UCD annual ball cancelled by row over campus access

UCD STUDENTS’ union has been forced to cancel its annual ball on the last day of term, because of a row over access to the university’s campus.

The students’ union claims the college authorities have reneged on an agreement that the campus would close to pedestrian and vehicular traffic from 1pm on the day of the event, scheduled for April 21st, Holy Thursday, the last day of the college year.

Part of a licence agreement to hold the event required that campus gates would be closed to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

The students’ union said gardaí had asked for access gates to be closed on the day, for health and safety reasons. A union spokesman said “the UCD authorities initially agreed” but in recent weeks said access was required to various buildings because it was still a term day.

A UCD spokeswoman said last night “the college is not prepared to close the campus on a working day”.

Students’ union president Paul Lynam said in a statement the university authorities “have acknowledged that the commitment given to the students’ union on October 21st should have been honoured and major mistakes were made on the part of university authorities”.

The spokesman said the occasion is not a traditional night-time ball but more like a “mini Electric Picnic”. It was to be held on the campus athletics track and to run from 2pm to 11.30pm.

Two stages, a main stage for bands and a dance stage, were to be set up with bands and singers scheduled to perform including Republic of Loose, Rayseven, Iyaz, Fight Like Apes and O Emporer.

Tickets priced at €39.99 were to go on sale last Wednesday, but were held back because of the row. The union confirmed the cancellation at the weekend and will hold an emergency executive meeting today to consider its options. Discussions with the college authorities continued in recent weeks to resolve the issue, without success. Last year the ball went ahead with 8,000 students but the campus remained open.

The union said it had initially planned to have up to 8,000 in attendance but offered to cut the audience to just under 5,000, the cut-off before requiring planning permission.

It also said it suggested that the Clonskeagh gate, almost one kilometre away from the athletics track and the ball, could be kept open for access, with attendant security, but this was rejected by the college.

The union’s entertainments officer Jonny Cosgrove expressed his disappointment particularly for “first year students who have been denied a full first year experience and final year students who are now facing not having the ball that they deserve in their last days in UCD”.