The Con Colbert Cumann was delighted to visit the Dáil on Wednesday 22nd March. A special thanks to Willie O’Dea for hosting us, and to Chris O’Sullivan and Cathal Crowe for the guided tours!

Wednesday, March 8th, was International Women's Day, and at OPC we decided to celebrate with our second women's climbing night of the year!

It was an epic night with good music, even better vibes, snacks, craic and over 40 women in attendance. We had a team of amazing women instructing throughout the evening - leading group warm-ups, coaching technique, teaching rope skills, belaying and much more. After climbing there was a group yoga session led by one of our multi-talented instructors to help everyone cool down and stretch out tired muscles. 

After an evening of trying hard on the wall we went to Scholars for a social night. This was an amazing opportunity for the OPC gals to catch up with friends new and old and completed an already fantastic evening!

Google is hosting a virtual EMEA International Women’s Day 2023 Series on March 15-16 with a live streamed series of events featuring panels and talks highlighting the accomplishments and forward momentum of women technologists and their allies, and we invite you to join us.

For this series, we will welcome the Women in Tech community across EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) to come together. You’ll be able to design your own agenda with topics relevant to your experience and interests, which may include:

• Navigating your career one door at a time
• Pros of choosing a career in the STEM field
• Importance of sponsors and mentors in your development as a professional
• …and more!

Based on your background and experience, we would love to invite you to register and to specifically tune in on the first day (March 15) where content is more focused on students and recent graduates.

To register and view the full agenda please register here.

Unfortunately, this week there will be NO Wednesday Workshop. But do not fret - we will be back at it again next week with another fun workshop!

Last week Dance UL visited Cork to take place in the Dance Intervarsities 2023, hosted by UCC at the Cork Opera House. It was a spectacular trip, with four teams of almost sixty dancers taking part: Contemporary, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Irish. All dancers performed brilliantly, and proudly represented all of UL. We have uploaded photos of the trip as well as our Showcase in the Irish World Academy across our social media sites, so make sure to check them out!!

Hi dancers: We are revising our timetable for the remainder of this semester! 

Heels classes will now be taught once again by Claire, and will take place every Tuesday from 8-9pm in Dromroe Hall. 

Conor is back teaching Commercial classes in Dromroe Hall every Wednesday evening from 8-9:30pm. 

Finally, Arianna will return to teach Contemporary classes each Thursday from 6-7:30pm in the PESS Building. 

These teachers have been working insanely hard as choreographers for the Jazz, Hip-Hop and Contemporary teams which took part in the UCC Dance Intervarsity competition last week on the 28th of February. They performed amazingly along with their teams and it's great to have them back to teach! 

And of course, we have to say a huge thank you to Cian who taught Heels and Ellie who taught Jazz during the first half of the semester!!

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge ag tosnú amárach, an 1ú de Mhárta 2023. Tá go leor imeachtaí sochraithe ag an gCumann Gaelach chun an Ghaeilge a chéiliúradh anseo in OL! Beidh Píotsa agus Plé againn mar is gnáth amárach ag a 2i.n. i Seomra na Gaeilge agus beidh seisiúin ceoil ar siúl i Hurlers ag a 8i.n. chun tús a chur leis na himeachtaí. 

I seachtain a 7, beidh Céilí sa chathair againn i gcomhpháirt le Comhluadar Luimnigh agus beidh an Cailín Ciúin ar siúil i gCMGS chomh maith le himeacht leis an Literary Soc. Ar an gCéadaoin, beidh Píotsa agus Plé eile agus imeacht leis an Craft Soc. Beidh Biongó Loco ar siúl ar an Déardaoin, agus táimid ar bís faoi sin! Ar siúl i Scholars ag a 8!

I Seachtain 8, beidh Bróinse Gaelach ar siúl i Seomra na Gaeilge, chomh maith leis na himeachtaí seachtainiúil. 

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Hey everyone! Seachtain na Gaeilge 2023 starts tomorrow March 1st and the Cumann Gaelach has so many events lined up! This week we have Pizza in Seomra na Gaeilge at 2pm Wed and a Trad Session in Hurlers at 8pm Wednesday to kickstart the events. 

In week 7, there will be a Céilí in the city with Comhluadar Luimnigh agus there will be a showing of An Cailín Ciúin as well as an event with the Literacy Society in UL. On Wednesday, there will be pizza as usual and an event with the Craft Soc. Our big event will be Bingo Loco in Scholars, Thursday the 9th at 8pm. We're so looking forward to it! 

In Week 8 we will have an Irish Brunch in Seomra na Gaeilge, as well as our two weekly events on Monday and Wednesday as usual. 

Last weekend, the UL Archery Club participated in the NSIC Nationals shoot hosted by UCC. This was a two-day event and we are very proud to announce the results of our archers!

- Andrew Coghlan ~ 2nd place Barebow Open (Silver Medalist)
- Eva West who earned their white pin
- Lorcan Stokes earned his black pin
- Eoin Timlin who was awarded his white, black, blue and red pins (recurve)

A huge congratulations to all 18 archers who participated and thank you to UCC for hosting such an amazing event. Next stop, SETU!

Hi all, I hope the second semester has started off productively- a good start is half the work!

Several events have already taken place and there are loads of activities yet to kick off this semester! Our entrepreneurial competitions are only coming up now so be sure to attend any of our weekly meetings to find out more information or results from our previous events.

We recently attended the Irish Student Consulting Inter-varsities in the Deloitte Dublin offices. Our team had a great time and really took advantage of the opportunities the day provided. A special mention goes out to Pragya Sharma for winning best speaker of the day! We hope to return next year and look to build on our successful outing! Our team (pictured) really did UL proud on the day and I wish to thank and congratulate them for their efforts.

There are a host of competitions this month, headlined by the UL Postgraduate Student Union Innovation Hustle - with some serious prize money to be won! Please check out our Sulis page for more details on these events or reach out to any committee member for further information.

Keep an eye on our Instagram page @ul_ces to stay up to date with all the events and activities we have planned.

David,

Co-President

We need YOUR help!

We have a very cool project coming up in week 9 and we would love for you, our members, to get involved!

We just need you to sign up via the link: https://forms.gle/DRq4Q7DZeWzpgfmA7 

We are looking for ALL genres to take part. Thank you! :D

Collingwood Cup Final

UCD 3-2 University of Limerick

University of Limerick’s quest to claim a maiden Collingwood Cup title came to an agonizing end as Ronan Cowhey scored a 92nd minute winner for UCD in a dramatic five-goal final at Inver Park, Larne, on Wednesday afternoon.

The first half was a very tight affair as UL took the game to their much fancied opponents. In fact, the Limerick men created the best of the chances in the opening 45 minutes with Eoin Redmond’s surging runs from midfield creating plenty of problems for the Dubliners to deal with. 

 His midfield partner Conor Butler delivered a couple of really dangerous crosses throughout the half, but unfortunately they failed to meet their intended targets.

The toll of three games in three days was clear to see as UL were forced to make an early substitution with the influential David McCarthy forced off with a muscular injury.

Leon Daly came on for his fellow Clareman and his pace helped to stretch the UCD back four. The Dublin side looked dangerous when they counterattacked but were reduced to taking speculative efforts from long range. 

 UL goalkeeper Josh Coady was forced to make a good save just after half an hour, but he had a relatively quiet half other than that. 

 Limerick came inches away from taking the lead from a 41st minute corner. Adam Foley played the ball to Joey Rushe, the Regional United man delivered a perfect cross to the area where Tom Carney thundered a header just wide. 

 That was the last action of note in the opening half with Limerick heading into the dressing room the happier of the two sides. 

 UCD the second half with real intent and looked to put UL on the back foot. Limerick held off the initial onslaught, but they was nothing they could do to stop the opening goal. 

 A loose pass in midfield was picked up and played to Ciaran Behan outside the UL area. Behan then pulled the trigger and rocketed the ball into the top corner of the UL net. 

 Time and time again this UL side has shown admirable character and determination and that was evidenced by their response to falling behind. 

From a 65th minute corner Tom Carney rose the highest and headed Limerick right back into the game, 1-1.  

However, the game wouldn’t be level for long as Behan once again produced a stunning finish to curl UCD back into the ascendency with 67 minutes on the clock, 2-1.

UL looked to change things up and the introduction of fresh legs paid dividends. Theo Joyce’s pace on the left wing combined with Daly’s on the right gave the Limerick side plenty of options going forward.

A Limerick substitute would have a huge impact on the game with his first action in the game. Cillian Duffy was brought on in the 75th minute and he delivered one of his trademark long throw-ins. Eoin Redmond flicked the ball towards the back post where Adam Foley reacted quickly to slide in an equaliser for UL and make it 2-2.

Tiredness was becoming a factor now as the match wore on with both sides creating half chances in their bid to take a decisive lead. UCD saw a good effort denied, thanks to a superb save from Coady.

Just when it seemed like extra-time would be required, UCD drove a dagger into the heart of UL. A ball was lofted into the UL penalty area and Cowhey headed home the match winner in the 92nd minute.

Time was against the Shannonsiders who threw bodies forward for a final corner. The ball made its way to Duffy who managed to get a shot off on goal, but it was saved by the UCD keeper in the final act of the game.

The wait for an historic first ever Collingwood Cup continues for UL but they can hold their heads high after a valiant effort in Belfast this week.

Collingwood Cup Semi-final

Maynooth University 0-1 University of Limerick

Adam Foley was the hero for the University of Limerick as they booked their place in the Collingwood Cup Final thanks to a 1-0 win over Maynooth.

The quick turnaround from yesterday’s quarter-final action meant this game was always going to be a war of attrition. 

The first clear cut chance of the game fell to UL after eight minutes. Newmarket Celtic man David McCarthy played the ball over the top to Conor Butler who accelerated towards the area with his shot going just over the bar. 

Just moments later UL saw strong appeals for a handball in the Maynooth area waved away by the referee. 

Maynooth were matching UL physically in the midfield battle while also looking to exploit their pace on the wings. Limerick’s centre back duo of Tom Carney and Conor Whittle were called into action on a few occasions to clear danger as Maynooth looked to cut the ball back into the box.

With sixteen minutes played Conor Butler once again found himself bearing down on the Maynooth goal his venomous strike stung the hands of the Maynooth shot stopper winning a corner. 

Maynooth responded with a real chance of their own just two minutes later, a dangerous cross from the right fell to their captain on the edge of the area. He seemed caught between two minds as to put his laces through it or to try and side foot it goalwards. The resulting shot sailed harmlessly over the bar but was a timely reminder for UL that they had a real game on their hands. 

The physical nature of the game meant counter attacks were going to offer the best chances for either side. The end to end nature of the game was clear to see in the thirty eight minute. 

From a UL corner Maynooth launched a long ball forward, Regional United’s Joey Rushe did well to get back and win possession before launching a counter attack. Rushe found Butler who kept the ball moving forward with a pass to Adam Foley, Foley linked up with McCarthy who spotted the run of Rushe. He cut the ball back to McCarthy who tried his luck from range but his effort failed to hit the target. 

The sides were deadlocked at nil all come the short whistle. ULd the second half the stronger of the two sides. David McCarthy sent a low strike towards goal within the opening minute. 

Darren Butler was the next Limerick man to try his luck he sent a volley goalward from the edge of the area after a 52nd minute corner with the ball fizzing past the upright. 

David McCarthy used his body well to win a free-kick in a dangerous position in the 54th minute. From the free he curled the ball towards the top left hand corner of the Maynooth goal only to be denied by a fine finger tip save.

Maynooth were under the cosh and UL sensed a goal was coming and it duly arrived in the sixty eighth minute. 

From a free kick deep in their own half UL ‘keeper Joshua Coady launched the ball forward where it was flicked on by Eoin Redmond. His header was in turn headed into the area by McCarthy. 

Adam Foley had anticipated this and slipped in behind his marker as the Maynooth goalkeeper rushed out. The Aisling Annacotty striker produced a deft chip to take the ball over the head of his opponent before it nestled into the back of the net sparking celebrations in the UL technical area. 

The Shannonsiders then faced an onslaught as Maynooth went in search of an equaliser. Tom Carney produced several bone crunching tackles to cut out any danger while Conor Whittle once again demonstrated his aerial prowess to snuff out Maynooth’s forays into the UL area.

Both sides were forced to make changes as the minutes ticked by due to the physical nature of the game and the toll yesterday’s action had taken on their legs. Ewan O’Brien of Regional United deputised well for Conor Butler never shying out of tackles.

As Maynooth pushed bodies forward chances were opening up for UL, Bridge United’s Leon Daly was creating plenty of headaches for the Kildare side as he looked to find a second on the counter. On more than one occasion he found himself in a foot race with the Maynooth ‘keeper who averted the danger. 

Avenue United’s Cullen McCabe did well to head off some dangerous advances down the left wing while Tom Kidd must have covered nearly every blade of grass as he once again played an integral role in both defence and attack. 

The Treaty men had to endure a lengthy period of stoppage time due to several substitutions and head injuries. Maynooth piled the pressure on but substitutes Ciaran Jennings and Dean Hegarty did their part to alleviate the pressure. 

The commitment and determination of this Limerick side was exemplified by Eoin Redmond who ran his socks off all day and was only forced off after suffering a nasal injury that left his nose bleeding in the final minutes. 

Emotions boiled over at the final whistle but both sides shook hands in the end after a game that typified college football.

UL will face UCD in the Collingwood Cup final tomorrow at Inver Park, Larne. The game will kick off at 16:00 and will be available to stream for free on YouTube. 

Collingwood Cup Quarter-final

University of Limerick 2-1 DCU 

University of Limerick secured a Collingwood Cup semi-final berth thanks to a 2-1 win over 10 man DCU at the University of Ulster Jordanstown Sports Campus this morning.

Goals in either half from Adam Foley and David McCarthy proved to be enough however the men from the Treaty County did endure a nervous end to the game after Owen Benson pulled one back for the Dubliners. 

UL got off to a strong start and came close to taking the lead inside the opening two minutes when DCU failed to deal with a Joey Rushe free kick however Tom Carney saw his effort cleared off the goal line. 

Fast linkup play in the midfield was creating a world of problems for DCU and when David McCarthy slipped a smart pass out to the left wing to Conor Butler a goal looked likely. Unfortunately for UL’s top scorer this season his well struck effort beat both the keeper and the crossbar with seven minutes played.

DCU were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Limerick deservedly took the lead after fourteen minutes. From a throw-in Rushe found Foley who held up play before slipping the ball to Rushe who had made a run up the wing. The Regional United man evaded several markers as he reached the area where he delivered the ball to Foley.

The Aisling Annacotty man unleashed a first time strike that was blocked by a DCU defender. The ball came straight back to him, reacting quickly he dummied a shot with his right and switched the ball to his left delivering a pinpoint accurate shot into the bottom corner of the DCU net.

Following that the match became scrappy as the Dubliners pushed for an equaliser. UL looked dangerous from set pieces but failed to hit the target on any occasion. 

A gilt edged chance would arrive after thirty-eight minutes. UL goalkeeper Joshua Coady showed quick thinking to spring a UL counter attack; his kick bypassed the DCU midfield to find Eoin Redmond on the right wing. The Corkman showed his athleticism to race clear of his marker and as he looked up he saw both Foley and McCarthy arriving on the edge of the area in support. He delivered a perfect cross but Foley’s shot squirmed just wide. 

Just a minute later Redmond found himself one on one with the keeper after Conor Butler’s intelligent flick caught the DCU defence off guard. The shot-stopper spread himself well to keep the deficit to just one at the short whistle. 

DCUd the second half with real impetus as they looked to restore parity, the UL centre back pairing of Carney and Conor Whittle saw off their early advances with relative ease aided and abetted by defensive midfielder Darren Butler. 

As they pushed for a leveller, gaps were appearing on the break for Limerick. Redmond’s lung busting runs were creating headaches and one such run would have a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

As he raced on to a ball over the top the DCU goalkeeper charged forward when Redmond shot he spread himself handling the ball outside the area denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. The referee was left with no option but to show him a straight red card.  

DCU were forced to take off a midfielder in order to bring on their second choice keeper, opening the door for UL to further increase their advantage in the engine room. Tom Kidd played an integral role in both defence and attack. The Galway man helped to stop DCU forays into the Limerick half while his smart flicks and short passes kept UL attacks flowing. 

Despite their numerical advantage UL sensed a one goal lead would not be enough as to their credit DCU continued to hunt for an equaliser with determination. 

The introduction of Bridge United’s Leon Daly paid dividends. The mercurial winger raced up the right wing leaving his marker in his wake. He cut inside, firing a low cross to the back post where McCarthy slid in UL’s second goal with seventy six minutes on the clock. The goal was the perfect gift for the Newmarket Celtic man who celebrates his birthday today. 

UL’s celebrations were short lived as just three minutes later DCU found the back of the net. A strong run up the right flank and a cross to the back post unlocked the Limerick defence. 

It was all hands to the pump for Limerick now as DCU desperately looked to take the game to penalties. Cullen McCabe cut out several advances launched on the left wing while Carney was immense, producing several crucial tackles.

It was route one football from DCU and the aerial prowess of Whittle proved invaluable for Limerick. Darren Butler marshaled the troops while also setting substitutes Ciaran Jennings and Ewan O’Brien away to ease the pressure. 

In the end UL were able to deal with the chances DCU managed to muster in the final minutes of the game and celebrated a deserved win at the final whistle. 

The Shannonsiders will now face Maynooth University in the Collingwood Cup semi-finals tomorrow afternoon at 14:30. The Kildare side ran out 3-1 winners over Queen's University Belfast this morning.

The University of Limerick Men's Soccer team depart Limerick on Sunday ahead of the 2023 Collingwood Cup hosted by Ulster University.

The squad will face DCU in the quarter-finals on Monday morning at 11:00 hoping to book a semi-final spot against either Queens University Belfast or Maynooth University.

Today members of the Collingwood Cup squad and management staff along with Neasa Fahy O'Donnell of UL Sport were presented with new quarter-zip tops kindly sponsored by the Castletroy Park Hotel. 

Hi all,

You are invited to attend an Information and Q&A Session on the various Graduate Programmes available within J&J.

You will have the opportunity to speak with J&J Talent Acquisition and current participants of the J&J Graduate Programmes.

Agenda

Questions can be put to our speakers anonymously via the chat function. The session will be recorded for anybody not able to attend.

Kind regards,

The JJV WiSTEM2D University Committee

Our beginner and improver lessons are back up and running once again !!! Our first lessons for the semester will be taking place next Wednesday the 8th of February. First set of lessons kicking off at 7:30 and second round at 8:30. Looking forward to seeing you there !! 

Fundraising quiz night will be taking place on the 21st of February in the Pavilion. Great prizes to be won !!! So make sure to be there around 7:30pm. Following the quiz night we will be having a social night in the city. Looking forward to seeing you all ?

Join us for our meet and greet at the Clubs and Societies Fair today at 4pm in UL Courtyard ! Bring a friend and come by to say hello.

We will be providing information on what to expect from the society in the upcoming weeks!

We will be at our stall in courtyard from 4-6pm so keep and eye out!

The university is no stranger to silverware and records at a national level, with it being no different on Saturday the 21st of January, stepping up on the podium sixteen times and claiming silver in the women's, men’s, and overall team events.

A special mention to Darragh Miniter, who took gold in the shot put, raising his club record to 13.49m. Our gold medallists also include Jenny sawyer in the 200m, Miriam Daly in the 400M, Brendan Lynch in the triple jump, and Conor Cusack in the weight for distance.

Our silver medallists include Louise King in the combined events, Mark Hanrahan in the 3000m and the men's 4x200m quartet of Jack Hickey, Joe Miniter, Louis O’Connell, and Eoin Kenny.

Rounding out the podium positions, we had Laura Nally in the 60m, Grainne Dart O'Flynn in the 1500m walk, Laura Frawley in the Long Jump, and Blaithin Ni Chiarain in the combined events. In the men's, Joe Miniter took bronze in both the long jump and triple jump, Aaron Malik took bronze in the pole vault and Brendan Lynch in the combined events.

Our men’s captain Jack Hickey took fifth place in the 200m against some stellar competition, but not to be outdone, our women’s captain Miriam Daily took a stunning victory in the  400m. Being the class of the field on the day, winning by nearly four-tenths of a second. 

Just over a month since first-year Mark Hanrahan took his first European medal, Mark made it known he wanted to maintain this form by entering the 3000m. After a relatively slow opening kilometre, the pace was gradually turned down. However, Mark's prowess over cross country clearly transferred over to the sharp bends and short straights in the National indoor arena, with Mark able to take silver. Oisin Spillane closely followed Mark in fifth; Oisin also took part in the 1500m, coming fourth in a closely fought battle, with 3 seconds separating first from fifth.

Louise King has represented the university three times in combined events and has won a medal each time. The combined events include the 60m hurdles, Long jump, high jump, shot put, and a middle-distance event depending on gender. The university has had great success in recent years in combined events, also called the pentathlon.

Morale was high on the trip home from Dublin, with the club's attention now focused on hosting IUAA intervarsity cross country on march 4th. The university previously hosted the world university cross-country championships in 1994, and Limerick hosted the world cross-country championships in 1979 when John Tracy took his historic victory. The club is doing everything possible to make this an enjoyable event, so please be sure to come down.

UL’s participation in the Harding Cup ended at the semi-final stage as they fell to a 0-2 defeat at the hands of UCC this morning.

The men from the Treaty County earned a place in the Harding Cup semi-finals thanks to a 6-0 win over Ulster University on Monday. The goals came from Leon Daly, Raid Mouras, Fionn O’Leary, Alex Sidorov, Eoghan Burke and Dylan Moriarty.

Injuries played their part in the loss but this group can be very proud of their first showing at an intervarsity tournament.The future of soccer in UL is in safe hands.

Some of the Harding Cup squad will be involved in the Collingwood Cup which takes place from February 13th to 15th.

This is a two-day, virtual insight experience and mentoring scheme, for students who are due to graduate in 2025. This is a program for students pursuing computer science (or related) degrees, and who are interested in software or systems development internship opportunities in the Republic of Ireland. The event is primarily for women interested in a career in technology, but is open to all.

This two-day virtual event and subsequent mentoring program aims to develop student employability and software/ systems engineering skills. Student will have opportunities to meet Amazonians, expand their professional network and gain insight into what Software and Systems Development Engineers do on a day-to-day-basis. Students will also have the chance to take part in coding exercises and other technical workshops, gain interview and CV writing skills and watch panel discussion on careers available at Amazon. After the two-day event, participants will be invited to take part in a virtual mentoring program, where students will be given guidance on how to best prepare for applying to our software or systems development engineering internship at Amazon, putting the skills learned during the event into practice. READY TO APPLY? Click on the "Apply Now" button at the top to submit your application for the event by sharing your CV and completing our screening questions. Please note, registering for this event does not guarantee your spot, we will review your CV and get back to you by end of March 2023 to confirm if you have secured a space.

https://amazondiscoverspringtechire23.splashthat.com/UCSF

The Ei Electronics Women in Engineering Scholarship will award €2,500 per annum for 3 years to an outstanding University of Limerick female student who is studying one of the following eligible of STEM courses:

• LM063 BSc in Technology Management
• LM076 BSc in Product Design & Technology
• LM118 BE Electronic and Computer Eng.
• LM121 Computer Science
• LM124 Mathematics Common Entry
• LM125 Physics Common Entry
• LM116  Bachelor of Engineering*
• LM121 BSc in Cyber Security and IT Forensics
• LM124/LM125 BSc in Mathematics and Physics

* Continuing to

• BE Mechanical Engineering or
• BE Design & Manufacture Engineering

Students must have a QCA ?2.9 in their first semester of 1st year to be eligible to apply. The successful recipient must maintain a QCA ? 2.9 for receipt of the scholarship for the remainder of their studies.

Students will be invited to apply during Spring Semester in their 1st year and a selection of applicants will be invited to a semi-structured interview.

Recipients of the scholarship will complete their Cooperative Education with Ei Electronics and be eligible for Graduate Placement at Ei Electronics Corporate Headquarters in Shannon, Co. Clare.

Deadline for Applications: Friday February 17th 2023

https://www.eielectronics.com/ul-scholarship/

We've created a members-only WhatsApp group to keep everyone up to date about events and upcoming socials. 

This group chat can also be used to ask any questions you have regarding UL Windsports.

Please note that this  WhatsApp is only for our members, and you will be removed if you are not an active member of UL Windsports. 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/IkBwR4sCZhJ79qsGOeff4Q

ULKC At The World Championships

UL Kayak Club has seen some phenomenal paddlers come and go over the years, people who have gained countless qualifications in multiple areas, both on and off the water, who consistently give up their time to volunteer and help the next generations of ULKC.

The quality of paddlers has now been stepped up, by two of our female paddlers, Jill Pitcher Farrell and Éidin Dowling, both of whom represented Ireland on the world stage in the disciplines of Surf and Freestyle kayaking respectively. 

Surf Kayaking & Team Ireland

Last year, I had the honour of representing team Ireland at the World Championships of Surf Kayaking in Bude, England, my first international surf kayaking competition. You’re probably wondering at this stage what surf kayaking is as it is a niche discipline of the already niche sport of kayaking.

Surf kayaking takes place on the sea and it works very similarly to regular surfing except you are seated, have a paddle and are enclosed in your boat. You are scored based on the wave you catch, how well you surf, how long you surf it for and what manoeuvres you do. At the World Championships there are two different boats that are used; long and short, there are also a number of different classes such as women’s, juniors, masters and open. I competed in both the long and short boat women’s class. However, the highlight for me was the team event, this involves up to 16 different athletes from each country competing on behalf of their team. I competed in the long boat category for this. I was delighted to come in first place in the first round and secure points which qualified us for the final. Team Ireland then came in 3rd place overall which was a fantastic result.

At the event we had lot of inspiring athletes on Team Ireland, many who made it to finals of their classes. Most notably was Brigette Egan who is now the World Champion in the Masters Women’s Long Boat and came in second place in the Masters Women’s Short Boat. Brigette was a UL student on Erasmus 1995/1996 and a member of ULKC. Although she had previously paddled rivers she had never Kayak Surfed before. She surfed her first wave on the freshers trip to Lahinch which is still a staple in the ULKC calendar. She then went on to compete in numerous competitions such as the Munster and Irish Open and was on the Irish World Championships Teams in 2003 and 2005 where she and the team won a number of medals.

Brigette and all of the Irish Team are hugely inspiring and I’m really excited to begin my Surf Kayaking journey. We are just beginning the Irish competition season for this year and the next world Championships take place in Argentina in 2024. I’m hoping I can convince a few more ULKC members to join me in training for and competing at these events!

Jill Pitcher Farrell

Freestyle In Nottingham

In June of 2022 I represented Ireland at the International Canoe Federation World Freestyle Kayak Championship in 2 disc categories- women’s senior squirt boating and women’s senior k1.

Trials began in February with a very competitive competition in Tuam county Galway travelling from all over Ireland for their shot at making the team. The top 5 in each category over the course of this trial and a later one in Nottingham would make the team. Surprisingly I managed to place 4th at the first trial in Tuam, completely unexpected to myself and secured a spot after the Nottingham trial at the end of March!

Training was intense. Prior to the competition I went to Nottingham training for a total of 4 weeks on the feature that would later host the world championships. It was a really tough feature, much harder than any that I had trained on in Ireland but with a lot of determination I managed to figure it out somewhat.

All of the Irish team were expected in Nottingham 2 weeks before the competition to endure some rigorous team training. Together with some amazing team mates we had a session together everyday on the feature, practicing and supporting each other! The craziest part was seeing all the high profile athletes flying in from all over the world and paddling beside them. Thinking back I still can’t believe I was sitting in an eddy with Dane and Eric Jackson, probably the two biggest names in freestyle kayaking in the world! The actual competition was a blur. My first competition was squirt boating preliminary rounds. After preliminaries I placed 8th and made it through to the semi finals! In the semi finals I managed to retain my 8th place against some tough competition. For the K1 competition we each had 3 x 45 second rides to complete as many tricks using the feature as possible. Given how short the times is, it absolutely flies once you’re there! I finished k1 in 32nd place behind past ULKC member Aisling McCarthy who placed 22nd!

Worlds was a phenomenal experience and one that I could have only dreamt of when Id kayaking in the UL Kayak club 3 years before as a fresher! It showed me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, even competing against some of the best kayakers in the world! Having such a supportive team made it all the better. Definitely an experience to remember!

Eidin Dowling

Welcome back to ULCES for Semester 2! We hope you had a lovely and restful Christmas break and are ready to get back to work for the Spring Semester.

We have loads of exciting things planned for you this semester, including a Sustainability competition and various opportunities to unleash your inner entrepreneur with up to €30,000 in prizes!

Last Wednesday we had a lovely welcome back evening with pizza and a few new faces which is great to see, as well as a talk from Niamh McLoughlin from Scale Ireland telling us about the exciting opportunity for a free membership for students to encourage the next generation of tech entrepreneurs to learn from the best and brightest in the unique and dynamic Scale Ireland community. 

Keep an eye on our Instagram page @ul_ces to stay up to date with all the events and activities we have planned.

Emma,

Head of Communications.

ARCHERY IS BACK

We are delighted to welcome everyone back for another semester of shooting ? our schedule is the same as always, but here is a quick reminder:

Advanced (invite-only): Mondays 20:00 - 22:00 

Beginners (all welcome): Wednesday 19:00 - 22:00 

No experience required and we offer a free 6-week beginners course. All equipment is provided and fun is mandatory? we have a bunch of competitions coming up soon so make sure to keep an eye on our Instagram @ularchery 

You'll see us on Tuesday 16:00 - 18:00 at the C&S fair too! We are looking forward to seeing all of our members, old and new.

Collingwood Cup Preliminary round

Trinity College Dublin 1-2 University of Limerick

UL can begin preparations for the 2023 Collingwood Cup after seeing off Trinity College in a hard fought preliminary round clash in College Park this afternoon.

The Dubliners had come out on top when the sides met at this stage last year and in the CUFL Premier Division South last November. UL were eager to make amends andd the game on the front foot. Eoin Redmond and David McCarthy both saw shots go just wide within the opening five minutes.

It looked as if the deadlock would be broken after nine minutes when a long ball forward saw Adam Foley race through on goal, the Trinity shot stopper Lee Steacy was forced to rush out but his clearance was far from perfect allowing UL to win a corner that was dealt with by the home side.

It felt very much a case of when not if UL would take the lead and they did so in some style. Goalkeeper Josh Coady found his target in midfield, a quick ball into space on the right wing saw Cullen McCabe produce a lung busting run to the end line. The Clareman delivered a perfect cross to the edge of the area where Conor Butler composed himself before hitting a first time volley low into the bottom corner of the Trinity net, leaving Steacy rooted to the spot with 20 minutes played.

Just five minutes later Steacy was called into action, a freekick from Conor Whittle found Redmond in the area, he played the ball back into the danger zone allowing McCarthy to pull the trigger however his effort was smothered by the keeper.

The home side were struggling to get a foothold in the game and were reduced to speculative efforts from range. The men from the Treaty county continued to push forward and would increase their advantage in the 37th minute.

Adam Foley produced a fine run on the left wing taking on his marker before reaching the by-line, the Limerickman looked up and slipped the ball to McCarthy who made no mistake to tap home from close range.

The second half saw the home side switch things and personnel up as they looked to match UL’s intensity. It was a much closer affair but the Shannonsiders were up for the challenge, the battleground of midfield saw no punches pulled as Darren Butler, Redmond, Conor Butler and Tom Kidd did well to disrupt Trinity attacks while continuing to supply balls to their teammates going forward.

Set pieces were crucial for both sides with Trinity looking to exploit their height advantage, on two occasions they came close to reducing the deficit however McCabe and Conor Butler produced goal line clearances to keep UL ahead. UL captain Tom Carney came closest to scoring in the second half, from a freekick he sent a header goalward only to see the ball crash off the crossbar.

Trinity would not go down without a fight and to their credit they fought until the end finding the back of the net from a long throw-in in the 92nd minute. It was however too little too late.

UL will face DCU in the quarter-finals of the Collingwood Cup on Monday February 13th in Belfast in what will be the first traditional Collingwood since 2020. 

Hey all!

we are starting the semester right with a Social night!

It will be on 7;30PM this Thursday night in scholars 

see ye there!

Paul 

Sign up for UL Soccer 4-6pm Monday Jan 30th at Student Life marquee. All new members welcome. All level of player accepted. 

Happy New Year, and welcome back to UL everyone!

Games Society are excited to announce that applications for attending this year's foreign trip are open!!!

We are heading to Insomnia Gaming Festival 70 at NEC Birmingham on the weekend of April 7, 2023.
There attendees will experience one of the UK's biggest gaming conventions, where they can truly immerse themselves in gaming culture, with new games, popular figures and exciting activities throughout!

The fee forr attending this trip is €125, with a €50 deposit as part of the application process.

To apply as an attendee for this event, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You must be 18+ years old.
2. You must have been a member of the society for at least 12 weeks.

If you meet these requirements, apply for your place using the form link below. To be more seriously considered as an applicant, paying the initial deposit as soon as possible is desired.

https://forms.gle/5CsguEEvyYm5dmvR8

The deadline for applications is February 2, with further details on the selection process in the coming days.

We look forward to seeing everyone back in Week 1, and if you've any questions about the foreign trip please get in touch!

Training resumes on Monday the 23rd of Jan. Time to to be confirmed.

Looking forward to a fun filled semester with you all, with the opportunity to break in our brand new ring. 

Welcome back! 

We’re very excited for semester 2’s activities and hope you are too. We have lots in store such as Law Ball, the annual charity soccer match, Intervarsity Law Summit 2023, pizza parties, moots, exam breakfasts, FE-1 and Bar information sessions, co-op and Erasmus talks, conferences, and much more! Keep an eye on your emails and our Instagram for updates on these events. 

Carrie: the Musical coming to the Belltable Theatre Limerick this April 6th-8th! 

Get your tickers for Carrie now - link in bio!

We will be bringing our online blog back to life this semester. We will give prompts and questions and you can submit your piece with a byline or anonymously, we will have a link where you can send it or you can always email if you prefer. We are so excited to have this extra space where people can share their opinions and experiences judgement free. It will also be a great place to learn. We hope people enjoy this new feature and engage as much as they can. If you have any questions you can email us or message us on Instagram.

Our members thoughts and opinions are incredibly important to us and we always appreciate any feedback sent out way. 

We have created a survey to collect feedback on the Law Society’s performance in Semester 1 and suggestions for Semester 2. The survey will only take 2 minutes to complete and is fully anonymous. 

Here is the link to the survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HZHWFBY

Last December, the UL Archery Club embarked on their very first International Trip! We wrapped up warm, bow and arrow in hand, and flew to Berlin on Thursday, December 15th. Luckily, we had a fellow German on the team to help us figure out the train system and we arrived at the open training session for 10:30 am. We grabbed our jerseys and entered the shooting arena bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The atmosphere was buzzing and we were surrounded by the world's top archers.

Qualifications began at 17:00 and we shot on tri-spots (a new challenge for our barebows!). Even though we were full of nerves and excitement, it didn't deter us at all. Everyone performed to the best of their ability and did amazing. We replenished ourselves with currywurst that evening and headed to bed, resting up for the next day of shooting.

On Saturday, qualifications took place for the next round of archers. We got there early and shot alongside them. This was a great opportunity to watch and learn, as well as befriend archers from team GB and Germany. During breaks, they coached us and suggested new methods. It gave us the motivation we needed for the second-chance session that we were all doing Sunday.

Sunday was the last session where we competed against one another. The target was arranged like a flower, making it very difficult to hit. Sadly, none of us qualified for the semi-finals. We watched the qualifying athletes, eager to learn how it is done. The finals were set up like a vegas show, with flashing lights and loud music. Our team barely left our seats out of fear of missing anything. After the award ceremony, we got out our wolves flag and took out the final group photo together, before heading off to dinner with other Irish archers.

Our team slept on every train, plane, and bus on Monday. We all got home safely, tired and eager to get back to training next month to pass on our new skills to our advanced archers.

We are hoping to attend the 2023 Berlin Open next year with even more budding archers. We are so excited to finally be a part of something bigger. See you next year, Berlin!