🌦️The Friday View 27/09
🌦️The Friday View 27/09
The spotlight falls once again on Valerie O'Sullivan, Bus Éireann is going backwards, a Kinsale teenager is taking on oceans and we have our usual guide to what's hot for this coming week.
The curious case of Valerie O’Sullivan’s X account: Last weekend’s Sunday Times covered a story which T+D first highlighted last November: how did it come to pass that the acting chief exec of Cork County Council’s X account routinely “liked” anti-LGBT, Covid-19 and climate change conspiracy content.
When T+D contacted Cork County Council regarding the matter, the official response was that Ms. O’Sullivan’s account had been compromised, and this was the first she had heard of it. Her X (formerly Twitter) account was subsequently deleted.
What has changed in the meantime is that O’Sullivan, who has a long history of public service, is set to take on the top position at City Council. The role comes with an annual salary of €182,280 and involves overseeing a staff of over 1,500 and managing a budget of €292 million.
There are still several interesting and unanswered questions surrounding this story, but ST journalist Claire Scott has taken up the task of finding those answers. (For those searching for the story on The Examiner, Echo, or CorkBeo, it’s nowhere to be found.)
When asked if the content she had "liked" reflected her own views, Ms. O’Sullivan told ST: "I do not hold those views, I have never held those views, and I have never expressed anything remotely related to those views. I almost died when it was brought to my attention."
She added: "I am categorically saying to you now that a) I do not tweet, b) I don’t share, like, or engage in anything like that, and c) I do not hold those views, have never held those views, and will never hold those views. I was shocked when the query arrived at our organisation."
No details have ever been released about how her X account was hacked, or why a narrow subset of content was liked and reposted. When asked about an investigation, Ms. O’Sullivan replied that this was a matter for Cork County Council—an answer that raises some interesting questions.
As Cllr Oliver Moran (Green Party) told ST: “What we’re told is that Ms. O’Sullivan’s account was compromised in some way and used to promote anti-LGBT viewpoints and climate scepticism. I’d like to hear how it came about.”
At the very least, if your social media account—an extension of yourself—was compromised, wouldn’t you want to know more? Especially if you “almost died” when you found out? Wouldn’t you seek answers? Perhaps in time, those answers will emerge, because as Ms. O’Sullivan surely knows by now, a significant matter like this has a way of resurfacing. Again. And again.
In reverse: Who would have thought that in 2024, one of the main election issues in Cork—judging by the level of frustration and protest—would be the city's public bus service, or rather the lack of a reliable one?
Last weekend, protesters marched from Parnell Place in the city centre along the river to Penrose Wharf, where the National Transport Authority's Cork office is located. Their message was clear: fix the bus service.
However, things are expected to worsen for bus commuters before they improve, with news that Bus Éireann will operate a reduced schedule on routes 202, 205, 208, and 22 this autumn due to a shortage of drivers.
This week, Sinn Féin released their manifesto to fix Bus Éireann in Cork. Their key priorities include:
30 additional bus drivers - €1.25m
Reintroduction of spare drivers
A commitment from the NTA to retain all directly awarded bus services in Cork with no competitive tendering
A full review of the fine system to ensure it is not unfairly impacting on peripheral bus stops
The problem for Bus Éireann, and indeed all employers, is that attracting new drivers to Cork runs straight into the challenge of where to house them during one of the most expensive periods ever to live in Ireland, compounded by a chronic undersupply of accommodation. Add to that the fact that Bus Éireann isn’t the only company offering incentives to hire new drivers (even with the incentive of a €2,000 signing-on bonus). Air Coach is also competing for drivers, along with a range of other private firms all vying for the same talent.
Competitive overtime rates could certainly bring drivers back onto buses, but here too Bus Éireann is constrained by pay deals that were implemented pre-Covid. All of this results in a bus service that will continue to struggle, leading to growing frustration for commuters. The wait at bus stops will go on. And some.
Swim, Foster, Swim: Kinsale teenager Brian Foster is certainly one to watch. This year alone, the 16-year-old phenom swam the 20-mile Catalina Channel in 11:03:48 (pending ratification by the CCSF), and then surpassed that by completing the North Channel swim. He swam the 70 km from Ireland to Scotland and back without a wetsuit, taking 24 hours and 50 minutes. According to RTÉ, under Channel rules, he wore only togs, a swim cap, and goggles, with no rest or physical contact once the swim began.
Oh, and he’s also swum the English Channel in 10 hours and 37 minutes. Brian is a member of the Sandycove Island Swimming Club - and a legend in the making
Building history:Clocking in at 246 pages, A Guide to Cork City's 20th-Century Buildings: An Architectural and Social History, 1900-2000 by Tom Spalding is a substantial work, chronicling some of the architectural gems built in the city over the past century. As Tom notes in the book—currently only available in digital format, as far as we can tell—"Cork city can be considered a free, open-air museum of architectural and design history, accessible to anyone with curiosity and an observant eye. This guide will introduce you to 114 twentieth-century buildings, monuments, and locations in Cork and help you learn more about this fascinating city."
Tom has spent years documenting Cork's buildings, signs, bus shelters—everything that contributes to the city’s architectural heritage. He’s a patient writer with a keen eye for social history, as seen in his description of Connaught Avenue near UCC, named after “Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria, who had opened Donovan’s Bridge at the foot of Donovan’s Road.”
The area is characterised by good architectural detailing throughout. Terracotta finials decorate the gables, there are fine stucco mouldings and some rare and well-preserved examples of Art Nouveau metalwork by Fieldings and Watsons of Cork. Donovan promised to build for the ‘workingman’, but it was said in 1908 that he ‘built for aristocrats.’4 In 1911, the residents of the terrace included: commercial travellers, factory managers, accountants and clerks, academics, shop owners and vintners, engineers and civil servants
A change of plans: his week, The Echo reported that a property on MacCurtain Street will be used to accommodate international protection applicants as part of a one-year contract with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth. While The Echo gave the address, it did not specifically identify the Rezz by name. The hotel will be used to house single, female international protection applicants.
Bookings on the Rezz website are unavailable from the end of November onward, likely indicating when it will cease operating as a hotel. Rezz trades as MacCurtain St Hoteliers Ltd, with Dublin-based Salamence Investments Limited as its major investor. However, the company's other Rezz property on Dame Street in Dublin will remain operational as a budget hotel
That’s a wrap: For the past year a group of artists and creatives lead by Julie Forrester have been holding a series of climate-related events built around the ‘Gleann a’ Phúca’ project in the Glen River Park, a gem of a park on just beyond St Luke’s in the Northside of the city. ‘Gleann a’ Phúca’ is an evocative term which refers to the fact the area was once known as ‘Glen of the Spooks’ (bring that back!)
To celebrate the 12-month programme of artists’ public engagement projects responding to the ecological, cultural, industrial and historical heritage of the valley park. Included in the days events are a dance performance titled Through the Valley She Runs by UCC Creative dance artist in residence in The Glen, Helga Deasy, which will take place in the park at 6.15pm. Earlier in the day, Elinor Rivers will be leading participants on a discursive picnic, inviting picnickers to reflect on their connection with water and the Glen River (from 1:30pm)
In the evening, events will move indoors to the Glen Resource Centre. From 7 pm to 9 pm, there will be a premiere screening of Spoon and Bloom, an animation produced by visual artist Annie Mar and animator Aaron Ross, with contributions from participants who attended drawing and mapping workshops in the park throughout the year. The event will conclude with a screening of Glen River, a short film by Dervla Baker, featuring an original soundscape of field recordings by Neil Quigley. More details about Gleann a’ Phúca can be found here.
Ramping up: Now that the R+H Hall is all bust dust, developers O’Callaghan Properties are first out the starting block with the new that they have posted their commencement notice for the apartment building behind the Odlums Building on Kennedy Quay, which will house 100 units. The Odlums Building still stands, and any work to bring that back will likely take a lot longer.
Gentleman Joe: Joe Healy will be having a public reception and signing to launch his new photo book, Cork in Decades Past, at the PACE Centre, Passage West (to the rear of Passage West Maritime Museum) later this evening (Friday September 27 at 7.30pm). We profiled Joe a while back in T+D and it’s real to see hi passion project out in the world!
Out + About
Coughlans Live Music Festival began last night with Dundalk shoegaze band Just Mustard playing the venue for the first time, and there are many more to come, including a few free gigs. Ska legends The Service play in The Nest on Friday evening, while stoner rock outfit Dankenstoneds Bongster play a late gig the same night. On Saturday, young up-and-comers Cardinals and Theatre play a free gig, while Monday sees some Karaoke with Laurie Shaw. Wallis Bird, Notify, David Keenan, Clare Sands and Muireann Ní Shé and The Kates all play ticketed gigs. Some great craic to be had down on Douglas Street! More information on the Coughlan’s website.
Time, date, place: Thursday September 26-Monday September 30, Coughlan’s, Douglas Street, Cork.
Sunwell Tapes are a women-founded music collective operating in the city, and are organising their first show in a while in the intimate surrounds of Crowley’s Music Centre. On the billing is singer-songwriter Peter O'Sullivan and chamber-folk ensemble As Many As Possible. Tickets are available here.
Time, date, place: 7:30pm, Friday September 27, Crowley’s Music Centre, Friar Street, Cork.
Sessions From Oblivion is an RTÉ show on 2XM and 2FM featuring performances from some of the best acts around the country. They come to Cyprus Avenue on Monday, with performances from The Cliffords, I Dreamed I Dream, Iris, and The Love Buzz. Entry is free and tickets are available here, and the event is being recorded for radio.
Time, date, place: 7pm, Monday September 30, Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street, Cork.
One to watch: From next Sunday through to Wednesday, the Triskel will be showing The Third Man from director Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Orson Welles. Filmed in Vienna in 1948, the Viennese didn’t take to Reed’s masterpiece, however it went on to win an Oscar and the Golden Palm at Cannes.
The Third Man tells the story of American writer of westerns, Holly Martins, who arrives in post-war Vienna to visit his old friend Harry Lime. On arrival, he learns that his friend has been killed in a street accident and when he meets Calloway, chief of the British Military Police in Vienna, he is informed that Lime was, in fact, a black marketer wanted by the police. He decides to prove Harry’s innocence, but is Harry really dead? Times and tickets here.
Time, date, place: Sunday, September 29 - Wednesday, October 2, The Triskel, Tobin St
Electronic music collective Dose host their tenth party at Dali tonight (Friday 27)with a loud and heavy lineup. Dublin-based hardcore performer Julia Louise Knifefist headlines, and is supported by Jowy, an Amsterdam-born and Dublin-based DJ with roots in Ghana, India and Suriname, and local punk/noise duo Bodycam. Bring ear protection, tickets are €10 on the door.
Time, date, place: 8pm, Friday September 27, Dali, Lavitt’s Quay, Cork.
Oíche Mná is a charity fundraiser at Connolly’s of Leap in aid of The West Cork Women Against Violence Project. The billing features The Kates, Rita Lynn, Molly O’Mahony and Ellen O’Meara. Tickets are available here and all proceeds go to the charity.
Time, date, place: 7pm, Friday September 27, Connolly’s of Leap.
Transitus is an exhibition by Backwater Artists featuring the visual artists Mary Bowen Galvin, Éadaoin Glynn and Oonagh Hurley. Taking place at The Long Space at Wandesford Quay, it focuses on exploring different methods of expressing memory and hidden histories through a female lens.
Time, date, place: Thursday September 12-Friday October 11, The Long Space, Wandesford Quay, Cork.
That’s it for this week’s Friday View.
Any tips, comments, news or events you’d like to share with Tripe+Drisheen, you can contact us via at tripeanddrisheen@substack.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. Have a lovely weekend.
