Poem inspired by the "Fight of the Century" and the Irish gay marriage referendum

May

Peerless battles were both.

Attained in blood and beautiful movement

Words and intellect inspired the other.

Each engrossed everywhere.

Red glove raised in triumph,

An unparalleled legacy.

Flags held high shimmering like a rainbow,

It took too long.

Altruism abandoned in May.

A world forlorn, brightened.

Power of people

May provide hope.

DIT defeat Carlow IT to lift All-Ireland trophy

On the morning of the Umbro B Cup final the DIT players were singing and laughing happily on the bus. It was if they knew that soon they would be All-Ireland champions and it was a sign of the team’s exuberant confidence. When the final whistle blew that afternoon, the atmosphere was even more raucous.

The finale against Carlow IT started slowly but it became a dramatic encounter with DIT B’s soccer team clinching it 2-1 in extra-time at the AUL Complex, Dublin.

Carlow IT began the game better and they were awarded a deserved penalty on 23 minutes which they converted easily.

Despite the game not going to plan the conceded goal inspired DIT into life.

Half-time was edging closer when left back Marfide Mantano dribbled the ball splendidly from his own half into the opposition area to feed in right winger Darragh Maguire.

Maguire shot across goal into the bottom left corner which the Carlow keeper saved.

However he spilled the ball into the path of DIT striker Michael Christian who buried the finish to make it 1-1.

It was an even first half with midfielder David Majola demonstrating good composure throughout.

No team dominated the initial 45 minutes but DIT showed attacking intent in the second half.

They held a high line and pressed Carlow IT.

DIT missed an opportunity to take advantage of their good play when Adam Zayed whipped in a corner which an unmarked Christian Lotefa hit wide.

15 minutes from time the drama began. A scuffle between the sides resulted in a player from both teams being sent off.

Marfide Mantando was DIT’s stand out performer before being dismissed.

There were not many clear cut chances for either side throughout but the final kick of the 90 minutes fell to DIT’s Oluwamayowa Akinola.

Christian Lotefa fed him clean on goal but his effort was straight at Carlow’s keeper.

Into extra time it went.

“Their more tired than we are,” DIT assistant manager Garry Doyle told his players.

He was correct because during extra time DIT went for the victory and looked the fitter side.

Striker Oluwamayowa Akinola was causing Carlow IT’s defenders major problems with his constant runs towards them.

Time elapsed and it looked certain to go to penalties until in the last couple of minute’s midfielder Adam Zayed, who was exceptional, ran one on one with the keeper and scored comfortably.

The celebrations were excellent and DIT saw out the remaining seconds to claim the Umbro B Cup.

After the match Soccer Development Officer John O’Carroll said: “It was a great win. The conditions were very difficult with the strong wind. The lads dug in and it really looked like we were going to win it in the end.”

Manager Gavin Fleming was in a joyous mood also especially because it was his first trophy win with DIT.

“I’m delighted. We didn’t play great football but the team all season has been amazing as has the player’s commitment and my assistant Gary Doyle’s been a brilliant addition this year,” said Fleming.  

In relation to the sending off the manager stated he didn’t want “to do an Arsene Wenger” but stressed he genuinely didn’t see what happened.

“I think from all the reports that our lad was at fault and it’s not like him in fairness, he has been one of our best players all year but he just got it wrong, but he had a good game,” Fleming added.

The manager ended the interview by giving praise to his squad.

He stated: “I have had some good teams in the past but that’s my first cup win with DIT. A lot of the players will probably go up to the first team as they are very strong. This is the best team I’ve worked with here.”

The team travelled home on the bus singing and laughing as they did at 11 am that morning.

But this time they had a trophy with them and could call themselves champions.

What is it like being a Muslim in Ireland? Do the media harm the Islam reputation and those who follow it? Student Abdisatar Sheikh and spokesman Dr Ali Selim shared their thoughts with me in two seperate interviews.

Abdisatar Sheikh is a 19 year old Muslim student studying linguistics in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). He is the Chairperson of the DIT Islamic society. I interviewed him in a quiet radio studio in Aungier Street away from distractions. When you meet Abdisatar his welcoming personality and broad smile immediately becomes apparent.   

I wanted to get an insight of what it is like for him being a Muslim in this city. He began the interview on a positive note. Abdisatar said that being a “Muslim in Ireland is not very hard. It is a nice life being a Muslim here.” Then he mentioned that there were some challenges. “In terms of prayers, Muslims pray five times a day. Continuing your faith and at the same time continuing your college work is a challenge of being a Muslim here.”

 I then asked Abdisatar if he has suffered from stereotyping in Dublin and he immediately spoke of the treatment of his sister. “My sister for example wears the hijab and people sometimes say bad comments like ‘what are you wearing’ and ‘what is this towel on your head.’ She tries to explain to them what it is and in general people in Ireland tend to accept it.” 

Abdisatar described how Irish media’s portrayal of Islam through their coverage of terror groups and conflicts in the Middle East affects Irish Muslims.

“Maybe Irish media don’t have the knowledge of Islam whereas some of them like to take the stereotypical view. In Ireland I would say this does affect us because the Irish people are aware of the media and some of them who do not know anything about the religion think the media’s version of the story is the correct one. I think the media always uses repetition of negative Muslim coverage and this creates an atmosphere and mistrust; it creates doubts in people’s minds towards the Muslim community."   

He then explained the affect coverage of Islamic State (IS or ISIS) has on Irish Muslims. “When ISIS are in the media you feel an unease that they are associated with you but at the same time they shouldn’t be really be associated with us as we are not a part of that. The media do not differentiate between what’s happening in the Middle East compared to what Muslims are doing in Ireland and they mix us together when they should be separated.”

Dr Ali Selim lectures on Middle Eastern studies in Trinity College and is a spokesman for the Muslim community. I got a bus to Clonskeagh to interview him at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland to get another perspective. 

He was in agreement with Abdisatar about the affect coverage of groups like Islamic State has on Muslims in Ireland. However he strongly disagrees with certain language the media uses when reporting these stories.

He said: “Unfortunately the terms we use could be unhealthy. When you talk about militant groups killing and slaughtering and then you call them the Islamic State it definitely gives bad connotations and it doesn’t help peaceful co- existence. It stigmatises people who have nothing to do with a group based that far away from us. I think the terms that media is using is very much offensive for Muslims and they should be very careful because it doesn’t help anybody.” 

Dr Selim added that the media “can simply call them the so called Islamic group, fair enough, but if you call them the Islamic State what does it mean? It leaves a profound negative impact on peoples understanding when it comes to Islam and Muslims.”

I then asked Dr Ali Selim about comments he made in the past about a revolution of inclusivity that he says is absent from Irish public schools towards Muslims. He spoke of how things could be fairer.

“If you look at the admission policy, it gives preference to certain children on religious grounds. Education has to be seen as a primary need. Nobody should be denied this right. We would need more activities of inclusion, mutual activities that would help children mix together and have some commonality that they can share together and not feel they are isolated or left behind. It encourages a peaceful co-existence and it irradiates Islamophobia or currently we here about Christian-phobia at the moment so all of that would be good, that would help cooperation.”

Dr Ali Selim concluded the interview by mentioning a new topic, which was Gaza, to highlight the oppression of Muslims worldwide.

“To see something like this in Gaza, barbaric attacks within the hearing and the sight of our international community is shocking. People turn a blind eye to it and this definitely leaves no room for credibility. We are talking about democracy, we are talking about human rights, we have the United Nations and we have all these bodies. In light of what is happening, they basically mean nothing.”

Kidnapped Nigerian school girls forced to marry and change their religion

(Article I wrote for childrens news website Clic News)


A Nigerian terrorist group that kidnapped 212 school girls last April has said that the girls have now been married off to men.

Boko Haram is the name of the gang and they were founded in 2002. Their name means "western education is forbidden."

Their aim is to make Nigeria an all Islam country. Currently 50.8% of the population is Christian with 48.8% Islam.

They plan on achieving this through brutal violence.

Abubakas Shekav is the leader and he has said the kidnapped school girls have now converted to the Islam religion.

He said in a video: "Don't you know the school girls have converted to Islam? They have now memorised two chapters of the Koran."

The Koran is what Muslims follow like Christians and their Bible.

The Nigerian Government led by President Goodluck Jonathon have been trying to fight off the terrorist group and in October they claimed that they had a peace deal with Boko Haram.

However Abubakas Shevak has denied this and claims Boko Haram will not negotiate with the Government.

Nigeria is located in West Africa and is the most populous African country and is known for its rich culture.

Although the Muslims in Boko Haram have killed over 2,000 people this year, they do not reflect the majority of Muslims who follow Islam peacefully.

Media's role in intoxicated behaviour of young people and the perilous use of technology

When “Magaluf” appears in a headline, it’s clear that an ominous story has been written where a young person(s) is involved. 

Maybe teenagers feel indignant towards the media for branding them as a stigma. After all, wasn’t being young always associated with infamous behaviour? 

So why in 2014, are polemic media organisations fervently berating the actions of young people? Some argue that teenagers are representing themselves negatively and it's not the media being the catalyst for the grim depiction.

Many stories are being published of teenage drunken antics. But not just in writing. Newspapers are accompanying images beside explicit reports and news websites are providing video clips to support the text.

So that is the fundamental issue. Technology. Nearly every social occasion young people experience is captured on camera or recorded online. Therefore, if we become intoxicated, we are not safe from future derision or severe consequences. 

People need to stop being pretentious when they read these stories whilst they comment on how absurd these teenage actions are. I’m sure they were not all so obsequious during their youth. Fortunately for them, they could get drunk and not have to worry about technology exploiting their behaviour. 

Some young people's acts have been intolerable. This generation has to accept that their actions have a high chance of being exposed and therefore they should take extra caution.

But evolving technology and the encouragement to take alcohol and drugs are placing them at risk. In reality, being young and abroad will result in an excessive consumption of alcohol and it’s likely to be filmed. Therefore, more stories of deplorable teenage conduct will be published for years to come.

Is it justifiable for the media to further advertise these pictures and videos? It’s understandable why they publish them because it shocks their readers and inspires debate. Surprise stories are included in news values, maybe the continuous broadcasting of such incidents will diminish the astonishment factor and the number of reports of teenage disgrace will reduce.  

The link below contains a video filmed by an undercover journalist in Magaluf. Maybe the media are attempting to give teens abroad a notorious name. Or they are trying to raise awareness. It’s difficult to question a journalists agenda but what we do know is that technology is implacable and young people need to understand they are in a hazardous position of  scrutiny. 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-magaluf-nightclub-sex-shame-3957947 

Is club football more thilling than the international game?

As the German and Argentinian players strolled out into the raucous atmosphere of the Maracana to compete for the most prestigious trophy in the world; I felt that nothing could supersede such a sporting occasion. A World Cup finale is a peerless event. But aside from a tournament climax that arises every four years, international football fails to capture the excitement of the beautiful game at club level.

Contemplate football team rivalries. Reminisce Sir Alex Ferguson knocking Liverpool off their throne to make Manchester United the most successful English club in history. The contempt shared by Real Madrid and Barcelona supporters will generate unprecedented anticipation this year as Rodriguez, Bale and Ronaldo stand in the tunnel beside Messi, Neymar and the notorious Suarez as they await battle. Unfortunately, international football does not replicate this antagonism. Another England Scotland friendly clash will not get hearts racing like a derby match involving our favourite teams.

At club level, top players are surrounded by greats. It can be assured that Gareth Bale is more startled entering the Real Madrid dressing room than meeting up with his Welsh teammates in Cardiff. Watching a Portugal or Columbia match where individual stars are present can be fascinating, but witnessing a team of quality players makes for better viewing. Aside from world champions Germany, no international team beholds the excellence of a Real Madrid for example. Club level consists of greater teams and better matches.

International friendlies are often tedious affairs. Contrast that to the buzz created from premier league teams on pre-season in America. People craved to catch highlights of Manchester United’s drubbing of LA Galaxy to see how Louis Van Gaal has redefined the Red Devils. Supporters have a genuine interest in club practice matches and this attentiveness declines when an international friendly is aired on television.

Competitive international competitions like the European Championships and the World Cup are wonderful events that help make international football appealing. But club football has a variation of special tournaments that consistently entertains spectators. Watching a premier league match on a Saturday, then a Champion’s League encounter midweek followed by the next round of the FA Cup at the weekend is exhilarating

Most of us fell in love with football through the club game. Growing up and seeing the invincible Arsenal team inspired us along with Liverpool’s memorable comeback against AC Milan in the Champion’s League final. Such occasions are what created our passion. Although the international game will always generate an implacable interest and phenomenal attraction, nothing quite beats club football.