The Friday View 2/12
A new town for Tivoli, the Crawford Art Gallery is going up in the world, lots of festive events in the city and county and a word from Fionn, T+D's first work experience student.
This week Tripe + Drisheen had our first ever Transition Year work experience student. He got some real feet-on-the-street experience while out interviewing and he also got his first byline in T+D while covering a very timely story.
Fionn writes….
I’m glad that I did my work experience at Tripe + Drisheen. I honestly couldn’t think of a way the experience could have been more interesting. I had the luck to be at an interview with John Mullins when he told us about the down tools they were planning, and even interviewed a few people myself (which I was quite nervous about at first).
We spent three days working from Ellie’s home and one day roaming around the city. It had never really occurred to me that you could sit down in a café and do your work from there, so it was interesting to do that for a day. Of course, being in town is the best place to find new story ideas and meet people as well.
I really felt like a journalist for the week; you view everything in a different light when you’re thinking about what would make a good news story. There’s some things journalists do that you would never consider if you didn’t have first-hand experience. I hope I never again experience the pain of trying to transcribe a 10-minute audio recording taken with a phone in a busy café. I learned a lot about the English language; semi-colons had never really been a part of my writing toolbox, and it turns out we don’t learn very much about sentence structure in school.
I definitely learned about the value of having a diverse list of contacts when I was looking for people to interview. While it’s possible to go find contact numbers online and also to physically go out and search for people, you’re much more likely to get a friendly response from someone you already know (or someone who owes you a favour).
Sadly I didn’t get to meet JJ, but I strongly believe in Tripe + Drisheen’s vision for local journalism. What I’m most thankful for is Ellie’s encouragement to try my hand at writing my own feature story, and her constant support throughout. The only real complaint I have is that Ellie’s kitten has a supernatural ability to jump and claw onto you when you’re least expecting it. He certainly gave me a fright a few times.
Thanks to all the readers for making T+D possible.
(Editor’s note: we’re really sorry about the kitten, Fionn. If you choose a career in journalism it will probably be possible to arrange a workplace free of insane and hyperactive cats.)
JJ writes…
Fair play Fionn. And Ellie. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet you Fionn, but you were in the company of one of the best journalists I know. I really enjoyed your first feature on Tripe+Drisheen and I hope there’ll be more stories with your byline in the years to come. Keep it up!
Once upon a time, Cork city had train stations at Lower Glanmire Road, Albert Quay, Capwell, Western Road, and of course Kent Station. Bar Kent Station, they’re all long gone. I mention this because trains and train stations for Cork were back in the news this week with the announcement of new carriages to be added to the rail network in Cork. In 2026.
Maps make for great reading and a look at the Cork rail network map, well, perhaps it’s not great, but it’s certainly illuminating. For example, in Cork city (population 220,000) there is only one train station, in the whole of the city. Bear in mind, the city grew considerably when the city boundaries were redrawn in 2019, but even at that Cork has remained a one-station city. The nearest train station to the city is Glounthane on the Cobh-Midleton line, a network which miraculously survived as train tracks were ripped up in the latter half of the last century. On the Mallow line, Mallow is the nearest station to the city. West Cork is entirely trainless and train station-less, unless you count the model railway village in Clonakility, which while lovely is a tourist attraction. And to get to Waterford from Cork by train you have to go in the opposite direction of Waterford and change at (lovely) Limerick Junction. But spare a thought for Donegal; a train hasn’t run in the county since 1965.
With the latest trains for Cork announcement, there’s also talk of reopening Kilbarry Station near Blackpool, but there’s been talk of opening Kilbarry Station almost from the day it closed. Example 1:
And, as on the Cork-Cobh line, there are plans to reopen long-closed stations on the Mallow line at Kilbarry near Blackpool, the original Cork terminus prior to the opening of the tunnel in 1855, and at Blarney.
"We've ample car parking at both stations and the idea is that we will provide Park 'n Ride facilities at Blarney and Kilbarry as well as Tivoli and Ballynoe, just as we're already doing at Mallow and Cobh."
The proposed reopening of Blarney provides an excellent example of Iarnrod Eireann working closely with the planning authorities, in this case, Cork County Council, to come up with an integrated plan.
The above is from a piece by Irish Times journalist Barry Roche interviewing the then Iarnrod Eireann district manager Sean Cullinane back in 1999. The headline sounded a hopeful note: Cork plans new lease of life for railways.
There’s certainly been no shortage of plans for new train stations (Monard) or reopening closed stations (Kilbarry and Blarney) so you’d be forgiven for greeting any announcement with buckets of skepticism. If they do come, it will please two people I know hugely. One is my son Fionn, 5, who spent the first few years of his life in Japan and thinks trains might well be the greatest invention known to him. His future dream job is to be a “train explorer” and everytime we journey west and see the ruined train bridge outside Macroom he wants to know where the train is. It’s with O’Leary…
The other is Ciarán Meers, Chairperson of the Cork Commuter Coalition and T+D contributor, who earlier in the year authored a report into how West Cork’s rail lines could be restored and what that would mean for connectivity and sustainability. It’s likely a long, long way off until we see a train roll out to West Cork. But hopefully the reopening of Kilbarry and Blarney stations is not another twenty years away.
News in brief
62 hectare Tivoli Docklands plan for Cork city unveiled
It’s all going down, or up at Tivoli. When the Port of Cork moves the container port at Tivoli, across from the Marina (Cork does appreciate a good Italian name) down to Ringaskiddy it will free up a considerable land bank near the city centre. This week Reddy Architecture + Urbanism published its grandly sounding masterplan framework for the waterfront. If built, Tivoli would have 8,500 homes and acres of office and retail space. Lots of ifs again, but Reddy A+U estimates that Tivoli would be built in six phases over a 20-25 year timeline, and eventually have a population of around 11,000 people. Not to harp on about train stations, but surely a Tivoli station would be a no-brainer. More information here via Reddy A+U.
The Crawford Art Gallery is going up
The Crawford has always been an inward looking gallery. It’s a gallery that you can steal yourself away from the city as you wander through the eclectic mix of modern and antiquated galleries. To be honest, it feels like two galleries have been welded together, and the only glimpse of the city you get is from the contemporary wing constructed towards the end of the millennium. But change is coming and the gallery is going to look a lot different with the addition of a six storey loft that will rise up over Half Moon Street and offer views across the River Lee. The 32 metre tower is part of a planning application submitted by the Crawford this week for major renovations at the national institute. All going to plan the new Crawford will open its doors with views out on to the city in 2026. More information here.
Stand with Palestine
The International Day of Solidarity with Palestine was marked in Cork City on Tuesday, with a small group gathering outside Cork City Hall, calling for signatories to an EU Citizens´petition which aims to get the European Commission to ban the import of goods from Palestinian Territories which are being occupied by Israel.
Out + About
Cork City Book Fair at Nano Nagle Place
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to get yourself a book. This Saturday in the venerable surroundings of Nano Nagle Place, there will be no shortage of books covering a wide range of topics and special interests. In the mix there’ll be books from Rare Books Dublin, Schull Books, Geata Buidhe Books Kilkenny as well as others. Free event and no registration required. More information here.
Time, date, place: 11am -4pm, December 3, Nano Nagle Place, Douglas Street
Have your say: Active Travel enhancements in Belgooly
A meeting to review plans to develop Belgooly village by Cork County Council, installation of pedestrian crossings and new pavements takes place in the Huntsman Bar in Belgooly on Tuesday, December 6. More details here about those plans here.
Time, date, place: 8pm, December 6, The Huntsman Bar, Belgooly
Get yourself to Cork Zine Fest
Take a peep inside the wonderful world of zines this weekend with the Cork Zine Fest. While zines aren’t ubiquitous, you’ll still find the DIY culture is alive and kicking. Rebel Reads in the Marina always has a smattering of zines. For a more expansive look drop by The Living Commons in Shandon this weekend where there’ll be a celebration of zines, zine publishing and you’ll get to meet some of the people making zines.
Time, date, place: 11am-4pm, December 3 and December 4, in The Living Commons, Shannon Street
Sounds from the Black Forest
Fermanagh native Clara Tracey brings her Black Forest tour to the Coal Quay this weekend with a performance at Plug’d. The pianist recorded Black Forest over the many lockdowns and released it in October. Clara will be joined by This Throat, Flowers at Night and Rory Francis O’Brien. More information and tickets here.
Time, date, place: 7:30pm. December 3, Plug’d, Corn Market Street
Origami and live music
There’s a doubleheader of free events in the Crawford Art Gallery this coming Sunday. First up artist Julie Forrester will be holding an origami workshop between 11am and 1pm. Origami is endless fun once you get past the awkwardness and frustration. The theme for this workshop is Christmas decorations. And just after the origami workshop finishes up, from 1pm there will be a live performance by three string quartets as part of the art gallery’s Music at Midday series. The award-winning Chroma Quartet (Lucia Murphy, Ellen O'Connell, Karl Riedewald and Grace Hernan) will perform the opening movement of Dvořák's String Quartet in E-flat major (Op. 51); the Martin Quartet will present the Allegro con spirito and Adagio sostenuto from Haydn's String Quartet in G major (Op. 76, No. 1); and a newly formed string trio will perform the first two movements from Dvořák's Terzetto in C major (Op. 74). Get in there. More information here.
Time, date, place: 11 am onwards, December 4, Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place
Fermoy Christmas Fair
Beginning today and continuing next weekend the Fermoy Christmas Fair will take place at The Richmond Revival just off Richmond Hill in the town. There’s lots to be seen, heard and eaten. Over the course of the two weekends there will be music and song from The Fermoy Mens Club Choir, Lismore Choir, Kilworth Guitar and Music Club, Rosie K, Fermoy Concert Band and jazz duet McGuckin i Garcia. They’ll be joined by craft makers and lots of food stands catering for all tastes. Parking spaces are limited and are being reserved for the elderly and those with special needs. More information here.
Time, date, place: December 5pm-9pm on Friday December 2 & 9, 10am - 5pm on Saturday December 3 and 10, The Richmond Revival, Fermoy
This week on T +D
On Monday Cork County Council released details of the budget for the forthcoming year. Councillors voted 33-19 in favour of the €403 million budget. You can read the full story here.
On Tuesday Ellie wrote one of my (JJ’s) facvourite stories if the year which involves a woman from West Cork a harp called Seán and an epic 7,000km hike to Jerusalem. Do give it a read.
On Thursday we had a pair of stories: first up was the news that Cork city and county council water workers will down tools for a one-day protest work stoppage on December 15 as part of a nationwide work stoppage protesting the imminent transfer of local authority water workers to Irish Water. Read more about the protest here.
Later on Thursday, my other favourite story of the year was from Fionn, who finished up his work experience with a feature on what happens when coins and notes start to go out of circulation. It’s a great read, all the more so when you consider it’s his first byline.
That’s it for this week’s Friday View. Any tips, news or events you’d like to share with Tripe+Drisheen, contact Ellie at 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.
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