Category Archives: Cork

Kennedy Quay development on hold?

Today I learned that the development of Kennedy Quay in Cork is on hold because An Bord Pleanála decided to refuse permission to develop Marino Point. To save you a click, it’s because they never had any plans for improving the roads in the area.

An Bord Pleanála decided this week to refuse planning to agricultural and chemical firm Goulding to develop port facilities at Marino Point in Cork Harbour, a decision that was two years overdue.

Despite being located in Cobh, the impact of this decision will be felt most harshly in the city centre, with hopes that these proposed developments at Marino Point would pave the way for the wider regeneration of Cork’s docklands and the construction of hundreds of new homes. 

However, ABP refusal has brought ambitious redevelopment plans to a standstill and the construction of more than 1,300 city apartments indefinitely on hold.

That area is ripe for redevelopment. When everyone saw the massive R&H Hall building go down, we were sure it was only a matter of time before badly needed homes were built there.

Here’s a great video showing some of the development around the harbour in the last year. Things are moving slowly, elsewhere.

Tomás Mac Curtain mural on Coburg Street

A new mural was pained recently at the top of Coburg Street, Cork. It depicts Tomás Mac Curtain, Lord Mayor of Cork, playing a violin and surrounded by people from his life. He was assassinated by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1920, at the age of 36.

The mural was painted by Shane O’Driscoll and Peter Martin of Ardú Cork.

In the local press:

Is this why our plane circled?

We flew into Cork Airport early this morning after circling around County Cork for what seemed like half an hour. Our Ryanair flight went from Carrigaline to Fermoy, passing Blarney a few times, I think. My son was watching Google Maps on his phone, and we all noticed the banking of the plane as it traversed the skies around the greatest city in Ireland.

When we eventually did come down to land, my son wondered why there was still cloud outside when suddenly the runway was there outside, and we experienced a not too rough landing. Deep fog lay over the runway and airport. We couldn’t see any buildings as we roared down the runway but, brakes and reverse engines were applied harder than I remember in a long time, making me imagine the pilot had landed too far down the runway! A cheerful, “Welcome to Cork!” was announced shortly after, and the plane taxied off the runway to a stop. Phew.

We were last off the plane. The rush to get off, only to stand around for luggage and passport control, doesn’t make sense does it?

Smoke from the burning Sunset Ridge Hotel

There’s an old derelict hotel in the village of Killeens near where I live and this evening it went up in flames, spewing a huge mass of ugly smoke into the air. Tonight’s bonfire night in Cork so it’s obviously done maliciously.

Paul Reidy posted photos from the scene on his Facebook account. I’m surprised there’s anything left to burn there as it’s been set alight multiple times in the past. The place should be demolished and something productive done with the site.

Here’s a video from someone who was going to film it for a Cork history video.

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