Category Archives: Improve Your Life

Speech, The Unveiling of the Michael Collins Statue, 20 October 2023

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Rena Buckley and Ronan O’Gara unveiling the new statue of Michael Collins. Credit: Darragh Kane
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Rena Buckley and Ronan O’Gara unveiling the new statue of Michael Collins. Credit: Darragh Kane

The Parade of Memory

Dear distinguished guests, dear friends, thank you for the invite to address you.

I have three brief messages.

My first message to you this afternoon is all about the power of the rich stories that underpin Cork’s past and Ireland’s past and how this statue adds to the city’s memory bank.

In a historic port city such as Cork, stories swirl around us,

Every few metres there are stories, which stop you, they make you question, make you wonder, make you dream, make you remember, make you curious, make you disturbed, make you explore and make you to not forget – a whole series of emotions, which ultimately make a strong sense of heritage, a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place

And this afternoon we unveil another story to add to the cityscape.

 On this historic street, Grand Parade we stand on a space with an abundance of stories, memories, and curiosities.

A former rushes and reeds threwn river channel.

A former impressive moat of the eastern walls of the walled town of Cork,

A moat giving access to the small port of the walled town via the grand castles of King’s Castle and Queen’s Castle, now depicted in the City’s Coat of Arms.

South east quadrant of the town wall, c.1600 as depicted in George Carew’s Pacata Hibernia, c.1600; red dashed line is the Grand Parade (source: Cork City Library)
South east quadrant of the town wall, c.1600 as depicted in George Carew’s Pacata Hibernia, c.1600 ; red dashed line is the Grand Parade (source: Cork City Library)

A curious late sixteenth century canon reputed to be from the Siege of Cork in 1690.

A placename with links to Georgian Cork and a toppled King George II statue, a story now immortalised in Sráid an Chapaill Bhuí

A carefully constructed series of arches over the river channel to create this Grand and wide street of the Grand Parade

A bridge named after eighteenth century champion of Cork’s impoverished Nano Nagle

An unfinished but friendly gift of a fountain by judge Walter Berwick in 1860s Cork

A thought provoking National Monument placed in 1906, ten years before the Easter Rising 

A new library emblazoned with an Irish Free State Harp, which replaced a burnt out Carnegie Library.

And the list goes on… influential families who lived and worked on the streets, historical churches such as Christ Church and St Augustine’s, famous shops, cinemas, and public space creation.

So my first brief message that as we unveil this statue and its embodied stories it is important to reflect on how lucky we are in Cork to have a wider heritage and historical contexts, which all add to Cork’s a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place.

And this statue will also add to Cork’s a strong sense of memory and a strong sense of place.

Discover more on the Grand Parade’s evolution here: History Trail, Grand Parade | Cork Heritage

Grand Parade, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Grand Parade, Cork, present day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

My second message to you is bound up with narrowing the lens even more to reflect on why the statue is placed on this location and what drew Michael Collins to the street here on 11 March 1922.

 It is important to note the historical context or the time and space of what we remember here especially as all of us Corkonians frequent the Grand Parade regularly.

It was the first political rally that Michael Collins attended outside Dublin to promote support for the Treaty was in Cork City. All of the regional newspapers of the time including the Cork Examiner had media spreads on the rally.

On Saturday afternoon, 11 March, Michael and colleagues arrived to Cork City.

Anti-treaty supporters fired gunshots into the air as Collins passed in his car through St Patrick’s Street towards his accommodation at Turner’s Hotel on Oliver Plunkett Street. This was not a straight forward visit but hindered by security concerns.

During Saturday evening, two platforms set up on the Grand Parade for the rally the following day were damaged.

On Sunday 11 March circa 50,000 people turned up on Cork’s Grand Parade for the rally. Every vantage point was used. At platform no.1, the first speaker was Liam De Róiste, who was followed by Michael Collins.

*View British Pathe footage of Michael Collins addressing the Cork public in March 1922, GREAT CORK TREATY – British Pathé (britishpathe.com)

The core of Michael’s speech was basically a rebuttal of many of De Valera’s ideas he had presented in previous weeks at his own Anti Treaty rallies across the country.

Michael went onto comment on the Treaty negotiations and the success of the British army leaving the south of Ireland.

In a sense culture and society was physically changing in Cork.

Michael Collins was followed by Seán Hayes, Commandant Seán McKeown TD, Commandant Seán Hayes TD, and Diarmuid Fawsitt. During Seán McKeown’s speech shots were fired during his speech and continued interruptions of shouting was heard all the way to the end of the programme of platform no.1.

The pro Treaty rally hosted by Michael Collins on Cork’s Grand Parade on Sunday 12 March was deemed a success. The following day, Monday 13 March, before taking the afternoon train back to Dublin, Michael took the time with Diarmuid Fawsitt from the Provisional Government’s Ministry of Economics to visit and take a tour of the Ford factory.

At Turner’s Hotel on Oliver Plunkett Street Michael Collins received several deputations – Irish Ex-Servicemen, Tenant’s Association, Cork and District Labour Council and a deputation appeared about the question of advancing funding for premises destroyed in the Burning of Cork.

Their mantras were all about a job of work to do to resolve economic and social challenges, which faced Cork. 

The city had 8,000 people unemployed with a large proportion of whom were artisans, mechanics and unskilled labourers.

So yes there was much excitement for Michael here on 11 March but there were also many questions about the winds of cultural and societal change within Irish society and Cork society and what an emerging Irish Free State would look like.

Indeed, over the ensuing six weekends Michael Collins held political rallies from Skibbereen to Waterford, Wexford, Castlebar, Tralee, and Naas, where questions and answers continued.

Michael Collins giving an oration on the Grand Parade, Cork 12 March 1922 (picture: Cork Examiner)

And my third and last message concerns one of the statements of Michael he gave on this street on 11 March. Towards the end of his passionate speech, he made a noble call about created a better Ireland for future generations.

“We have a chance now of giving our people a better life, we have a chance of doing the things that the people required done. We have a chance that the people shall no longer live the life of beasts.

We have a chance of ending our slums. We have a chance of ending the hovels of some of our country places. We have a chance of making our population happy and health. We have a chance now, not by travelling any soft road, God knows, but by a hard tilted effort to make Ireland something for the next generation, which it was not for ourselves, which it was not for ourselves”.

We are Michael’s next generation. And yes, much was done in the emerging Irish Free State to create a better Ireland. One just even have to look at Cork’s development in the 1920s – rebuilding of the City Centre, clearance of slums, massive social housing projects, economic development of our towns and villages and rural areas, and most all the emergence of a more happy, healthy and hopeful people.

But here we are over 100 years after Michael’s oration here, in a time where a “hard tilted” efforts needs to be made again, for ourselves and for future generations – across elements in particular of housing provision, hospital care, social inclusion, equality, community life, future proofing employment – what Michael called for a centenary ago.

We have a chance in our time to finish what Michael and his compatriots started. And we ow to ourselves to finish the job, work together and to strive forward.

So Dear Friends today, yes we reflect upon our new statue of Michael Collins but it is also to reflect on the cauldron of different simmering ideas or messages.

 It is important to reflect on the wider context on which this statue is to be added to and the rich sense of place the City possesses,

the messages of cultural and societal change abounding in 1922,

and the role of past narratives in our present and our future. That the work of what Michael and his compatriots remains unfinished.

To conclude dear friends, I wish to thank the fundraising campaign committee, my colleague Cllr Shane O’Callaghan for his commitment to championing the story of Michael Collins, and to Michael Holland for his creative skills in forging this beautiful piece of sculptural work. Go raibh míle maith agat.

Unveiling of new Michael Collins statue, Grand Parade, Cork, 20 October 2023 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

Kieran’s Lord Mayor Echo Column, 14 October 2023

Community Grassroots Matters

            The past, present and future of community building is very regular theme in the Lord Mayor’s office. Two events recently reiterated the legacy of community life and the importance of grassroots activities in our city. I gave a civic reception to former Independent Councillor Con O’Leary and met with Cork City FC and Gerry McAnaney, the President of the FAI.

Honouring Con O’Leary:

            Whilst Con, like myself, served as an Independent Councillor in Cork City Council, I didn’t share the Council Chamber with him but Con’s family, friends and my colleagues in the Council shared some snippets from Con’s life and contribution to the City with me. Con was born in the Community he has served for most of his life – Gurranabraher, going to Blarney St. Boy’s School. Con and wife Ann lived in Charlemont Terrace, Wellington Road as newlyweds. They moved to Mayfield for a short period before returning back to Con’s roots in Gurranabraher in 1973.

            An opportunity arose to purchase ‘Molly’s Shop’ now known as ‘Con’s Shop’ and for over 50 years now Con has served the people of Gurranabraher from that shop. We all know the value of the corner shop.  The service they provide goes way beyond a pint of milk, a loaf of bread or a lottery card.  These shops are bedrocks of community life.  Con, like many shopkeepers – not only kept the shop, but kept an eye on the street, provided shelter from the rain and an open ear when no one else was listening.  He knew when people were struggling and pointed them in the direction of help. 

            It is borne out of the shop as a community service that Con got involved in a whole host of community initiatives – Churchfield/Gurranabraher youth club, St. Anthony’s over 60’s club, Churchfield/Gurranabraher Meals on Wheels, The Legion of Mary Gurranabraher, Ógra Corcaigh, and the North Infirmary Action Group

            Perhaps it was that Community involvement then that led Con into local politics in 1991– not only serving as a Councillor but also as a Member of the Southern Health Board, and as a Director of EACD (European Cities against Drugs). A glance at newspapers from 1991-2004 shows important and a myriad of councillor campaigns by Con. It is an honour to celebrate a master crafts person of community, someone who forged carefully community life in our city over many decades.

Honouring Football Legacies:

            Football in Cork became a major theme across one of my recent weeks. Cork City FC hosted a breakfast briefing at The Metropole Hotel, which I attended and I also hosted a reception to honour the work of the President of the FAI Gerry McAnaney, who has strong links to College Corinthians, amongst other.

            Cork City FC has invited sponsors of the club to gather and hear about the business of running the football club and about how the club is building on the relationships already established with some of Cork’s leading businesses.  The club is also hoping to increase its sponsors by establishing and developing relationships with other businesses in the city.

            Cork City FC like many of our sporting clubs matters in our city and region and add significantly to the essence of building community values in Cork and grassroots sports initiatives in Cork – the tangible and intangible benefits. This was also one of the themes of Gerry’s speech during his visit to City Hall.

            In addition one does not have to look far to see how football clubs are rooted in the life of the city and how proud the city are of them, and how it represents the many legacies of football clubs going back over one hundred years.

            Indeed, one just has to go to any match to see the sense of pride, ownership and love for Cork City FC amongst players, management and the supporters who chant, laugh, cry and shout more and then even chant, laugh, cry and shout more the local football team on. And that essence of pride is hard to physically replicate.

            There are individuals who have spent decades every week supported the team and there are parents or guardians who proudly bring the next generation on in all kinds of weather, and they wouldn’t miss it for anything. There are incredible special moments of human connection are bound up with football and indeed all of the sports that operate in Cork. One cannot buy that energy or connection but it is so important to have in a city such as Cork whose heart when it comes to social and cultural capital beats very passionately.

Notes from the Lord Mayor’s Office:

September 30: I was delighted to launch the Celebrating Cork Past Exhibition.

September 30: It was great to attend and take part in the Lord Mayor’s Community Heritage Concert.

October 2: It was a great honour to receive Douglas born and reared woman Mary Scanlon, who is celebrating her 100th anniversary early next month.

October 2: I paid a visit to the Elephant Sculpture as part of the Cork Samaritans Elephant in the Room campaign.

October 2: I was delighted to launch the Dragon of Shandon, which is all set for 31 October to re-enter the streets of Cork.

October 4: I was delighted to pay a courtesy visit to Collins Barracks to learn about its history and its role in the future of the Cork region.

October 5: I attended the Cork City FC Breakfast morning whose focus was on sponsorship.

October 5: I attended and presented the centenary event for the Insurance Institute of Cork.

October 6: I hosted a reception with College Corinthians to mark the completion of Gerry McAnaney’s presidency of the FAI.

October 6: I hosted a number of visiting scholars who were presenting the Western Front conference in Cork on aspects of the First World War.

Kieran’s Lord Mayor’s Echo Column, 30 September 2023

Celebrating St Finbarr:

This past week marked the 1400th anniversary of Cork’s patron saint’s death. Ceremonies took place in St Finbarre’s Cathedral and will also take place at Gougane Barra. On reflection, it is amazing how much folklore and legend of our patron saint has defined the Cork city’s heritage.

Historically Finbarr’s Life survives in 35 manuscripts and twenty-one copies of the early vernacular life. Finbarr’s written vernacular life has undergone little major change between its earliest and latest extant copies. These date respectively to about 1450 to 1874. Finbarr’s original life seems to have been composed, perhaps as part of a collection, in Cork between 1196 and 1201 AD, some 25 years after the arrival of the Normans in South Munster. This was a time of reform in the Catholic Church.

There are several ways of spelling Finbarr but the most common spelling is as shown. His connection seems rooted in several religious sites across the Lee Valley from source (Gougane Barra) to mouth (Cork City). Finbarr’s Life was composed initially in Latin between 1196 and 1201 AD. His life was transmitted along three principal lines, each marking a major revision of the original text.

Finbarr’s myth endures in the valley and it is the legacy of St Finbarr that gives the city and valley its core spiritual identity and an origins story. Across the valley, there are churches named after Finbarr and a number of memorials depicting the saint in churches in the form of stained glass windows and statues.

An Enduring Figure:

There are several legends that have made it into the city’s main historical narrative. One legend records that the origins of Cork City begins at the source of the Lee in the scenic Shehy Mountains at the heart of which lies the cherished pilgrimage site of Gougane Barra (Finbarr’s rocky cleft). There St Finbarr reputedly established one of his earlier monasteries on an island in the middle of Gougane Lake. Legend has it that he then left to walk the river valley at the mouth of which he established the monastery (at what is now the site of St FinBarre’s Cathedral in Cork City) overlooking Corcach Mór na Mumhan or the Great Marsh of Munster.

Finbarr’s hermitage was located around the area of present-day Gillabbey Street. It grew to be an important religious centre in southern Munster, providing ecclesiastical services in the form of a church and graveyard, and secular services in the form of a school, hospital and hostel. The annal evidence for the school relates that languages such as Latin were taught and that it was one of the five primary sites in Ireland in terms of size and influence. Word quickly spread of the monastery’s valuable contribution to society, and it became necessary to expand the site.

Between 600 AD and 800 AD, a larger hermitage was constructed east of the original site on open ground now marked by St. FinBarre’s Cathedral. It is believed that over the subsequent centuries this hermitage grew to a point where it extended along the northern district of the Lough, and extended on both sides of Gillabbey Street and College Road about as far as the locality now occupied by University College Cork (UCC).

Around the year 623 AD St Finbarr died at the monastery of his friend, St Colman, at Cloyne in East Cork. His body was returned to his hermitage and his remains were encased in a silver shrine. Here they remained until 1089 when they were stolen by Dermod O’Brien. The shrine and the remains have never been recovered. Legend has it that the location of his tomb is just to the southeast of the present cathedral, overlooked by the famous Golden Angel. St Finbarr’s feast day is celebrated on 25 September. As the city’s patron saint he is still greatly revered. The city is lucky to have such a rich cultural heritage.

Meeting Notes from the Lord Mayor’s Desk:

My school visits are ongoing. I have now entered week four of five weeks where the 115 city schools will be visited. Over 40,000 primary and secondary students are engaged over the 26 morning run. Many thanks for the warm welcome so far.

September 28, It was great honour to celebrate the work of the Cork Learning Neighbourhoods over the past year. There are six Learning Neighbourhoods which include Knocknaheeny, Ballyphehane, Mayfield, The Glen, Togher and South Parish. It is important to recognise the importance of the volunteers across the communities who are promoting lifelong learning. There have been diverse and inclusive learning activities that have taken place over the past year. The contribution of the four key partners, CETB, Cork City Council, UCC and MTU are crucial as well as the work of the Learning City Team.

September 27, I formally opened the ETB’s Future of Education conference in the Concert Hall in City Hall. It’s 10 years since Ireland’s 16 Education and Training Boards were established. Following the hugely successful “ETB Day” celebrations earlier this year, ETBs now turn their attention to the future, What does the ETB school, college and organisation of the Future look like? What do our current learners expect and want for the class of 2033? What do we need from our funders, stakeholders and staff to help us get there?

September 26, I launched Cork City Local Enterprise Office’s Autumn/Winter Training Schedule. Cork City has a strong and successful small business sector. At the Local Enterprise Office, Cork City their goal is to ensure the continued growth and success of micro enterprises in the region. Their responsibilities include Fostering a local enterprise culture, maximising the employment potential of small businesses in the region, and providing a range of business support packages to small-scale enterprises including business information & advice, mentoring and training. 

September 24, I launched Cork Walking Week 2023 which took place from the 18th to 24th September. As part of the festival I hosted my historical walking tour of Shandon. The week highlights the stakeholders that are working to make Cork city and county a more accessible and safe place to get out walking and wheeling. Infrastructural developments coupled with determined advocacy for the prioritisation of walking and wheeling will help to break down barriers and normalise walking and wheeling. 

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 28 September 2023

1221a. Youghal beach and Railway Station c.1910 (source: Cork City Library).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 28 September 2023

Recasting Cork: Thirty Years of the Children’s Excursion

Bringing 3,000 impoverished children annually to Youghal was a large scale effort by Cork City’s Poor Excursion Committee. It was chaired by William F O’Connor, solicitor, and former Lord Mayor of Cork. In his analysis of the event of the annual event on 19 September 1923 in the Cork Examiner, he was proud to note that the event in 1923 was its thirtieth anniversary and that it was a “eminently successful one”.

William gives his highest praise to the ladies and gentlemen members of the committee that planned out the excursion and to the many subscriptions made to a central support fund; “It was a highly laudable fixture, and it was indeed most gratifying to find that members of the committee worked in most untiring fashion to make it what it proved to be, a delightful outing for the poor children of Cork, and a credit to all who helped in its conduct. Since its inception the excursion has been eagerly looked forward to by the poor of the city, and no charity has ever attained such a measure of popularity”.

Reference is also made by William that the event was initiated by one of Cork’s distinguished citizens, the late Mr Augustine Roche, in 1883-1884. Augustine entered the Corporation of Cork in 1883. He was elected Mayor for the years 1893 and 1894, and when in that position he instituted an annual excursion and the Christmas dinner for poor-children, which helped some 5,000 children.

Augustine was appointed City High Sheriff for 1902-3, during which years the Cork International Exhibition was held. He represented Cork City from 1905 to 1910 as MP in Westminster, when he was defeated, but a year later was again returned to Parliament for North Louth unopposed on the disqualification petition of another MP. One of the best-known and most highly esteemed citizens of Cork, he was, through all his public life, a leader in philanthropy. Augustine had a wholesale wine trade on King Street or MacCurtain Street and had business dealings with every county in the south of Ireland. 

Ahead of the 19 September 1923 excursion, elaborate arrangements were made for the thirtieth anniversary and for the success of the event.  Tickets at the Cornmarket were given out a week before hand at the Cornmarket and the Civic Guard and the Fire Brigade were asked to assist in keeping order during the distribution.

On the day of the excursion queues were quickly formed in every part of the outward premises, and marshalling everyone onto the Cork-Youghal trains was a big operation. As the morning advanced, the numbers of children assembling became considerably enlarged, and half an hour before the time fixed for the departure of the first train the Cork Examiner records a scene of a “very animated character” was on display.

Stewards appointed to attend to the arrangements at the Cork station were promptly in attendance. Members of the National Army, Civic Guard, and Fire Brigade were also present to render every possible assistance. The Cork Examiner records that the children were well behaved; “They were exceedingly orderly and well-behaved and gave little trouble to those who carried out the arrangements, and were most anxious for their comfort, accommodation and enjoyment”.

The Cork Examiner noted of the marshalling preparations:”Members of the Excursion Committee, as well as specially appointed stewards, were posted at all points leading to the barriers of platforms from which trains to Youghal started, while inside these barriers prominent members of the committee had assembled and made most perfect arrangements for the passage of the children to the awaiting trains. In this work, which was conducted in faultless fashion, members of the National Army, Civic Guards, and railway staff rendered valuable assistance”.

No less than four trains were required for the conveyance of the excursionists to Youghal. The first train left at half past eight and the last sonic time after ten o’clock, and by noon, close on 5,000 children had been safety brought to Youghal. The train arrangements at Youghal were attended to by Mr. Brickley, stationmaster.

As soon as the children reached their destination, they broke into no less than sixty sections and in each group a leader and 3-4 volunteers made sure everyone was safe. Once on the beach, the sunshine shone and the children indulged in bathing and sports, after which they proceeded to the Clay Castle and were provided with sandwiches, minerals and sweets.

The meat within the sandwiches was kindly cooked by the staff of the Cork Mental Hospital under the supervision of the Resident Medical Superintendent Dr Owen McCarthy. Even music was provided on the beach by the Greenmount Industrial School under the conductorship of Mr Ogden. Local people, especially Mr. O’Gorman, vice-chairman of the Urban Council and Mr James Cashman, of Youghal Urban District Council, were noted for their “efforts for the enjoyment of the youngsters and the success of the excursion”.

A few accidents, each of a minor character, took place and were attended to by Dr Orpen. Competent local oarsmen patrolled the waterway beyond the shore to present drowning incidents.

When the time came for the 3,000 children to board the trains back to Cork, it was overseen again by the National Army, members of the Civic Guard and the Cork Fire Brigade. Everyone returned safely and for a few hours the 3,000 children had been given a day away from the heart of impoverished slums in Cork City.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s season of walking tours. They will start again next April.

Caption:

1221a. Youghal beach and Railway Station c.1910 (source: Cork City Library).

Lord Mayor’s Echo Column, 2 September 2023

The Salt of the Generations:

Padraig Pearse once wrote that: “There are in every generation those who shrink from the ultimate sacrifice, but there are in every generation those who make it with joy and laughter and these are the salt of the generations”. Cork is very lucky that the “salt of the generations” is encountered in ever aspect of community life. However in the past two weeks I especially felt it in two of our well-known sporting clubs in the city, which I had formal visits to. Both clubs show that the game itself has been important but sport has built communities of interested and engaged Corkonians.

In 1943, Na Piarsaigh was founded by a group of schoolboys from the North Monastery School. Europe was embroiled in the Second World War – across Europe there had been death and exhaustion – despite Ireland’s neutrality, rationing was common place across cities such as Cork. Materials were in short supply so the housing plans for sites such as Ballyphehane and Fair Hill were on hold. Buildings that had started construction remained unfinished such as St Augustine’s Church. The progress of the City remained in limbo.

However, that did not stop the ideals of several very young men, who deemed a new club was needed in the heart of Cork’s northside. With a great love for our national culture and games, they established a club, which also reflected on the legacy and memory of Pádraig Pearse. They asked their teacher Donnacha O’Murchú to be their first President.

Quickly the club grew in membership, but it was not easy as there were challenges around where did this new club fit in the Cork GAA ecosystem. Training was conducted across various fields and eventually Junior championship wins began to flow.

In 1951, the secretary Donncha O’Griofa noted of the growing membership– “encourage them to think they are the coming champions. The success of our club ultimately rests on the generation to follow”.

Eighty years later Na Piarsaigh can boast many wins, a club with many friends, a family atmosphere, and a club within the world of sport the City knows it can call upon when it needs to. Happy eightieth birthday Na Piarsaigh!

A North-South Cross Border Project:

Over in the southern suburbs of the city, Blackrock Hurling Club recently hosted young players from Na Magha, in Derry City. Blackrock Hurling Club’s website describes that it was officially founded in 1883, one year before the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association itself. It is therefore the oldest hurling club in Cork. Until 1888 the club was known as Cork Nationals, when it changed its name to National Hurling Club of Blackrock, and later in the same year to Blackrock National Hurling Club.

            Na Magha was founded in 1982 and is the only hurling & camogie club in the City of Derry. Based in Ballyarnett at Páirc Na Magha, they have great facilities to help promote the national sport of hurling to a high standard. They have both hurling and camogie teams from Under 6 right up to senior level.

Denis Doherty from Na Magha Derry spoke to me for my ongoing #VoicesofCork film project and related that his hurling club & how his club has been coming to Cork’s Blackrock Hurling Club for 40 years with some of Derry’s youngest hurlers. There are also reciprocal visits to Derry every year. This cross border activity of hurling began as a respite project away from the Northern Ireland Troubles. Over the many years, the project has offered a fantastic opportunity for the young players to visit each other’s cities and get to know each other’s communities more.

Meeting Notes from the Lord Mayor’s Desk:

August 26, I was delighted the launch of The Everyman’s Autumn season. it’s jam-packed with family favourites, comedy shows and captivating performances. Cork’s favourite traditional family Panto returns withBeauty and the Beast, directed by Catherine Mahon-Buckley. The co-production with CADA will run from Saturday 2 December to Sunday 14 January. In an undoubted season highlight, The Everyman will also co-produce The Women, We Will Rise with singer-songwriter Karan Casey, in association with Cork Folk Festival. It will place women centre stage with songs and stories about women from Ireland’s past, whilst singing into being a vision for the women of the future. See EverymanCork.com for more.

26 August, It was an interesting photocall to say the least on the steps of City Hall. But I was delighted to greet and sing with cyclists on the Irish Leg of the World Naked Bike Ride. Well done to all who took on the challenge. The event is part of a worldwide phenomenon where cyclists dabble in nudism in over 50 countries to send a strong message that we need to transition to renewable sources of energy and forms of transport.

August 26, It was a fantastic afternoon at the Ballinlough Summer Festival. Local volunteers hosted an incredible family fun event across the scenic Ballinlough Community Park.

August 26, I officially opened the North Main Street Carnival run by the Middle Parish Community Association. It was great to see the street pedestrianised for a day and the street filled by family filled activities.

August 21, I attended and spoke at the official Opening of the Roches Building at Mercy University Hospital (MUH). The 30-bed project, named after the late Sr Laurentia Roche, the last matron of the hospital, includes two ultra-modern operating theatres, of which one is a hybrid theatre, the third of its kind in the country. MUH said that robotic surgery will be introduced in the coming months, which will lead to reductions in surgical site infections, blood loss, and tissue damage during procedures, as well as shorter stays and fewer complications after operations.

Lord Mayor of Cork, The Echo Column, 12 August 2023

This week coming is National Heritage Week and it celebrates Ireland’s cultural, built and natural heritage. This week’s theme is Living Heritage and the week brings together volunteers, community groups and heritage enthusiasts to share their experience, knowledge culture and practices.

The tours I have chosen for National Heritage Week this year are all important areas in Cork city’s development plus they all have a unique sense of place and identity. I will host seven tours. There is no booking involved and all are free. My tours are the tip of the iceberg, so to spea,k on the array of events on this week in Cork City. Check out National Heritage Week.ie for more information on talks and walks on the City and its region.

Sunday 13 August 2023, Cork Through the Ages, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm (free, two hours, no booking required). 

 Cork City possesses a unique character derived from a combination of its plan, topography, built fabric and its location on the lowest crossing point of the River Lee as it meets the tidal estuary and the second largest natural harbour in the world. This tour explores the city’s earliest historical phases. In particular there is a focus on the walled town of Cork, which would have dominated the swampy estuary of the River Lee. Imagine an eight to ten-metre high and two-metre-wide rubble wall of limestone and sandstone, creeking drawbridges, mud filled main streets and laneways, as well as timber and stone built dwellings complete with falling roof straw and a smokey atmosphere from lit house fires keeping out the damp.

Monday 14 August 2023, Shandon Historical Walking Tour; explore Cork’s most historic quarter; meet at North Main Street/ Adelaide Street Square, opp Cork Volunteer Centre, 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).  

 Tradition is one way to sum up the uniqueness of Shandon Street. Despite being a physical street, one can stroll down (or clamber up), the thoroughfare holds a special place in the hearts of many Corkonians.  The legacy of by-gone days is rich. The street was established by the Anglo-Normans as a thoroughfare to give access to North Gate Drawbridge and was originally known as Mallow Lane. Different architectural styles reflect not only the street’s long history but also Cork’s past.

The name Shandon comes from the Irish word ‘Sean Dún’, which means old fort and it said to mark the ringfort of the Irish family, MacCárthaigh who lived in the area circa 1,000 A.D. The site of this fort is now marked by the Firkin Crane, Dance Cork centre. Nearby St Anne’s Shandon was built in 1722 to replace the older and local church of St. Mary’s, Shandon, which was destroyed in the siege of Cork in 1690 by English forces. In 1750 the firm of Abel Rudhall in Gloucester cast the famous bells of Shandon. On 7 December 1752, the bells were first used and were rung in celebration and recognition of the marriage of a certain Mr Henry Harding to Miss Catherine Dorman. Inscriptions can be found on the bells, which contain messages of joy and death.

Tuesday 15 August 2023, The City Workhouse and St Finbarr’s Hospital; meet just inside the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 6.30pm (free, two hours, no booking required). 

The Cork workhouse, which opened in December 1841, was an isolated place – built beyond the toll house and toll gates, which gave entry to the city and which stood just below the end of the wall of St. Finbarr’s Hospital in the vicinity of the junction of the Douglas and Ballinlough Roads. The Douglas Road workhouse was also one of the first of over 130 workhouses to be designed by the Poor Law Commissioners’ architect George Wilkinson. 

 Wednesday 16 August 2023, Cork South Docklands, in association with the Cork Jewish Community and Heritage Team; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Much of the story of Cork’s modern development is represented in Cork South Docklands. The history of the port, transport, technology, modern architecture, agriculture, sport, the urban edge with the river – all provide an exciting cultural debate in teasing out how Cork as a place came into being.  

Friday 18 August 2023, The Northern Ridge – St Patrick’s Hill to MacCurtain StreetHistorical walking tour; Discover the area around St Patrick’s Hill -Old Youghal Road to McCurtain Street; meet on the Green at Audley Place, top of St Patrick’s Hill, 6.30pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

 This is a tour that brings the participant from the top of St Patrick’s Hill to the eastern end of McCurtain Street through Wellington Road. The tour will speak about the development of the Collins Barracks ridge and its hidden and interesting architectural heritage.

 Saturday 19 August 2023, Douglas and its History, in association with Douglas Tidy Towns; Discover the history of industry and the development of this historic village, meet in the carpark of Douglas Community Centre, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required, circuit of village, finishes nearby). 

The story of Douglas and its environs is in essence a story of experimentation, of industry and of people and social improvement. The story of one of Ireland largest sailcloth factories is a worthwhile topic to explore in terms of its aspiration in its day in the eighteenth century. That coupled with the creation of forty or so seats or mansions and demesnes made it a place where the city’s merchants made their home in. Douglas makes also makes for an interesting place to study as many historical legacies linger in village’s surrounding landscapes.

 Sunday 20 August 2023, Views from a Park – The Black Ash and Tramore Valley Park, historical walking tour; meet at Halfmoon Lane gate, 2pm (free, duration: 90 minutes, no booking required). 

Historically William Petty’s 1655 map of the city and its environs marks the site of Tramore Valley Park as Spittal Lands, a reference to the original local environment and the backing up of the Trabeg and Tramore tributary rivers as they enter the Douglas River channel. We are lucky that there are also really interesting perspectives on the area recorded through the ages.

Come and take a walk with me this week!

National Heritage Week Tours with Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy

(All tours free, no booking required, all finish near their original start)

Sunday 13 August 2023, Cork Through the Ages, An Introduction to the Historical Development of Cork City; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 6.30pm. 

Monday 14 August 2023, Shandon Historical Walking Tour; explore Cork’s most historic quarter; meet at North Main Street/ Adelaide Street Square, opp. Cork Volunteer Centre, 6.30pm.  

Tuesday 15 August 2023, The City Workhouse and St Finbarr’s Hospital; meet just inside the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 6.30pm. 

Wednesday 16 August 2023, Cork South Docklands, in association with the Cork Jewish Community and Heritage Team; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 6.30pm. 

Friday 18 August 2023, The Northern Ridge – St Patrick’s Hill to MacCurtain Street; Historical walking tour; meet on the Green at Audley Place, top of St Patrick’s Hill, 6.30pm. 

Saturday 19 August 2023, Douglas and its History, in association with Douglas Tidy Towns, meet in the carpark of Douglas Community Centre, 2pm. 

Sunday 20 August 2023, Views from a Park – The Black Ash and Tramore Valley Park; meet at Halfmoon Lane gate, 2pm.