Well done to all who competed last week in Blackrock Over 60s Singing Competion. A great night was had by all. I took the pictures below. I misplaced my names list but it will turn up eventually! The semi-final of all the over 60s singing competitions is on Sunday 17 April 2011 in Cork City Hall.
Gateway Innovation Fund and Cork Docklands Project
Lord Mayor, every now and again, we check the pulse of docklands and see how it’s doing.
This is indeed an interesting report that reveals what we all knew in our hearts all along- that there is no money there to kick-start the real development of docklands.
But in addition, there was no real attempt by the last government to really engage with the future potential of such as a site and to harness its opportunities for Ireland’s long term future. Much of the analysis of its potential has really only being pushed by ourselves and outside agencies in the region.
The national potential of Cork Docklands, I feel, was never really appreciated at National level over the last number of years and the idea of actually creating proper gateway cities was never really pursued by the last government either.
And even the proposed policies of the general election candidates never really bit into the actual potential of Docklands for this region and the country at large.
I would like to commend yourself Lord Mayor for taking the various party leaders to task on their perspectives and question their commitment to Docklands.
I fear for the nature and form of the current plan. There were comments by general election candidates on how is the city going to attract the bones of 22,000 people to live in that area over the space of 20 years. I also share those concerns. The last time the population of the city itself jumped that high was during the creation of the local authority houses in places such as Ballyphehane and Churchfield in the 1950s and 1960s. To build momentum, to attract such a population demands a City that is reaching out not in its own region but reaching out deeply into other regions as well.
I have to say as well I heard during the debates and which I agree with – that the current docklands plan is just about apartments and mixed business units. I feel that the plan in Ireland’s current economic problems does nothing to bring Cork forward or even Ireland forward, economically, socially and culturally. If Docklands was given money for the bridge in the morning, we would end up with vast quantities of empty apartments and business units. Sure there would be a short term benefit in terms of construction jobs and so on, which would be very welcome. But we should question what we want the future of Cork and its Docklands to be.
The current plan is still bound up with the mythic prosperity of the Celtic Tiger at its heights especially in the property bubble. It is still bound up with a kind of invisible money that we are hoping will appear in today’s world out of mid air like something in a magic show.
Economic momentum, which was there in 2007, has completely dissipated- we are learning now that much of it was based on borrowing money from international bondholders – there is also the issue of a principal developer in the docklands, who is now in NAMA. Certainly we now have a large jigsaw piece of docklands missing and even if found, the piece probably won’t fit into Cork’s economic landscape.
Plus there is the burning question what is going to happen to all these properties that have been NAMA’d.
There needs to be a hard and deep rethink about the docklands plan- the plan was conceived in an economic boom –the current plan has not reacted in any way to the downturn – we will continue to go to the new government saying we need money but we have not factored in the enormous changes in outlook of Ireland’s economic fortunes and the future needs of Irish society; the Cork docklands should feed into the new international outlook and the realistic strategies that Ireland needs to move forward in the longterm.
Docklands has certainly brought Cork to an international way of thinking; it is a very positive project; but economically the docklands as a space is not creative enough to be a sustainable place that connects into the city centre and moves with the rest of the city’s economic momentum.
I reckon that the docklands plan will have to be reconfigured in line with the economic realities of the next 15-20 years, which won’t I hope be bound up with another property bubble – the future of Ireland is going to be all about rebuilding and rebranding Ireland and implementing new ideas for jobs that are not all construction based. The young generation coming up will demand jobs that compliment their technological worlds.
I have no doubt that new plans will have to be considered for the Docklands Project. I welcome the move in the business community to consider a new university in the docklands with an Asian connection. That is about thinking outside of the box.
Well done to all the organisers of Ballinlough Over 60s last night; it was great. I enjoyed the songs I sung (out of competition).
Congratulations to Ray Cremin who will now go forward to represent Ballinlough in the Semi-final in City Hall. Thanks also to Ballinlough Credit Union for their sponsorship of the prizes.
Guest Artists:
Prize Winners:
Cork City Enterprise Board is running a “Cost Effective Marketing Business Programme”. It is a full day workshop on Wednesday 23rd March, followed by a one to one session for each participant two weeks later. Cllr Kieran McCarthy, through his ward funds, is offering to fund five places on this programme for interested persons with a business up and running and provided for, in general, for those living in the south east ward of Cork City.
The programme is designed for anyone who wishes to harness more marketing tools in order to keep their business alive or to push their business forward. During the programme participants will: (1) identify their target customers, differentiate their offering from the competition and determine the most appropriate marketing technique to reach these target customers; (2) build a tool kit of effective marketing tools to use in their own business and (3) work on a sales and marketing plan for their business for the next 12-24 months. Areas covered include consumer and market research, how to reach your customers and grow sales, branding, cost-effective marketing techniques such as web, e-marketing, social networking, exhibitions, sponsorship of events, endorsements, PR and targeted advertising.
For further information about Cllr McCarthy’s offer, please contact Kieran at 0876553389 or email info@kieranmccarthy.ie (first come, first serve). Further details of this course and others are online at www.corkceb.ie
Last night I had the pleasure of deputising for the Lord Mayor at the offical launch of Care-Ring, Douglas at St. Columba’s Hall, Douglas.
CARE ring Douglas operates from Douglas community centre, the service will provide a friendly social phone call for older people living in Frankfield ,Grange, Donnybrook, Rochestown, and Douglas. The service will be two –fold firstly to provide social contact secondly to have a conversation.
The caring model is simple, innovative and has been designed to be implemented within the community. The form of social contact is not of an intrusive nature. Indeed it is welcomed by the participants. Supported by volunteers who under went extensive training by the HSE. All volunteers under go Garda vetting. This service is a link for people who are unable to leave their homes, also for people who may feel lonely and isolated especially in winter. We will also provide information on all services within the community.
Phil Goodman, organiser notes “personally I saw a need in our community for such a service. It gives me great pleasure to see my vision realised. For more information regarding this free and confidential service or to enquire about an application form just contact me on 4363867.”
Extract from Kieran’s speech at the launch of Care-Ring, Douglas, 7 February 2011
Care Ring
Phil in her press release for Care Ring calls for active citizenship, calls for taking ownership of one’s life and the country’s direction.
With this noble call she opens up an interesting debate on what type of people we need to be to move forward. The present debate on what this country needs to do economically and how we need to do that is very relevant
But Phil calls for building change as well at grass roots level, to restore some kind of pride in ourselves – to debate yes and call for answers in our political and economic landscapes but not to become bitter to the point that we remain negative in everything we personally do.
The country, yes, badly needs a plan but so do Irish communities. We need leaders in our communities to show us alternatives in our lives – to show part of our lives that perhaps we have never explored – to help us to connect to other people so perhaps each one of use at a minimum is illuminated by advice or a nugget of wisdom… and that we have the ability to be open minded to other people and other ideas. Ultimately, people do need direction, something to work toward.
Happy productive life:
Ultimately, I reckon when you think about your life, to live a happy productive on a minimum basis and whether we deem a need for them or not-
We need to be listened to and to listen… we need to be inspired and to inspire… we need to be encouraged and to encourage… be empowered and to empower… be enabled by action and to enable action … we need to be cared for and to care.
All of us here have experience of those basic actions and their relevance in our own lives
Our communities need a plan to create a better society, something that is better that what we left during the now mythic Celtic Tiger days. We need to take responsibility for part of this plan.
We need realistic steps to achieve that. Care-ring is a realistic project. All too often we hear about a general vision for Irish community life but ultimately we need engines..drivers like Phil to move it forward.
Phil for many years as have many others have worked at the heart of the community of this important corner of the world for many years so that will not become stale and disillusioned. This have pursued this through massive transformation in the Douglas area -new houses, new generations, new shopping centres. Once again, a call has gone out that it is important that we build not only that we build for example a sustainable shopping centre but also a sustainable community with a strong caring attitude, people that will comment on or voice their concerns about what the community also need in Douglas.
New generation:
I mentioned the new generation and there are acres of young people living in this area. Young people bring vibrancy and energy to any work they engage with. Most are also looking for opportunities to develop their talents and to fit in. It is important that we get the younger generation involved in some shape or form – there have been many examples of community groups in Cork City that have aged and died off with no reboot. I would encourage your group Phil to approach our local secondary schools and develop some way of bringing our young people on board.
Saving Souls:
Douglas as an area in the last twenty years has changed dramatically. The pace of physical development has been quick. However, the pace of social development of citizens has been slow abet the great and continued effort of Phil Goodman and other groups.
That been said, we will never know how many souls have been saved and will continue to be saved through your efforts. And you know, no one will ever say thank you and sometimes you wonder are you been just taken for granted.
But make no mistake about it, community leaders are like giant spotlights in the sky; they can and will continue to uphold human values for all to see and replicate, they can send out the message that we do need to care – care about something… to do something purposeful…to move yourself forward… to hone our personal talents, which we all have or even seek advice.
Today’s Society needs all of those traits in abundance.
I am delighted to be present to mark the launch of this great service.
…Thank you Phil…. and best of luck going forward.
Well done to the recent awardees of Cork Royal Lifesaving Club, based in Douglas Swimming Pool, who visited the Lord Mayor’s Office to receive their medals and certificates last Wednesday (26 January 2010). Among them was my own dad, John. Well done to all!
The Winter Wonderland in Japanese Gardens & Ballinlough Park – took the following this morning!
Very well done yesterday to all involved in the Ballinlough Youth Clubs, Christmas Soiree at Ballinlough Community (Sunday, 12 December 2010). They certainly know how to cheer everyone up with acts like Mary Hegarty (singer), Diarmuid O’Drisceoil (storyteller), ‘Memory Lane’ (singers) and of course the Youth Club teenagers. Some picts below.
The Mahon Community Mini Bus was officially launched last Saturday, 11 December 2010 outside the Mahon Community Development Project. It is funded under Rapid/ dormant accounts funding. It is a bus for groups and organisations in the Mahon area. The bus is for community activities and will be used by groups to enhance their own project work and the development of their work. More information can be got from the Mahon Community Development Project. Well done to all involved!
