The Friday View 16/06
Why benchmarks matter, musical chairs at Red FM, updates on the Cork Luas and celebrating Bloomsday and creepy parades Leeside.
Benchmarks matter
Benchmark is one of those words that when you hear it now, it’s usually tied to some government report or corporate strategy that’s likely to drain the life from you. But long before bureaucrats and corporate strategists got their hands on the word, benchmarks had huge significance in Ireland. In fact, Ireland was substantially benchmarked, perhaps the most benchmarked country in the world at one stage.
Over a period of decades this altogether more interesting benchmark was carved into our physical landscape. Most of us, but thankfully not all, are blissfully unaware of the subtle markings that are carefully and strategically plotted across the country
This benchmark, as explained here, is “an elegant simple crow-foot-shaped mark that is carved into stone walls in our built environment all over the country. Created during the 1800s to mark the height above sea level at particular locations within Ireland…It was policy to provide five benchmarks per one kilometre square in rural parts or about thirty to forty in urban areas.”
Now, enter Tony McGrath, eagle-eyed and always on the lookout for signs, old advertising, and benchmarks. In late May, Tony noticed that a curb with a benchmark on Patrick's Hill had been removed during the construction work to upgrade the area around MacCurtain Street, so he took a few pictures. He was busy at the time and only got round to posting those pictures, with a short caption, on Twitter this week.
“Looks like the old benchmark has lost out to the public realm works on MacCurtain St/Patrick's Hill.”
The tweet, as they say, blew up. Tony told me he was “pleasantly surprised” by the online reaction, which confirmed the public's interest in our heritage and the significance of small physical landmarks that shed light on our past, among other things. He also told me he’s seen quite a few other benchmark stones across the city that have been removed either in the name of progress or due to ignorance.
The project to benchmark Ireland is a fascinating one, and a few years back when Tony’s daughter was in primary school he took her and a few of her fellow classmates on a tour around town, pointing out benchmarks. Subsequently, the students wrote up a project on the little but hugely significant markings. He even showed them how to calculate elevation using the benchmarks, a level and an old OS map. Prior to GPS, benchmarks provided a treasure trove of information.
A spokesperson for the City Council, in an email, said that the benchmark Tony highlightd (“Tony’s benchmark”) has been “removed to store as work progresses in the area.” That particular benchmark won’t return to that spot, but “it is to be incorporated into the new public realm enhancements in the vicinity.”
Tony told me that one thing that could be done is to install neat little plaques with QR codes on them, alongside or nearby the benchmark stones, and then, as Tony said, “you get your bit of history”. As he pointed out, a similar project is in use on Wandesford Quay.
“I’m biased, I like old history and I like old heritage,” Tony said. If the reaction to Tony’s tweet is anything to go by, then he’s not alone. We’re never not without our phones (or looking at our phones), and as Tony said, you could even make a treasure hunt along MacCurtain Street based on the benchmarks and link it all together using QR codes. Indeed, MacCurtain Street could make an ideal pilot project under the transformative leadership of the VQ lobby group.
News in brief
🚉Emerging: The National Transport Authority (NTA) announced this week that the emerging preferred route for Cork's light rail system would be revealed next month. The announcement came in response to a question from Cork TD Seán Sherlock in the Dáil. By now, it is common knowledge that the Cork Luas, as it is commonly referred to, will run from east to west, roughly from Ballincollig to Mahon Point. However, the exact route remains unknown, but the preferred route will be disclosed to the public in July. The NTA said they have spent €1.8m so far on the project according to The Echo.
Of particular interest will be the public reception of the preferred Luas line compared to some of the bus lanes that the NTA is also aiming to implement in Cork as part of BusConnects. Does a hierarchy exist in public transport? Will there be neighborhoods and residential groups that are less likely to object to modifications in their physical environment for a light rail system compared to a bus lane? We shall see.
📻In with the old: German media giant Bauer Media announced this week that Keith Cunningham (better known as KC) will return to Red FM to host the morning show. KC will make the move from 96FM (which is a small part of the global-spanning News Corp behemoth owned by the Murdoch family).
He join Ciara Revins and Laura O’Mahony, but the question remains: where does this leave Olympian Rob Heffernan, who co-hosts Red FM’s breakfast programme? Heffernan has been absent from the airwaves this week. For the time being, Red and Rob are staying mum. Perhaps, there’s room for an expanded team. Or maybe not? Listen in, as they say.
Out + About
🤹♂️Cork Midsummer Festival: The theatre festival kicked off this week and will run throughout the weekend into next week. One of the main free events is the Midsummer Festival Parade, which will take place this Sunday and will march along Oliver Plunkett Street before reaching Grand Parade. Organised by Cork Community Art Link, the parade involves numerous local groups, including Suisha Arts, Blackpool Community Access Program, National Learning Network, Blackpool Men's Shed, Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance, and CCAL Drama Troupe.
Time, date, place: 3pm, Sunday June 18, Oliver Plunkett Street
🧠Creepy times: If you're in or around Fitzgerald's Park, Emmet Place, or the Marina on Saturday, watch out for Mallow-based Japanese artist Seiko Hayase's Creepy Parade. Seiko will be staging the parade throughout the city, and it's definitely an odd one that fuses music from uilleann pipes while a small troupe of dancers wearing "brain hats" performs a routine. There are three performances, all taking place on Saturday, June 17, starting with Fitzgerald's Park at 1pm, followed by Emmet Place at 5pm, and lastly the Marina Market at 7:30pm. The running time is approximately 25 minutes.
Time, date, place: 12:30 pm, Friday June 16, Crawford Art Gallery
🎶Let’s go klezmer: Later today, Ruti Lachs will be premiering the Irish Klezmer Suite which comprises seven pieces of klezmer (traditional Jewish wedding) music infused and mashed-up with Irish trad, along with some jazz, dub reggae and baroque flavours in the mix. Given the day that’s in it, there will also be a Yiddish tribute to Leopold Bloom, a central character in Ulysses.
Time, date, place: 5pm, Friday June 16, Cork City Library
🎻Church trad: The inaugural Féile Fearann Rí kicks off next Monday, June 19 for what promises to be a mighty few days of trad music featuring the talents of local musicians and few from beyond the parish. One of the highlights is the gala concert on June 20 at the Church of the Resurrection, Farranree, which will feature the talents of local traditional musicians spanning multiple generations, who will perform alongside Liam Ó Maonlaí. Tickets on the door or from Scoil Íosagáin (021 430 3302)
Time, date, place: 7pm, Tuesday June 20, Church of the Resurrection, Farranree
🎸Jazz club: Starting today, Cork Opera House launches a new series of concerts at the Half Moon Place café that will run through the summer months. The aim of the program is to showcase the variety of talent that's present in Cork and beyond. It promises to be an eclectic mix, featuring musicians from jazz to classical genres. First up is multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Conor Clancy of TOUCAN. Also, keep an eye out for exhibitions in the café featuring the work of emerging artists in Cork.
Time, date, place: 1pm, Friday June 16, Cork Opera House, Emmet Place
This week on T+D:
On Tuesday morning we published our Council Watch report from the City Council’s monthly meeting. You can read that report here.
On Wednesday, we had an interview with Dr. Flicka Small, an authority on James Joyce who has been very busy over the past few months organising lots of events to mark Bloomsday in Cork. You can read that Q&A here.
Thursday was a busy publishing day: JJ reviewed Happy Days starring Siobhán McSweeney curredntly showing at the Opera House, while Killian interview some of Cork’s Up-and-coming theatremakers in his long read.
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 us via our About page here. 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.
