How It All Began

Founding Fathers

Back in the days of yore (2001) three Eastern gentlemen (from Down, Dublin and Wexford...all the Eastern coast, you must admit) found themselves in each others presence in a lecture theatre. By some bizarre twist of fate, they all elected the same course of study in the same institution…

There had been jugglers practising their refined arts in many of the colleges across the country, such as Trinity and Maynooth. More recently DIT joined their ranks, and since our own inauguration, others have sprung up in Dún Laoghaire and Limerick. Still, we considered it scandalous that this third level college had no facilities for official clowning around...so we struck out (in that mild way that jugglers do).

After small attempts and unofficial practices during their first year of college, our intrepid trio of incredible-ness fought hard to get recognised in what they did. Prior to their 'very important' exams, they were brought forth before the official RECOGNITION COMMITTEE where they argued their case for getting money and a place to practice. They negotiated their hearts out in order to get a fair deal and above all else…they went to the bar afterwards. (This has proved to be common practice in juggling circles [or rings, if you prefer], very few events don't end up in the bar, or at least the offy).

Over the course of the summer, things seemed to die down. But fear not my dear reader, all was not lost. This very author was considering other options, when out of the blue came…a phone call, from one of the other guys…

"Ehh, yeah. I sorta got the recognition form and filled it in. I put myself down as Auditor 'cos I didn't know your details" (yeah, right...someone else wanted all the glory!)

"Ehh, I'm going on holidays now. You sort it out."

What!? From a mere considering other options to being left responsible for the entire future of the club? How would I cope? What do I do? WHO'S COMING TO THE BAR?? Omitting the fine details, we (I) got everything in order. Posters, publicity, membership cards, freshers week stall, equipment, storage space, practice space, sponsorship, initial socials, conventions, workshops, a comfy seat in the bar...

Yes, I take all the credit (vanity does that to you), but to be fair there was a brilliant body of bandits backing me up! (See, I did it again!). The jovial jugglers who joined just at the start were none other than engineer John Loughman, the divil who went on his holidays, the other engineer John-Ross Mac Mahon, the Down-man who never is, (get it?), and yours truly, yet another engineer who completes the initial trio of terrific-ness. (Admittedly, spending the first term with three juggling clubs sticking out of my bag was kind of a sign of things to come, but who knew it would take off so well!?)

The First Stand

Despite the fantastic four-minus-one-some’s drive, enthusiam and ambition, half six is just not enough to field a full committee and run an entire society. That in mind, they were eagerly joined by, believe it or not, ANOTHER ENGINEER, David Quinn! There’s a spooky trend here involving juggling and engineering, but just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, the next nefarious ninja to navigate their way in was final year Arts student, Jen Wilson. In lieu of our ignorance in the field and enthusiasm and expertise of this next gentleman, computer scientist Larry O’Neill joined the ranks as official website-setter-upper. Completing the sestet came former crazed Arts student, now crazed librarian Catherine Bailey. With experience stretching back to when UCD stood for University Carved in Dung, she proved a bottomless pit of information on who and how to badger, annoy and otherwise get what we wanted.

And thus was how the founding stone of the now infamous UCD Juggling Society laid in place. With performers of international repute coming to learn from our skilled, talented and disturbed instructors, we let the legend continue ……

Written, composed, edited (and any other credits you care to think of) by

Peadar ó Dálaigh

Co-founder, First Treasurer, Second Auditor, (Ex-)Third Year.

08 Sept 2003