The Friday View 28/04
Drumroll please...the WINNER of our "Bridges of Cork County" photography competition is here. Plus our usual weekly round-up of news and events.
Ellie writes….
After two years with Tripe + Drisheen, the time has come for me to move on. You may still see me as a contributor here from time to time, but I’ve handed over the editorship to JJ, who can be contacted via the Tripe + Drisheen email.
I’d like to thank this wonderful community of readers, contributors and commenters, as well as the many people who have trusted me with their stories on T+D. This community continues to grow and it’s been amazing to see our work circulate so widely and be held in such high regard by so many. It’s been a joy.
So that’s all from me, for now, on Tripe + Drisheen. See you all around the place.
It’s an interesting week to be writing about independent media.
Some of you may have followed the story dating to last year of the Media Commission’s recommendations that government ringfence funds to help Irish media, and of particular interest to us has been the allocation of €3 million for a local democracy reporting scheme, whose details are keenly awaited.
JJ and I have had many conversations about whether Tripe + Drisheen would apply for or take such funding, and whether or not we feel it would make an impact on the independence of our reporting.
On the one hand, the ad revenues that used to fund print publications have collapsed and online clicks are not replacing it in small markets like Ireland, and even smaller local markets.
But on the other hand, how could State funding for media not be in some way connected to the type of media being produced, and how could it apply criteria to that funding that don’t act as some form of control?
Against this backdrop, the situation that arose in the Dáil this week, where Micheál Martin took a very targeted pot shot at one non-legacy media organisation in the form of investigative website The Ditch is incredibly alarming if it’s in any way indicative of how the major political parties in Ireland view the media landscape.
Good journalism plays an important role in an adversarial political system. Exposing corruption and ensuring that there is a level of accountability in public office is part of the job of good journalism. A look at the world Press Freedom Index, on which Ireland is currently ranked sixth, something for a small country to be truly proud of, tells you all you need to know.
In countries with high levels of press suppression, there is a general correlation with higher corruption, less accountability and a higher likelihood that the lives of ordinary people are ruled by authoritarianism and fear.
Any politician worth their salt respects this and knows that the media’s job is not to lockstep with the messages political parties want to broadcast, but to act as watchdog, to report critically on policy making and to hold politicians to account.
Sure, transparency within the press is important too: readers being able to know who is speaking and assess their motives for doing so is basic good practice.
But much talk of the value of “Public Service Content” is contained in the Media Commission’s report, and of the importance of plurality and diversity of media voices. And much is made of ensuring supports for local democracy reporting, news reporting and courts reporting is “platform neutral.”
Investigations like those carried out by The Ditch are an essential component of a functioning democracy. Our lawmakers would do well to remember it.
Bridges of Cork County photo competition
RUNNER UP
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this photography competition. It’s been amazing to see the variety of different approaches taken and it’s been tough to judge!
You’ll have to keep scrolling to see our overall winner, but the runner up in our Bridges of Cork County photography exhibition is Ray Horgan from Buttevant. Ray is a keen amateur photographer and he captured this atmospheric shot of Mary Elmes bridge in Cork City one foggy morning on his way to work.
AND THE WINNER IS….
This photograph, taken from a bridge over the River Bride near Ovens, with the ruins of Kilcrea Friary in the background, was taken by Sarah Posthuma, who lives in Cork city. We chose it for its beautiful composition and framing, the focus on perspective brought into play by the road receding away from the viewer. We also loved that this was a view from a bridge, rather than of a bridge.
Sarah says….
“I thought the competition was a lovely idea to get us paying more attention to our bridges and when I came across this gorgeous little old bridge over the river Bride with Kilcrea Abbey in the background, I immediately thought, I have to take a photo and enter it.”
“The feel of it struck me first, but I also loved the way the road faded off towards the Abbey, like it was coming out of the past. Which it is.”
“It's a lovely old Friary. I found out that day when we walked around that Art Ó Laoghaire is buried there and there's a whole story that goes with him, mostly thanks to a long and famous poem, Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, written by his widowed wife, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill.”
“There's a lot of O'Learys around there and many with the first name "Arthur," no doubt named after him. I was told by someone that 50 years ago they were taught the poem in schools, in Irish.”
“I am so thrilled the photo won and thanks also for the great, independent journalism!”
Out + About
Schmooze around Ballydehob
Bristol-based Gypsy Jazz quartet The Schmoozenbergs are just one of the acts making an appearance at Ballydehob Jazz Festival this weekend. You can catch their stylish retro 1930s sound at one of the four gigs they’ll play as part of the festival’s pub music trail over the weekend.
Time, date, place: various times in Levis’ Corner House, The Irish Whip, Mosaic and Ballydehob Community Market. For times and the rest of the line-up go here.
Celebrate May Sunday in East Cork
Killeagh village’s traditional May Sunday celebration has now been extended to become a two-week programme of arts and cultural activities, to coincide with the unveiling of the renovated Coach House venue and artists’ studios at Greywood Arts in the village.
Time, date, place: Saturday, April 29 to Sunday, May 14 at various locations including Greywood Arts, Glenbower Woods, Youghal and Clashmore. Full programme here.
An evening of tea and poetry
Myo café’s regular tea and poetry evenings see local poets take to the stage to perform their work while patrons take tea. And visitors could stop by and admire the new limestone chess tables on Pope’s Quay outside the café.
Time, date, place: Friday, April 28 from 7pm to 9pm at Myo café on Pope’s Quay, Cork city.
Explore Muscle at the Crawford Art Gallery
An immersive audio tour experience and a film exploring women’s connection to muscle are part of a new show opening this week at the Crawford Art Gallery. Artist and theatre maker Anna Furse presents muscle: a question of power and a film piece titled women talking muscle: a question of power, which features six powerhouse women including an army veteran, a pole dancer, a body builder and a 73-year-old dancer.
Time, date, place: Muscle runs at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork City until August 20. More info and opening times here.
Views from a Window: 10 short plays
The Cork Arts Theatre (CAT Club) brings back an annual event where ten mini-plays from a variety of playwrights from Cork and around the world are staged. The bite-sized productions have been running all week but there’s still a chance to catch them on Friday and Saturday. As well as an entertaining evening out, the event acts as a fundraiser for the theatre.
Time, date, place: Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 at 8pm in the Cork Arts Theatre, Carroll’s Quay, Cork city. Tickets and info here.
This week on T +D
Educate Together
On Tuesday, JJ reported on an Educate Together secondary school finally getting the green light in Douglas. It’s been a five-year process for the Department of Education with Cork City Council rejecting their first planning application in 2018 and with much concern amongst locals in Maryborough about traffic and access. But the 600 pupil co-ed school now has the go-ahead.
Chess on Pope’s Quay
Two permanent chess tables have been installed on Pope’s Quay near MYO Café. JJ told that story in a Long Read on Wednesday:
White Bishop to B3, Queen to D3... Pope's Quay Has Chess Tables
When the complete history of Cork is written, there will be a special entry for Thursday April 27, 2023 for it was (or will be, as it’s tomorrow) on that day that Cork finally joined the pantheon of other great cities including New York, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Cairo and Istanbul which all have pe…
And then he revisited the story with more pictures from the launch on Thursday.
Sorry to hear you are leaving Tripe and Drisheen ,Ellie ! Wishing you the best for your onward journeys ! This publication has been a solid rock of hope for genuine independent media at a time when the mainstream media's integrity is clearly compromised by the types of funding it receives , I do hope it will be possible for it to continue to be so . Thank you again for all the great articles ..I'm sure there will be many more.
Best wishes Ellie