The Friday View 01/07
A hitherto unpublished photo of the day JFK came to town; more from BusConnects; will an Educate Together secondary school get the green light in Douglas? And Tracton will be hopping this weekend.
Photo of the week: When JFK was in Cork
There’s a great backstory to this wonderful shot (above). First up, it’s a photo of President John F. Kennedy as he leaves Cork aboard “Marine One”, as the US president’s helicopter is called. It was taken by fireman and author (and Cork man) Pat Poland, then aged 17, using his Kodak Brownie camera. Pat was part of the detail assigned to the Auxiliary Fire Service and stationed on Victoria Road since early morning on June 28, 1963. Essentially, the crew’s job was to be on standby in case anything happened to the president’s helicopter during take off.
Pat told me he remembers that day like it was yesterday, despite the significant passage of time.
“I know it’s not great,” Pat said of the photo, “but what with all the jostling going on, and it was only a little cheap camera, I was glad to get it.”
Editor’s note: it’s a great shot!!
Pat told journalist Brian O’Connell a few years ago that “JFK was our hero, being Irish American.” Now, 76, Pat, recalled to me this week how he’s often thought how “lax security was in those days. Anyone who was so inclined could have taken a pot-shot at the President and could hardly have missed (including me).” Less than six months after his Irish trip JFK would be assassinated in Dallas on November 22.
It’s an incredible shot of the departing president even if Pat told me he was hoping to get a shot of JFK facing him.
The name of the park where Marine One took off from is called Kennedy Park; it’s a triangular park down on Victoria Road at the city end of the Marina, but it was only christened Kennedy Park after the president’s visit. Earlier this year a Tripe+Drisheen reader was telling me that local legend had it that the park was named after the president as his helicopter had taken off from there back in 1963, and he put it down to that: a legend, and I was inclined to agree. A US president’s chopper in that park? Yeah - nah, bai. But, the shot below, courtesy of Pat, shows the chopper taking off from Kennedy Park. And Pat’s shot shows JFK getting on the chopper.
I posted a short thread on Twitter this week about JFK’s visit to Cork. At City Hall he was awarded the Freedom of the City, and what’s remarkable, besides the massive turnout in Cork that day to see the President, is JFK’s way with words. He was a gifted and charming orator. When it came to his turn to speak after a meandering introduction by Lord Mayor Sean Casey, JFK told the audience at City Hall “he was once again reminded how the Irish loved to talk.” It was both funny and accurate and you can watch it here on YouTube.
Photographs from that day offer a great glimpse of the city and that historic moment. It seems like anyone who could get near enough to the president as his entourage made its way from Collins Barracks down to City Hall was allowed to, despite the cause for concern from his security detail. Getty reports that JFK declined military relief, saying, "It's all right, these are my people." Reporters who had been following JKF in Ireland said that the Cork crowd was the “most enthusiastic…so far.”
Joe Noonan, another Tripe+Drisheen reader, had a special view of the president as his entourage rolled through town.
“I was up on my father's shoulders at a point in St. Patrick’s Street just out of shot in that great photo - on the Woodford Bourne side (now McDonalds). The buzz was mighty.”
Some day, as Pat might say, in typical understatement.
News in brief
Planning watch:
A decision is due to be made by the City Council on the proposal to build an Educate Together secondary school in Ardarrig, Douglas on land owned by the Department of Education. It’s the second time of asking; Cork County Council refused permission in 2018 (when the land was still in the County’s boundaries), and An Bord Pleanála subsequently upheld that refusal. The new proposal has also run into opposition over the proposed access route (through the Dales, Maryborough Woods) as well as the two set down areas which would be constructed along Maryborough Woods Road. Residents have met with several local councillors and lodged their concerns at City Hall, specifically about the access route in through the estate and what changes that will bring. The Educate Together school has been in temporary accommodation at Griffith College Campus on Wellington Road, Cork for the past number of years.
A decision is due on the planning application on Monday, 4 July. The file can be viewed here.
Cork in numbers:
According to preliminary results released from the Central Statistics Office, the population of Cork (city and county) now stands at 581,231 an increase of nearly 38,400 from when the census was last recorded in 2016 and the population for Cork stood at 542,868. That’s a 7.1% increase in six years.
Population growth is expected to continue over the next two decades, and modelling form the City and County Councils suggests that by 2040 the total population for Cork will be around 770,000, with the city population estimated to be around 333,000 and just under 437,000 for the county.
Census 2022 revealed that Ireland’s population has surpassed 5 million for the first time since 1841.
School cycle bus Ballincollig
Ballincollig got its first-ever school cycle bus up and, well, cycling I guess, this day last week on a very rainy day as we reported here. Organiser Tom Hennessy said there was a great reaction, despite the weather, and while school is out for the rest of the summer, they’re in the planning phase with a view to a possible dry run towards the end of the summer before school restarts. Parents or volunteers in Ballincollig interested in the school cycle bus or looking to get a bit more information can contact Tom here.
STCs
This week, BusConnects presented further details to city councillors and civil servants about the report they released last week on transforming Cork’s public transport network. On the 12 new Sustainable Transport Corridors, it’s worth highlighting this paragraph.
The proposals, if implemented, will feature:
54kms of new cycling and walking infrastructure as well as 75kms of new dedicated bus lanes across twelve sustainable transport corridors to the north, south and west of Cork city.
Bus journey time will be cut in half across most of the twelve proposed corridors.
The phrase if implemented (italics mines) stands out. There’s a long way to go and the process will now draw in local input via public forums about the National Transport Authority’s “emerging preferred routes". Then, an overall agreed upon plan will likely have to be given approval by regulatory bodies before construction will start (two-three years from now).
There will be six public forums to discuss the plans set out in BusConnects which will take place this month in Ballincollig, Tivoli and Douglas. Times and dates here.
Bodkin! And finally, recognise this idyllic West Cork town? Of course you do, it’s the world-famous Bodkin, by the sea! Thanks to a Tripe+Drisheen reader for sending us this, a temporary sign for Union Hall which is the setting for a new Netflix series currently filming in Bodkin/Union Hall. (But seriously, Bodkin: What a great/terrible name!)
Out + About
🎶Tracton’s where it’s at: There’s a mighty arts and music festival taking place at Tracton which kicked off on June 29 and will finish up this Sunday. The Hot House Flowers, Mary Coughlan and Martin Hayes will all be stopping by The Inkwell Theatre in Minane Bridge over the next few days. The Inkwell will also play host to photographer Daragh Muldowney who will be explaining the stories behind the images from his book of photos of Lake Baikal in Siberia. There’s a huge range of events including farm walks, lino printing, canoeing and free music sessions. Full details here.
Time, date, place: June 29 -July 3, Tracton Music & Arts Festival
🖼 Know thy national collection: Every Thursday and Sunday the Crawford Art Gallery offers free guided tours. The tours vary from week to week and will give you more context and information about artefacts from the permanent collection as well as the temporary exhibitions.
Time, date, place: weekly on Thursday (6:30pm) and Sunday (2pm), The Crawford Art Gallery.
🧹It takes a village: Ballyphehane Tidy Towns are back this weekend after a two week break and they’re looking for new volunteers. You don’t need to bring anything except yourself as equipment will be provided as will a cup of tea (and a treat) afterwards.
Time, date, place: 11am - 1pm, Saturday, July 2, meeting at Ballyphehane/Togher Community Development Project.
🧘Meditation: Buddhist nun Kelsang Drolma will be leading a meditation class in the lovely surroundings of Fitzgerald’s Park this Sunday. Free and all welcome. More information here.
Time, date, place: 11:30am - 12:10pm, Sunday, July 3, Fitzgerald’s Park
🌊Beach cleaners: Clean Coasts Ballynamona will be meeting this Saturday at White Bay in east Cork to collect rubbish and other items off the beach. Volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves. More information here.
Time, date, place: 10:30am – 11:30am Saturday, July 2, White Bay
😆Whoa Is Me: Comedian David O’Doherty is extending his residency in Clonakilty by one night. Sure he might as well make a weekend of it! His gig tonight in DeBarra’s is sold out, but there are still tickets available for the Saturday gig. More information here.
Time, date, place: 9pm, Saturday, July 2, DeBarra’s, Clonakilty
This week on T +D
On Monday, Ellie reported on newly release figures from the CSO which show that there are 40 times more vacant homes than homeless people in Co Cork.
On Tuesday, we published some of the rezoning changes that had been voted in at a special sitting of Cork City Council on Monday evening. A green light was given by a majority of councillors for rezoning Douglas GAA sports facilities for new residential development. Meanwhile, on the Northside green space, a parcel of land adjacent to the Glen River Park at Ballyvolane was rezoned from Public Open Space to District Centre.
We also had a review of An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl), a beautiful Irish-language film, from director Colm Bairéad.
That’s it for this week’s Friday View. Any tips, news or events you’d like to share with Tripe+Drisheen, you can contact either of us at jj.odonoghue@gmail.com or emailellieobyrne@gmail.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.