Public meeting on Wednesday 21 October, 8pm in Ballinlough Community Centre to discuss and provide information on on anti-social behaviour to discuss and provide information on the issues. All are welcome. Local councillors and Garda representatives will attend.
Over forty Cork historical societies and groups will gather for an exhibition at the Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall on Tuesday 20 October (11am-7pm) to celebrate Cork’s past. Exhibitors from the Gaeltacht regions of the county to the inner city will present panels outlining their local history. This is the first time that such as venture has been attempted. The day long exhibition aims to present an afternoon of talks and chat bringing a cross section of Cork’s finest historians and ‘caretakers’ of Cork’s past to speak about the Cork region’s history and memories as only they know how. The theme of the exhibition is celebration and participation.
Recent launch pictures by Kieran:
Kieran’s Report to Cork City Council on re: Arts Report, 9 October 2009
Lord Mayor,
It is clear that the Arts have made a tremendous contribution to the economy, employment and the well-being and self confidence of Metropolitan Cork and I wish to thank the city management for building such a good structure leading up to Cork 2005 and building post Capital of Culture legacies.
However, when one gets into the guts of the report, there are areas where the City Council can improve on.
Through this report, the arts amenities of the county are faring much better compared to the city.
Page 10 of the report supports this argument,
Blarney Castle had 297,000 visitors in 2007 whilst Fota Island and House had 290,000 whilst Cobh Heritage Centre had 109,000
Putting the city in the context of the metropolitan Cork, the Crawford Art Gallery did have a great season with 200,000 visitors (an institution now in danger of being amalgamated under the National gallery)
then one comes to the smaller numbers –
Cork City prison (50,000), the Cork Vision Centre (40,000), Fitzgerald’s Park Museum (26,000) which from the recent financial report is being invested with E.810,000 per annum from the Council – one would have the question the value for money here
And then you have the Cork Butter market which only attracted a mere 4,500 people, which is located in the historic Shandon area and reflects the under-selling of the historic Shandon area and its cultural heritage. The footfall was fifty times more in Blarney Castle than around Shandon.
Page 11 shows another startling fact – that 8 per cent of those attending festivals are from outside the country – this is a very low figure especially with the amount of Trojan work that goes into carrying out the festivals.
I am aware that the City Council is investing on average 250,000 into Cork Marketing Partnership – the total annual budget of the Partnership comes in around the E.500,000 mark. So City Council have a fifty per cent stake. So Lord Mayor, I wish to call for a strategy review of the money being invested in marketing Cork City. The share of success should be equally shared amongst the institutions and partners.
It is clear especially in the Blarney and Fota case that tourists are being bused to these locations past the city attractions. This needs to be reviewed. Thanks Lord Mayor.
Kieran’s Report to Cork City Council on re: Change of name, 9 October 2009
Lord Mayor,
I sincerely welcome the O’Callaghan Development.
I wish to make two points to the name Faulkner’s Lane
Firstly, in the bigger picture there seem to be inconsistencies in the protection, enhancement and carrying forward of Cork’s heritage
Two weeks ago, we see an investment of over E.3 million into the revamping of Christ Church, an eighteenth century building – now the memory of an eighteenth century street name is at risk.
The council have through their own heritage plan spent several thousand euro on protecting and enhancing the memory of street plaques and street furniture.
My second point I wish to make regards the memory of Riggs Faulkner, a mid eighteenth century banker is at risk of being erased as well the context of the street.
Very little of the built heritage of the eighteenth century has survived in Cork.
However, the people of the 1760s brought us huge vision and action
· The initial arching over of the city’s canals – for example the creation of Cornmarket Street
· The creation of the Navigation Wall, later to become the Marina Walk
· The creation of the committee of Butter Merchants which led Cork to be the leading exporting city in Ireland and a prominent exporter of butter in the British Empire
· The provision of a pumped water supply, the site being the present day Lifetime Lab
· The creation of the Cork Mansion House – now the Mercy Hospital
· The initiation of a south docklands plan – still doing the rounds.
· The very chain of the present Lord Mayor came into being in 1787
These icons, elements of the city made our modern city. Riggs Faulkner was part of the cog-wheel of those visionary times. We in 2009 should be slow to erase memories from the eighteenth century. In fact there is probably alot to be learned from this era in terms of vision. I call for the retention of the name Faulkner’s Lane.
Thanks Lord Mayor
Over forty Cork historical societies and groups will gather for an exhibition at the Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall on Tuesday 20 October to celebrate Cork’s past. Exhibitors from the Gaeltacht regions of the county to the inner city will present panels outlining their local history. This is the first time that such as venture has been attempted. The day long exhibition aims to present an afternoon of talks and chat bringing a cross section of Cork’s finest historians and ‘caretakers’ of Cork’s past to speak about the Cork region’s history and memories as only they know how. The theme of the exhibition is celebration and participation.
Commenting Cork historian and one of the organisers, Richard T. Cooke commented; “We all live in area where the past is all around. This history makes us who we are. The Celebrating Cork Exhibition is about bringing historical groups together so that they meet each other, chat and share ideas so historical societies can plan for the future. The aim is also to present their rich histories to the Cork public.” More information can be found under events at www.corkheritage.ie.
Kieran McCarthy is a member of the organising committee
A very good friend of mine, Rosarie Murphy, is a great supporter of the charity Heart to Hand. I have helped her out with bag packing and fundraising.
The Registered Charity called “Heart to Hand” was set up to care for the poorest of the poor in Countries like Albania, Bosnia, Moldova, Romania and other countries where the need arise.
This care consists of providing food, medicine, clothes and other forms of humanitarian aid, in latter years education and training to help these people fend for themselves has been put in motion.
This charity is non-denominational, voluntary and therefore what comes in goes out to help the poorest of the poor.
Below is a pict I took of the Cork volunteers at a get-together last night with Ciaran Byrne, a national co-ordinator, and who also received an award from the Knight of Columbanus in Cork recently (back left).
Yesterday, Friday evening, a civic reception was held in City Hall to celebrate the success of Culture Night in Cork but also give much warranted appreciation to all those venue organisers and volunteers who gave freely of their time. Below are pictures I took from the Civic reception. Well done to all and sincere thanks!
More information of what happened on Culture Night can be found on Cork City Counci’s website: http://www.corkcity.ie/culturenight/
Motions for City Council Meeting, 14 October 2009:
(1) In an effort to sustain the amenity of Douglas Swimming Pool and as a deterrent against vandalism that that the City Council consider the painting of a community artwork / mural around the exterior walls of the Swimming Pool; that the latter would also take place linking with local schools and community groups (Cllr. K. McCarthy).
(2) That a review of health and safety take place of the old medieval laneways along South Main Street and North Main Street. Those laneways open to the general public are now subject to anti-social behaviour such as urinating and rubbish disposal (Cllr. K. McCarthy).
People dancing on the streets – only in Cork – great music and atmosphere! well done to all involved in the Ceili Mor!
On last Friday night, Blackrock Castle Observatory partnered with Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland California for “Web of Stars,” a unique pilot remote astronomy project, designed to teach astronomy across two continents using a live video link. Astronomers at Chabot will observe the sky at night, delivering real-time astronomical images to students in Ireland in order to discuss their properties and share information about the night sky.
This project was conceived to celebrate the 25th anniversary of San Francisco and Cork becoming sister cities as well as 2009 the International Year of Astronomy.
The sister city initiative was spearheaded by US Senator Dianne Feinstein during her tenure as Mayor of San Francisco. Diarmuid Philpott, Chair of Cork Sister City committee at San Francisco City Hall, has been instrumental in developing the local educational and political ties. This enables progress of the unique teaching exercise which takes advantage of the time difference between the two cities allowing the live link to take place.
“This educational opportunity is an extraordinary way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of San Francisco and Cork becoming sister cities,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. “The telescopes at Chabot Space & Science Center will provide inspirational science education to the students in Cork. The two cities will continue to strengthen the links between them and explore possibilities for further commercial, tourism, cultural and educational contacts.”
For more information, Blackrock Castle Observatory has a mission to provide the people of Cork city and Ireland with a centre of excellence in science by fostering interest in science, engineering and technology through the medium of astronomy. www.bco.ie/webofstars
Blackrock Castle Observatory is a 16th century castle located about 2km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of the river Lee. At the castle you will find: