward.
279 – Since 12/13, Cuadrado has completed 279 dribbles in Serie A, only Eden Hazard (303) has more during this time in the PL. Teammates.
Possibly the biggest winner of the entire window (excuse the Irish bias). Scoring 25 goals in all competitions for League One outfit Chesterfield this season, Doyle has now secured a deal with Vincent Tan’s Cardiff City. His fee could potentially rise to £1.25 million including some potential add-ons for Doyle.
Losers:
Davide Santon
Santon is on his way back to his old club Inter Milan. Originally it looked like Santon was happy about leaving Newcastle and returning to Inter. But a series of tweets from Chloe Sanderson, Santon’s girlfriend shed some new light on the move.
West Ham
West Ham missed out on all of their transfer targets. Big Sam tried to bring in Darren Fletcher before the Scot decided to team up with Tony Pulis. They were also looking to get Emmanuel Adebayor on loan to help out their strike force only for the deal to fall through.
David Moyes
Moyes was rumoured to be looking at several Premier League targets to add to his squad throughout January. Arsenal’s Joel Campbell, Tottenham’s Etienne Capoue and Burnley’s Danny Ings were all bandied about as possible targets. But in the end Moyes wasn’t able to secure any signatures to bring to the Basque country.
Manchester United
The whole of United’s fan base were crying out for their team to bring in a centre-half throughout January and their calls fell on deaf ears. Mats Hummels, a long-term target, wasn’t secured and they were quoted a ridiculous figure for PSG’s centre back Marquinhos. The only player that Louis Van Gaal brought into the squad was Bolton defender Andy Kellett.
Football Fans
There were no real massive deals done throughout the period, leaving fans with a huge sense of anti-climax when the deadline finally passed. Juan Cuadrado’s move to Chelsea was for a relatively big fee, but since he is a relatively unknown prospect in this part of the world, it still left fans looking for satisfaction. Apart from that, Martin Odegaard’s move to Real Madrid was one of the only other big moves with the teenager moving to the Spanish capital.
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