Hello, lovely readers! Ellie and JJ here with a few updates on recently published stories: as it’s our first weekly round-up, some of this dates back earlier than the past week. Also, we’ve got a few lighter bits towards the end: things to see, read and…tweet of the week. Have a lovely weekend and see you all back here next week.
Trees Officer for Cork - job will be posted soon
Top line: a Trees Officer for Cork city has now been approved by the Department of Local Government. Cllr Dan Boyle says he expects a jobs posting to go live for the new position next week. You can read my long report on the state of play for Cork’s trees back in February here.
The details: Many related issues have arisen since, including a strong community response to felling in Blackrock, close to and even on the Marina, where I identified a need to protect the 180-year-old Lime trees that Cork City Council so far have not promised will be given special mention in plans for a multi-million euro “upgrade” of the amenity area.
Planning permission granted for East Cork pig farm
Top line: Cork County Council have granted planning permission to a hotly contested 4,224-animal piggery in Ballymacoda, East Cork, that featured in my March long read on intensive agriculture and Cork’s water quality.
The details: Residents spearheaded by the newly formed POWER group have vowed to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanala, which would see 7 million litres of pig slurry per year spread on townlands in East Cork. I wrote a news piece on the story here. Also, having been criticised for not balancing my original story by farmers on Twitter, I contacted Philip O’Brien, the owner of Derra Farms Ltd for comment.
He told me that 4,224 “finisher” pigs would be fattened every three months in his new “all-in, all-out” system, which is considered better for disease control: all the animals would be sent for slaughter to Staunton Foods near Timoleague after fattening. Which means 16,896 animals would pass through the Ballymacoda piggery each year.
Philip said the new piggery would control odours by feeding pigs a low-protein diet and by using a new under-floor scraper system in the fattening houses.
“We will achieve a remarkably high welfare standard – these new buildings offer us the option to provide the pigs with straw, which is rated the No.1 enrichment material for pigs,” he said.
“This is something we are excited about. We also intend to offer these pigs much higher space allowance than current minimum regulation allowance, therefore welfare is further increased.”
OPW Minister calls on Bride environmental group to withdraw plans for a judicial review
Top line: OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan wants Save Our Bride Otters (SOBO) to back down.
Details: I wrote an in-depth exploration on the Bride in Blackpool: planned OPW flood relief works for the river, which would see it culverted through Blackpool village, and the new environmental group, (SOBO), who have now fundraised €11,000 of the €20,000 they need to seek a judicial review of the OPW’s plan. This week I’ve returned to the subject of flood relief and the OPW for a county-wide exploration.
Speaking on RedFM, OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan made the unusual decision to call on SOBO not to use the due process they have available to them in the form of a judicial review.
I have an interview request in for the Minister and the promise that we can talk next week. Watch this space.
One to watch: Creativity and Change
If you’re in the city centre over the weekend, there’s a new installation in the windows of the MTU Gallery on the Grand Parade - just by the Nano Nagle footbridge that leads over to Sullivan’s Quay.
The installation is part of “Conscious Lee”, organised by students of MTU’s Creativity and Change course and it runs until April 28. The creators have focused on otters to tell the story of habitat, pollution and habitat loss. More info here including a podcast and activities for children.
Tweet of the week:
Three to read:
"Do you regard yourself as taking part in a stroke of genius or in something criminal?" Tony Murphy was ready with the answer. "A stroke of genius, sir.
An oldie, but a great tale by Steve Dennis. The story of Tony Murphy the self-made millionaire and the “Cork mafia” who put one over on the bookies by putting it all on Gay Future.
Cork was not originally on President John F. Kennedy’s itinerary when he visited Ireland in 1963. But, “press secretary Pierre Salinger told journalists during a reconnaissance visit to Ireland earlier in 1963 that Kennedy had insisted he visit Cork due to a family linkage on the Fitzgerald side of his family.” So he came, he saw, and he got the Freedom of the City. Some great pics in this piece from The Echo.
“John Dineen hangs upside down each morning on top of a wind-swept tower and kisses a stone. He then spends the rest of the day helping others to plant their precarious kisses.“ A Reuters profile of the man who held onto thousands of people as they kissed the Blarney Stone. By Paul Majendie.
The kids are alright. The kids are super talented.
The Zurich Young Portrait Prize winners are online over at the Crawford Art Gallery. Bualadh bos fada. Also, congratulations are in order for Cork-based painter Tom Climent whose painting Eden has been acquired by the Crawford.
And finally…..a call-out! We want your stories.
Ellie: Not only do JJ and I need help spreading the word about Tripe + Drisheen, but we also need your ideas and input. Community reporting is what I love doing most. Cork is full of amazing people doing incredible work, as well as so many stories that need to be told that slip under the radar.
If you have a story that you think needs telling, you can contact JJ or me and we will treat you with respect and sensitivity, no matter the issue. If you wish to speak off the record and just give us tip-offs to work from, that’s fine too. We’re here to report on Cork. And we want your help to do it.
If you have a story you think we should be covering, please email either of us at jj.odonoghue@gmail.com or emailellieobyrne@gmail.com.
Have a great weekend! Ellie & JJ
