Raise and Give - a fresh perspective on rag week
We've all heard of students and Rag week but are you aware of the true origins of the tradition. Gemma Good checked it out during the recent Rag Week in UL for her column The Good Life...
A few weeks ago when we were preparing to head west for Galway rag week, I heard that the week of drinking and partying, in fact, originated as a charity initiative. I remember laughing, thinking the only charity that happens during rag week occurs when broke sons and daughters ring home for their bank account to be topped up.
Curious though, I did some research into the Sunday to Thursday session and found out that the week is indeed a fundraiser. How I missed this crucial piece of information in the past I don’t know. In my defence, they haven’t taken place for the past two years due to Covid. While rag weeks are undoubtedly amazing in the way they bring people together from all over the country, I still seriously doubted they were for charity. I mean there’s no online fundraiser and nobody went around the streets shaking a bucket to my memory.
This week marks Limerick rag week with six bars and nightclubs in the city participating in the event. While I was eyeing each Instagram page to see what was happening, I realised that each venue would be donating their proceeds to charity. This year’s charities include Limerick Rape Crisis, Milford Care Centre and Limerick Animal Welfare and Limerick Suicide Watch. The events include a beach party on Sunday, Manic Monday, Donegal Tuesdays, Rebel Wednesday and Tequila Thursdays with deals on drinks, live music and DJs all throughout the week. For many, I am aware that the week is probably not at all about charity but you have to admit, it’s a good idea. Charities get donations, the vintners get their crowd and the students get their long overdue social fix.
It is thought the concept of RAG came about in the 1900s, when some students in the United Kingdom began to notice the inequalities and poverty present in their university town. They decided to do something for charity and took the week out of their studies to raise money for the poorer members of society. At this time the verb “to rag” was used to bother or pester somebody, therefore students “ragged” people to donate to charity. The initiative quickly caught on, evolved and is still going strong.
Despite the good will behind the week, I think the meaning has been lost in translation. When I was researching the origins of the tradition, the top articles that appeared were those of arrests, violence and drunkenness. I guess people are still being ragged, but in a different way. Nonetheless, I will not change my views on the week. The fact that charities are benefitting makes it all the more worthwhile. They give young people an excuse to meet up, go out and socialise on a budget.
I went to Galway with my friends from secondary school, whom I haven’t seen in what feels like years. Without the week being renowned among students, we wouldn’t have bothered organising to meet up. We hit Eyre square on Leitrim Wednesday, when green and yellow jerseys dominated the streets. The day before was Donegal Tuesday and Mayo Monday the previous. Although there is a particular sense of pride in wearing your county colours on these days, you can wear anything - all the better if it’s a different county colour. Jersey night is a personal favourite of mine, it’s always nice to see the royal blue and white colours about the place.
Like many festivals, I suppose we have made rag week about drinking. It’s hard to know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. My view on it is students are going to go out anyway, so why not raise money for charity in the process? For students who don’t want to drink, it may be hard to go out and participate in the festivities. That isn’t to say that it can’t be done though.
Who’s to say you can’t dress up, go out and enjoy the music, the craic and of course the chipper afterwards? I read Alison O’Brien’s piece on the Irish Times from when she was on her Erasmus studying in Germany. Fully supporting students' need to go out and socialise, the university allowed young people to take furniture out into campus lawns, blare music and party all day long. They even funded drinks, sweets, breakfast and barbecues. In Ireland, strict sanctions and warnings exist in many areas with rag weeks banned in the past due to students' antics. It would remind you of rounders in primary school.
Currently on day three, all I have to report is that Limerick rag week did not disappoint. With all that said and two days left, there’s nothing left to do but RAG (Raise and Give).
* Gemma Good is from Killeshandra and a second year journalism student in University of Limerick.
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