UCD Students Union confirmed last week that the UCD Ball will not go ahead at the end of this month.
The statement released by UCDSU cites that safety concerns raised by the Gardai, coupled with the University being unable to offer a campus –wide closure on the day, are the main reasons that ball will not be going ahead.
UCDSU President Feargal Hynes stated:
“We met as many key stakeholders as early as possible to find a way to host the ball on campus with our main priority being the safety of students. We felt that we had a strong argument when presenting an event management plan and other details to address the concerns of the Gardai.”
This decision draws to a close almost a year of negotiations between UCDSU, the University and the relevant authorities with a view to seeing the UCD Ball returning to campus for the first year since 2011.
Hynes went on to say, that the union were unable to find a solution for the event.
“Despite our best efforts, all of our proposals did not meet the requirements of the statutory authorities on this occasion,” he stated.
In a recent interview with The College Tribune, UCDSU President-elect Marcus O’Halloran stated that he felt that the “only place for the UCD Ball is on campus,”
“I believe that the UCD Ball should be held on campus. Holding if off campus is far too expensive,”
O’Halloran went on to say, that if faced with the eventuality that the ball would not be going ahead this year, the union would have to: “put a plan in place straight away to ensure that it can be here for next year,”
The College Tribune spoke to a number of students who were disappointed that the UCD Ball would not be going ahead this year.
“I understand that circumstance obviously didn’t allow for the ball to be held on campus this year, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be held elsewhere, or replaced with another event on campus,” stated 4th year Law student Avril O’Gara.
Another 4th year student, Brian Keely told the Tribune that “he wasn’t surprised,” that the UCD Ball would not be going ahead this year.
“I think after numerous disappointments over the past few years, no one expected the ball to be held on campus. It used to be such great craic with everyone looking forward to it and now most 1st and 2nd years don’t know what the hype is all about, because they can’t remember how good it used to be,”
UCDSU concluded by stating that they would be announcing a new festival of events to “mark the end of semester celebrations,”
