Friday View 07/06
Three standing stones go up in the city centre, election posters will be coming down and things are getting busier down at Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Vótáil, and what we’re not voting for
Today is D-Day, or Judgement Day, for thousands of candidates across Ireland who have been showing up on doorsteps, on utility poles, and in a million different iterations of the same variation of online ads with the same message: vote for me, I’ll get the job done.
Local politics is small politics with a small p, and our new batch of candidates will not solve the housing and health crisis (and to claim they can is both delusional and foolish), but they can be a force for positive change in the neighbourhoods they represent. They can press home the changes needed to aid biodiversity, improve public transport, and highlight areas that are affecting people in their constituency. As one candidate told us, they can represent, and maybe that’s all we can hope for.
On the other side of the Cork border in Limerick, voters will take to the ballot in a historic experiment to vote in a mayor. The people of Cork had the chance to do this but narrowly said no in a plebiscite in 2019. Did we miss a trick?
The first directly elected mayor of Limerick city will not singlehandedly radically alter the course of the city, but they will be judged on their performance in five years' time. They will also be accountable for a range of issues throughout their tenure. The public and the media will know where the buck stops.
While mayors in Ireland have very little “real” power, they are everywhere—visiting every school, launch, tea party, shop opening, photocall, and the occasional overseas jolly. That means they see a lot and are seen. A directly elected mayor might have to cut back on some of those public-facing duties somewhat in order to concentrate on enacting policy, but a large part of the well-paid role will remain public-facing.
In contrast, the chief executives of both Cork County and City Council don’t have to contend with that relentless public interaction. It’s a bureaucratic and administrative role first and foremost. Directly elected mayors will have to take on that role, but they’ll also be a lot more visible and responsible for council action and inaction. Ask any person in Cork if they have questions for the chief of Cork City and County Councils, and they’ll likely have bucket loads of them. No doubt some will be half-baked, but they’ll run the range from broken footpaths to broken public transport and broken promises. That’s what a directly elected mayor will be facing, and democracy is all the better for it. So well done to Limerick for grasping the nettle. We shall be looking on, and good luck to all the candidates throughout Cork city and county.
For those voting today, remember anything other than numbers placed in the right boxes will mean your vote is considered spoiled. And for those wondering, if you should complete the entire ballot and what difference it makes, well, here’s what Virgin Media’s Gavan Reilly had to say:
If you leave boxes blank on your ballot, you are telling the count staff you are equally passive about all those candidates. So if you genuinely only like a few candidates, and could take or leave the rest, feel free to give preferences to those and nobody else. But if you still have *any* genuine preference for the remaining candidates on the ballot - and would rather see some get in than others - you should keep voting, and give preferences to everyone *except* those you want to ‘keep out’. It’s unlikely, but the difference between your 25th and 26th preference *could* decide who gets the final seat in some circumstances.
News in brief
CMPGR renewal workshops: Cork City Council are hosting two workshops next Tuesday, June 11 at the YMCA on Marlboro St for businesses and residents ahead of the renewal of Cook St, Marlboro St, Princes St, Grafton St and Rochford's Lane (CMPGR). The idea, per the brief, is to hear directly from people who live and work in the area in the form of “interactive workshops”. There will be two workshops on the day, from 12:30 pm - 2:30pm and 5pm - 7pm. For those who can’t make it to the workshops, you can drop in at any time to meet the team from 1pm to 7pm. More information here.
Glanmire cottages to be restored: Cork Beo reported on Thursday that the three iconic cottages found at the entrance to Glanmire village are being restored. The cottages, which date from the early 1800s and were originally built as almshouses by the Colthurst-Bart family of Blarney Castle, were derelict for a number of years. Cork Beo also reported that they went up for sale for €140,000 each and were sold to a development company, which is now restoring them.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh to host Euro 2025 Qualifier: RTÉ reported on Thursday that (insert supermarket name) Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be hosting the women’s national team’s Euro 2025 qualifier against France on July 16. Both the Aviva and Tallaght Stadium are unavailable for the fixture, meaning that the Páirc is going to see what could possibly be its biggest soccer match yet. It’s rare to see either national teams on Leeside, so expect a big turnout. Ireland need a big performance against the French, as they are currently bottom of League A Group 3.
Meanwhile, Cork City FC owner Dermot Usher has told The Rebel Army Podcast (not to be confused with the other Cork City FC-focused podcast, The Other Three Amigos and which Usher is about as likely to appear on as Elvis is) that the club has held “initial exploratory talks about leasing the Páirc for potential major friendlies.” What does that mean? Not a whole lot at this stage, but if anything comes of it, it will be interesting to see if there will be a cap on events for the Páirc, because while we all agree it’s a great venue, it’s a stadium with a major access problem (hello Park & Ride, cycling facilities etc etc ad nausea)
Tuckey Street Closed Off: The works on the streets around the former Beamish brewery began last week, and progress can already be seen. Tuckey Street is now completely closed off by railing and being dug up, while the bike lane on South Main Street is also closed off. The scheme is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Luckily, for construction the so turned site of the non Event Centre is being used as a car park and staging site
Shandon and Clonakilty receive THRIVE funding: Shandon and Clonakilty were both named amongst the 26 towns which have received Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE) funding. The funding aims to allow Local Authorities and communities to reimagine and revitalise their areas, particularly town centres, through the renovation and reuse of publicly owned, vacant or derelict heritage buildings. Both areas have received €200,000 each of funding.
Game meets game, division 4 edition: Reggie from Blackrock showed up online shilling for Fine Gael’s European candidate John Mullins. The spot - whether it was a paid ad it doesn’t say - had all of Reggie’s trademark humour: the candidate is from the northside of Cork, gasp! by voting from him you’d be getting him out of Cork. LOL, said no one.
Cork’s Portal Stones: There’s three new standing stones being erected in the Peace Park at the bottom of Grand Parade, just outside Frankie’s Slice Shop. Tommy Lysaght, who was instrumental in getting the chess tables on Pope’s Quay, and who we wrote about here, is the driving force behind the Portal stones. T+D paid a visit to one of the HQs where workers have been inscribing the stone with ogham for the past six months and we’ll have that story for you next week. Congrats to all for this great public project, including John Hayes from Cork City Council for his vision and support.
Out and About
Last year, new folk festival Féile Fearann Rí welcomed Liam Ó Maonlaí in their very successful first edition. They return this year with four fantastic trad artists, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Dónal O’Connor play at the Gala concert on Thursday night at the Church of the Resurrection. A day-long celebration of Traveller culture in Irish traditional music features Thomas McCarthy and Niamh Dunne with young traveller and settled children, on Friday, in Hollyhill Library. More information here.
Time, date, place: Tuesday June 11-Saturday June 15, Farranree.
The annual Ocean to City Race - An Rás Mór takes place on Saturday. Starting in Crosshaven and Monkstown, it features four different races over different distances, starting in different locations around the harbour before arriving at Lapp’s Quay. The race starts at 1:15pm on Saturday, and will finish between 3:15pm and 5:45pm. More information here.
Time, date, place: 1:15pm, Saturday June 8, Cork Harbour.
Ó Bhéal is a monthly poetry reading and open mic night at the Hayloft Bar, upstairs in the Long Valley. Taking place on Monday, in association with the Cork Harbour Festival, it features Luisa Castro with Keith Payne and Katrina Naomi. More information here.
Time, date, place: 7pm, Monday June 10, The Long Valley, Winthrop Street, Cork.
James Or is a Cork-born but London-based indie rock singer-songwriter, who’s music has been praised for its authenticity and introspectiveness. He plays in the Quay Co-op Bookshop on Saturday with Katie Swayne, a Cork City based folk/pop singer-songwriter. It’s an early evening gig, with doors at 6pm. Tickets and information here.
Time, date, place: 6pm, Saturday June 8, Quay Co-op Bookshop, Sullivan’s Quay, Cork.
Dogtail Soup is a musical trio consisting of experienced musicians Maurice Seezer
Camilla Griehsel, and Paul Tiernan. Each with vastly different experiences and sounds, one is a film score composer, and all were members of the band Interference. They play in Levis’ on Sunday and are definitely worth catching if you’re around West Cork. Tickets and information here.
Time, date, place: 7:30pm, Sunday June 9, Levis’ Corner House, Ballydehob
David O’Doherty’s award-winning children’s book “The Summer I Robbed a Bank” comes to the The Everyman this weekend and next. The plat tells the story of 12-year-old Rex who has to spend his summer holidays on Achill Island and he doesn’t quite know what to make of this mad place and its wacky characters. Little does he know his holiday is about to get a whole lot more exciting: his eccentric Uncle Derm is hatching his most insane plan yet! (Clue in the title). The Summer I Robbed a Bank is dircected by former Everyman director Sophie Motley and stars Bryan Quinn,
Damian Kearney, Orla Scally, and Stephen O’Leary as Rex. Times and dates here.
Time, date, place: Weekend of June 8 and June 15 only, The Everyman, MacCurtain Street.
That’s it for this week’s Friday View.
Any tips, comments, news or events you’d like to share with Tripe+Drisheen, you can contact us via at tripeanddrisheen@substack.com. We are always happy to speak to people off the record in the first instance, and we will treat your information with confidence and sensitivity. Get in touch. Have a lovely weekend.
