The Friday View 28/06
A new city councillor shares his views from inside chambers, a new hotel on Camden Quay is set to open and for the week that's in it Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh's famous Cork quotes
☀️Good morning and welcome to the Friday View on T+D, the best thing to happen to Cork since we won the Double.
To kick things off this morning we asked Cllr Pádraig Rice of the Social Democrats to give us a brief account of the job. Pádraig is the youngest member of the City Council and represents Cork City South Central.
My first two weeks as a Councillor have been a whirlwind. After the count concluded and the celebrations ended, we were back out taking down posters and boxing up the mound of election paraphernalia that had engulfed our home.
Running for election was physically exhausting. But socially and emotionally, it was a tonic! I feel privileged to have met so many interesting and inspiring people who shared their worries, concerns, hopes, and dreams. There was a story behind every door (and we knocked on many).
There is no rest for the exhausted campaigners; the work of a Councillor starts straight away. Those seeking power set about forming a majority that will allow them to control Council appointments and budgets for the next five years. This is sometimes called the pact. Before the first Council meeting, it had already been decided through backroom deals who would be Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor for the next five years and who would Chair the various policy committees. These positions were divided up between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Greens.
I think there is better ways of doing this. I’d love to see a directly elected Mayor with real powers and a published programme for local government. I chose not to join the pact or this process. Instead, I exercised a free vote at the first meeting and used my first speech to call for change.
What struck me most about that first meeting was how outdated it felt. From the red robes (some laden with real fur) to the prayer and the roll call voting system, it felt like something from the 1930s. I decided not to wear the robes, and I sat while others rose to pray (we must separate Church and State). I also raised my voice to object to the inefficient voting system. In total, it took us four hours to appoint Councillors to various internal committees and external boards. Not a single policy issue was discussed at that meeting. No solutions were put forward. None of the issues that came up during the election were debated. It felt like an incredible waste of precious Council time.
As the youngest member of Cork City Council and the first Social Democrat, I am going to continue to push for modernisation and reform. The City Council must be dragged into the 21st Century. We have to create a system of local government that is fit for purpose and that responds to the needs of the people. I’m looking forward to pursuing that agenda in the weeks, months and years ahead.
News in brief:
Have you cake and eat it: Last weekend, Cork City Council took over the pages of the Sunday Business Post in a paid-for-supplement or advertorial designed to promote the city and the (tireless and thankless) work of the city’s mandarins and captains of industry.
Outgoing Chief Exec Ann Doherty adorned the front page of the supplement, and, as she wrote on LinkedIn she “was delighted to see Cork docklands get the front page treatment in the Business Post ‘s annual Cork supplement.
“The metrics are genuinely incredible and demonstrate national ambition for the second city,” she enthused.
Here’s one of the metrics that stood out in that paid-for-piece: The pedestrianisation of quays and the enhancement of the existing road network will allow wider connectivity, enabling 75 per cent of journeys to be made by walking, cycling and public transport.
Enabling does all the heavy lifting in that last sentence, so much so that it’s laughable and will likely up at the Emergency Department in CUH. Genuinely incredible.
Ireland ❤️ China: Staying with sponsored content, The Irish Examiner had a big spread this month on the incredible ties between Ireland and China. Some of those pieces felt dated because they were, while the human interest stories were more engaging but avoided mentioning anything remotely controversial, such as censorship or the repression of Uighurs.
A sample of those headlines: China has changed my life. Barry is delighted he chose the high life in Shanghai. Irish student is loving learning Mandarin, Economics and much more. Chinese Dragon and Celtic Tiger share strong relationship.
Never mind that a decade and change on from the crash we are still suffering the consequences of Celtic Tiger largesse. China too is also suffering a property bubble hangover.
However, there was no room for articles on the sizable Chinese community in Cork, the Chinese paving stones on St. Patrick’s Street or UCC’s controversial plan to partner with a university in China.
The articles are all labelled sponsored, but it would be interesting to know by whom.
Who loves ya baby? Well, certainly not ex-County Mayor Danny Collins of Independent Ireland who was one of a number of Cork County Councillors who voted against a motion to wish outgoing Green Party Leader well. These motions are hugely pointless to begin with but part of a strong and weird tradition within local councils. But, this motion certainty revealed how wounded and upset or perhaps just desperate to be quoted Danny boy is.
Explaining why he voted against the motion to wish Eamon Ryan well, he told the Journal, “All he’s interested in is footpaths and walkways and airy fairy, funny kind of ideas that he comes up with.”
Collins said Ryan had “snubbed” him when he was Mayor of County Cork.
“The only thing positive that he has done was announcing he was stepping down.”
Oh, Danny, might we suggest solvitur ambulando to walk off the hurt. On a footpath!
Book of condolence: Cork City Council held a special meeting this week to mark the death of former Lord Mayor and Jnr Minister Bernard Allen who died last week at the age of 79. A North Mon boy, Allen was a sitting TD from 1981 right through to 2011. He also served as Lord Mayor while a Fine Gael TD in 1993.
The new Lord Mayor Dan Boyle, a former Green Party TD, paid tribute to Allen saying that “he was a public representative of strength and stature who served the city well, helping deliver vital sporting infrastructure and also playing a leading role in the establishment of Munster Technological University.”
West Cork Greenway: Cork County Council is going back to the public with its plans for the proposed West Cork Greenway – Skibbereen Sections. Funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) Greenway programme, its looking to develop three individual sections: Skibbereen to Schull, Skibbereen to Drimoleague, and Skibbereen to Baltimore.
Following an initial public consultation in January, route corridor options have now been developed. These options will be available for public review during the second consultation phase, which runs from Friday, June 28, to Friday, July 26, 2024.
Feedback on the route corridor options can be submitted online during this period at www.wcgskibbereen.ie. Public drop in sessions will be held next week at:
Schull Harbour Hotel on July 2, 2024, from 12pm to 8pm
The West Cork Hotel on July 3 and 4, 2024, from 12pm to 8pm
By-election: Did Tánaiste Micheál Martin pull off a masterstroke by ensuring his ministerial and constituent colleague Michael McGrath becomes Ireland’s next European Commissioner, thereby taking him out of any potential title race for the leadership of Fianna Fáil?
Politics is all about pulling strings, but the lure of a €300k-per-year position in a plum job was likely enough for the father of seven from Passage West. Besides, he can always come back and throw his hat in the ring for future leadership races. Additionally, seeing as his brother Seamas stormed home in the local elections, it’s likely he’ll be Fianna Fáil's candidate in Cork South Central if a by-election comes before the next general election. If that comes to pass, FF will maintain their two seats in the constituency with Martin leading the party.
Incidentally, since earlier this month Micheál Martin is the longest serving FF leader of all time. Besides Dev of course. (Thanks to a T+D reader for working that out!)
Cork maxi: “I’m from Cork, work in Cork and won’t ever work anywhere else.” So said Valerie O’Sullivan in an interview with Construction Magazine last month as part of their Women in Construction series. O’Sullivan will vacate the top position at Cork County Council where she was interim boss. Given those soundings, it’s likely she’ll staying working in Cork. Could she make a comeback to the City Council where current boss Doherty is tidying away her things. Watch this space?
Cork in pics: You might recall that a few summers back, T+D interviewed the avuncular Joe Healy who has been posting to his Twitter and now X account photos of Cork dating back decades documenting landmarks like the fake clock tower at Dunnes Stores in Douglas, Turners Cross stadium and Merchants Quay before it was ruined by a shopping centre. Well, this week Joe announced he has a book of those photos on the way this summer. We’ll catch up with Joe nearer the launch date for an interview.
Gentleman Joe: documenting Cork on Twitter
Joe Healy has had a Twitter account since 2018, but it’s only this year, indeed in the past few months that it’s really got going. Since re-joining the global soap box a few months back, Joe, now in his 70s, p…
A legend passes on: We learned on Tuesday about the passing of legendary GAA commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who died at the age of 93. Originally from West Kerry, Micheál studied at Coláiste Íosagáin Baile Bhúirne to become a teacher. Micheál was as every paper and website up and down the country reminded us this week, eminently quotable. And we shall too.
Here he is talking about Na Piarsaigh’s Seán Óg Ó hAilpín:
“His father from Fermanagh, his mother from Fiji, neither a hurling stronghold.”
His quick wit brought life to the games, famously making jokes, like he did to describe a one-two between Teddy McCarthy and John McCarthy:
"Teddy McCarthy to John McCarthy, no relation, John McCarthy to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation."
Or doling out a pithy bio on Anthony Lynch of Naomh Abán’s background:
"Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner back, will be the last person to let you down- his people are undertakers."
Retiring in 2010, his last game was Cork’s last ever All-Ireland victory in football against Down. Listening to him on the radio, you could imagine the game before your eyes. He was Ireland’s greatest commentator, and it is fair to say nach mbeidh a leithéid arís ann. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
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Out + About
Test Site and Plugd collaborate on Saturday for an outdoor gig at Test Site with Coby Sey, Elaine Howley and David Murphy. Coby Sey is a songwriter, producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist based in London, Elaine Howley is a Cork based vocalist and producer, best known as a member of the Altered Hours, making a name for herself as an experimental musician. David Murphy is an multi-instrumentalist who mostly works with the pedal-steel guitar, recently releasing the album ‘Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar.’ Tickets are available here.
Time, date, place: 7:30pm, Saturday June 29, Test Site, Kyrl’s Quay, Cork.
The West Cork Chamber Music Festival takes place this weekend in Bantry. The Saturday night Main Evening Concert involves the Signum Quartet, a Germany-based quartet that includes South African Xandi van Dijk. The quartet are celebrating 30 years of the fall of Apartheid by inviting some of South Africa‘s most original and powerful voices, and choosing works symbolising hope and transformation. Tickets and information here.
Time, date, place: 7:30pm, Saturday June 29, Bantry House, Bantry.
As part of the Triskel Sample Project Space, ‘Maritime’ is an artist-led residency where two artists based in Cork, Rebecca Bradley and Ida Mitrani, travelled to Brittany and two Brittany-based artists, Laure Colomer and Caroline Boyfield travelled to Cork. Spending time in Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, and Uillinn Arts Centre, Skibbereen, the Cork/Brittany ‘Maritime’ Exhibition features the works which arose from these residencies. More information here.
Time, date, place: Wednesday June 26-Monday September 2, Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street, Cork.
Doneraile Art Fest is an annual festival celebrating art in the community, and includes workshops where people can learn new skills. Running until Sunday, it features basket weaving workshops, origami, and yoga. Tickets and information here.
Time, date, place: Thursday June 27-Sunday June 30, Doneraile.
Ispíní na hÉireann are a punk-folk band led by Adam J. Holohan and Tomás Mulligan, with cellist and fiddle player Aongus Mac Amhlaigh and saxophone and uilleann Pipes player Pádraig Óg Mac Aodhagáin, who formed at the famed Cobblestone Bar. They play a combination of original songs as well as reimagined covers and tunes, all influenced by the Irish musical tradition, in Connolly’s of Leap tonight. Ticket available here.
Time, date, place: 7pm, Friday June 28, Connolly’s of Leap.
From Source to Sea is an exhibition based around the River Lee, featuring works from the Crawford Art Gallery’s collection. It includes John Butts’ ‘View of Cork from Audley Place’, George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson’s ‘Paddle Steamer Entering the Port of Cork’, and George Petrie’s ‘Gougane Barra, Co. Cork.’ This will be one of the last exhibitions before the gallery closes for renovation works. More information here.
Time, date, place: Saturday June 22-Sunday September 22, Gibson Galleries, Crawford Art Gallery, Emmett Place, 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.
From the archive:
On the record: John Dwyer of Bunker Vinyl
When John Dwyer moved back to Ireland after 20 years living in the UK he brought with him eight or nine thousand records, by his count, and a bag of clothes. “And that was it. That’s all I had like, books, clothes and that was it, man.” I laugh. He laughs. We laugh, and John says “Yeah, …
It must be frustrating for a new councillor to witness first hand those incredibly long and often unproductive council meetings, burdened by outdated processes. But glad that Cork is slowly embracing change and new ideas.