The Friday View 19/05
How will BusConnects Cork end? A grudge match at Cork City FC, another new community garden in the city, boat building at The Lough, and a special symposium in honor of historian Ronnie Herlihy.
BusConnects fall apart, the centre doesn’t want it
In a decade, or perhaps even sooner, when BusConnects becomes a footnote in Cork's transport history, how transformative will it truly have been? I'm willing to bet not half enough.
Why?
To address this, let's consider a comment by Councillor Lorna Bogue. At a packed protest meeting in Douglas this week, Cllr Bogue was among about half a dozen councillors who expressed their views on a proposed bus corridor from Maryborough to the city centre. If this route is approved, it will bring significant changes, including road widening, potential property loss, tree removal, and the implementation of bus gates.
What Cllr Bogue said was not substantially different from what every other councillor stated that night - criticising the insufficient engagement from the National Tranpsort Authority (NTA), calling for a dedicated Cork office, and raising concerns about top-down planning. However, there was one notable difference. Among the councillors who spoke, she was the only one who actually traveled to the meeting by bus. (Full disclosure, I drove).
Nevertheless, something else she said strikes at the core of how we perceive public transport, specifically buses, in Cork.
What she said, though, strikes at the heart of our understanding of public transport, specifically buses, in Cork.
Here's her quote in full:
"We do need a more compact city, we need a city that people can get around, and in terms of people who use the bus, it's older people, people with disabilities, mammies with babies, and myself."
That's not an exhaustive list, but it captures the gist. And it's also why BusConnects will fall well short. Because BusConnects isn't truly for us. If we're being honest, it's not. Because if it were, if we were genuinely committed to transforming our adequate bus service into something that would encourage us to pass by our cars and walk to a nearby bus stop where buses arrive frequently, taking us to our destinations on time, we would fight for that.
There are plenty of valid reasons to doubt that the NTA will get BusConnects Cork right. However, there are stronger reasons to believe that we don't truly value public transport. It's only seen as necessary if you personally use it. And the majority of us don't. And won't. So, we'll tolerate being trapped in worsening traffic congestion as urban sprawl continues. In a climate crisis.
Adam Gopnik, writing in The New Yorker this week, gets right to the heart of the matter in his review of two new books examining our deep attachment to cars:
A civilization can’t hide its values from itself. Every argument about the impossibility of building public transit—fast trains or electric buses or light rail—could have been made about building the New York City subway more than a century ago. The difference is that New Yorkers all wanted the subway.
Substitute a ubiquitous, efficient public bus service in Cork for the New York City subway and you have the same argument. It’s the same difference: a majority of Corkonians don’t really want the hassle and upheaval that comes with transforming a bus service they never really use that much anyway.
From the moment BusConnects Cork landed, there were city councillors who could not shout loud enough how vehemently they were against it. Passionately so.
Now, just imagine channeling that same passion, energy, and determination towards advocating for a world-class public bus service for all the people of Cork. Politics is the art of the possible, or sometimes the art of making things impossible.
-JJ
Tweet of the week
News in brief
Contradictory government policies were highlighted as one of the reasons why addressing the dereliction crisis is proving so complex in Cork city and across Ireland. This issue was discussed at a half-day seminar hosted by Cork City Council at Nano Nagle Place earlier this week.
The seminar, titled 'Urban Fabric' and chaired by TV presenter and architect Hugh Wallace, focused on the available supports for restoring derelict buildings. Presentations were given by Cork-based Meithal Architects, the Land Development Agency, Elliott Construction, and Cork City Council.
Wallace raised concerns about the complicated grants system, which often requires separate grants for the same building. He also pointed out the conflict between conservationists and fire safety officers when it comes to the restoration of historic buildings.
During the seminar, Patrick O'Toole of Meitheal Architects suggested considering a "tiered approach to protection," where certain interiors may need to be sacrificed, as is done in other countries. He emphasized the importance of making "intelligent compromises" between all stakeholders when planning the refurbishment of derelict buildings.
Tripe + Drisheen specifically inquired about the planning application process and whether the timeline should be shortened after obtaining planning permission for major projects. Currently, both BAM Construction and Tetrach Capital hold vacant and derelict city centre sites with approved planning permission for hotel construction, despite the sites remaining unused for several years.
According to O'Toole, time limits of two to three years for planning permission will be implemented in the coming years. Cork City Council did not comment on this matter. -Killian McCann
Grudge match: It's been a tough season for Cork City FC, who are one place off the bottom of the Premier Division. City was unfortunate to lose 2-1 to Dundalk last Friday night, conceding two goals in extra time. Tonight, they face Sligo Rovers at Turners Cross.
Spare a thought then for The Other Three Amigos Podcast (TOTAP) who have had their match day accreditation withdrawn by Cork City since (correctly) breaking the news of Colin Healy's departure last month. TOTAP applies for media accreditation to each club before each game, and now they are in the odd situation whereby they haven't received accreditation for recent home games but have received accreditation for away games.
I asked Cork City FC about the duration of the accreditation revocation, and they stated that that decision is made on “a case by case, match by match basis based on the principles of fairness and respect.” This suggests that TOTAP failed to meet one or both of these principles.
Last week, TOTAP were granted accreditation for City’s away match in Drogheda, which allowed them to conduct a post-match interview with stand-in manager Richie Holland. The impact of that loss was evident in their post match interview with Holland, as Declan McCormack told me when I chatted with him this week.
Cork City FC recognises the value of TOTAP's work, as this week they shared clips of that interview with the media. McCormack mentioned that revoking accreditation for home matches doesn't impact the podcast but he thinks it affects the club's ability to directly engage with their passionate fan base. Here’s hoping City management see the value in TOTAP, let the lads back to doing their post match interviews at home games, and that City get back to winning ways. A win-win situation.
Placemaking: Cork City Council's placemaking fund is once again open to community groups and businesses who have an idea that could transform a street, a park, or even the side of a wall. As I reported last month, two permanent chess tables were installed outside Myo Café on Pope's Quay. The community-led project was conceived by Liam Mullaney, owner of Myo Café. Liam applied for funding from the Placemaking Fund to make the project happen.
The maximum amount of funding for any one project is €10,000. The Council is particularly interested in projects related to biodiversity and greening local areas, but new events may also be eligible if considered unique and contribute significantly towards the fund's objectives. The closind date is June 9 and full details of the placemaking fund can be found here.
Remembering Ronnie: This weekend, a full-day symposium will be held in the O'Rahilly Building at UCC in honor of local historian Ronnie Herlihy, who passed away in April 2020, just as the pandemic brought the world to a standstill.
Ronnie grew up on Cove Street in the South Parish and made significant contributions throughout his life to preserving the history of Cork City. He published several books, including "Walk Through the South Parish: Where Cork Began," "Tales from Victorian Cork, 1837-1859," and his last book, "Among The Stones," a biography of St. Joseph's Cemetery in Tuners Cross.
This weekend's symposium will feature a range of speakers and topics that no doubt Ronnie would have enjoyed. These include former firefighter and historian Pat Poland discussing a brief history of the Sullivan's Quay fire station (now the Quay Co-Op), Tom Spalding speaking about the Mardyke, Niall Murray presenting on the life and times of Joseph Stafford Biggar, and much more. The day-long symposium will conclude with reflections on the life and work of Ronnie, moderated by John Borgonvo.
The symposium is free to attend, and no prior registration is required. It will take place from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday, May 20, at the ground floor of the O'Rahilly Building, UCC.
Out + About
🖌Stamp: Fancy making a concertina sketch book? Then consider Stamp Festival which kicks off today at a new venue, the Counting House at the former Beamish & Crawford brewery. Stamp brings together Benchspace, Cork Craft & Design, Sample-Studios and Shandon Art Studio who have put together a program that includes artist-led workshops, artist talks, exhibitions, film screenings and a tour of the refurbished Counting House. The festival of creativity runs throughout the weekend and the full program of events can be found here.
Time, date, place: 19-21 May, The Counting House, South Main Street.
👩🌾 Togher Community Garden will hold a series of events over the coming week to mark “Biodiversity Week” beginning tomorrow (May 20) with a focus on trees and hedges by local artist and gardener Hazel Hurley. On Tuesday, May 23, the community garden will be visited by a team from An Taisce who will take a closer look at some of the wildlife and marine life in their new community pond. The meeting point for that free event is Colaiste Stiofain Naofa and the full details can be found here. The tour starts at 10am and runs until 1pm.
Time, date, place: 11am, Saturday May 20, Clashduv Park, Togher
🖼Print: Cork Printmakers Members Exhibition at Lavit Gallery opened this week and features new work by over 50 Cork Printmaker’s artists. The exhibition, which is a bi-annual event at the Lavit, celebrates the diverse practices and approaches to fine art printmaking by artists at Cork Printmakers.
Time, date, place: 10:30am – 6:00pm Tuesday to Saturday, May 19 – June 10, Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay
🐝Buzz: Tramore Valley Park will be buzzing this Saturday for World Bee Day. Organized by the Kinship Project, which is based in the Park, they'll be hosting experts from the Cork County Beekeepers Association who will be on hand to provide information on keeping hives, as well as guidance on planting pollinator-friendly plants in private and community gardens. The sweetest part will be a honey production workshop with a tasting for participants.
Time, date, place: 2pm - 5pm, May 20, Tramore Valley Park
⛵️Boat builders: The Lough is the place to be tonight to get a glimpse of the next generation of model boat builders. The theme for this year’s event is Boats of the Past’ and is open to kids between the ages of 4-15. The event is being run by Meitheal Mara’s Cork Harbour Festival, 2023 and the Old Cork Waterworks. There’s still time to build your boat and register it here before this evening’s launch.
Time, date, place: 6.30pm, Saturday May 19, The Lough
🪴Shandon Street Tidy Towns are the latest local group in the city to launch a community garden and this Saturday they will officially open the garden. All are welcome, especially local gardeners. More information here, including contact numbers.
Time, date, place: 11am, Saturday May 20, Shandon Street
This week on T +D
On Tuesday, we reported on a meeting about BusConnects in Douglas organised by Douglas Road Environment, Heritage and Community Group. It was an informative meeting with city councillors and one TD in attendance. You can read that piece here.
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.
