Saturday, 25 May 2013, 12:06 pm

Colm Fitzgerald has written 40 article(s) on the An Focal website.

Bus Eireann city bus services to the University have been affected following sweeping changes to the bus network. The amendments, which were implemented on Sunday, 16 September, see many routes across Limerick being either removed or amalgamated. The route number 308/308A, which was often referred to affectionately as “The 308”, has been removed. UL has now become part of route 304, which will now operate from Ballycummin and Raheen to the city, with buses continuing to UL via William Street and the regular route via Childers Road. This is positive for those who may wish to co...

It is amusing to observe the novelty with which they progress about their business; notebooks in hand, keen to find the Jonathan Swift before it disappears. Then you have the undulating precision in which every syllable their lecturer utters is noted, creating notes which will later be reviewed in the fine surrounds of our warm and brightly lit library. For many, this is all but prolonged. The rigors of Freshers’ Week instil a set of expectations among the minds of many- downing a cheap naggin before going to the Lodge to shift all around with gay abandon. After all, college is abou...

I'm not a fan of Christian literature. In fact, I have disassociated myself entirely with Christianity for various reasons best left for another time. While I have always been tolerant of religion in general, operating under the principles of 'I’ll respect your beliefs while you respect mine (or lack thereof)', today’s find leaves me quite glad that I am now on the outside looking in. One particular pamphleteer who writes for a popular religious publication, “Alive”, is not happy with you and me, the patron of the University, where thought, discourse and debate are openly and act...

They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks. Max Payne 3 proves that may well be the case, but the old mutt is still worth your attention. Innovation is put on the backburner in favour of an old school run and gun game, made prettier with new school technology. Now based in Brazil, an aging Max Payne is tasked with rescuing the kidnapped wife of a wealthy businessman for whom he works as private security. Years of trying to deal with the grief of losing his own family, Max is now grey, wrinkled and addicted to alcohol and pain medication. In between Die Hard-like shoot outs are quie...

The Hunger Games phenomenon came from nowhere. The film is a must see, the books dominate shop windows and actress Jennifer Lawrence is everywhere, pointing her bow and arrow at the world, demanding we fall in love with the trilogy. Team Edward and Team Jacob were forgotten, Peeta and Gale were the new heartthrobs dominating the silver screen and dividing the masses. If you have been living under a rock for the past six months, perhaps slaving over an FYP, you are probably wondering why there is so much excitement surrounding The Hunger Games. The trilogy is set in a future wh...

In the weeks leading up to my trip, I had heard about all the dangers of going to Mexico for Spring Break. American students were warned to stay clear of the Mexican borders due to the dangers surrounding the ongoing Drug War, and to “never go off the beaten track”. Although we were flying to Cancun, an area classified as safe by US authorities, our journey wasn’t ending there. We decided to make the most of our ten day trip and travel all around the Yucatán Peninsula and experience as much as we could of the ‘real’ Mexico, not just a beach tourist resort untouched by t...

The countdown to crown the world’s best paper plane pilots is now on. After proving themselves against the best in their county, the world’s finest will be looking to up the ante in Salzburg in a quest for the coveted title and perhaps a new world record. The chosen few charged with the honour of representing their country at the World Final have to show their mad paper skills at the National “Qualiflyers” first. The tried and tested formula from the World Finals in 2006 and 2009 is set to rock Austria for a third time as the finalists do battle in three disciplines: Longe...

A Brit-pop bubble blew its way to Lancashire’s premier seaside resort, Blackpool at the end of April last. The grand setting of The Empress Ballroom became the home to BBC’s somewhat cultish following:  a crowd which seemed largely unsuited to Blackpool’s encircling amusement arcades. E-numbered youngsters and middle-aged Merlot suppers alike were offered the potential for euphoric renditions of the bouncy Bombay tunes by the a grand, high-ceilinged setting. The main feature of this performance was reliability. The assembled audience were treated to a fine mix of Bomb...

IN ISSUE 11 of An Focal I wrote about Steig Larrson’s posthumous success with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Having been wildly compelled to read that book at an unnecessarily fast pace, the logical thing to do would be make haste and rampantly read the remaining two books, The Girl who Played with Fire and the Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest, which I duly did. You must read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first, otherwise the entire story will be lost on you! That is advice worth heeding. The Girl who Played with Fire deals with life after Lisbeth removes Blomkvist from her life...

Declan Mills ELLEN Johnson Sirleaf, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and current President of Liberia, joined Tony Blair (in his capacity as head of the African Governance Initiative) to give a joint interview to the Guardian newspaper on 19 March. During the interview, Sirleaf defended her country’s laws criminalising homosexuality and refused to consider scrapping them, saying “We like ourselves just the way we are”, a polite warning that she doesn’t consider human rights in Liberia any business of the West. All that Blair could do was sit and squirm in mute embarrassment. Sirleaf ...