Category Archives: Ward Events
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 21 April 2016
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 21 April 2016
Crazy for You
My second foray with Cork City Musical Society brings Crazy for You the musical from 29 April to 1 May in the Firkin Crane Shandon, four performances (three evening shows and a matinee). The show for all the family is being directed by myself, has a cast of 30 and a 7-piece band, with musical direction by Michael Young and choreography by Aisling Byrne Gaughan.
We are delighted to present our musical to the public. Our cast of 30 have worked very hard on this production to bring a toe-tapping, sing-along and funny musical, which will leave a smile on the faces of the audience. Amateur musical societies are multiple in nature up and down the country. All bring their local communities together under a volunteer and charity umbrella – collaborating and bringing people together to create an outlet for people and to put drama, music and all ultimately form a key cultural vein within towns and villages. It is important that a city such as Cork has a musical society to promote the inherent love for musical theatre.
Crazy for You is a romantic love musical with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as “The New Gershwin Musical Comedy”, it is largely based on the song writing team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but incorporates songs from several other productions as well. George and Ira Gershwin will always be remembered as the songwriting team whose voice was synonymous with the sounds and style of the Jazz Age. By the time of their 1924 Broadway hit, Lady Be Good!, George had worked with lyricist Buddy DeSylva on a series of revues, George White’s Scandals, while Ira reveled in success with composer Vincent Youmans on Two Little Girls in Blue. But from 1924 until George’s death in 1937, the brothers wrote almost exclusively with each other, composing over two dozen scores for Broadway and Hollywood. Though they had many individual song hits, their greatest achievement may have been the elevation of musical comedy to an American art form.
The history of jazz has its roots firmly planted in the American cities of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York City. And the musical tradition within these cities still lives on today. As jazz spread around the world, it drew on different national, regional, and local musical cultures, which gave rise to many distinctive styles. New Orleans jazz began in the early 1910s, combining earlier brass-band marches, French quadrilles, ragtime and blues with collective polyphonic improvisation. In the 1930s, heavily arranged dance-oriented swing big bands, Kansas City jazz, a hard-swinging, bluesy, improvisational style and Gypsy jazz (a style that emphasized musette waltzes) were the prominent styles. Ira Gershwin was a joyous listener to the sounds of the modern world. He had a sharp eye and ear for the minutiae of living. He noted in a diary: “Heard in a day: An elevator’s purr, telephone’s ring, telephone’s buzz, a baby’s moans, a shout of delight, a screech from a ‘flat wheel’, hoarse honks, a hoarse voice, a tinkle, a match scratch on sandpaper, a deep resounding boom of dynamiting in the impending subway, iron hooks on the gutter”.
In studying the history of jazz music on the other side of the Atlantic, it is very interesting to research the anti-jazz movement in Ireland in the 1930s. It is difficult to imagine the halting of such glorious toe-tapping music such as “I Got Rhythm”. In an article in the History Ireland magazine (1993) by Jim Smyth entitled Dancing, Depravity and all that Jazz, The Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 he notes the pressure for constraints on the dance halls was becoming forceful. The Gaelic League re-launched its anti-jazz campaign in 1934 with a statement very much in tune with the sentiments of the bishops: “It is this music and verse that the Gaelic League is determined to crush…its influence is denationalising in that its references are to things foreign to Irishmen: that it is the present day instrument of social degradations all too plain, even in Ireland. That was the reason for their-launching of the anti-jazz campaign, the reason it received the blessing of the church and the approval of the state. The League was quick to condemn politicians who were seen as behavin an ‘anti-national’ fashion”. The Secretary of the League, attacking the broadcasting of jazz on Radio Éireann, had this to say about the minister responsible: “Our Minister of Finance has a soul buried in jazz and is selling the musical soul of the nation for the dividends of sponsored jazz programmes. He is jazzing every night of the week”. A number of County Councils adopted resolutions condemning jazz and all-night dancing. In January 1934 a large demonstration took place in Mohill, County Leitrim. It was made up mostly of young people and the press estimated the attendance at 3,000, with five bands and banners inscribed with “Down with Jazz” and “Out with Paganism”. Support came from church and state.
But one can imagine that deep within some dance halls, the needs to release this soulful and spirit enhancing music. Come and enjoy Cork City’s musical production of Crazy for You, 29 April-1 May, see www.firkincrane.ie for tickets.
Captions:
840a. Some of the cast for the upcoming Cork City Musical Society production of Crazy for You, The New Musical; 29 April-1 May, www.firkincrane.ie for tickets (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
840b. George Gershwin at piano with Ira Gershwin and Fred Astaire (source: Getty Images)
Cllr McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition 2016
Cork’s young people are invited to participate in the eighth year of Cllr Kieran’s McCarthy’s ‘Community Talent Competition’. The auditions will take place on Sunday 8 May between 10am-5pm in the Lifetime Lab, Lee Road. There are no entry fees and all talents are valid for consideration. The final will be held two weeks later. There are two categories, one for primary school children and one for secondary school students. 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: “In its eight year, the talent competition is a community initiative. We generally get to audition people who have very little experience of performing. Within the audition process there is friendly feedback from our judges and if the auditionee gets through there are workshops to offer advice and support. The talent competition is all about encouraging young people to develop their talents and creative skills, to push forward with their lives and to embrace their community positively. I am delighted with the nuggets of talent that we have found in Cork communities over the years and very proud of those who post audition and competition, have taken up music, drama, and other elements of the performing arts within Cork – they engage with their talent and develop and enjoy it more”. Further details can be got from the talent show producer (RSVP), Yvonne Coughlan, 086 8764685 or email rsvpireland@gmail.com.
Crazy for You Musical
Cork City Musical Society to present award winning musical Crazy for You in Firkin Crane
Cork City Musical Society is preparing for its second musical outing. This time they take on Crazy for You from 29 April to 1 May in Firkin Crane, four performances (three evening shows and a matinee).
The show for all the family is being directed by Cllr Kieran McCarthy, has a cast of 30 and a 7-piece band, with musical direction by Michael Young and choreography by Aisling Byrne Gaughan.
Founder of the society Cllr McCarthy noted “We are delighted to present our musical to the public. Our cast of 30 have worked very hard on this production to bring a toe-tapping, sing-along and funny musical, which will leave a smile on the faces of the audience. Amateur musical societies are multiple in nature up and down the country. All bring their local communities together under a volunteer and charity umbrella – collaborating and bringing people together to create an outlet for people and to put drama, music and all ultimately form a key cultural vein within towns and villages. It’s important that a city such as Cork has a musical society to promote the inherent love for musical theatre”.
Crazy for You is a romantic love musical with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as “The New Gershwin Musical Comedy”, it is largely based on the song writing team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but incorporates songs from several other productions as well.
Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical. Memorable Gershwin tunes include I Can’t Be Bothered Now, Bidin’ My Time, I Got Rhythm, Naughty Baby, They Can’t Take That Away from Me, But Not for Me, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Embraceable You and Someone to Watch Over Me. It’s a high energy comedy which includes mistaken identity, plot twists, fabulous dance numbers and classic Gershwin music.
Tickets are e.20 online at www.firkincrane.ie or from the box office at 021 4507487. There is a special deal of four tickets for e.70.
CRAZY FOR YOU ®
THE NEW GERSHWIN ® MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
Co-Conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent
Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan
Originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams
Update, Tramore Valley Park, February 2016
Tramore Valley Park is unlikely to open before this summer. The director of Services in Cork City Council’s Environment and Recreation Department said substantial work is needed to be done, before the park could open beyond its current, limited hours. It was also revealed that a shortfall of e.100,000 is needed to finance the park opening in the short term. The director said: “specific provision for the operation of the Tramore Valley Park was not made in the 2016 budget. There are also essential engineering works required. It is expected that these will be completed by mid-summer. It is hoped that, at that time, a sustainable funding model will also be in place to facilitate a full opening”. At present, Tramore Valley Park opens on Saturday mornings to accommodate a BMX track and rugby pitch.
In a press release from the City Council, in recent weeks, numbers participating in the Cork parkrun have increased considerable, nearly trebling to 520 runners. The site can accommodate 240 cars, but reached capacity recently. The City Council has serious health and safety concerns regarding capacity to cater for such numbers of vehicles, given the proximity of the site to the South Link Road and the park run model not allowing for control of numbers by pre registration. In the event of not being able to cap participants and numbers of vehicles arriving at the site, and attendances increasing each week, the City Council reluctantly has no option but to withdraw permission for the event. The City Council will work with parkrun Ireland, to review the Tramore Valley parkrun to see if it can be tailored to meet necessary health and safety requirements on a more modest scale going forward.
Raising the issue in the City Council chamber, Cllr Kieran McCarthy noted; “it’s all coming down to funding, small amounts of funding to finish and open the park; we have the Council’s park and ride facility nearby, it can accommodate a large number of cars and a shuttle buses; the question of finding funding to open the park long term needs to be a priority for the City Council; this park will provide a recreational facility for all of Cork citizens. Millions and millions of tax payer’s money has been invested in its development and it has come a very long way from being a landfill; keeping the park closed is in no one’s interest”.
Kieran’s Question to the City Manager/ CE, Cork City Council Meeting, 25 January 2016
To ask the CE for an update on the funding situation for Tramore Valley Park, and what is the plan to open it beyond the Saturday mornings (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
Update, Blackrock Harbour and Village Renewal Project, 11 January 2016
In response to a recent question to the Chief Executive of Cork City Council by Cllr Kieran McCarthy for an update on Blackrock Harbour and Village Renewal Project, the reply below was given. The construction tender phase for the renewal project was undertaken in 2015 and a preferred contractor selected. The value of winning tender exceeds the available budget assigned. Consequently additional funding is required to deliver the full scheme. Funding applications have been made to a number of agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Transport Authority and the South East Regional Authority. Unfortunately however these applications have not been successful.
In the absence of additional funding, the Council proposes to split the tendered works into phases and to proceed with that portion of the works that can be executed. It is intended that the first phase will be commenced in early 2016. This will consist of the realignment and widening of Convent Road, Blackrock Road and the Marina including boundaries, footpaths, surfaces, crossing and underground utility works common to phases 1 and 2. The scope of work will be limited to the current level of available funding. Further efforts will be made this year to secure the remaining funding so that work on phase 2 can commence at an early date.
Cork City Council Commences Electricity Generation at Tramore Valley Park, Cork
Cork City Council, through its normal operations, buildings, transport etc consumes approximately 30 million units of energy per annum of electricity, fuel, gas, etc. As part of the National Climate Change policy, Cork City Council, like all other public bodies, is required to reduce its energy consumption by 33% by the year 2020 which equates to 10 million units per annum.
The Kinsale Road landfill site (now Tramore Valley Park), which ceased accepting waste for landfilling in 2009, will continue to generate methane gas from the 3 million tonnes of waste deposited over the 40 year lifetime of the landfill site. This gas will now be beneficially used to generate electricity for Cork City Council and also ensure that the Council meets its EPA license obligations in regard to landfill gas treatment. The quantity of electricity being generated is adequate to supply 500 houses on an ongoing basis until 2021.
The project is a collaboration between Cork City Council, The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who are providing ongoing support for the sale of electricity under the REFIT scheme, and a private energy supplier, Vayu Energy. Michael O’Brien, Senior Engineer, stated:
“The electricity generation project will generate 3 million units of energy per annum that will be sold to Vayu Energy. The project, which has been funded by Cork City Council, will reduce emissions to the environment and will also substantially contribute to the Council’s 2020 energy reduction targets, as well as showcasing an innovative project in the Tramore Valley Park. It is timely that the project be commissioned in the same week as the global summit in climate change is taking place in Paris”.
Ross McConnell, Vayu Energy stated:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Cork City Council on this project. It’s an excellent example of the type of initiative that will help in meeting the Government’s targets for renewable energy. We see enormous potential for schemes such as this to transform the way electricity is produced in Ireland over the decades to come. This is important not only from an environmental sustainability viewpoint but also in terms of the country’s long-term economic competitiveness and security of energy supply”.
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town, 12 September 2015
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent,
Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project 2015-16
10 September 2015
This year coincides with the thirteenth year of the Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project. Again launched for the new school term, the Project is open to schools in Cork; at primary level to the pupils of fourth, fifth and sixth class and at post-primary from first to sixth years. There are two sub categories within the post primary section, Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. A student may enter as an individual or as part of a group or a part of a class entry.
Co-ordinated by myself, one of the key aims of the project is to encourage students to explore, investigate and debate their local heritage (built, archaeological, cultural and natural) in a constructive, active and fun way. Projects on any aspect of Cork’s rich heritage can be submitted to an adjudication panel. Prizes are awarded for best projects and certificates are given to each participant. A cross-section of projects submitted from the last school season can be gleamed from this link on my website, www.corkheritage.ie where there are other resources, former titles and winners and entry information as well.
Students produce a project on their local area using primary and secondary sources. Each participating student within their class receives a visit and workshop in October 2015. The workshop comprises a guide to how to put a project together. Project material must be gathered in an A4/ A3 size Project book. The project may be as large as the student wishes but minimum 20 pages (text + pictures + sketches). Projects must also meet five elements. Projects must be colourful, creative, have personal opinion, imagination and gain publicity before submission. These elements form the basis of a student friendly narrative analysis approach where the student explores their project topic in an interactive and task oriented way. In particular students are encouraged to attain material through visiting local libraries, engaging with fieldwork, interviews with local people, making models, photographing, cartoon creating, making DVDs of their area. Re-enacting can also be a feature of several projects.
For over thirteen years, the project has evolved in how students actually pursue local history. The project attempts to provide the student with a hands-on and interactive activity that is all about learning not only about heritage in your local area (in all its forms) but also about the process of learning by participating students. The project is about thinking about, understanding, appreciating and making relevant in today’s society the role of our heritage- our landmarks, our oral histories, our scenery in our modern world for upcoming citizens. So the project is about splicing together activity on issues of local history and heritage such as thinking, exploring, observing, discovering, researching, uncovering, revealing, interpreting and resolving. This year as well there is a focus on the 1916 commemoration side with projects on the centenary being encouraged.
The importance of doing a project in local history is reflected in the educational aims of the history curricula of primary and post-primary schools. Local heritage is a mould, which helps the student to become familiar with their local environment and to learn the value of it in their lives. Learning to appreciate the elements of a locality, can also give students a sense of place in their locality or a sense of identity. Hence the Project can also become a youth forum for students to do research and offer their opinions on important decisions being made on their heritage in their locality and how they affect the lives of people locally. Over the years, I know a number of students that have been involved in the project in schools over the years who have took their interest further and have gone on to become professional tour guides, and into other related college work.
The project is open to many directions of delivery. Students are encouraged to engage with their topic -in order to make sense of it, understand and work with it. Students continue to experiment with the overall design and plan of their work. For example in general, students who have entered before might engage with the attaining of primary information through oral histories. The methodologies that the students create provide interesting ways to approach the study of local heritage. Students are asked to choose one of two extra methods (apart from a booklet) to represent their work. The first option is making a model whilst the second option is making a DVD. It is great to see students using modern up todate technology to present their findings. This works in broadening their view of approaching their project.
This project in the City is kindly funded by Cork City Council (viz the help of Niamh Twomey), the Heritage Council and Cork Civic Trust (viz the help of John X. Miller). Prizes are also provided by the Lifetime Lab, Lee Road and Sean Kelly of Lucky Meadows Equestrian Centre, Watergrasshill (www.seankellyhorse.com). There is also a County Cork edition. Overall, the Schools’ Heritage Project for the last thirteen years has attempted to build a new concerned generation of Cork people, pushing them forward, growing their self-development empowering them to connect to their world and their local heritage. Spread the word please.
Captions:
809a. Deirdre Moriarty getting ready to prepare the Rokk Choir at the recent Coal Quay Festival (picture: Kieran McCarthy).
809b. A walking tour getting underway at Elizabeth Fort during the recent Cork Heritage Open Day (picture: Kieran McCarthy)
Pictures, Kieran’s Heritage Week 2015
Thanks to everyone who recently supported my heritage week tours 🙂
Old workhouse at St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road (24 August 2015)
Historical walking tour of Turners Cross and Ballyphehane (26 August 2015)
Historical walking tour of Sunday’s Well (27 August 2015)
Historical walking tour of Fitzgerald’s Park (28 August 2015)
