Tripe+Drisheen: The Friday View 25/06
Our weekly round-up of news and events from across the county
Two pieces of news for nature-loving walking fans in East Cork
The country’s longest boardwalk, a 7km, €2.2 million coastal walkway stretching from Youghal town to Redbarn was opened to the public this week.
The first phase of the project, the boardwalk between Claycastle and Redbarn, was completed in 2018 and has proven a really popular amenity, not least because of its accessibility for people with mobility issues.
Meanwhile, Harper’s Island Wetland opened a new looped walkway and bird watching hideout this week. The wetlands of Cork Harbour are home to around 20,000 birds. At different times of year, seasonal visitors include the Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Teal, Little Grebe, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank and Black-headed Gull, plus a small herd of horses, who keep the wetlands grass in check.
Bird Watch Ireland, Glounthaune Community Association, Glounthaune Tidy Towns and Glounthaune Men’s Shed and Cork County Council have all been instrumental in setting up Harper’s Island. The wetlands are open daily from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Strictly no dogs allowed, except guide dogs.
Live from Cork Midsummer…St Finbarre’s Organ
The organ in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, which turned 150 last year, is the biggest of its kind in Ireland.
Galway-based, Australia-born composer Robert Curgenven is celebrating the digital release of his "Tailte Cré-Umha (Bronze Lands) - Live at Cork Midsummer Festival" today, June 25.
Recorded on the organ at St Fin Barre’s for Cork Midsummer Festival 2018, as well as on other organs in County Cork and Cornwall, Tailte Cré-Umha is a “solo performance for 32ft pipe organ and a 10ft dub soundsystem,” according to Robert’s website.
Tweet of the week:
A lovely pic of a rower on the Lee by photographer David Creedon:
Cork Community Climate Action: would you like to be involved?
If you’re involved in a community organisation in Cork city or county and you want to develop a local response to climate change, Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) are holding an event you should attend.
A three-year climate action plan for community organisations in Cork, headed up by CEF, is due to get underway in August 2021, with a series of workshops to be held in the lead-up to launch.
The first event is an information seminar on the evening of July 7: you can sign up to attend here.
Fish kill fears at Carrigadrohid, near Macroom
Locals living near the reservoir that provides water for Cork City, at Carrigadrohid near Macroom, have been spotting dead perch along the water’s edge at the reservoir. Ellie will be reporting on this story in more detail in the coming week.
Test Site needs you
Test Site is based in front of the vacant sawmill on Kyrl’s Quay near Cornmarket Street in the city centre. The site’s been idle for years and Cork City Council are now the owners. With the help of volunteers, organisers hope to convert the space (between the Bridewell and the Quay edge) with the aim of installing a pavillion that responds to the structure of the sawmill. The space will be used as a venue for the arts, architecture, the environment and more. Currently there’s a sign-up for a chair making workshop which will begin next month. They’ve also organised a series of walks starting from Kyrl’s Quay and exploring different aspects of the city.
They’ll be holding a meitheal day soon, and they want to hear from you, whether you’re a skilled carpenter or someone willing to pick up a paint brush. You’ll find more information on their sign up sheet.
Pics of the week 2:
Silhouettes and the city. By photographer Peter O’Toole
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre is holding its annual “Members and Friends Exhibition” which runs until July 15 in Skibereen. The exhibition brings together a range of artists from all across West Cork. Photographer Richard Winfield (one of the exhibitors) used lockdown to explore parts closer to home in the Lee Valley, taking inspiration from the trees.
When Cork City councillors made the pages of the L.A.Times
This piece in The Times by Marcus Eliason charts the unlikely rise of Bernie Murphy to elected city council official back in the ‘80s.
“Cork has always looked foolish. It’s an extraordinary city. The Irish character sees everything as a sporting event,” Gerald Goldberg, former Lord Mayor of Cork, is quoted as saying in the piece,
Have you seen this horse?
Speaking of the Irish character seeing everything as a sporting event…..
FitzHenry the wonder horse is roaming the streets of Cork - and farther afield - as theatre company Corcadorca’s contribution to Cork Midsummer Festival. He’ll be clip-clopping the streets for another two days and we believe there’s a prize if you spot him.
Our stories this week
We had two stories up this week. On Tuesday we published a story on a topic we’ve given a fair amount of coverage to on Tripe+Drisheen: dereliction. Of €1,748,390 worth of derelict site levies owed in Cork city so far in 2021, just €51,800, or 2.96%, has been collected, according to Cork City Council’s Chief Executive Report.
Also, our long read this week is our Manifesto for Local News. We’re adding new voices to Tripe+Drisheen and to do that we turned on our subscription service. We’re still going to publish our Friday View every week for all to read, as well as our new contributor’s section, “Our Cork 2040.” We want to keep reporting on many of the stories across the city and county that you have been telling us about, but we need your help to do that.
Have a great weekend and drop us a line if you have a story or suggestion for Tripe+Drisheen.
(Editor’s note: The information about Test Site was edited on 25/6/21 at 10:36 a.m. to update the location of the site)