Latest news with #Cotter
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Patrick Cotter: 'The world is being led by the generation that did not experience World War II'
Writing in dark times, poet and director of the Munster Literature Centre, Patrick Cotter, devotes a section in his new collection to war under the heading, 'Songs in a Time of War'. The book, Cotter's fourth collection, entitled Quality Control at the Miracle Factory, is testament to his strong observational powers and empathy for his fellow man (and woman). 'As a child, my childhood was dominated by the culture of war,' says Cotter. 'Boys' toys were all war toys and war films were popular. I remember at three years of age watching television and seeing footage of the Vietnam War. I have a memory of seeing the first petrol bombs being thrown during the Troubles.' In his previous collection, Sonic White Poise, Cotter included a section called 'War Songs in a Time of Peace'. He recalls broadcaster and journalist Olivia O'Leary interviewing him about the book's preoccupations. 'I had been sent questions in advance. I expressed the belief that I thought we were at the end of a Belle Époque. That was 2021. The last Belle Époque was at the turn of the twentieth century. We had sixty years of mostly peace in Europe. There was a certain deep complacency before World War I began.' It's bad enough that there are wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Cotter hopes there isn't going to be another big war. "One of the problems we have now is that the world is being led by the generation that did not experience World War II. We're being led by f**king eejits who think they can win wars.' Smaller 'wars' meanwhile are being suffered every day on our streets and are of consequence to Cotter while others would just walk on by. In his poem, Elegy for a Cork Woman Who Died in Winter, the poet writes about Vanessa O'Callaghan who died last year after being attacked in the city where she slept rough. With her 'ten-dollar name living thruppeny bit days', O'Callaghan was a familiar face to Cotter. Patrick Cotter has just published his latest collection, Quality Control At The Miracle Factory. 'She always perked up when she saw me coming. If I had coins, I'd give her something. She appreciated it. But as the poem outlines, that's not something we can afford to clap ourselves on the back for.' O'Callaghan 'never knew the insides of our heated homes.' Cotter grew up in the shadow of St Fin Barre's Cathedral on Bishop's Street. He wrote his first poem at the age of nine and wished to be a writer for as long as he can remember. He attended Deerpark secondary school, now Coláiste Éamann Rís. He went to UCC but did not complete his arts degree. 'I came from a family that was dependent on social welfare. I found myself trying to do work, for instance, as a night porter and going to college at the same time. It just wasn't doable. The reason I went to college was because I wanted to be a poet. I didn't want to be a teacher. "Coming from my background, the only use of a BA was to be a teacher. I was from a social class that didn't really understand what a BA was for. I spent a lot of the time in UCC library, reading books that were not on my course. I was also politically involved, what is nowadays called an activist.' In his job with the Munster Literature Centre, Cotter's responsibility is to give other writers in the city and county opportunities. 'I have to hold myself back. It's frustrating. I can't put myself on the programme for the Cork Poetry Festival. But we now have a fringe event before the festival. My book will be launched at that.' Cotter's day job involves organising the Cork Poetry Festival and the Cork International Short Story Festival. He also edits the journal, Southword, sets up mentorships and workshops and awards prizes. It's a busy position. 'I feel I would have published many more books if it wasn't for my job. But on the other hand, I've met writers who work in factories, and as teachers - admittedly for just eight months of the year. Most writers can't make money out of writing. The strange thing is most of the poets associated with Cork city were from working class backgrounds, with no money. "What has happened in recent years is that all these writing degrees have been established. That has made a writing degree attractive to people from middle-class backgrounds who can justify it to their families,' says Cotter. Quality Control at the Miracle Factory by Patrick Cotter was launched at Waterstones on Monday May 12. Cork International Poetry Festival continues until May 17
The Star
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players
Camogie - Stockholm Gaels players pose with hurling sitcks - Stockholm, Sweden, May 10, 2025 Stockholm Gaels players pose with their "caman" (hurling stick) in solidarity with the Ireland Camogie players after the ban on the use of shorts for women REUTERS/Michelle Cotter (Reuters) -Camogie players in Sweden have turned the clock back by wearing a kit from a bygone age in a show of solidarity with colleagues in Ireland currently protesting for the right to wear shorts. The Irish sport hit the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons with players, tired of a rule outlawing the wearing of shorts, ramping up protests, ultimately leading to the late postponement of Saturday's Munster final. Camogie is the female version of hurling, a ball sport played with wooden sticks, often likened to a mix between lacrosse and hockey, with a little rugby thrown in because of its physicality. Wherever you go in the world, from Uganda to Vietnam, you are likely to find people playing Ireland's national sports. Sweden is no different, and Irishwoman Michelle Cotter set up the hurling and camogie teams at Stockholm Gaels. "The goal was to do something over here to show the players back home that their impact is reaching much further than the island of Ireland," Cotter told Reuters. The Camogie Association of Ireland's rules state that playing gear must include skirt, skort or divided skirt, but a recent survey showed that 83% of players want the choice to include shorts. The Stockholm club, which includes not only Irish players and local Swedes but women from Australia, Austria, the U.S., Britain, France and Spain, took things back to even before the days of skorts, when players wore skirts down to their ankles. The first set of camogie rules, drawn up in 1903, stated skirts should be worn no more than six inches from the ground and, while things have improved, two motions to introduce shorts were defeated at last year's Camogie Association congress. "Given none of us even own skorts, we togged out for training in skirts and dresses," Cotter, who also coaches and plays on the team, said. "It felt every bit as ridiculous as it looked." There is still hope for change following all the media attention and controversy of the past week, after the association agreed to hold a special congress on May 22 to vote again on a motion to allow the wearing of shorts. (Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players
Camogie - Stockholm Gaels players pose with hurling sitcks - Stockholm, Sweden, May 10, 2025 Stockholm Gaels players pose with their \"caman\" (hurling stick) in solidarity with the Ireland Camogie players after the ban on the use of shorts for women REUTERS/Michelle Cotter Camogie players in Sweden have turned the clock back by wearing a kit from a bygone age in a show of solidarity with colleagues in Ireland currently protesting for the right to wear shorts. The Irish sport hit the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons with players, tired of a rule outlawing the wearing of shorts, ramping up protests, ultimately leading to the late postponement of Saturday's Munster final. Camogie is the female version of hurling, a ball sport played with wooden sticks, often likened to a mix between lacrosse and hockey, with a little rugby thrown in because of its physicality. Wherever you go in the world, from Uganda to Vietnam, you are likely to find people playing Ireland's national sports. Sweden is no different, and Irishwoman Michelle Cotter set up the hurling and camogie teams at Stockholm Gaels. "The goal was to do something over here to show the players back home that their impact is reaching much further than the island of Ireland," Cotter told Reuters. The Camogie Association of Ireland's rules state that playing gear must include skirt, skort or divided skirt, but a recent survey showed that 83% of players want the choice to include shorts. The Stockholm club, which includes not only Irish players and local Swedes but women from Australia, Austria, the U.S., Britain, France and Spain, took things back to even before the days of skorts, when players wore skirts down to their ankles. The first set of camogie rules, drawn up in 1903, stated skirts should be worn no more than six inches from the ground and, while things have improved, two motions to introduce shorts were defeated at last year's Camogie Association congress. "Given none of us even own skorts, we togged out for training in skirts and dresses," Cotter, who also coaches and plays on the team, said. "It felt every bit as ridiculous as it looked." There is still hope for change following all the media attention and controversy of the past week, after the association agreed to hold a special congress on May 22 to vote again on a motion to allow the wearing of shorts. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Films to celebrate all forms of cycling
Isobel Ewing (left) and Georgia Merton during their cycling journey along the Karakoram Highway between northern Pakistan and China. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The Big Bike Film Night is back this month for its 11th year to celebrate cycling in all its glorious shapes and forms. The films will be shown across New Zealand, with a showing at the Wānaka Community Hub planned for May 15 and 16. The night is set to feature a two and a-half-hour programme that has been proclaimed as "a feast of short films devised to delight the two-wheel devotee". With its humble beginnings in 2015, the film night is now a much-anticipated film festival that brings a love of cycling to cinemas, presenting an array of New Zealand and international movies. The films are specifically selected by Taupō-based curator Brett Cotter. "Each year I set out with just one goal — to bring together the best short cycling films from around the world for our audiences, celebrating the fun, the adventure, and inspiration that bikes enable," Mr Cotter said. The 2025 collection contains eight diverse films, some taking place in New Zealand's backyard and others in exotic places all over the world such as northern Pakistan and the suburban streets of Santa Barbara in the United States. The film night will also feature Inshallah, a short film created by former Wānaka residents Georgia Merton and Isobel Ewing in northern Pakistan. The pair created the film as they rode their bikes on the Karakoram Highway between northern Pakistan and China. The result promises to celebrate cycling while removing preconceptions in other parts of the world. Mr Cotter added that the festival's goal was to highlight the power of power of both storytelling and something as simple as a bike ride. "It's a real honour connecting communities with stories that captivate us, move us, and, most importantly of all, inspire us to get out and ride," Mr Cotter said. — APL
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Crisis in the classroom: Lawmakers push for more mental health resources in schools
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and educators are continuing to warn of a sharp rise in students' mental health struggles in the classroom. 'We've surveyed our members, and recently they've told us that they're losing five hours of instruction a month due to disruptive student behaviors,' said Mary Barden, executive director of National Education Association Rhode Island. State lawmakers have introduced a new bill to bring more mental health support directly into Rhode Island schools. Barden said the demand for those resources is higher than ever. 'Our educators and support staff really need a voice at the table around addressing the issues around student behaviors and mental health,' Barden explained. 'Post-COVID, there's been this increase in disruptive student behaviors that's really impacting instruction, and we want to be able to have places where students are going to have great outcomes for their mental health and their behaviors.' RELATED: Senate committee OKs bill to ban cell phones in schools The bill was backed by the R.I. House of Representatives and aims to strengthen mental health policies in schools. It passed the house in April by a 60-10 vote. 'This bill would direct every school committee in every district to form a student safety and behavioral health committee to address the mental health crisis we have right now. And schools are on the front line,' said state Rep. Megan Cotter, who is a co-sponsor of the legislation. Cotter explained that adding more counselors, support staff and therapy would help. According to 2022 data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 42% of teenagers experience feelings of sadness. Barden told 12 News that legislation like House Bill 5165 is a step in the right direction. 'We're looking for, at least in every district, for these programs to be implemented consistently and supported by administration so that our folks can do what they're trained to do, which is teach kids,' Barden added. 'Mental health is very difficult because it does look different for every individual person,' Cotter said. 'If a child falls and breaks an arm, there's a policy, there's help available. Mental health is very different and it's not as simple. We need to give children the tools to succeed and be successful adults.' ALSO READ: 60 Massachusetts school districts receive mental health funding The bill now heads to the Senate, where companion legislation is already on the table. 'We're hopeful and optimistic that it will pass in the Senate,' Cotter said. 'There's no reason why it should not pass. We know as a body what is going on right now in schools and how the mental health crisis really needs to be addressed.' Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
