Most Read Articles of 2017

We're at the end of another year in the UCC Express newsroom, and just as the ball drops, the calendar turns and we head into 2018, we've decided to take a look back at the top read stories of 2017. All of the articles below were published in 2017, and are ranked by page views.A special thanks goes out to everyone who has picked up a copy of the Express, followed us on Facebook & Twitter (and now Instagram) and read articles on this very website, for your continued support. A massive thanks also goes out to all the writers and contributors to the Express in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years, particularly to all the staff members & editors, for their tireless work in making the paper what it is. We would also like to thank Kieran from UCC 98.3fm, as well as Fidelma, Dennis, Vince and the SU Officers for their help & support throughout the year.(If you would like to read last year's 'Year in Review' article, you can find it here.)

Honourable Mentions

Before we get into the list proper, there's a few honorable mentions to go through first.'The Siege of Jadotville' by Tomás Kiely was published on the site in October of last year. It was the third-most read article on UCCExpress.ie last year, and had it been included in this year's list it would've featured in the top ten. As it was published in 2016 we have not included it officially, but it merited an honourable mention at least. The continued interest in the article is likely due to the announcement in June that veterans of Jadotville were to finally be given medals by the Irish state after decades of campaigning.Another 2016 honourable mention goes to a Sexpress article, a review of the Dealz/Poundland €1.49 vibrators. The article was published in late 2016, just under a week before the 'Year in Review' post was published itself. A majority of its views also did come in 2017. Had it been included in this article, it would've fallen just outside the top five articles of the year.Lastly, 'Opinion: On Student Drinking Culture' by Laura O'Connor was published in February of 2017, but it was adapted from a blog post published in 2016. Had it been included it would have made the top ten.With that out of the way, on to the year in review proper, starting with...

11. 'Freshers’ Week Gardaí Report', by Michelle Beazley, and 'Why Instagram makes you feel bad', by Fergal Smiddy.

Originally published on September 28th and November 24th respectively.Starting off with a draw, as both articles had exactly the same amount of views. 'Freshers’ Week Gardaí Report' was published on UCCExpress.ie on September 28th, and was a news article containing reports of anti-social behaviour during Fresher's Week, as well as any arrests and fines handed out by An Gardaí Síochána. Student behaviour during R&G Week, Fresher's Week and Christmas Day are always hot topics in local media (particularly on talk-radio programs), and anything to do with actual arrests stemming from these events are usually pretty popular.You can read the article in full here.'Why Instagram makes you feel bad' was published on November 24th, and dealt with the negative affects social media (particularly Instagram) can have on your mood & psyche. Instagram's popularity ("Instagram. Everybody’s on it. You, Me, Celebrities, Kid, Mams, Dads, Teachers, Dentists, Politicians and Priests (the cool ones, anyway). Everyone.") likely lead to this features article's popularity, as well as the good mix of light humour and series science.You can read the article in full here.

10. 'Student Accommodation Booked Out Before CAO Offers', by Rob O'Sullivan.

Originally published on August 11th.The accommodation crisis in Ireland was a dominating thread throughout 2017's wider news, and the Express was no different. This article, published during the Summer break, detailed how all the student accommodation apartment complexes were booked out before CAO offers were released. The article also revealed that the average cost of rent per week for rooms in houses outside of these complexes had risen by approximately €50 since 2013. The article was later re-published by The Irish Times.You can read the article in full here.

9. 'Sexual harassment in the LGBT community', author's name withheld.

Originally published on November 20th.The #MeToo campaign, and the revelations it brought throughout the entertainment industry in particular, was the major news story in the later months of 2017. This article was written by a member of the LGBT community about how the stories found on the #MeToo hashtag were not exclusive to 'cishet' people. The article was discussed on The Opinion Line on 96fm, and was published at a time when the #MeToo campaign was at its highest point, which has made it the eighth-most viewed article of 2017.You can read the article in full here.

8. 'The Gucci Revival', by Iris Maher.

Originally published on October 25th.Had we done a top ten post last year we might've seen more articles from Byline in the 2016 year in review. This fashion article detailed how the famous Gucci brand had fallen from the spotlight in recent years, but had achieved a comeback in (then) recent months. The fashion section can tend to be an unsung section of the newspaper, so be sure to check it out when we come back in 2018.You can read the article in full here.

7. 'Rainbow Six: Siege – The FPS Anomaly', by Jack O'Doherty.

Originally published on October 23rd.Another article from Byline, 'Rainbow Six: Siege – The FPS Anomaly' discussed how the Rainbow Six series' differences from other FPS games has helped prolong its popularity amongst gamers. The article was featured & linked by several fanblogs & accounts for the game, and combined with the well-composed arguments within lead to a successful gaming article.You can read the article in full here.

6. 'Portrait of the Artist: The Life and Times of Salvador Dalí', by Sarah Ryan, 'SU nominations to re-open for Welfare Officer position', by Rob O'Sullivan, 'Review: Spitting Image (The Strypes)', by J.J. Lee.

Originally published on January 13th, February 27th and June 16th respectively.Another tie, and three articles this time! If it seems implausible...then you may have a point. Technically only two articles listed above tied ('Portrait of the Artist...' and 'SU nominations...'), with the album review having one more view than the other two. Rather than excluding other articles hovering around the number ten spot, we decided to call it a draw (sorry J.J.) and make it a top eleven list.'Portrait of the Artist: The Life and Times of Salvador Dalí' is a fascinating profile of the infamous Spanish artist. Sarah Ryan goes through the artist's life & career, as well as detailing his legacy today. If you don't know anything about Dalí, the quote that opens the article should provide you with enough reason to check him out: “Each morning when I awake, I experience a supreme pleasure – that of being Salvador Dalí.”You can read the article in full here.'SU nominations to re-open for Welfare Officer position' is a news article about the first of what became several controversies and oddities to do with last year's Students' Union elections. When the candidacy deadline application passed, there was only one candidate for the position of Welfare Officer (outside of RON): Mike O'Keeffe. However, Mr. O'Keeffe failed to send in a digital copy of his manifesto along with the physical copy and required signatures. Applications for the position then re-opened, and two more candidates then ran for the position, including eventual winner Kelly Coyle.You can read the article in full here.'Review: Spitting Image (The Strypes)' is exactly what it seems like it might be, a review of The Strypes' third album, Spitting Image. The album, J.J. Lee wrote, displayed a maturity beyond the band's years, one which seemed forced on their previous outing. As with the 'Rainbow Six' article, the review was retweeted and shared by several 'The Strypes' fan accounts, as the article was published on the day the album was released.You can read the article in full here.

5. 'Students face eviction from liberated building', by Rob O'Sullivan.

Originally published on November 8th.As mentioned above, student homelessness and the accommodation crisis was sadly a common theme in news & features articles throughout the year. In August, members of the Connolly Youth Movement (CYM) had 'liberated' a building that had been lying empty for several years. This provided an opportunity for members who had no other options, including at least one UCC student, to put a roof over their head. In early November someone claiming to be the landlord of the property ordered the CYM members to vacate the property.You can read the article in full here.

4. 'Modern Medicine’s most neglected disorder receives much needed attention', by Ciaran O'Halloran.

Originally published on March 30th.This news article was a surprising inclusion on the list, as it about a relatively rare/unknown disease, and has nothing to do with UCC itself. In March, medical experts decided on updated guidelines for diagnosis, management & care plans for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are genetic connective tissue disorders relating to the body's ability to produce collagen, most commonly affecting the joints, skin and blood vessels of people with EDS. The article was referred to by several medical websites & journals, particularly ones in the United States, as the Express was one of the few general news outlets to cover the story.You can read the article in full here.

3. 'UCC SU announce Docklands Festival', by Rob O'Sullivan.

Originally published on September 23rd.When asked what the top articles would be, UCC Express staff writers generally responded with "probably something to do with the SU." This guess would be supported by last year's article, which featured two (out of five) articles about the students' union.UCC Students' Union had attempted to organise a (semi) large-scale music event or festival in the past, most (in)famously with the UCC Ball in 2015, so it was rumoured that the SU had planned another such event for this year. On the 23rd of September it was announced that they would be running a 'music & culture festival' in the Docklands, more commonly known as the venue for the annual 'Live at the Marquee' series of gigs.You can read the article in full here.

2. 'Presidential Result Appealed – #UCCVotes', by Rob O'Sullivan.

Originally published on March 9th.Until that whole Ascough thing in UCD, there was no more dramatic an SU election that the one for UCC SU President in March of this year.Following several counts, including a final recount the day after all the other results had been announced, it was revealed that Martin Scally had been elected as UCC Students' Union President over then-Medicine & Health Rep Art Kelleher by a margin of only six votes. It was then alleged that several students in the College of Medicine & Health had not been allowed to vote for a number of reasons. Due to the small margin of victory, as well as these issues, Art Kelleher decided to appeal the result, which lead to a meeting between himself, Martin Scally, the Returning Officer and the SU's barrister. In the end (as discussed in a later article), Art withdrew the appeal, and Martin Scally was elected as President of UCCSU.You can read the article in full here.

1. 'Punk Rock Sex Work – An Interview With Jane Way', by Rob O'Sullivan.

Originally published on February 14th.As noted, when asked what would take the top spot on the list, most staff members of the Express noted that it would be "something to do with the SU again, probably," but not even the controversy surrounding the elections could top this interview.The centre-fold interview of last year's Sexpress magazine (which can be read in-full here), 'Punk Rock Sex Work – An Interview With Jane Way' discussed Jane Way's life & career; Jane Way, a disabled non-binary sex worker from Canada, spoke candidly about how their career started as a means for survival but soon became empowering. Several articles from the Sexpress just missed cracking the top 15, particularly 'Decriminalising Sex Work vs The Nordic Model' and 'Sex Education on Youtube', but the interview with Jane Way was able to keep its popularity & growth steady throughout the year to be able to take the prize for 'Most Read Article'.You can read the article in full here.

What next?

If you want to write for us in the new year, try get your article on this article next year (or just to give writing a go), you can email our Editor Rob on Editor@UCCExpress.ie, emailing individual staff members directly or submitting articles through our online submission portal here.And on behalf of the entire staff of the UCC Express, I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!