Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has announced his historical walking tours for May, which have a focus on the hills and views of Cork. He will conduct walks across the area of Tramore Valley Park, St Patrick’s Hill area, and also around the Barrack Street area. The Tramore Valley Park tour will explore the development of the area from being a swamp through to being a landfill and then onto being an artificial mound to enable the development of a park. All of Kieran’s tours are free and no booking is required.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “Cork’s Tramore Valley Park is an exciting addition and recent initiative of Cork City Council. It is great to be able to revisit the cultural heritage of the park and its surrounds with the Kinship arts project this month. 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 is also really interesting perspectives on the area recorded through the ages, which have been great to research”.
“Walking across the park, one can feel the tension in its sense of place, a place haunted and engineered by its past and teeming with ideas about its future. Of course, there are green spaces scattered across the city but none with the same scale of development and story as the 160 acre site off Kinsale Road. This is a site where the city’s environment has also been a regular topic of debate across local newspapers and in the city’s council political chamber”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
Kieran’s May Tours:
Saturday 14 May 2022, The Northern Ridge – St Patrick’s Hill to MacCurtain Street; Tour around St Patrick’s Hill – Old Youghal Road to McCurtain Street; meet on the Green at Audley Place, top of St Patrick’s Hill, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).
Sunday 22 May 2022, Views from a Park – Tramore Valley Park, historical walking tour in association with the KinShip Project; meet at Halfmoon Lane gate, 2pm (free, duration: 90 minutes no booking required).
Saturday 28 May 2022, The Friar’s Walk; Discover Red Abbey, Elizabeth Fort, Barrack Street, Callanan’s Tower & Greenmount area; Meet at Red Abbey tower, off Douglas Street, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).
“The park looks great and will add immensely to The Marina district. It’s been a long two years with construction work stopping and starting due to Covid 19. Phase one works has also comprised the construction of a new public car park at the Shandon Boat Club end of the Marina, as well as a new cycle lane and pedestrian walkway – these are all now completed and are very well used”.
“One can also see that the installation of perhaps the most eye-catching part of the project – a noticeable red steel pavilion on the site of, and replicating, the central hall of the former Munster Agricultural Showgrounds. The showgrounds at its cultural height in the twentieth century attracted tens of thousands of people, who enjoyed what the Spring and Summer shows had to offer.
The new park is a modern offering on the site, which will attract citizens from across the city and region. The sides of the pavilion reflecting the society’s former buildings will not be enclosed, and there will be possibilities for coffee pods and outdoor seating and arts and crafts. The project is a e.10m investment into the area, of which nearly e.5m came from EU Urban Sustainable Funds, which are part of the EU’s structural funds and are a crucial source of funding for cities”. The EU source of income will need to be chased once again so that phase 2 of Marina Park can be delivered”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
11 December 2021, ” “The new park is a modern offering on the site, which will attract citizens from across the city and region. The park or project represents an estimated €10m investment into the area, of which around €5m came from EU Urban Sustainable Funds — part of the EU’s structural funds and “a crucial source of funding for cities”, Cllr McCarthy said, New park in Cork city to open to the public from Monday, New park in Cork city to open to the public from Monday (echolive.ie)
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the recent launch of the second round of public consultation for the Cork Draft Bus Network Redesign, but has asked the National Transport Authority to liase with the general public as much as possible, especially those who are currently regular bus journey users. The Network Design forms a core part of the overall BusConnects Cork Programme. This round of public consultation will be on the BusConnects Cork Draft New Bus Network.
In July 2021, the NTA held an initial public consultation on BusConnects Cork. The survey style consultation gave the people of Cork the opportunity to help shape a new bus network by providing views on a how a new network would best service everyone. There were almost 1,200 responses to the survey and many more engagements. These responses informed the design of a Draft New Bus Network for the Cork Metropolitan Area, which will now be published for review and feedback.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The current use of public transport is only 5% of the overall modal movement within the city, which is very low compared to other cities of Cork’s size in western Europe. Bus Connects is very ambitious to raise the use of public transport. There are challenges – especially at certain times of the day there when it comes to dealing with traffic congestion, and hence at certain times of days, buses are late across many routes”.
Cllr McCarthy continued; “The ambition is great but it is also very important to reach out to existing bus consumers. I have already had bus users from Ballinlough to Douglas coming forward to me with concerns and suggestions. I would also ask regular bus users to have a close look at the Cork Draft New Bus Network. Informationcan now be found on the website www.busconnects.ie/busconnects-cork. I will be making my own submissions. If people wish me to raise their concerns as well, send me an email on kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie”
The consultation period for the BusConnects will run from Tuesday 2 November to Friday 10 December 2021. The consultation portal is available on the website and submissions can be made there. Seven Local Area Booklets are available on the website and will also be delivered to over 160,000 premises in the coming weeks. Virtual public meetings will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 17 November (@6.30pm), Wednesday 24 November (@1.30pm) and Tuesday 30 November (@6.30pm). Additional virtual events may be scheduled subject to interest. Further details as well as registration links can be found on the website.
1119a. Front cover of 2021-2022 brochure for Discover Cork Schools’ Heritage Project.
Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 30 September 2021
Launch of Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage
Project, Year 20
It
is great to reach year 20 of the Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project. It
is just slightly younger than this column but both this column, the school
project and the walking tours are all about popularising more of Cork’s history
and story for interested citizens and the next generation.
Over
15,000-16,000 students have participated in the Schools’ Heritage Project
through the years with many topics researched and written about – from
buildings and monuments to people’s stories and memories.
Covid-19
has brought many challenges to every part of society and never before has our
locality and its heritage being so important for recreation and for our peace
of mind. In the past eighteenth months, more focus than ever before has been
put on places and spaces we know, appreciate, and attain personal comfort from.
The
Schools’ Heritage Project is aimed at both primary and post primary level. Project books may be submitted on any aspect
of Cork’s rich past. The theme for this year’s project is “Cork Heritage
Treasures”. Funded by Cork City Council, the Project is an initiative of the
Cork City Heritage Plan.
The Project is open to schools in Cork City 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. The project is free to enter. 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 links 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
free workshop in October 2021. 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 (whilst
respecting social distancing) to attain material through visiting local
libraries, engaging with fieldwork, making models, photographing, cartoon
creating, and making short snippet films of their area. Re-enacting can also be
a feature of several projects.
For over twenty years, the project has evolved in exploring how students
pursue local history and how to make it relevant in society. 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 environment 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.
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, and 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 short film. 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 free to enter and is kindly funded by Cork
City Council (viz the help of Niamh Twomey, Heritage Officer) Prizes are also
provided by the Old Cork Waterworks Experience, Lee Road.
Overall, the Schools’ Heritage Project for the past twenty 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 with local schools.
Details can be found on my dedicated Cork heritage website,
www.corkheritage.ie.
Caption:
1119a. Front cover of 2021-2022 brochure for Discover Cork Schools’
Heritage Project.
The Discover Cork: Schools’ Heritage Project launches in its 20th year and is open to schools in Cork City. Funded by Cork City Council, the Project is an initiative of the Cork City Heritage Plan.
The Project (est. 2002/03) is aimed at both primary and post primary level. Project books may be submitted on any aspect of Cork’s rich past. Suggested topics are over the page. The theme for this year’s project – the 2021/22 school season – is “Cork Heritage Treasures”.
FREE and important project support in the form of funded workshops (socially distanced, virtual or hybrid) led by Cllr Kieran McCarthy in participating schools will be held in October 2021. This is a 45min physical or virtual workshop to give participating students ideas for compilation and resources.
In a recent reply to a question posed by Cllr Kieran McCarthy at the recent City Council meeting, Cork City Council have noted a revised completion date of the Marina Park section next to Páirc Ui Chaoimh. Due to Covid 19, delays in construction works and poor weather has pushed the opening date from this month to mid to late November this year.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “The park looks more or less ready to open. It looks well and will add immensely to The Marina district. It’s been a long two years with construction work stopping and starting due to Covid 19. Phase one works has comprised the construction of a new public car park at the Shandon Boat Club end of the Marina, as well as a new cycle lane and pedestrian walkway – these are all now completed and are very well used. The public can now see the grass on sunken lawn areas in the park section and the diversion of a watercourse, as well as new pathways – all of which are in place.
“One can also see that the installation of perhaps the most eye-catching part of the project – a noticeable red steel pavilion on the site of, and replicating, the central hall of the former Munster Agricultural Showgrounds. The sides of the pavilion will not be enclosed, and there will be possibilities for coffee pods and outdoor seating and arts and crafts. The project is a e.10m investment into the area, of which nearly e.5m came from EU Urban Sustainable Funds, which are part of the EU’s structural funds and are a crucial source of funding for cities”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
Douglas Road Independent
Cllr Kieran McCarthy has warmly welcomed the 2021 Culture Night edition, which
takes place this Friday 17 September. Now in its
sixteenth year, Culture Night once again presents a rich showcase of Cork as a
creative city, with over 70 venues and organisations taking part.
Cllr
McCarthy noted: “This year’s theme is ‘Come Together Again’, which represents a
moment many of us have looked forward to for a long time. Cork City Culture
Night presents a chance for those directly involved in the arts to showcase
exactly why this sector is so crucially significant, and so fundamentally
linked with our culture”.
“While
certain events are to be enjoyed virtually, much of the 2021 programme can be
accessed in person, safely in line with new guidelines as they come on stream –
which will be welcome news to those craving that tangible cultural experience.
But with numbers still very limited, patrons are advised to check booking requirements,
and if plans change, to please release the tickets to allow someone else attend”,
noted Cllr McCarthy.
Many
in-person events this Culture Night will require booking, and some online
events require pre-registration. View the full Cork City Culture Night
programme on www.culturenightcork.ie in advance, and keeping up
with latest news via @corkcityarts on Facebook and Twitter, and on instagram.com/culturenightcorkcity, particularly as new
guidelines may lead to changes. Join in the conversation online with
#CorkCultureNight and #ComeTogetherAgain.
