Category Archives: Landscapes

McCarthy: Welcome News on All Saint’s Graveyard, Carr’s Hill being handed over to Cork City Council, 21 June 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the takeover of ownership by Cork City Council from the HSE of All Saint’s Cemetery in Carr’s Hill.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is really great to see the City Council take ownership of this really historic and very important graveyard in Cork’s and in Ireland’s history. There have been many calls in the City Council Chamber and from the general public during the last few years for the graveyard to have a proper maintenance and conservation plan. Whereas the HSE have pursued successful conservation projects in Cork, I feel when it comes to historic graveyards, Cork City Council has more experience; it has concentrated teams focussing on amenity development, heritage and archaeology. Access, the collapse of the historic entrance and stone walls  as well as adding to the information history panels need now to be addressed through utilising local heritage City Council funding and drawing down national conservation funding”. 

Cllr McCarthy continued; “The graveyard’s history goes back to 1847. As St Joseph’s graveyard could not cope with increase in burials during the Great Famine, Fr Mathew suggested to the Cork Union Workhouse Guardians that a new burial ground should be acquired. As a result, land was attained from George Carr, a workhouse official on the road between Douglas and Carrigaline. Thousands of poor men, women and children are buried there with no headstone. This sacred, sad and hallowed ground needs to be cherished, respected, given dignity. It’s a historically sensitive area which needs TLC”.

View Kieran’s short film here:

Kieran’s Submission to Bus Connects , Phase 2, 25 May 2023

Climate Action, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development

The amendments that have appeared in the phase 2 plans are welcome. I remain pro the need for a better sustainable bus service and associated mobility works. Within several neighbourhoods with the south east area of Cork City, which I represent, many of the phase one plans created much deep anger and deep mistrust of the NTA and Bus Connects, mainly because of what I would deem a tokenistic communication campaign.

Whereas the plans for phase 2 are significantly less maddingly in terms of physical changes and consultation with local people, I am still receiving many emails from local people whose general questions, through email to Bus Connects email during this past phase two process, have been left unanswered. I am still calling for a root and branch review of communication to local people. Certainly, I deem it very unfair to send out animation videos into the public realm, which do not show the below and after changes belonging to the phase two proposals.

Boreenmanna Road:

The decision to retain the vast majority of the trees on Boreenmanna Road and the backing down of CPO-ing of small garden units is welcome. The sustainable compromise reached with the resident’s group is positive. Many residents though in the western part of the road are still very much in the dark of plans for local parking and how the narrow Rockboro Road to the South Link will be widened.

Douglas Road:

Despite a series of alternatives being put forward by resident groups, very little change has been made to the initial emerging proposals from the NTA on the physical changes to the Douglas Road roadscape – which includes compulsory purchase orders, culling of front garden biodiversities and the reconstruction of nineteenth century stone walls. To me as a Cork heritage promoter the reconstruction of built and environmental heritage is high end heritage vandalism.

From what I have seen affected local residents on Douglas Road have received letters from the NTA but those slightly off the road have not. So, a lot of people are in the dark, both who live on the road and those who use the road. The NTA animations that have been created do not tell the full story of the destruction in particular of historic walls and trees. The same animations also do not tell the full story for houses affected on Maryborough Hill.

The bus gate concept also needs actual traffic data as traffic will be re-routed into the heart of areas such as Well Road and Ballinlough at peak times, and access to schools on Douglas Road could be non existent. Many local people are very worried about what might happen when it comes to the re-routing of traffic and have many questions.

In addition much work is needed with Douglas Village residents who also remain concerned about the impact of the Bus Corridor on Douglas Village.

Beaumont Walled Garden:

As part of the phase two plans, a proposal has now appeared to turn the interior of the historic 19th century walled garden space adjacent Cherrington, Ballinlough Pitch and Putt Club and Beaumont Park into a car park for the area. In recent years a number of residents have expressed the view that such a space would (once again) make a fine community garden space, and should be rejuvenated as such. The project had even been developed to a point of a physical plan with Cork City Council. So it is very disappointing that after years of idea development that this important community project could now be possibly shelved and that damage would be inflicted on a historic walled garden. I ask that this community garden project be allowed progress.

I ask that the above points are taken into consideration as well as those of my constituents in the south east of Cork City,

Sincerely,

Cllr Kieran McCarthy

Kieran’s Historical Walking Tours, June 2023

Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized

Tuesday evening, 6 June 2023, Cork and the River Lee, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, 2 hours, no booking required for all tours).

Sunday afternoon, 11 June 2023, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Tuesday evening, 13 June 2023, The Lough and its Curiosities; meet at green area at northern green of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough, Lough Church end; 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required)

Sunday afternoon, 18 June 2023, Blackpool: Its History and Heritage; meet at square on St Mary’s Road, opp North Cathedral, 2pm, (free, two hours, no booking required).

Letter to Residents, Re: NTA Bus Connects, Phase 2 Public Consultation, Ballinlough & Douglas Road, 16 May 2023

Climate Action, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

(Letter being circulated to Ballinlough residents this week)

Dear Resident,

I hope this finds you well. The closing date for receipt of submissions for phase two of the public consultation by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on the Bus Connects Corridors is next Thursday 25 May.

My sincere thanks to all those who have made submissions todate and especially to the wider Douglas Road residents’ group and the various sub groups, including those across Ballinlough, who have liased with the NTA a number of times voicing not only concerns but also viable more sustainable alternatives.

Despite a series of alternatives by local residents being put forward, very little change has been made to the initial emerging proposals from the NTA on the proposed physical changes to the Douglas Road roadscape – which at its heart includes the widening of the road for over 1km – the destruction of a 1km of historic built heritage and visual character via compulsory purchase orders, reconstruction of nineteenth century stone walls, and culling of over km of mature trees and biodiversity.

As this is a general letter to all residents in Ballinlough, some effects on residents are larger than others. However, please note there are also plans to create bus gates, which will limit movement of cars on Douglas Road at peak hours. The latter will have a knock-on effect on school traffic, as it will be rerouted into Ballinlough in the morning and evening times. The current proposals also pitches the removal of on-street car parking along 95 per cent of Douglas Road (west to east).

It is crucial that as a local resident that you become aware of the still evolving proposals and make a submission if you are offering support, critique, and/or other solutions.

The full set of maps are available under the Maryborough Hill to City (bus corridor I) at www.busconnects/cork. Submissions should be made via that website or send a letter to “Bus Connects Cork, NTA, Suite 427, 1 Horgan’s Quay, Waterfront Square, Cork”.

As always I remain at your disposal for any help on Bus Connects or any other local concerns.

Sincerely,

__________________

Cllr Kieran McCarthy

Independent

Cllr McCarthy’s Make a Model Boat Project 2023

Climate Action, Cork City Events, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy invites all Cork young people to participate in the thirteenth year of McCarthy’s Make a Model Boat Project. All interested participants must design and make a model boat at home and bring it to The Lough on the evening of Friday 19 May 2023.

The event is being run in association with Meitheal Mara and the Cork Harbour Festival Team for the Cork Harbour Festival itself. There are three categories, two for primary and one for secondary students. The theme is ‘Boats of the Past which is open to interpretation. The model must be creative though, made from recycled materials and must be able to float. There are prizes for best models and the event is free to enter. For further information and to register a boat, log onto http://www.corkharbourfestival.com

Cllr McCarthy, who is heading up the event, noted: “Over the 13 years of this annual projects, the Make a Model Boat Project has gone from strength to strength. The  Cork Harbour festival team and I have seen really creative entries and of course it is great to be able to float boats on a fantastic amenity such as The Lough. I am encouraging creation, recycling, innovation and imagination amongst our young people, which are important traits for all of us to develop. The Make a Model Boat Project is part of a suite of community projects I have organised over the years– the others include the Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project with Cork City Council, the Community local history walks, and local history publications”. 

Cllr McCarthy announces Historical Walking Tours for May 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized

Cllr Kieran McCarthy has announced his set of historical walking tours for the month of May, which range from The Marina, Rochestown and Old Court Woods, to the area in and around the top of St Patrick’s Hill.

Cllr Kieran McCarthy noted: “The stories on the three tours for the month of May have different timelines ranging from the mid eighteenth century to Civil War in 1922 but all reflect on the diverseness of Cork’s historical narratives and their multitude of tangents. Ultimately though all of the stories have influenced Cork’s cultural and built heritage and have added immensely to how the city’s story as a whole came into being. All three tours also cover special parts of Cork’s geography such as the City’s relationship with the River Lee, hillside views, and suburban and urban woodland.

The dates and times for Kieran’s tours are below:

Saturday 6 May 2023, The Marina; Discover the history of the city’s promenade, from
forgotten artefacts to ruinous follies; meet at western end adjacent Shandon Boat Club, The Marina, 2pm, no booking required (free, duration: two hours).

Saturday 13 May 2023, The Battle of Douglas, An Irish Civil War Story, meet at carpark and entrance to Old Railway Line, Harty’s Quay, Rochestown; 2pm, (free, 2 hours, finishes near Rochestown Road).

Saturday 20 May 2023,  The Northern Ridge – St Patrick’s Hill to MacCurtain Street;
Tour around St Patrick’s Hill – Old Youghal Road to McCurtain Street; meet on the Green  at Audley Place, top  of St Patrick’s Hill, 2pm (free, duration: two  hours, no booking required, finishes on MacCurtain Street).

NTA Bus Connects, Removal of Well Road from Phase 2 Plans, 11 April 2023

Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

The public consultation phase two maps on Bus Connects have now been published by the National Transport Authority (NTA). It is my understanding that affected local residents have received letters from the NTA.

My sincere thanks to all those who made submissions to the NTA voicing not only concerns but viable alternatives.

The upshot of the phase one consultation for Well Road has led to the complete removal of proposals for the road, which included compulsory purchase orders of many front gardens, stone wall reconstruction, and associated tree and biodiversity culling.

Wider info of the phase two maps can be viewed at www.busconnects/cork or at the NTA open day meeting for the phase 2 plans at Rochestown Park Hotel on Friday 21 April, 10am-7pm.

Cllr McCarthy: People Power Continues to take on NTA’s Bus Connects, 4 April 2023

Climate Action, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has noted it has been people power, which has led to changes to the National Transport Authority’s Cork Bus Connects project phase 1. Cllr McCarthy has now called on affected local residents to continue their engagement with the phase 2 of round of public consultation.

The National Transport Authority’s second phase of public consultation will run from 30 March until 25 May 2023. The latest round of public consultation centres on the Preferred Route Options are available to view on the Cork Bus Connects website.

View: Cork | Busconnects

Following the first round of public consultation, the NTA has been reviewing the almost 3,000 submissions made by the public and engaging constructively with 35 residents’, business and special interest groups across the city. Community Forums were also established for each corridor to enable a two-way dialogue with local communities to help inform the review process.

Cllr McCarthy noted:

“It has been a very long nine months in my local area as local residents worried about the results of the NTA consultation. The array of climb downs on proposed changes to local roads is to be welcomed. In Douglas and Ballinlough, the original proposals involved mass tree destruction of road side trees along Boreenmanna Road and urban forestry in the Mangala as well as vast CPO-ing of property across a number of local roads including Well Road. During last summer I was vocal that many of the proposals could be described as environmental vandalism.

I had so many impacted residents highly worried that their neighbourhoods would become wide motorways devoid of biodiversity and taking large chunks of their front gardens. My sincere thanks to the many residents’ groups who formed and lobbied for effective change, compromise and alternatives in the proposals. Great credit is due to their energy and effort.

The nature of Douglas Road’s future landscape is still in limbo. Residents and I still have concerns over the proposed half a kilometre of dismantling of historic stone wall and clearing largescale road side biodiversity.  I call on the NTA to listen to resident’s alternatives and to rethink about the large scale destruction of the road’s heritage. It is also highly important that affected residents attend the upcoming public consultation meetings and express their concerns”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Cllr McCarthy’s Historical Walking Tours Return for 2023, 13 March 2023

Cork City Events, Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Events

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy is to restart his free historical walking tours during the month of April. Tours will be of the old Cork City workhouse site on Douglas Road in St Finbarr’s Hospital, the Shandon quarter, and the Barrack Street/ Friar’s Walk area respectively.

Cllr McCarthy noted; “This year my talks and walks reach their 30th year. There have been many walks given since my teen years. I have pursued more research than ever in recent years as more and more old newspapers and books are digitised these have allowed greater access to material and hence more material to create historical walking trails of some of Cork’s most historical suburbs”.

“I am also trying to sharpen the tours I have and to create new ones in a different suburb. The three areas I am re-starting with for the 2023 all have their own unique sense of place, their own cultural and built heritage, their own historic angles, some really interesting ‘set pieces’ and add their own stories to how the city as a whole came into being; they also connect to the upcoming 2023 Cork Lifelong Learning Festival”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Full details of Kieran’s April tours are below:     

Saturday 1 April 2023, Shandon Historical Walking Tour; explore Cork’s most historic quarter; meet at North Main Street/ Adelaide Street Square, opp Cork Volunteer Centre, 2pm, in association with the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).  

Sunday 2 April 2023, The Cork City Workhouse; learn about Cork City’s workhouse created for 2,000 impoverished people in 1841; meet just inside the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 2pm, in association with the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, two hours, on site tour, no booking required)

Saturday 15 April 2023, The Friar’s Walk; Discover Red Abbey, Elizabeth Fort, Barrack Street, Callanan’s Tower & Greenmount area; Meet at Red Abbey tower, off Douglas Street, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).

Cllr McCarthy: More Communication essential between NTA and Resident Groups on Bus Corridors, 10 March 2023

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Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has called for more consistent and meaningful communication between the NTA and Residents Groups. Proposals for 12 Sustainable Transport Corridors including Maryborough Hill to Douglas Road for BusConnects Cork were published in June 2022 as part of the first round of public consultation. The consultation closed in early October last year.

Following the first round of public consultation, the NTA has been reviewing the almost 3,000 submissions made by the public. The BusConnects Cork team has also met with 33 residents’ and business groups across the city since summer 2022 with meetings ongoing. The  engagement process has resulted in a number of revisions and alternatives to the initial proposals and these will inform part of the next round of public consultation for people’s feedback.

However Cllr Kieran McCarthy has noted that some of the feedback has been haphazard; “I am hearing that some residents groups in the Douglas area have had multiple meetings and others have had none. The communication process must be consistent. We will entering phase 2 of the public consultation process in early April and it important that compromises and alternatives, where relevant are actually discussed and explored – otherwise the consultation element is just a tick the box action”. 

“I remain deeply worried for the built and natural heritage of several areas of the NTA plans. The decision to omit the bridge proposal over the Mangala is welcome but the thought of kilometres of trees and garden space being ripped out along route ways such as Douglas Road, Boreenmanna Road and Well Road is very worryingly indeed. Hence why meaningful dialogue is very important between stakeholders”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.