County Mayor's DiaryCllr Gillian Coughlan

It was thrilling to see Culture Night return in this fashion. This annual nationwide event plays such an important role in our communities by connecting people to the incredible knowledge and talent of local cultural workers and to their own creativity and imagination. This sector has shown remarkable resilience in the past year, adapting to the challenges and breaking new ground online. To be able to come together again is a testament them and to the community efforts made to get to where we are today.

Local communities are central to the success of initiatives such as Culture Night. Cork abounds with people who dedicate their time to projects that improve and enrich life in their local towns and villages, and all of us benefit from such work. Eight community organisations in Cork county received very good news last week with the announcement of the 2021 CLÁR Programme Funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

This funding, administered by Cork County Council and totalling over €298,000, will support these local groups in developing community and sensory gardens, outdoor spaces and allotments in their towns and villages.

These community groups, Tidy Towns organisations and development organisations have been empowered to make their localities more vibrant and inclusive places to live. I recently launched Cork county’s inaugural first Safe Cycling Hub for primary schools in Bunscoil na Toirbhirte in Mitchelstown as part of Bike Week.

This initiative will support schools who are not currently providing cycling training by linking staff with Cycle Ireland for coaching. My hope with this initiative is to set children off on the right foot safely with an important life skill, promoting cycling more broadly in our communities and encouraging active travel locally. This will bring health benefits for the students involved and bring wider benefits to communities associated with less car use.

In the meantime, cyclists countywide are gearing up for the return of one of Cork’s most iconic sporting and charity events, the Fort2Fort Charity Cycle! First time participants and veterans alike will have the joy of experiencing the wonderful sights of Cork Harbour, while keeping healthy and supporting good causes including the Mercy Hospital Foundation.

There are four different routes of varying lengths to chose from, so regardless of your ability, I encourage you to sign up for a great day out – and may many more follow!