Saturday 9 June 2018, Cork City & its Bridges, historical walking tour (new) with Kieran, learn about the early history of the city’s most historic bridges, learn about their construction and their relationship with the river and surrounding areas; meet at the National Monument, Grand Parade, 2.30pm (free, duration: two hours, finishes in City Centre) in association with Meitheal Mara’s Cork Harbour Festival.
Saturday 23 June 2018, The Cork City Workhouse; historical walking tour with Kieran, learn about the workhouse created for 2,000 impoverished people in 1841; meet at the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 12noon (free, duration: two hours, on site tour), in association with the Friends of St Finbarr’s Hospital Garden Fete.
Saturday 30 June 2018, The Lough & its Curiosities; historical walking tour with Kieran, explore the local history from the Legend of the Lough to suburban development; meet at green area at northern end of The Lough, entrance of Lough Road to The Lough; 12noon (free, duration: two hours, on site tour)
This year’s National Famine Commemoration will take place on Saturday May 12 at University College Cork (UCC). The event will be hosted by UCC in collaboration with Cork City Council.
President Michael D. Higgins and Tánaiste Simon Coveney will attend the State Ceremony on Saturday week as will ambassadors. The President will unveil a plague to commemorate local famine victims. There will also be a wreath laying the following day, Sunday May 13 at St Joseph’s cemetery in Ballyphehane.
As part of the 2018 commemoration The Great Irish Famine Online will be launched. This is a world class free digital resource which will provide detailed information on how the famine impacted upon each of the 3,000 parishes and 1600 towns on either side of the border.
Cork City Council have also organised a programme of surrounding events through Cork City Libraries, Cork Public Museum and Cork City Councils Heritage office.
Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald said: “We are honoured that this year’s National Famine Commemoration will be held in Cork as in recent years the National Famine Commemoration has been held in such historic sites as Glasnevin Cemetery. Cork City Council has organised a strong programme of surrounding events and I am certain that the City will come together to produce a fitting tribute to those who suffered during the Famine”.
Cork City Council Programme of Events:
May 1–Monday May 14 –“Famine in Cork” an online exhibition available on www.corkpastandpresent.ie May 1 – Monday May 14 – Famine Exhibition in the Cork City Library featuring extracts from Cork Constitution, Cork Examiner and Illustrated London News from 1845 to 1850 with supporting exhibitions at all of the city’s six local libraries.
May 1 – Monday, May 14 – Famine Exhibition at the Cork Public Museum
Sunday May 6 @ 2pm – Walking Tour of St Finbarr’s Hospital by Cllr Kieran McCarthy.
Monday May 7 @ 7pm – Walking Tour of St Joseph’s Cemetery by Ronnie Herlihy.
Tuesday May 8 @ 7pm – Talk on the Famine in Cork by Pat Gunn at the Central Library
Sunday 6 May 2018 with Cllr Kieran McCarthy, The City Workhouse; learn about the workhouse created for 2,000 impoverished people in 1841; meet at the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 2.30pm (free, duration: two hours, on site tour), in association with the National Famine Commemoration, 2018, Cork.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy invites all Cork young people to participate in the ninth year of McCarthy’s Make a Model Boat Project. All interested must make a model boat at home from recycled materials and bring it along for judging to The Lough on Thursday 24 May 2018, 6.30pm. The event is being run in association with Meitheal Mara and the Cork Harbour Festival. There are three categories, two for primary and one for secondary students. The theme is ‘Cork’s Future Boats’, which is open to interpretation. There are prizes for best models and the event is free to enter. Cllr McCarthy, who is heading up the event, noted “I am encouraging creation, innovation and imagination amongst our young people, which are important traits for all of us to develop”. In addition, Cllr McCarthy emphasises that places like The Lough are an important part of Cork’s natural and amenity heritage. For further information and to take part, please sign up at www.corkharbourfestival.com.
Meitheal Mara’s Cork Harbour Festival will bring together the City, County and Harbour agencies and authorities. It connects our city and coastal communities. Combining the Ocean to City Race and Cork Harbour Open Day, there are over 50 different events in the festival for people to enjoy – both on land and on water. The festival begins on Saturday, 2 June with the flagship race Ocean to City – An Rás Mór and then runs till Sunday 10 June. Join thousands of other visitors and watch the hundreds of participants race from Crosshaven to Blackrock to Cork City in a spectacular flotilla. Cllr McCarthy noted: “During the festival week embark on a journey to explore the beautiful Cork Harbour – from Mahon Estuary to Roches Point – and enjoy free harbour tours, sailing tasters, open days at heritage sites, and lots more; we need to link the city and areas like Blackrock and the Marina and the harbour more through branding and tourism. The geography and history of the second largest natural harbour in the world creates an enormous treasure trove, which we need to harness, celebrate and mind. On 9 June I am hosting a new historical walking tour on the bridges of Cork. More details can be found on my walking tour section at www.kieranmccarthy.ie”.
Saturday 21 April, Stories from Blackrock, tour of Blackrock Village, from Blackrock Castle to Nineteenth Century Houses and Fishing; meet at Blackrock Castle, 12noon (free, 2 hours, finishes near railway line walk, Blackrock Road)
Saturday 28 April, The Victorian Quarter; tour of the area around St Patrick’s Hill – Wellington Road and MacCurtain Street; meet on the Green at Audley Place, top of St Patrick’s Hill, 12noon (free, duration: two hours, finishes by St Patrick’s Church, Lower Road)
Sunday 6 May 2018, The City Workhouse; learn about the workhouse created for 2,000 impoverished people in 1841; meet at the gates of St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, 2.30pm (free, duration: two hours, on site tour), in association with the National Famine Commemoration, 2018, Cork.
Cork’s young people are invited to participate in the tenth year of Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition. The auditions will take place on Sunday 22 April 2018 between 10am-4pm in the Lifetime Lab at the Old Cork Waterworks Lee Road, Cork City. There are no entry fees and all talents are valid for consideration. The final will be held on Sunday 6 May. There are two categories, one for primary school children and one for secondary school students. Individuals or groups can enter. Winners will be awarded a perpetual trophy and prize money of €150 (two by €150). The project is being organised and funded by Cllr Kieran McCarthy in association with Red Sandstone Varied Productions (RSVP).
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The talent competition is a community initiative. It encourages all young people to develop their talents and creative skills, to push forward with their lives and to embrace their community positively”.
Continuing Cllr McCarthy highlighted the strengths of the project; “Over the ten years of the project, many auditionees have passed through our doors – singing, acting and performing; we have tried to give young people pointers in developing their talents further; social inclusion is important to me; many are just taking the first step and many have carried on developing and enjoying their talent through local stage and performance schools; My team and I are very proud as well that several of our auditionees are now professional musicians, singers and even magicians with young careers burgeoning”. Further enquiries/ details on the Community Talent Competition can be acquired from the talent show producer (RSVP), Yvonne Coughlan at rsvpireland@gmail.com.
Cork’s young people are invited to participate in the tenth year of Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition. The auditions will take place on Sunday 22 April 2018 between 10am-4pm in the Lifetime Lab at the Old Cork Waterworks Lee Road, Cork City. There are no entry fees and all talents are valid for consideration. The final will be held on Sunday 6 May. There are two categories, one for primary school children and one for secondary school students. Individuals or groups can enter. Winners will be awarded a perpetual trophy and prize money of €150 (two by €150). The project is being organised and funded by Cllr Kieran McCarthy in association with Red Sandstone Varied Productions (RSVP).
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The talent competition is a community initiative. It encourages all young people to develop their talents and creative skills, to push forward with their lives and to embrace their community positively”.
Continuing Cllr McCarthy highlighted the strengths of the project; “Over the ten years of the project, many auditionees have passed through our doors – singing, acting and performing; we have tried to give young people pointers in developing their talents further; social inclusion is important to me; many are just taking the first step and many have carried on developing and enjoying their talent through local stage and performance schools; My team and I are very proud as well that several of our auditionees are now professional musicians, singers and even magicians with young careers burgeoning”. Further enquiries/ details on the Community Talent Competition can be acquired from the talent show producer (RSVP), Yvonne Coughlan at rsvpireland@gmail.com.
The eagerly awaited 15th Cork Lifelong Learning Festival will take place from Monday 19 – Sunday 25 of March 2018. The annual festival has grown year on year since 2004 and lives by its motto of ‘Investigate, Participate, Celebrate’, with the public encouraged to do just that by trying out new experiences, participating in events and enjoying demonstrations of skills both new and old.
A week of hundreds of free events are aimed at all ages, from the very young to the young at heart, and all Lifelong Learning Festival events are open to all. The exciting programme includes performances, poetry, workshops, walks, displays and demonstrations, and really does have something for everyone. The only limit is your appetite to try something new. Some events can be in high demand so check the programme to see if you need to book.
Events, which aim to be accessible to all, take place right across Cork city, and into the county, in a variety of venues indoors and out, including shopping centres, libraries, museums, community and resource centres, parks, colleges, private businesses and on the streets.
Newly appointed Festival Organiser Siubhán Mc Carthy says: “Cork loves learning and to prove it we have a packed programme of free, accessible events open to all, regardless of your learning abilities or ambitions; I guarantee you’ll find something during festival week that you want to know more about. Learning is not just about gaining qualifications, it’s also about making life more fulfilling and enjoyable and I passionately believe in the power of knowledge to change lives for the better”.
This year’s festival includes four free seminars covering subjects as diverse as social inclusion to entrepreneurship and six ‘Learning Factory’ events across the week, in conjunction with CIT, which give an insider’s look at some of Cork’s most innovative businesses – including a guided tour of Inniscarra Dam. All events are hosted by volunteers be they individuals, community organisations, private businesses, schools or colleges.
The festival is a key part of the City’s strategy of making Cork a Learning City. Its success was recognised by UNESCO when Cork was one of the first 12 cities in the world to receive a Learning City Award in 2015 and Cork recently hosted UNESCO’s 3rd International Conference of Learning Cities in September 2017.
The free printed festival programme is out now and available in libraries, City Hall, the Tourist Office on Grand Parade, or from host venues
See the programme online at www.corklearningcity/lifelonglearningfestival
