Participants on last night’s historical walking tour down the old Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway Line, 6 July 2010; next walking tour within the ward is in late August for Heritage Week of Ballinlough and Ballintemple!
Category Archives: Ward Events
History Tours on Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway
Did you know?
The age of the railways also came to the forefront of the visions of Cork planners in the 1830s. In 1836, two years after the construction of Ireland’s first railway between Dublin and Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), a railway was proposed to connect the city to Passage via Blackrock. Passage itself was an important minor port in Cork’s lower harbour. In 1836, the lands of Lakelands and Ballinure were surveyed and the engineer, Charles Vignoles planned the routeway of the railway itself. In 1837, the Passage Railway Bill was passed in the Westminster Parliament but work only got underway in the late 1840s. By this time, the Cork Passage Railway Company had been reformed into the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway Company. Legislation was passed for this company in 1846 and in September of this year, the company’s engineer Sir John MacNeil carried out the relative survey work.
History tour of old rail line next Tuesday, 6 July, 7.30p.m. Marina Entrance to old Line.
McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition, 26 June 2010
McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition, 2010:
We has a fantastic evening on last Saturday night (26 June 2010) at Silversprings Convention Centre for the final of McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition, 2010 (2nd year). V. Well done and thanks to everyone who took part!
My thanks to the producer Yvonne Coughlan, assistants – Noelle O’Regan, Livy Riordan and Michelle Sheehan and the team of judges, our Cork rose for 2010 Laura Mitchell, Elaine Canning and Claire Mansfield.
Primary School Winners:
1.Saoirse Murphy
2. Cillian O’Sullivan
3.Chloe Riordan
Secondary School Winners:
1. Clover Boys, Shaun O’Donovan & Ryan Coleman
2. Leona O’Riordan
3. Eimear Merritt
St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork – Garden Fete,
Well done to the staff and ‘Friends’ of St. Finbarr’s Hospital for organising the Garden Fete. A great afternoon was had by all!
Local History Railway Walking Tours with Kieran McCarthy
Historical Tours down the Railway Line
Interested in finding out more on the Old Cork-Blackrock and Passage Railway Line? Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, historian, will lead two tours of the old line over the next two Tuesday evenings, 29 June & 6 July, starting at 7.30p.m. at the entrance on The Marina side adjacent the Main Drainage station. The event is free and is open to all. Cllr. McCarthy noted: “South east Cork City is full of historical gems; the walk not only talks about the history of the line but also the history that surrounds it. It is also a forum for people to talk about their own knowledge of local history in the ward. The walk also forms an important amenity walk through the south east ward.”
The Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway was among the first of the suburban railway projects which opened in 1850. The original terminus, designed by Sir John Benson was based on Victoria Road but due to poor press was moved in 1873 to Hibernian Road. The entire length of track between Cork and Passage was in place by April 1850 and within two months, the line was opened for passenger traffic. In May 1847, the low embankment, which was constructed to carry the railway over Monarea Marshes (Albert Road-Marina area), was finished. In Blackrock, large amounts of material were removed and cut at Dundanion to create part of the embankment there. Due to the fact that the construction was taking place during the Great Famine, there was no shortage of labour. A total of 450 men were taken on for the erection of the embankment at the Cork end of the line. Another eighty were employed in digging the cutting beyond Blackrock.
Family fun night, Lough Mahon Park, Mahon, 23 June 2010
Scenes from Mahon family fun night, Bonfire night. Well done to the organisers and the 1,300 people twho supported the event.
Kieran’s Comments on the GAA proposal, Cork City Council Meeting, 14 June 2010
Kieran’s Comments on the GAA proposal, Cork City Council Meeting, 14 June 2010
It is indeed an interesting conundrum that the Council finds itself in. I stood up at the last Council meeting and commented on how the docklands plan is a fantastic vision. Docklands has brought City Council, Cork Citizens, Cork businesses to a new level of thinking of where Cork needs to go.
That vision now is at the point of engaging with reality, however, that reality is very different from the vision. The principal investor wound up in early 2009 with debts of E1.3 million. Their proposed development was across 4,984 hectares of the so called Marina Precinct in the Docklands. That company is now in NAMA; now unless there is another developer out there willing to take up the mantle – is the Marina precinct dead? Is the docklands dead?
I honesty feel that when the economy picks up, the docklands plan will be re-visited, maybe in 15-20 years time. I ‘m also conscious of the need to consider the 26,836 people looking for employment in Cork.
I’m offering my support to the Planning Strategic Policy Committee proposal to allow negotiations to continue on how the GAA proposal would be facilitated. I am doing this on the grounds that ultimately the docklands proposal will be scaled back I feel in years to come and a revised docklands will emerge.
Kinsale Road Amenity Site, Darren Swanton Memorial Car Rally
20 May 2010
The Kinsale Road Landfill is probably one of the largest environmental projects in the country. To cap a landfill requires enormous effort and finance. In addition, we are lucky that here is Ireland’s next ‘Phoenix Park’ in the making. This site has and still continues to be a controversial site in terms of its functions and how it affects the well-being of the city and the future vision of the city. I have to say I was very excited to be able to walk around the area and especially to circle around the “forbidden area”, one of the last areas to be capped. I felt the car rally represented the first step in the making of a new amenity park. I know everyone was not for the rally but I have to say it was great to see so many people supporting Marymount Hospice and engaging (walking, sitting down, observing, photographing) with the first parts of an amenity park. Certainly history was in the making today. Well done to all involved.
The Darren Swanton Memorial Rallysprint took place today (Sunday the 30th of May) at the Cork City Civic Amenity Centre on Kinsale Road . Organised and promoted by Cork Motor Club Ltd., in association with Cork City Council and the Bishopstown and District Lions Club, the event aimed to raise money for the Marymount Hospice.
Darren was a 30 year old member of the Cork Motor Club who died of cancer in Marymount in 2009. Taking place on the site of the former landfill on the Kinsale Road, the event saw around 100 cars participating on the day. The event also hosted a fun fair onsite and there was food outlets, merchandisers, etc., to give the day a real family feel.
This event was run subject to the permission of Cork City Council, the Gardai, Cork Fire Service and representatives of the HSE.
Launch of Mahon CDP Age-Link Project
28 May 2010
Blackrock Regatta, 26 May 2010
Well done to all the organisers of the Blackrock regatta! A great sunny day for a great community initiative set amidst the beautiful scenery of the Marina.
