The University Observer
| "Ne quid false dicere audeat, ne quid veri non-audeat" ("To tell no untruth and leave no truth untold") | |
 University Observer, 29 September 2009 | |
| Type | fortnightly student newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet with tabloid insert |
| Editor | Roisin Guyett-Nicholson |
| Deputy editor | Martin Healy |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | UCD Student Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland |
| Circulation | 6,000 |
| Website |
universityobserver |
The University Observer is a broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the campus of University College, Dublin once every three weeks. It was launched in 1994 by University College Dublin Students' Union[1] as an immediate successor to the publication 'Students' Union News'. The paper maintains complete editorial independence from UCD Students' Union.
The paper was founded by dual editors Pat Leahy, now of the Sunday Business Post, and Dara Ó Briain, now of BBC and RTÉ comic fame. It has provided a number of notable Irish journalists their first break, including Roddy O'Sullivan and Shane Hegarty, now of The Irish Times; Declan Walsh, now of The New York Times; Alan Torney of RTÉ Radio 1; Sinéad Ingoldsby of BBC Northern Ireland; Daniel McConnell, Political Editor of the Irish Examiner; Juno McEnroe of The Irish Examiner; Steve Cummins, editor of NME Ireland; Samantha Libreri of RTÉ News; Nathalie Márquez-Courtney of Image Interiors and Living; Stephen Carroll of France 24; Gillian Fitzpatrick of the Irish Daily Mail, and Gavan Reilly of Today FM.[2][3]
Editors
| Co-Editors | Art Director | |||
| Vol I | 1994–95 | Pat Leahy | Dara Ó Briain | Shane O'Neill and Declan Hackett |
| Vol II | 1995–96 | Roddy O'Sullivan | Declan Walsh | Shane O'Neill and Declan Hackett |
| Vol III | 1996–97 | Shane Hegarty | (Deputy Editor/Designer: Aengus Collins) | |
| Vol IV | 1997–98 | Alan Torney | Sinéad Ingoldsby | Edward Melvin |
| Vol V | 1998–99 | Katherine O'Callaghan | Edward Melvin | James Kelleher |
| Vol VI | 1999-00 | Lucy Michael | Sarah Egan | Stuart Palmer |
| Editor | Deputy Editor | Art and Design Director | ||
| Vol VII | 2000–01 | Daniel McConnell | Juno McEnroe | Tara Ghalaieny |
| Vol VIII | 2001–02 | Daniel McConnell | Colm Maguire | Ros Mac Thóim |
| Vol IX | 2002–03 | Enda Curran | Steve Cummins | Ian Clarke |
| Vol X | 2003–04 | Samantha Libreri | Emmet Ryan | David Fagan |
| Vol XI | 2004–05 | Eoghan Casey | Eoghan de Bhulbh | Natalie Price |
| Vol XII | 2005–06 | Sorcha Nic Mhathúna | Nathalie Márquez-Courtney | Simon Larragy |
| Vol XIII | 2006–07 | Stephen Carroll | Michelle McCormick | Sean Kearney |
| Vol XIV | 2007–08 | Rob Lowney | David Neary | Trevor Finnegan |
| Vol XV | 2008–09 | Danielle Moran | Zelda Cunningham | Fiona McCabe and Sean Kearney |
| Vol XVI | 2009–10 | Catriona Laverty | Gavan Reilly | Kristin McKnight |
| Vol XVII | 2010–11 | Bridget Fitzsimons / Paul Fennessy | Paul Fennessy / Quinton O'Reilly | Jenn Compeau |
| Vol XVIII | 2011–12 | Jon Hozier-Byrne | Kate Rothwell | Conor O'Toole |
| Vol XIX | 2012–13 | Emer Sugrue | Aoife Valentine | Conor O'Nolan |
| Vol XX | 2013–14 | Kevin Beirne | Killian Woods | Conor O'Toole |
| Vol XXI | 2014–15 | Cormac Duffy | David Corscadden | James Brady |
| Vol XXII | 2015–16 | Gráinne Loughran | Patrick Kelleher | James Healy |
| Vol XXIII | 2016-17 | Roisin Guyett-Nicholson | Martin Healy | Louise Flanagan |
History
The following is a selection of highlights or big stories published by the paper since its foundation. Part of this timeline was published in the print edition of the paper on 15 February 2011, and was contributed to by all former editors of the paper, during a threat to the existence of the paper by the Students' Union executive of the day.
1994–1995
Dara Ó Briain (Comedian) and Pat Leahy (Political Editor, Sunday Business Post)
- Education minister diverts technical funds to Women's Studies
- College drives (forces) through semesterisation
- Scientology church targets UCD students
- Lecturer distributes anti-condom Aids stickers
1995–1996
Roddy O'Sullivan (Deputy News Editor of The Irish Times) and Declan Walsh (Head of Pakistan bureau, The New York Times)
- No room for Disadvantaged and Travellers say UCD authorities: The university told students from disadvantaged socio-economic background that it could be years before places could be found for them in UCD
- Erasmus fury at residence rip off: International students had lodged complaints about treatment by UCD accommodation services. Excessive deductions from deposits, unrealistic ESB bills and veiled intimidation for non-payment of rent were among the complaints made by students.
1996–1997
Shane Hegarty, (Arts Editor & Columnist, The Irish Times)
- A features-oriented newspaper, this year saw the UO printed with a full colour image on the front page for the first time.
- Survey reveals large majority of UCD students have taken drugs: A survey conducted by the University Observer found that 71 per cent of students had taken illegal drugs at some point while in college.
1997–1998
Sinéad Ingoldsby (TV Producer, BBC) & Alan Torney (Radio Producer RTÉ)
- Revealed: USI President’s Confidential Expenses
- The Missing Money: Dramsoc Auditor Flees Country
- Gardaí Investigate ‘Massive’ Campus Arson Attack
- Nuclear Reactor Planned for Belfield (Candidate for UO’s most misleading headline ever?)
1998–1999
Edward Melvin & Katherine O’Callaghan (School of English, Drama and Film, UCD)
- The paper moved to broadsheet format; becoming the first student broadsheet in Ireland. Launched O2 (later O-two) supplement and first edition of the ‘University Observer online’. Interviews with Ruairi Quinn, John McGahern and Joe O’Connor.
1999–2000
Lucy Michael (Lecturer in Sociology, University of Ulster) & Sarah Egan (Lecturer in Sociology, Bard College, New York)
- Blood bank deny high HIV risk in UCD: The blood transfusion service board have been forced to abandon the public clinic held annually in UCD due to substandard conditions in the university.
- Smoking Ban proposed for Arts block: A proposal to make the Tierney building an entirely non-smoking building was put forward to the building committee for consideration.
- Letting agency rips off students: Gardaí issued a warning to students who have had dealings with the “home hunters” accommodation agency, following complaints made by several students who had been defrauded by the agency.
2000–2001
Daniel McConnell (Political correspondent, Sunday Independent) & Juno McEnroe (Irish Examiner)
- Sheep slaughtered on campus – test laboratory on campus uncovered
- Student chaplain in hot water over Fashion Show comments
- Protected building demolished without approval
2001–2002
Daniel McConnell (Political correspondent, Sunday Independent)
- UCD paid £43,000 golden handshake to harassed staff member: College held secret meetings in Dun Laoghaire hotel to resolve dispute, harassed member received €43,000 golden handshake.
- Senior business school lecturer forged credentials, University Observer revealed.
- No Luas Link for UCD – planned route to college dropped, despite denials from Department of Transport
- Blow job incident on Student Bar stage was “faked”
- Missing £30,000 from Dramsoc funds – actor O’Dowd under fire
- Runner up Winner of the Guardian Student Media Award for Best Newspaper
2002–2003
Enda Curran (Reporter, Dow Jones & Steve Cummins (Freelance, Irish Daily Star, NME)
- Student Held At Gunpoint – A second-year student was held up at gunpoint and her car stolen during a robbery on a Securicor van outside the Library Building.
- 60 per cent failure rate in first year Medicine – The credibility of the new Medicine curriculum was dealt a big blow after 62 per cent of students failed the winter exams
- Extreme Revisionist Organisation Sets Its Sights On UCD – The controversial Revisionist Education — which claims the Holocaust did not take — canvasses students in a bid to recruit new members.
2003–2004
Samantha Libreri (Reporter, RTÉ News) & Emmet Ryan (NetVisionary Journalist of the Year 2009)
- Opus Dei lecturer – The University Observer learned that a lecturer told her students they must attend Opus Dei events to pass her class. (The story made the front page of the Irish Time and other national press.)
- Anti LGB lecturers – Accusations of homophobia in UCD after the paper obtains copies of emails sent by lecturers to the LGTB Rainbow Week.
- Coca Cola referendum – The paper first revealed that a referendum on banning Coca-Cola was to take place and gives extensive coverage to the referendum including interviews with Coca Cola bottlers in Colombia and the Head of Coca Cola in the region.
2004–2005
Eoghan Casey (Trainee Barrister) & Eoghan de Bhulbh (Bank of Scotland Ireland)
- Belgrove Fire – The paper reveals missing fire extinguishers, alarms that didn’t go off and fire safety instructions that are actually for Merville residence and direct students to a non-existent stairwell and the wrong assembly point.
- Exxon Mobil Seminar – engineering students are told they must attend an event sponsored by the oil company
- Riot at the L&H – masked individuals storm the podium to prevent Justin Barrett of Youth Defence speaking at an L&H debate.
2005–2006
Sorcha Nic Mhathúna (former national newspaper sub-editor and now a post-graduate student) & Nathalie Márquez Courtney (Deputy Editor, Image Interiors & Living)
- Escort agency recruitment cards circulating on campus – Students targeted for roles offering “very high earnings and excellent conditions”
- Arrests made after students trash hotel at annual B&L Ball – Two UCD students arrested following later-night vandalism and debauchery
- Thieves hit bulls-eye in Archery Club robbery – Around €4,000 of equipment including several bows
- Two Ferns priests assessed at UCD – Priests accused of sexual misconduct in the diocese of Ferns in the early 1980s were sent to UCD for assessment
2006–2007
Stephen Carroll (France 24) & Michelle McCormick
- Registration crisis: Students left queuing for hours for days on end as UCD’s online registration goes into meltdown. We brought the students’s frustrations to Hugh Brady, and also revealed the results of the internal investigation into it.
- School of History breaches data protection: The paper reveals a direct contravention of UCD’s Data Protection policy when the School of History posts exam results publicly on a noticeboard.
- O2: Bill Bryson interview
2007–2008
Rob Lowney & David Neary (former sub-editor for the Star and Star on Sunday)
- The University Observer exclusively reveals the extent of UCD’s deficit (€15 million) after seeing confidential documents from the university’s top-level finance committee
- UCD’s Accommodation Office revealed to be searching Internet sites including YouTube to catch students breaching res rules
- Students’ Union launch controversial ‘Miss UCD’ beauty pageant, sparking protests on campus
- O-two interviews Will Ferrell
2008–2009
Danielle Moran (Researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science) & Zelda Cunningham (Trainee Solicitor)
- Student protests against fees – Batt O’Keeffe Op-ed, features on history of student movement, news coverage of 5,000 person protest at Dáil Éireann
- UCD runs by deficit of 20 million euro
- Otwo interviews Rodger Daltry, Alan Rickman and Salman Rushdie.
2009–2010
Catriona Laverty (Trainee Doctor) & Gavan Reilly (Senior/political correspondent at Today FM)
- UCD overcharges student levy by tens of thousands – Following prompting by the University Observer, UCD acknowledges that it overcharged the student body in the Student Centre Levy, asking them for €7.50 each more than had been agreed in a previous referendum. The cash was later refunded to the SU, the societies and sports clubs.
- Major security flaws in UCD Registry exposed – An investigation by the University Observer revealed major flaws in the security procedures in UCD Registry, which allowed any person – armed with basic facts such as a student’s date of birth – to be able to access that student’s academic records without their consent.
- Exclusive first Irish interview with Jedward
2010–2011
Bridget Fitzsimons, Paul Fennessy and Quinton O’Reilly
- IUA expenditure rises amid universities’ financial crisis: The Irish Universities Association, of which UCD is affiliated, had close to a €2 million increase in both income receive and expenditure against a backdrop of education cutbacks between 2008 and 2009.
- O-two interviewed Tinie Tempah, Martin Sheen, Michael Sheen, My Chemical Romance, Elbow, and Feeder.
2011–2012
Jon Hozier-Byrne and Kate Rothwell
- UCD Students' Union up to one million euro in debt, and seeks refinancing – SU President admits that the Union is in "financial crisis" and seeks large-scale refinancing.
- PGDE students misled over course level – Students who believed they were reading for a Masters-level course are dismayed over the reassignment of their course to a Level-8, or undergraduate, degree.
- Otwo interviewed Christina Perri, Janis Ian, Henry Rollins, Marc Maron, Ash, Throwing Muses, LMFAO, and Snow Patrol.
2012–2013
Emer Sugrue and Aoife Valentine
- Winner of Editors of the Year at the National Student Media Awards.
- UCD Ball 2013 to be held off-campus.
- Otwo interviewed Ellie Goulding, Jenna Marbles and Biffy Clyro.
2013–2014
Kevin Beirne and Killian Woods
- Winner of Newspaper of the Year 2014 at the National Student Media Awards.
- UCD Res prices to increase by 11% for 2014/15.
- Otwo interviewed Martin Freeman, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sophie Turner, St. Vincent, John DiMaggio Lenny Abrahamson and Little Green Cars.
2014-2015
Cormac Duffy and David Corscadden
- Took home Journalist of the Year and Features Writer Arts and Pop Culture at National Student Media Awards
- Nominated for Student Newspaper of the year
- Students' Union Presidential Candidate 'likes' controversial Facebook group
- Otwo interviewed R.J. Mitte, Brendan Gleeson and Tom Vaughan Lawlor
2015-2016
Gráinne Loughran and Patrick Kelleher
- Awarded Newspaper of the Year and Website of the Year at National Student Media Awards
- Most Senior Academic positions in UCD held by male staff
- UCD received almost 1.8million in exam repeat fees
- Otwo interviewed Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Foals, Mario Rosenstock and Evanna Lynch
Awards
Since its foundation the University Observer has distinguished itself receiving countless awards at national and international level. An eight time winner of the Newspaper of the Year award at the Irish Student Media awards, most recently in 2016, the paper has also won several best editor, best news reporter, best design, and best feature writer awards.
In 2002, the paper became the first Irish student newspaper to be recognised at the renowned Guardian Student Media awards in London, taking the runner up prize in the Overall Best Newspaper category. The prize was accepted by editor Daniel McConnell and News Editor Enda Curran.
Each year, The University Observer awards the Dara Ó Briain Memorial Cup to the winner of the intra-office Fantasy Six Nations League, while the winner of the Fantasy Premier League mini-league is awarded the coveted Pat Leahy Memorial Cup.
| Year | The Dara Ó Briain Memorial Cup | The Pat Leahy Memorial Cup |
| 2010 | Stuart's Barns Manager: Richard Chambers |
AC Slater Manager: Paul Fennessy |
| 2011 | Stade Bombay Manager: Killian Woods |
Local Sports Team Manager: Kenneth Barrett |
References
External links
- http://www.universityobserver.ie — Official website of The University Observer