The Friday View 10/06
In praise of volunteers, Mary Crilly is a free woman of Cork, Carrigaline has a new transport plan, the harbour festival continues and it's the final day of the mixed ability rugby World Cup
In praise of volunteers
This past weekend a car pulled up at the side of the road near the slipway in Monkstown as teams of rowers hauled boats off trailers and manoeuvred them down into the harbour. Rain was everywhere. As were volunteers. We were in Monkstown for the Cork Harbour Festival, specifically the Ocean to City race, to do some interviews and filming, but we needed to get down to Crosshaven to get on a boat to follow the race. But we didn’t have a ride. A few calls were made amid the controlled pandemonium of trying to reorganise the race course, and hundreds of boats with it, due to the worsening weather conditions. (Please say summer weather is coming!)
A short while later a car pulled up, driven by one of the many volunteers who help make the race and the harbour festival happen. In the two days we were at the festival, volunteers were everywhere. It was the same story for the mixed ability rugby World Cup which opened on Sunday, June 5 and finishes up today at Musgrave Park. The volunteers are there to stop traffic and guide you across Tramore Road and into the stadium, to hand out programs in the stadium, to answer questions and do all those myriad things that need to be done to make sure races and rugby matches run smoothly.
Volunteers were also there in droves to make sure the runners in the Cork City Marathon got drinks when they needed to and collectively do a million other big and little things.
It’s not just for sporting events and festivals though. Thousands of volunteers across the city and county turn out day in day out to help out and pitch in, whether it’s with meals on wheels, calling elderly people on the phone to check in with them, or lending support and experience to help organisations and events take shape.
So to all the volunteers who make rugby world cups happen, or whose actions get teams of dragon boats into Cork harbour and exhausted runners across the finish line, or who walk the roads and paths and pick up litter or simply pick up the phone to call someone who might not have much or any interaction from one end of the day to the next, fair play and well done. You might be unsung, but you’re invaluable.
-JJ
News in brief
Full steam ahead: From the middle of next month Irish Rail will increase the frequency of its rail services between the city and east Cork. Iarnród Éireann announced a ‘turn-up-and-go’ schedule to operate between Glounthaune and Kent Station, but what that actually means is that trains will run every fifteen minutes between 6:45am and 7:45pm. There’ll also be more frequent services on the Midleton and Cobh line to the city. Good news all round for people who want to leave the car at home, or don’t have or use a car.
Free Woman: It was Mary Crilly’s day yesterday in City Hall as she was awarded the Freedom of the City for her tireless work on behalf of the victims of sexual violence. We caught the performance online, and it was a really lovely occasion with singing from Karen Underwood, poetry from Paula Meehan and music from John O’Brien on the piano and the band Defence Forces Band of the Southern Command. Mary told the audience she has no plans to retire and asked the City Council executive if she might be able to someday bring a flock of sheep to Bishop Lucey Park now that she’s officially a free woman of Cork.
A better connected Carrigaline: Cork County Council released plans for Carrigaline’s Transportation Public Realm Enhancement Plan (TPREP) - of course there’s an acronym for it. The upgrades will be funded by the National Transport Authority and sustainability is the reference point. The press release via Cork County Council states: “Carrigaline TPREP provides a framework for an integrated transport network for Carrigaline with the purpose of rejuvenating the town centre, enhancing cycle and pedestrian amenities for residents together with promoting connectivity by sustainable travel modes. Phase 1A is centered around public realm enhancements to Main Street as well as the Bridgemount pedestrian and cycle link”.
Submissions are invited from the public and you can look at the full rundown of planned upgrades here. Closing date for submissions is July 8, 2022.
Photo of the week
Out + About
🏉 Final day: If you’re reading the Friday View today (June 10) and you’re in the city, it’s your last chance to catch the action from the mixed ability rugby World Cup. The women’s final at 4 pm is between El Salvador (Spain) and HarleQueens (a combined team with players from around the world), while at 6 pm Oshawa Vikings (Canada) take on home side Sunday’s Well Rebels (pictured above) in the men’s final.
Time, date, place: Musgrave Park, free entry
🛶 Cork Harbour Festival: This is the final weekend of events and activities for this year’s harbour festival and there’s loads on. At the Nano Nagle Place, there’ll be stories and sea shanties from Gab Storytelling on Sunday June 13 from 1:30 pm (no booking required). There’s also guided tours of Elizabeth Fort, the 17th century barracks on Barrack Street, at 1 pm daily until June 13. €3 per person.
Time, date, place: The Harbour festival runs until June 13 and you can find a full list of events here.
🖼 Summer show: The Lavit Gallery’s annual summer group exhibition opened last week and runs until the end of July. There’s some stunning paintings, photographs and prints on display. More information about exhibiting artists here.
Time, date, place: Tues- Sat 10:30 am - 6 pm, Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Summer show runs until July 30.
🎺 Boom!: Coughlan’s on Douglas Street have a cracker of a weekend line-up with music, dancing, comedy and face painting including Super Star Disco, Woah! Mama!, Code of Behaviour and Chris Kent. Also the Monday night sessions are back in Coughlan’s from 8:30 pm. The events are all free and supported by Cork City Council and the Department of Arts and Tourism. Full list of events on this weekend at Coughlan’s here.
Time, date, place: Coughlan’s, Douglas Street
This week on T +D
On Wednesday we published a preview of what to expect at Cork Opera House for the months ahead. This year’s panto will be Sleeping Beauty. You can read that story here.
On Thursday Ellie got into the weeds and details of the mammoth report that sets out Cork County Council’s plan for the county for the next six years. As Ellie writes: “Six volumes, 750,000 words....we’re reading it so you don't have to.” The first of that two-part series is here.
That’s it for this week’s Friday View. Watch out for tomorrow’s instalment of our Arts+ Culture podcast from Ellie.
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.
