Paradise Lost presented by Trinity Arts Festival
Liam Hunt | Contributing Writer
The verdict on The Fall. The door of the GMB rumbles lazily as it glides open, inviting us into a purple light lobby that’s warm and inviting after the cold and wet. Stepping forward, one of the Fallen (dressed in an impeccable tuxedo) hands me an unmarked brown envelope; the mystery deepens. Before passing into the Chamber (Heaven), I look up and get lost in purple light, the ethereal changing of Trinity Singers and suspended stars. The atmosphere is thick and brilliantly realised; TAF triumphs again.
In Heaven, we’re treated to another sumptuous soundtrack provided by Trinity Orchestra and a stellar introductory dialogue between a dignified Sarah Mortell (God) and the truly extraordinary Ronan Carey (Satan). To divulge briefly from my tour, Carey’s performance was utterly conniving; layered with complexity and simmering with malice he swept around the GMB adding a presence that could scarcely be missed. After a brief confusion as the crowd clamour to sign away their souls, we’re ascending towards paradise where DU Food and Drink recreated the bounty of Eden whilst I signed my Deadly Sin of choice onto the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (spoiler alert: it was Sloth). A word has to be spared for the ever seductive Anna Nichols, performing as the snake, who slithered around gloriously.
Ascending higher, we pass through DU Fashion’s reflection based trial and onto Judgement. I’m deemed guilty. My punishment? Dance to Anaconda for 15 seconds. Hell awaits (a silent disco, naturally) after I proposed to a delighted Sin in order to pass. Having survived our dance with death, we descend to the most sensory room of the night. Blindfolded, we pass into Night and Chaos, shuffling through the dark to assorted assaults by angels and yet another astonishing soundtrack provided by Afro-Carribean Soc. Descending towards the Council Room and Film Soc’s sensual screening, we’re treated to perhaps the most traditionally heavenly notes of the evening, imparted graciously by DU Music.
As soon as it began, the night was over. Directed by Satan to Paradise, naturally populated with chocolate and enough wine that we could have recreated the Red Sea, we ended the night with revelry. Thinking back to that initial breathtaking moment walking through the door, I feel genuinely privileged to have been a part of The Fall. After a truly stellar advertising campaign the likes of which is rarely if ever seen, TAF delivers. Be sorry if you missed it, but thankful the the Festival is yet to come.
Oh, and remember, “Better to Reign in Hell than Serve in Heaven”.
As soon as it began, the night was over. Directed by Satan to Paradise, naturally populated with chocolate and enough wine that we could have recreated the Red Sea, we ended the night with revelry. Thinking back to that initial breathtaking moment walking through the door, I feel genuinely privileged to have been a part of The Fall. After a truly stellar advertising campaign the likes of which is rarely if ever seen, TAF delivers. Be sorry if you missed it, but thankful the the Festival is yet to come.
Food and Drink’s #NutellaNomNom
Shannon Buckley Barnes | Contributing Writer
Nutella is, without fail, the most glorious substance on the planet. Food & Drink showed their appreciation for the wonderful hazelnut spread at their Fourth Week event #NutellaNomNom. I arrived into the SU Café ready to eat Nutella by the jar. However, Food & Drink were on a mission to show everyone that there is so much more you can do with Nutella than simply eating it. We gathered in teams of five and completed four challenges in order to compete for the glory of being the winners of #NutellaNomNom.
First challenge: Each team received two pancakes, an abundance of Nutella, and a variety of sweets. We were instructed to make a face. Our team decided to use one of the pancakes as a face and cut up the other to create a body for our character. Using Nutella for hair, and jellies for pimples, eyes and a nose, our team created the world’s biggest Nutella addict. Our creativity won us the challenge! Other great creations were a face with a big Nutella moustache and another with Nutella glasses.
Second Challenge: This was a trivia round about Nutella. Fun facts for you: World Nutella Day is the 5th February, there are fifty hazelnuts in a jar of Nutella and the ‘-ella’ in Nutella means ‘sweet’.
Third Challenge: This one was the messiest! Everyone had to use Nutella as face paint, take a selfie with their Nutella painted face and post it on to Facebook. The Photo with the most likes won. I thought it’d be a good shout to do a Nutella beard and uni-brow. This backfired terribly when the heat of my face melted the Nutella and it started to drip everywhere. I snapped a team selfie and then lunged for the baby wipes before liquid Nutella got into my eyes. A few minutes later, our selfie had gotten the most likes and we won our second challenge of the evening!
Fourth and Final Challenge: This involved creating a sculpture out of breadsticks, using Nutella as glue. While our little breadstick boat in a sea of Nutella was not that impressive, our addition of a packet of raisins made for some great puns which won us a few points: “The currant was too strong” “This sculpture is raisin the standard is it not?”
In the end we came second and walked away with bellies full of Nutella and brains full of knowledge about the many ways you can use it. I think in future I’ll be reluctant to use it on my face but at least I know if I run out of foundation that the option is there!
Bricfeasta Gaelach le Cumann Gaelach
Rachael O’Byrne | Contributing Writer
‘Liathróidí, liathróidí, liathróidí’, I thought to myself as I apprehensively made my way to Seomra na Gaeilge on Thursday morning. What had I gotten myself into? Bricfeasta Gaelach was exactly what it said on the tin, a free breakfast conducted through Irish, kicking off Cumann Gaelach’s day of free events organised for Fourth Week. Walking up the stairs towards the society’s room above the Buttery, I cast my mind back to the heady days of the Leaving Cert, frantically trying to recall some of my long-forgotten Irish. I began to panic; would anyone even understand what I was trying to say? Already regretting not bringing a dictionary, or some willing Gaeilgóir as a translator, I was tempted to call it a day, but decided to sacrifice my dignity at the altar of free pancakes and made my way inside.
I needn’t have worried, of course. The homely room of couches and tables was filled with people, and abuzz with conversation and laughter. While the pancóga from Lemon were spot on, as usual, the friendly atmosphere and warm welcome given to new faces were definitely the best things about this event. Fionn, the auditor of the society, and his committee were ready with a smile and a few words to put everyone at their ease. All standards of Irish were welcome, as the several Erasmus students present were testament to, and my own pidgin Irish served me perfectly fine.
This was the first of a day-long series of events, known as Lá na Gaeilge, for Cumann Gaelach, who were awarded Society of the Year 2014 by CSC. Subsequent activities that day included a tour of the Book of Kells, debating through Irish and a music session with the Alternative Music Society. Plenty of opportunities to get involved with them still lie ahead for students however, including their free lunch every Wednesday at 1pm, and yoga through Irish every Monday at 5pm. Nobody should let the prospect of resurrecting cúpla focail deter them from attending, as in the relaxed and welcoming environment of Seomra na Gaeilge concerns will soon be abated. For a room tucked away in the pocket of campus to be so full of life and love for our native language is heartening to see, and this thriving society undermines any accusations that Irish has become obsolete. Leaving Cert poems and the tuiseal ginideach seem like a distant dream (or nightmare) here, and the language is all the better for it – I would highly recommend giving them a visit.
