The Rat Race - The Run up to Ireland's 2011 Presidential Election

image courtesy of theamerican.ie

This year's Irish presidential election has become something of a rat race. From dirty campaign tactics to the uncovering of lies and un-told truths of the candidates, the up-coming election appears to be more of a slagging match than a legitimate display of democracy.

With polling day looming, a survey was carried out in NUI Galway regarding the election and despite the strong affiliation the University holds with certain candidates, in particular Micheal D. Higgins, there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm surrounding the eligibility of any of the candidates. 

One student Rachel King admitted “I don’t have much interest in the election...No one stands out to me, but I’ll use my vote because I don’t think it’s right to waste it”. 

This theme re-appeared throughout the survey and another student Conal Houlihan admitted “I’m not keen on any of the candidates. They’re just not good enough”, he also felt their backgrounds let them down.

Although Seán Gallagher is currently topping the polls as favourite to win, it seemed Mary Davis and Micheal D. were the favourites among the NUIG student-body last week. The reasoning behind these choices was primarily down to the candidate' lack of shady pasts as well as their political backgrounds, with one student Rory Hogan suggesting them to be "the only legitimate candidates". 

Worryingly, many of the students that took part in the survey were un-aware or un-sure of the details of the referenda that will also take place on the day of the election. The referenda entail huge changes in the constitution. The referendum on inquiries by the Oireachtas is particularly important as it could bestow significant power to the houses of government to inquire into the actions of individuals if they feel it to be in the public interest.

Perhaps the Presidential candidates and their subsequent political parties would be doing more good by informing the people as opposed to digging up dirt on their opposition. Make sure you are informed on Thursday 27th October and check out http://www.referendum2011.ie/ for more information on the referenda.

Who will you vote for?

Doolin Pier Development

Published on Westcoastsurfer.com December 2010

The proposal for the six million euro development of Doolin pier has been a controversial talking point among surfers for quite some time now. It is feared that the new pier which is set to accommodate an increased number of ferry operators to the Aran Islands will have a severely detrimental impact on what has become one of Europe’s best surfing waves at Crab Island, just off the Doolin coast.

Image courtesy of tokyosurfers.com

The new construction if it is to goes ahead as planned, will deem the wave un-surfable yet developers argue that the extra space at the pier will allow for more ferries thus attracting greater levels of tourism to the area as well as to the Aran Islands.While this may be true for the summer months, it is unlikely to significantly increase levels of tourism throughout the rest of the year.

The surge in visitors to the area during the summer certainly gives a seasonal boost to local economies. However, if the developers are to follow through with the current plan and design for the pier, they may in fact lose out. Without the consistent patronage of the surfers who flock to the area all year-round, local businesses are likely to feel their absence once the nomadic visitors have moved on.

Image courtesy of chewyblog.com

The impending threat to the wave at Crab has led to many efforts to protect it from obliteration. There has been huge national and international support on the issue including an online petition against the development, which has received over nine thousand signatures as well as backing from the California-based Save the Waves Coalition.

The surfing community in Ireland has grown considerably in recent years attracting people of all ages and backgrounds. As home to some of the best waves in the world, Ireland has also become a competitive surf-holiday destination. It is clear from campaigns such as that of ‘Discover Ireland’ that national tourism bodies recognise the value of surfing as a major tourist attraction in the country. And while the new pier at Doolin may well be aiding tourism in the Aran Islands, it is simultaneously destroying surf-tourism in the Clare area.

Image courtesy of westcoastsurfer.com

Despite certain attempts to encourage alternative plans for the pier which would satisfy both Clare County Council and the surfing community, it is looking more likely that developers will go ahead with the original design.

Irish surf website scoops young enterprise award

Oisin Halpin and Cian Brassil. All images courtesy of Westcoastsurfer.com

June 2011

WestCoastSurfer.com has won the prestigious NUI Galway Student Enterprise Award. The concept came from 20 year old I.T. student Cian Brassil who is an avid surfer himself. Cian saw a gap in the market for a comprehensive surf website based in Ireland and took the initiative to set one up.

Along with fellow NUIG student Oisin Halpin who recently joined the team, Brassil scooped the top prize of a €15K investment for the business as well as invaluable expert mentoring and guidance.


Runners up, LittleGreenWheels, a recycling centre for children and Algorithm, a facility aimed at helping students overcome the difficulties of returning to education after child birth, were awarded €2000 for their innovation. However, it was Brassil’s brainchild Westcoastsurfer.com that impressed the most.

Cian and co-worker Oisin Halpin were ecstatic with the win. Brassil recounts “I was so surprised, but delighted all the hard work paid off. We’ve put so much time and labour in to the site that it’s nice to get some recognition for our efforts.” The Award which was presented by the Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry T.D., NUI Galway President, Dr James Browne and NUI Galway Students’ Union President, Peter Mannion, should give a notable boost to the website.

It is clear that potential for greatness was always there, with the chairperson of the judging panel, CEO of Creganna-Tactx Medical, Helen Ryan announcing: “West Coast Surfer.com has huge growth potential and is well grounded in commercial reality with great opportunities for the West of Ireland.”


The young entrepreneur admits “I try to get out surfing at least once a week so I’m constantly looking up the forecast. There are a couple of great websites for that but I was always wondering why someone had not set up an Irish site that would give an insight in to some good surf spots, cover local and international surf news, have a place for people to buy and sell gear and just meet like-minded surfers.”

The Westcoastsurfer.com founder said “The idea for the website was always there but it was last Summer that I decided to give it a go.” Since it’s inception the website has flourished with top Irish Sufwear Brand, Emerald Surfwear on board as the primary advertisers for the site.

Judges were blown away by the WestCoastSurfer.com brand and its potential to draw investment to the domestic economy. The goal now is to design, build, promote, develop and manage the premier Irish surfing website.

Surf tourism is on the rise in Ireland and the achievements of Westcoastsurfer are bound to help this along further. Ireland is quickly becoming one of the top Surf holiday destinations in the world. Boasting one of the most beautiful coastlines and some of the best waves in Europe, not to mention the world, the west coast is truly a surfers paradise, without the sunshine!



For anyone who has not yet stumbled upon the site, Westcoastsurfer.com is a one stop shop for Irish surfers looking for information on the sport. It offers a detailed insight in to the Irish surf scene. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro you won’t be lost for articles to read, gear to buy or forecasts to scrutinise, not to mention the stunning gallery of pictures of the Irish coastline. Check out the site on www.westcoastsurfer.com.

by Lia Stokes

Vogue Gets Stitched Up!

Published in Galway Now, September 2011

Rosie Huntington Whitely's cross stitched Vogue cover

The art of cross-stitch embroidery is something which is rarely seen today and even less celebrated. As one of the oldest forms of embroidery, it like many other crafts seems to have been lost to a generation of techno-holics. However, Fine Art and Photography student Inge Jacobsen has shot to fame in recent weeks after images of her work went global. It was her stunningly intricate cross-stitched covers of Vogue magazine that caught the attention of the media and put a modern, high-fashion spin on the traditional craft. 

From the small town of Pribbaun, Co. Galway Inge and her family moved to Denmark for a number of years and then went on to live in the UK where she completed her secondary education. It was during her years in Denmark that she learned the old fashion craft. “Everyone in Denmark learns to cross-stitch in primary school but I have never heard of it being taught in Ireland or the UK.” Although passionate about art from an early age, Jacobsen never believed she would one day become a well known artist. Nor did she think she would be putting the ancient craft she learned as a child to use in her career!

Over the past couple of months Inge’s work has featured on a number of websites and publications across the world. The people at globalgrind.com were the first to contact her about her work then it was Vogue.co.uk and The Telegraph. Since then, the Galway native has been inundated with calls from people looking to buy and commission pieces that started out as a project for her degree. Jacobsen’s work is unlike anything the art world has seen in recent years. The painstakingly meticulous detail of each piece transforms the mass produced images of the glossy magazine into unique tangible works of art that offer a commentary on fashion, gender and marketing.  

With her mix of interesting themes and textiles, Inge has taken inspiration from two of her favourite artists Vik Muniz and John Baldessari. These eccentric conceptual artists are known for their unconventional approach to art as well as their political undertones, but what makes them stand apart from many other artists is the sense of humour in their work. The work of these artists pushes the boundaries of art and gives new light and meaning to old works. From Muniz’s Chocolate syrup Mona Lisa to Baldessari’s ‘God Nose’ installation, they allow room to poke fun at art while creating something truly original in the process. Jacobsen adopts this point of view throughout her work. “Although there are obvious political and gender related themes in some of my pieces, I want people to see the humour in them and not to take them too seriously.” Her quirky collages and woven pictures proffer an exploration in to “the different contexts in which photography can be used”.

Imbued by the work of her grandmother and her sisters, Jacobsen’s work combines the feminine pass times of old with the pass times of her own generation-embroidery and fashion. The marriage of the two seems to compare the values of past generations with those of the world today; an elaborate and time-consuming craft and the materialistic and disposable activities of modern society. Each cover takes up to a month of assiduous work. Measuring each line by eye, Inge makes the holes in the cover before she begins to sew the image in tiny X-shaped stitches. "I sew over the covers, which some might see as cheating, but I'm not doing this to show off my skills as an embroiderer, it is an exploration into popular culture and the culture of massed produced imagery." By creating these tactile bodies of work Inge suggests that she is "disrupting the easy consumption of these images" creating something unique of her own. She admits "I've always been drawn to Vogue, it's such an icon of feminine culture. I feel it represents fashion, elegance and luxury and by stitching the covers and campaigns it was a way for me to intervene in to a world I was not a part of...I wanted to get under it’s skin". 

Apart form her work on the covers of Vogue, Jacobsen has also made her mark on the campaigns of some of the World's greatest fashion houses including Chanel, Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent. These pieces are what Inge calls "Sewing Porn" or “Porn you grandmother would make!” While the campaigns depict images of women scantily clad or posing suggestively, the young artist stitches pornographic images over the advertisement. It aims to be a tongue-in-cheek comparison between the subtle provocation of the campaigns juxtaposed to the full frontal nudity of pornography and a slight mockery of how seriously the fashion industry takes itself. Her work also comments on the objectification of women in the fashion world and how the nature of these images goes unnoticed due to the high-brow profile of the industry, regarded instead as artistic illustrations.  

Blown away by the response her work has earned, Jacobsen is managing to stay focused on her studies. “At the moment my primary focus is with my final university project and exhibition, once I get that finished then I will start thinking about the future and where I want to take my art. I’m currently working on a number of commissions too so there is a lot of work but I’m just happy that people are enjoying what I’m doing.” With so much more to explore in her blossoming career, Inge is doubtful that she will continue with the Vogue covers for much longer. “I don’t think I’ll do many more covers, I don’t want it to get boring! But I will definitely keep mixing cross-stitch with mass produced images for the time being.” To contact Inge or to see more of her work visit her website www.ingejacobsen.com.