Radius
The University Times Eoin Connolly interdives into the highs and views former TCDSU lows of Budget 2025 president and current senator Lynn Ruane In Conversation With
Paula Meehan: The legendary poet discusses her friendship with Eavan Boland.
A Booker Prize Literary Tour; Where in Dublin to read the shortlist for the 2024 Booker Prize by Chloe Feldman Clara Potts sits down with the organisers of Dublin Independent Fashion Week to discuss their vision for this year’s events.
Berkeley’s Legacy
Following the renaming of the library, UT reexamines the controversial figure.
Volume XV, Issue II
Radius
Eliora Abramson discusses art and creativity at partition with Professor Eve Patten, Trinity’s lead for Ireland’s Border Culture project. Issy Walsh advises readers where to find Dublin’s best pint.
Saskia McDonogh-Mooney argues for the importance of art installations on campus.
universitytimes.ie
Tuesday 29 October 2024
Berkeley Library Renamed as Eavan Boland Library Isabella Roussel, Molly Wetsch
F
NEWS EDITOR AND DEPUTY EDITOR
ollowing a University Board meeting, the former Berkeley library, also referred to as the X Library and “the library complex”, has been renamed as the Eavan Boland library on October 9th. The decision comes following the nominations of 850 name submissions by the public. Of the hundreds of names submitted, 50 individuals recommended the library be named as the Eavan Boland Library. Boland was an Irish poet and alumna of Trinity College Dublin, famous for her writing on feminism and motherhood as well as Irish mythology and politics – she was the daughter of a diplomat, Frederick Boland, and a painter, Frances Kelly. She published eleven poetry collections during her life, including In a Time of Violence, which was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize, and The Historians, which was published after her death in 2020. Boland was one of the first preeminent Irish female poets, writing about life as an Irish woman and mother with a strong critical streak
In Conversation With
her legacy,” one Trinity Alumni said. The library was denamed on April 26th 2023, following a University board-wide vote. This renunciation was because of George Berkeley’s purchase of four enslaved people, who he baptised as Philip, Anthony, Edward and Agnes Berkeley to work on his Rhode Island estate from 1730-31. Philosopher Berkeley is recorded as advocating for enslavement in at least one sermon. The renaming of the library is the latest in a series of attempts at reparations for Trinity’s
of Irish history’s masculine lens. “Few writers had done more to insert the female experience into the modern Irish poetic tradition,” journalist Fintan O’Toole said of Boland. Boland was a tenured Professor of English at Stanford University for over 20 years and had previously taught at Trinity as a junior lecturer. She also served as a Writer Fellow in the School of English’s Arts Council Residency. In 2004, Boland received an honorary degree from Trinity to mark 100 years since women were first allowed into the college. “[Eavan Boland] was an irreplaceable figure in contemporary poetry; our future is lit by
Ainm Eavan Boland Bronnta ar Iar-Leabharlann Berkeley
DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
AISTRÍTHE AG SEATHRÚN SARDINIA
I
Students with Disabilities Speak Out on Inadequate Accommodations Nicole Saluck
Isabella Roussel, Molly Wetsch ndiaidh cruinniú de Bord na hOllscoile, d’athríodh ainm na hiar-Leabharlainne Berkeley, ar a dtugtaí an t-ainm “an Leabharlann X” nó “an coimpléasc leabharlainne” uirthi tráth, go Leabharlann Eavan Boland. Tagann an cinneadh seo i ndiaidh níos mó ná 850 moltaí ainm ón bpobal i gcoitinne. As na céadta aighneachtaí ar cuireadh isteach iad, mhol 50 ceann acu ainm Leabharlann Eavan Boland a bhronnadh air. File Éireannach agus alumna de chuid Coláiste na Tríonóide ab ea Boland, bean a raibh clú agus cáil uirthi de bharr a cuid scríbhneoireachta ar feimineachas, ar máithreachas, ar miotaseolaíocht na hÉirinn, agus ar an bpolaitíocht. Iníon taidhleora, Frederick Boland, agus péintéir, Frances Kelly a bhí inti. D’fhoilsigh sí aon bhailiúchán filíochta déag le linn a saol, ina n-airítear In a Time of Violence, a bhí curtha ar ghearrliosta dhuais TS Eliot, agus The Historians, a foilsíodh tar éis a bás sa bhliain 2020. Bhí sí ar duine de na céad bhanfhilí mór le rá in Éirinn. Scríobh sí ar a saol mar bhean Éireannach agus mar mháthair le tréith láidir criticiúil ann ar an radharc fearúil atá
ar stair na hÉireann. “Is annamh an scríbhneoirí a bhfuil tuilleadh déanta acu ná atá déanta aici chun eispéireas na mban a chur isteach i dtraidisiúin poiblí na hÉirinn”, a dúirt an t-iriseoir Fintan O’Toole agus é ag caint ar Boland. Bhí sin ina hOllamh Béarla le tionacht ag Ollscoil Stanford le níos mó ná 20 bliana, agus caith sí seal ag an Tríonóid mar léachtóir sóisearach roimhe sin chomh maith. Thairis sin, d’oibrigh sí mar Chomhalta Scríbhneoireachta i scéim Cónaitheachta na Comhairle Ealaíne de chuid an Scoil Bhéarla. Sa bhliain 2004, fuair Boland céim onórach ón Tríonóide chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar 100 bliain ó ceadaíodh do mhná freastal ar an gcoláiste. “Duine thar a bheith tábhachtach i bhfilíocht ár linne a bhí inti; sí a hoidhreacht ár solas bealaigh” a dúirt alumni amháin de chuid na Tríonóide. Rinneach ainm Berkeley a bhaint ón leabharlann ar 26 Aibreán 2023 tar éis vóta de chuid Bord na hOllscoile. Toisc gur cheannaigh George Berkeley ceathrar sclábhaí, a bhaist sé mar Philip, Anthony, Edward agus Agnes Berkeley, chun obair
Isabella Roussel Ezzeldeen Alswerky, a Palestinian researcher hired by Trinity, finally gets his Irish visa approved.
Eve McGann Ireland’s vibrant restaurant scene is threatened by high utilities, rent, wages and VAT increases.
Editor: Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce Volume XV, Issue II ISSN: Phone: (01) 646 8431 Email: editor@universitytimes.ie Website: universitytimes.ie
This newspaper is produced with the financial support of Trinity College Students’ Union, but maintains a mutually agreed policy of editorial independence.
ar a eastát i Rhode Island idir 1730 agus 1731. I bhfianaise taifeadtaí stairiúla, mhol sé sclábhaíocht in ar a laghad seanmóir amháin. Is gníomh amháin é an leabharlann a dhí-ainmniú atá mar chuid de iarracht na Tríonóide gcúiteamh ar an rannpháirt a bhí ag an Tríonóid i coilíneachas, i measc fadhbanna eile. I measc gníomhartha cúitimh eile atá filleadh cráiniamaí go Inis Bó Finne i nGaillimh a bhí goidte le linn na 19ú haois. Sa bhliain 2022, bhunaigh Linda Doyle an Trinity Legacies Review Working Group chun dul i ngleic le stair na Tríonóide agus chun í a cheartú, go háirithe i bhfianaise a rinne an coláiste le linn na tréimhse coilíneachta. Ar a suíomh atá áit inar féidir le daoine ceisteanna a ardú faoi thaisí daonna nó smaointe a roinnt maidir le hath-ainmnú na leabharlainne. “Chuireamar an Trinity Legacies Review Working Group le chéile, agus chaitheamar seal ag smaoineamh ar cén próiseas go díreach ar ceart a chur isteach chun meas cuí a léiriú ar cheisteanna den sórt seo” a deir an Propast i bhfíseán ar a suíomh idirlín.
Mercedes Hamilton: Professors share diverse approaches to AI as students await college policy.
To contact UT, email: The Editor editor@universitytimes.ie
participation in colonialism and other legacy issues. It has included initiatives such as the return of stolen crania to Inishbofin in Galway taken in the 19th century. In 2022, the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group was founded by Linda Doyle in an effort to address and rectify Trinity’s history, particularly their actions during the colonial period. Their website includes a section where people may submit concerns relating to Trinity’s acquisition and position of certain human remains, or ideas pertaining to the renaming of the library. “We’ve put together the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group and spent time thinking about what would be the exact right kind of process to have that would give these kinds of questions the proper respect they were due, that would allow different voices to be heard” the Provost claims in a video on her website. Additional reporting contributed by Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce.
S
everal students with lived experience of disability have spoken to The University Times and have relayed that, despite its ranking, Trinity is not as accommodating as it seems Trinity is ranked the best college in Ireland for disability services. According to the 20232024 Trinity Disability Service’s annual report, “11.6 % of the total student population is registered with the disability service on campus”. Students with disabilities particularly focused on their experiences in receiving accommodations that meet their needs. On their website, the Disability Service states that students must provide sufficient proof of disability to be considered for an accommodation offer. However, even when sufficient information is provided, room allocation is not guaranteed because of insufficient room availability. For example, there are seven fully wheelchair-accessible rooms in Trinity Halls and 36 on campus, which the website shares has “varying degrees of accessibility”. This makes entry into essential housing competitive and adds another stress on students. A now on-campus resident shares their difficulty receiving accommodation, “It took me three months, a doctor’s note, and a development of new severe symptoms to be considered for accommodation. Trinity prides themselves on supporting students, but in my experiences, it has felt like an uphill battle every time I need help. Trinity should be working with students, not against them.” Students with physical disabilities have experienced several difficulties with Trinity’s accessibility. Ciara O’Brien, the Liaison officer of Ability Coop (a group of students with disabilities working towards inclusion in Trinity) shares that “the lifts break down in a shocking amount of time.” For instance, Chioma lloduba, a second-year student who has lived experience of physical and non-physical disabilities, faced several difficulties with accessibility on campus in her first year at Trinity. “The lift in the 24 hour library gets turned off outside of “working hours”, broken automatic accessible doors, locked disabled bathrooms, emergency red cords in disabled bathrooms being tied up or cut com-
pletely, lack of advertising of accessibility measures at events,” Iloduba said. “I never got a Personal Evacuation Plan to prepare for the possibility of an evacuation in my wheelchair,” Iloduba said. She expressed the frustration that “the meeting to discuss this constantly got pushed back and cancelled”. After reflecting on her experience as a student at Trinity she shared that “this year I have been made to feel like I don’t deserve a seat at the table at Trinity because of my disability, but from now on, I’ll pull up my own: my wheelchair”. Accessibility concerns extend to the classroom environment. A second-year student studying Political Science raises concerns about Trinity’s lecture halls noting that “some lectures are conducted in lecture halls where there aren’t enough seats for the number of students,” which she says “forces students to either sit on the floor or tables in the back which is harmful to disabled students’ learning”. Similarly, a second-year PPES student shares the challenges he faced during exams. The student, who is registered with Disability Services due to a chronic illness, was advised by the exam invigilators that he could reschedule the exam within the same week. However, later he discovered that rescheduling was not an option and was forced to go off books. He emphasises that “Trinity’s Disability Services have been helpful in registering my needs; however, the follow-through with exam accommodations and alternative solutions was unclear”, adding that “the policies around rescheduling exams or handling medical emergencies during exams are extremely rigid, leaving little room for flexibility when immediate health concerns arise.” Similarly, lloduba also faced struggles receiving class accommodations for her disability sharing that professors “refused to provide specific accommodations (namely, lecture slides – which would accommodate my auditory processing disorder), and did not provide alternative solutions or compromises.” Ian Jackson, another student, shares that “SF [senior fresher] Biomed students could have between five and seven lectures in a row on a Friday depending on their choices,” which he notes as “profoundly unfair on students with disabilities who find it difficult to sustain attention
over long periods”. When he reached out to the course office to address the issue he said that he found them “incredibly unresponsive,” and said he felt their response was essentially, “that sucks for you but nothing can be done.” After asking if specific courses could be recorded for attention purposes he states “the course office shut us down.” Both lloduba and Jackson described how Trinity has dismissed students’ requests for accommodations. Rather than supporting students, Jackson describes the accommodations from college as an “attempt to vaguely patch up a system with innate faults through a couple of gimmicky assistive technologies.” Despite the issues that students have faced with Trinity’s provision of accommodations, students also shared positive examples of Trinity’s treatment towards students with disabilities. O’Brien expresses that Trinity has added a new service for students with disabilities which includes a social worker in the disability service, which is intended to help students complete tasks such as doing taxes or trying to deal with revenue. Additionally, she mentions that Trinity has a new program with Trinity Sport “focusing on mind and wellness, making sport very accessible to disabled students”. Iloduba appreciates Trinity’s disability service stating, “They advocated for me, supported and encouraged me, and provided me with the tools and coping mechanisms I needed to push through the barriers I faced”. Students have suggested possible recommendations for Trinity to improve its services for disabled students. Iloduba recommends making Trinity more accessible for wheelchair users. “Trinity should consider increasing the number of fully wheelchair-accessible rooms available on campus to ensure that all students have a place to live that meets their needs,” Iloduba said. “Physical access around campus is tough when lifts and automatic doors are constantly out of service, but if Trinity just stayed on top of maintenance, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue.”