Perhaps for the first time in 2016, the sun beats down on a Monday afternoon, brightening up Castletroy and highlighting UL for what it is – a pretty remarkable campus.
By some divine act or by coincidence, it just so happens that the first Leaders’ Debate outside of Dublin will take place on said campus. Is this day of rare sunshine a sign that UL will be alight with activity later on when the Party leaders assume their positions in the University Concert Hall?
You can look at it in two ways. Obviously, the presence of barriers surrounding the iconic Brown Thomas statue, the bustle of garda presence and production teams dragging their relevant equipment around the Foundation Building is hard to ignore.
But for some, namely students, it is just another Monday afternoon. Many would answer that “It’s two Mondays away from Charity Week” if asked what is significant about today. “What’s with all the barriers and security?” Some students would ask themselves, before snapping out of this temporary trance to get to their lecture on time, cross off another Monday and return home to hear dribs and drabs of some political thing that’s happening in the Concert Hall later on.
I stand outside the Glucksman Library and to ask a few students what they think about the leaders’ debate.
The response: Shrugged shoulders, head scratching and pauses of uncertainty followed by a hurried departure to somewhere more important.
Fast forward to 8 o’clock that evening, the sun is gone but the campus is busy with security, journalists and photographers. While there was no evidence to suggest that political students are nocturnal, there was a buzz around the Concert Hall nevertheless as they waited for Joan Burton, Gerry Adams, Richard Boyd Barrett, Michael Martin and Enda Kenny to arrive for The Claire Byrne Show.
Since the latest budget, there has been a collective feeling of ‘they-aren’t-doing anything-for-us-so-why-should-we-give-a-damn’ amongst students. This was perfectly illustrated as I saw sleepy students dragged their Monday-struck selves across the UL campus. Not even batting an eyelid or stopping for a double-take at the conspicuous preparation for the historic Leaders’ Debate.
Historic indeed, maybe some UL students may have some interest in the debate since it takes places in their very own college. Could they have switched on RTE last night just for the sake of seeing UL on national TV? Very possibly. Will there be an avalanche of students flooding the Glucksman Library fighting tooth and nail to collect as many books on Irish politics from the shelves? Doubtful. Could there be an increase in 18-25 year olds who vote in this General Election? Let’s hope so.
