UCD Student Club Lifetime Membership Card 1973/4

Please send us in more of your old UCD membership cards, ticket stubs, magazines, newspapers, photographs and leaflets.

Update September ‘09

After a busy summer, I’m heading back to the grey, sprawling Belfeild campus to start my second year studying History and Politics.

I’ve nearly finished my next article which will be on the student days of Irish Republican socialists Frank Ryan and Charles Donnelly.

After that, I’m looking forward to tackling an array of subjects including the 1985 UCD Cleaner’s Strike, Martin Dolphin (see April’s update), UCD’s fascist connections (Hans Hartmann, Ailtirí na hAiséirghe), UCD’s 1980s rave scene and more.

For comments, suggestions or points of information, please email me at matchgrams (at) gmail.com

1. UCD Legends Debunked: Sócrates

Debunking the intriguing claim that Sócrates played for the UCD Reserve team in the 1970s.

The origins of this long established urban legend are hazy. However, the basic ‘facts’ of the story are as follows: Sócrates, the famous Brazilian soccer player, studied medicine in Dublin in the late 1970s and during his time here played for the reserve team of University College Dublin (UCD).

There are many variations of the story with some placing Sócrates at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) or even the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI).

It’s a feel good anecdote that has been doing the rounds for at least three decades. The story is so quirky and original that most people take it at face value and it’s turned up as a question on many a table quiz.

An article in The Irish Times from 1986 is the earliest known reference to this alluring tale. It states as fact that Sócrates played for Shelbourne Football Club during his time studying in the “College of Technology, Kevin Street”. ^[1]

It should be said that Sócrates did indeed study medicine while in college but he graduated from the ‘Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto’ in São Paulo.

In 2000, the urban legend was given a new breath of life after a question was sent into the Guardian’s soccer ‘Knowledge Department’. The newspaper was asked to investigate the claim that “Brazilian footballer Sócrates … spent some of his student years in Dublin … and (that) he only managed to make the UCD reserve team”. ^[2]

The question was answered by the late Brendan McKenna, former Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Press Officer, who confirmed that “Sócrates did play for UCD … sometime in the 70s.” and by Gerry Callan of The Irish Star who added that Sócrates played only for the reserves because he couldn’t make the first team’s Saturday games.

Sócrates in Fiorentina colours.

The Guardian gave the story yet more veracity in 2002 by incorporating new information from a reader that Sócrates quit the team after only “a couple of games because the coach and manager at the time, Dr Terry O’Neill, insisted that he quit smoking”. ^[3] The Mirror also ran a story on Sócrates during this time with the opening line, “Here’s one to stump your mates with. Which Brazilian legend played football for UCD reserves?”.^[4]

The programme for the UCD – St. Patrick’s Athletic game in 2003 featured an article on the Sócrates tale.^[5] It debunked the claim that he played for UCD but went on to allege that Sócrates studied medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) in 1976. The article also asserted that he went to the RCSI’s trials for their Collingwood Cup team but decided to concentrate on his studies instead after seeing the poor football abilities of his potential teammates.

The China Daily, an English Language newspaper published in the People’s Republic of China, ran an article in 2006 that described Sócrates as “an alumni of the College of Surgeons in Dublin”. ^[6]

The legend has recently been given new legs by the addition that Sócrates also won the Sigerson cup, the championship of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland. This allegation has been posted as fact on various Irish sport Internet forums.

The Sunday Tribune in 2006 did its best to sink the urban legend with the article “Will Sócrates Myth Ever Be Put To Bed?” ^[7] and in its 2008 Sports Trivia Christmas Quiz. ^[8] But with websites such as Footbo.com, still affirming that Sócrates “spent time in Ireland and turned out for the University College Dublin (UCD) team”^[9] ; the legend isn’t going anywhere soon.

Belfield Park (1971-2007)

Billy McGrath, who played first team soccer for UCD from 1973 to 1977 (and later for a short time with Pegasus, UCD’s graduate soccer team), can confirm that Sócrates never played for UCD – “At the time the UCD first team was playing in the League of Ireland B division so if he was playing for UCD – and not good enough for the first team – he would have been in the Leinster Senior League”. ^[10]

(But what would Billy know? He was probably too busy watching Pele play hurling for Na Fianna in Ballymun during the Brazilian’s time studying marketing in DCU in 1975-1977. The reality that the college did not exist at the time has no bearing on the facts.)

So there you go. Unfortunately, there is no basis whatsoever to the legend that Sócrates played for UCD and it is just too good to be true. Sócrates has himself admitted that he hasn’t even visited Dublin!

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[1] Peter Byrne, “World Cup Stars Played in League”, The Irish Times, June 3 1986
[2] Sean Ingle, “Knowledge Unlimited”, The Guardian, 13 September 2000
[3]Sean Ingle and Scott Murray, “Shooting from the hip”, The Guardian 10 January 2002
[4] James Morgan, “The Great Philosopher; A doctor who smoked 20-a-day and led a player’s revolt, Socrates truly was the thinking man’s footballer.” The Mirror, May 27 2002
[5] http://foot.ie/forums/showpost.php?p=380588&postcount=28
[6] Anon, “Smoke on the bench not music to FIFA’s ears”, China Daily, June 15 2006
[7] Enda McEvoy and Kieran Shannon, “Will Socrates Myth Ever Be Put To Bed?, Sunday Tribune, April 16, 2006
[8] Enda McEvoy, “Enda McEvoy’s Really Cool Sports Trivia Quiz”, Sunday Tribune, December 21, 2008
[9] Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira Biography, http://www.footbo.com/Players/Socrates_Socrates/Biography (Accessed 15 June 2009)
[10] Billy McGrath, email to author, 15 June 2009

Trinity Tales: Trinity College Dublin in the Sixties

A new book that “charts the rich and varied experiences of thirty four very different students across that decade”.

Trinity Tales: Trinity College Dublin in the Sixties.
Edited by Sebastian Balfour, Laurie Howes, Michael de Larrabeiti, Anthony Weale.
The Lilliput Press, 271pp. €20

Irish Times Review: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2009/0620/1224249165095.html

Buy it online at the Trinity Library Shop: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/Shop/product.php?productID=2183

Facebook

I’ve set up a Facebook profile to try to get in touch with more former UCD students.

You can add it by searching for ‘Bygone Belfied’.

Belfield drugs raid

UCD made the headlines in October 1981 for all the wrong reasons after a drugs raid on the Student’ Club.

The bar was then only a large prefab situated in the carpark behind the current 10 Bus Stop depot.

Were you there that day or have any memories of what the Student Bar was like in the early 1980s? Get in touch.

The Irish Times, October 10 1981

UCD Student Newspapers. Appeal for help.

In the process of trying to collate a timeline history of student run UCD newspapers.

Can you remember what newspapers there were when you were in UCD? Can you fill any of the blanks?

The Student; 1954-64
University Gazette; 1958-68
Confrontation; 1968-1969 (Published by Students for Democratic Action)
Campus; 1966-69
UCD news; 1973-2003 (?)
College Tribune; 1989-
University Observer; 1994-

Comhthrom Feinne (1930s -50s)?
Comhar (1944-1947,1964-1986)? (Note: National Student Magazine)
Hibernia (1946-1980)? (Note: National Student Magazine)co
The Student (1954-1964)
Awake (60s)?
Student (1969-1971) (Mid 70s-)
Student Voice (Mid 70s)?
Gobshout (Late 70s?)

Update April ‘09

Over the last week, I’ve posted my first seven articles and publicised the blog as much as I can online.

Over the coming weeks/months, I hope to do more research and eventually write stories on the following:

1. UCD and The Spanish Civil War; At least two students, Frank Ryan and Charlie Donnelly travelled to Spain to fight on the Republican side against Franco.
2. Easter 1916 Rising and the involvement of UCD students and staff.
3. Martin Dolphin; The strange case of the former UCD student and Maoist who was arrested, imprisoned in Mountjoy and then sent to Dundrum Hospital for the Criminally Insane after assualting a garda at the opening of the Belfield arts block in 1970.
4 UCD women’s cleaner strike in 1985 which lasted four months and saw various occupations and pickets.
5. Hans Hartmann; Nazi party member who during the war broadcast radio messages from Berlin to Ireland in Irish. He studied Irish Language and Folklore in UCD (1937-9)

Any suggestions, hints or tips on the above or any other possible stories, please email me at matchgrams (at) gmail.com

I also hope to do more research into the history of the UCDSU, Student Bar/Club and start getting stuck into the UCD Student Newspaper archive.

7. Charles Haughey

A look at Charles Haughey, a former UCD student and his role at both starting and attracting trouble.

Many people may be aware that Charles Haughey, former Fianna Fail leader and three times Taoiseach attended UCD. However what is more intriguing and less well known is that as a UCD student he instigated a riot during Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) celebrations in 1945 in Dublin’s City Centre ^{[1] [2]}and as Taoiseach his visit to Belfield in 1989 was marred by disturbances by protesting U.C.D. students. ^{[3] [4]} In this issue of Hidden History, we look at this controversial UCD alumnus and his role at both starting and attracting trouble.

On May 7th 1945, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) students staged “an impromptu celebration” after the BBC announced the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. The Irish Times reported that fifty students appeared on the roof over the main entrance, waving Union Jacks and singing “God Save the Queen”, “Rule Britannia” and the French national anthem. These proceeding attracted hundreds of onlookers and members of the public. This crowd increased when the Trinity students hosted a Union Jack, a Red Flag, the French tricolour and, at the very bottom of the mast, an Irish tricolour.

TCD students on roof. Placement of Irish tricolour on bottom of mast trigerred the trouble.

A section of the crowd in and around College Green took exception to the position of the Irish flag and made three attempts to break into the University. They rushed the front gates and made it through the main entrance but were stopped by a large number of Gardai from entering the College courtyard. In reaction, Trinity students took down the Irish flag, set it on fire and threw it from the roof.

News of this commotion and the actions of the Trinity students reached students in UCD who were then based less than ten minutes away in Earlsfort Terrace (where the National Concert Hall is now based). UCD Commerce student Charles Haughey organised a counter demonstration and led a march of UCD students, some bearing Nazi swastika flags, to Trinity. It is then widely believed that Haughey with a friend, Seamus Sorohan, who was then a law student and later became a barrister, ripped down a Union Jack flag that was hanging on a lamppost at the bottom of Grafton Street and proceeded to burn it. ^[5]

Then, according to reports this large crowd of up to a thousand young men marched up to the corner of Middle Abbey Street where they held a public meeting. A man, who described himself as a student of the National University, said they did not object much to the Union Jack being hoist by Trinity College, “because they all knew the outlook of these people” but they objected strongly to a number of flags being hoist over Trinity with the Irish Tricolour “insultingly on the bottom”. The group then marched to Trinity College headed by a “young man waving a large tricolour hoisted on the shoulders of comrades”. Though almost impossible to prove now both these references of a “student” and “young man waving a tricolour” may be of Haughey. At reaching Trinity, several young men “scrambled up on the railings” carrying Irish flags and were partly across when a force of Garda drew their batons and attacked the students. There were three or four baton charges before “the vicinity of the College was cleared”. Twelve people had to be treated at Mercer’s Hospital for slight injuries. A section of the crowd broke away and later stoned the residence of the British representative and the offices of the United States Consul-General. ^[6]

Fast forward to May 1989. Charles Haughey as Taoiseach is visiting the UCD Belfield Campus to lay the foundation stone for a new £8 million student residence. His presence on campus prompts a protest of up to a hundred students.

Scuffles between students and police

In conversation this week Andrew Fleming ^[7] who was present that day, stated that the protest was against “education cuts and an increase in tuition fees” which were taking place against a backdrop of a severe economic recession. (Sound familiar!) Fleming goes on to remark that at the time “Haughey was telling us we all had to tighten our belts” while, as it turned out he was “buying himself 700 pound shirts in Paris”.

The Irish Times reports that the “Gardai moved in to push students out of (Haughey’s) path” and were forced to form a protective barrier around him.

Police protecting Haughey

Students chanting “Education, not emigration” sat on the road leading from the site, blocking the Taoiseach’s car from leaving. The police dragged away those students involved in the sit-down protest and the Taoiseach’s driver took an alternative route, driving at high speed and pursued by students.

Sit-down protest by students broken up

When questioned by journalists over the students’ actions, Haughey quipped that “We did it better in my day”

Loathed by many, adored by few, Charles Haughey remains a contentious figure in UCD’s history. His name remains engraved on the Commerce & Economics Society (C&E) board as auditor of their 1945-6 session despite the best efforts of students to scrape it off.

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[1] Anon, “Surrender”, The Irish Independent, May 8, 1945.
[2] Anon, “Batton Charges in Dublin”, The Irish Times, May 8, 1945.
[3] John Walshe, “’We did it better in my day’ quips Taoiseach”, The Irish Independent, May 30, 1989.
[4] Maol Muire Tynan, “Huaghey braves protests at UCD campus”, The Irish Times, May 30, 1989.
[5] Bruce Arnold, Haughey: His Life and Unlucky Deeds, 1993, London: Harper Collins: 14
[6] T.Ryle Dwyer, Charlie, 1987, Dublin: Gill and Macmillan: 7
[7] Fleming, Andrew, 2009, email to author, 8 April 2009

6. Rag Week

A look at UCD’s infamous Rag Week past.

February’s Rag Week shenanigans in NUI Galway, which saw forty-two people arrested, prompted widespread condemnation and criticism. In this issue of Hidden History, we focus in on UCD’s own Rag Week, which in the late 1960s and 1970s gained widespread notoriety.

Rag Week was banned in the 1950s by UCD authorities after pranks marred the celebrations including the “kidnapping of sales girls from Clerys” by students. It was renamed ‘College Week’ in the mid 1960s and allowed to take place but as we’ll see the name didn’t stick and the trouble didn’t end. ^[1]

In 1966, to raise publicity for their Rag Week Queen’s University students kidnapped Miss UCD prompting UCD students to travel to Queen’s to recapture their queen and in the process seizing a “female member of the Queen’s Students’ Representative Council”. ^[2]

UCD students in 1967 travelled to Queen’s University in Belfast to kidnap Miss Ursula White, their Rag ‘princess’. According to newspaper reports of the time, she was taken “by car to an undividulged Dublin address” where UCD students sent out a press release demanding a ransom of £25 for the girls freedom. ^[3]

Queen's University Belfast which UCD students visited in 1967

The following year, a vanload of Queen’s students visited Dublin, kidnapping Jean Power, a UCD secretary. She was later held in the offices of the Queen’s University Students’ Union. The Irish Times reported that “Miss Power … (was) at ease (but) was not available for comment as she was shopping in Belfast”. While in the city, Queen’s students took a 350-year-old doorknocker from the Graduates Memorial Building in TCD, demanding a ransom of £10 for its retrieval. ^[4]

During their trip to UCD, the students also tried to steal the Literary and Historical Society’s recently won debating trophy, valued at £300. Seven of the group slipped into the private business meeting of the L. and H where they the grabbed the trophy and rushed out the door. Their getaway attempt was foiled by a member of the society who shut the college gates. The Queen’s students van, which damaged its headlights after colliding with the gate, was “instantly besieged by (UCD) students”. After minor scuffles, the trophy was retrieved and handed back to the Auditor Mr. Henry Kelly. ^[5]

During Rag Week in 1969, four U.C.D. students raided the R.T.E. television studios in Montrose, appropriating a replica of the moon, which was used in the background set for the national song contest. ^[6]

RTE Montrose, Donnybrook which was 'raided' by UCD students in 1969

Deceiving security, the students disguised themselves as building workmen and drove up to the studio in a lorry. The “moon”, devised by the R.T.E. head of design, Mr. Alpho O’Reilly, was over nine feet in diameter and made of a plastic substance stretched over a frame. An embarrassed R.T.E. spokesperson, when questioned over the incident, could not explain how the visitors entered and left the studios “unchallenged and unquestioned”. The students ‘borrowed’ the moon to use for publicity to raise funds for charity during Rag Week. A trawl of the newspaper archives failed to establish whether the students gave the “moon” back or not.

UCD Rag Week hit the headlines again in 1976 when hundreds of students ran riot through the centre of Dublin. Traffic was severely disrupted when “several hundred undergraduates … congregated at the top of Grafton Street”. The first garda called on the scene was pelted with eggs and flowers and was forced to retreat. The assistant manager of the Ambassador Cinema on O’Connell Street rang the UCD Students’ Union to complain about what he called the “disgraceful” behaviour of students who tried to force their way into the cinema without paying. UCD students also jumped into the River Liffey en masse. Later that evening, a group of students from Bolton Street College of Technology telephoned The Irish Independent and claimed that they had kidnapped the organiser of the UCD Rag Week, Mr. Billy McGrath “in retaliation for their attack on Bolton Street”. ‘Captain Blue’, a spokesperson for the Bolton St. students demanded back the College clock which they accused UCD students of stealing. They were also requested a barrel of Guinness and a £10 donation to a charity of the Irish Independent’s choice. ^[7]

In February 1977 as part of Rag Week celebrations, over one hundred UCD students invaded Trinity College, the College of Surgeons and Kevin Street College causing £3,200 worth of damage. ^[6]

Newspaper reports describe how the UCD students “scaled the walls of Trinity by rope” after the gates were closed to them.

Trinity College Gates which UCD students scaled in 1977

Once inside, the UCD mob used a car belonging to a member of TCD staff as a battering ram to get into the Museum building. They also stole a large notice from the college entrance. A Kevin Street College of Technology laboratory was also damaged during the rampage. Eamon Gilmore, current Labour Party president and the then president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), blamed the trouble on a “fringe hooligan” element who he said should be identified and made to pay the bill for the damages they cost. ^[10]

Condemnation came from various circles in society including the Irish Housewives’ Association. Charles McNally, the then UCDSU president announced, that the Union had voted for fundamental changes to the College’s Rag Week, in future “it would be a Community Week devoted to helping the community and city centre forways would be banned” ^[11]

The Rag Week pranks and “high jinks” of UCD which were a staple annual event are now just a distant memory. Who knows if they’ll ever return?

[1]UCD Correspondent, “College Week in U.C.D.”, The Irish Times, March 1, 1967.
[2]UCD Correspondent’, College Week in U.C.D., The Irish Times – Wednesday March 1st 1967
[3]Irish Times Reporter, “Royal ransom will help Gorta”, The Irish Times, March 11, 1967.
[4]Irish Times Reporter, “Still captive of Belfast students”, The Irish Times, February 17, 1968.
[5]Sunday Independent Reporter, “Students’ high jinks were a gimmick”, The Sunday Independent, March 10, 1968.
[6]Irish Times Reporter, “Moon replica taken from R.T.E. studios”, The Irish Times, February 27, 1969.
[7]John Walsh, “Complaints as Rag gets out of control”, The Irish Independent, February 26, 1976.
[8]Irish Independent Reporter, “UCD rag week wreckers face expulsion”, The Sunday Independent, February 27, 1977.
[9]Christina Murphy, “UCD students condemned for damage”, The Irish Times, February 17, 1977.
[10]John Walsh, “Hunt is on for UCD ‘raggers’”, The Irish Independent, February 17, 1977.
[11]Irish Independent Reporter, “‘Rag’ Wreckers told: ‘Own Up’”, The Irish Independent, February 24, 1977.