County Mayor's Diary Cllr Danny Collins
I know I say this every month, but I can’t believe it is November already, the time is just flying by.
October was one of the wettest months I remember. I thought I’d have to get a kayak to traverse the county!
October went out with a bang in Cork county with Met Éireann issuing a Status Orange Rainfall Warning for 31 October. My heart went out to the trick or treaters, a miserable start to their mid-term break.
A sincere thank you though to the Cork County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team and the crews deployed to clear drains in areas prone to flooding. A pretty miserable public holiday for all of them too while the rest of us were dry and cosy in our homes looking out at it.
Whilst October may have been wet, it was also busy with lots of wonderful events and progress being made in Cork county. I was in Bandon Library to launch My Open Library, a new addition to its service that will enable borrowers to access the library outside of the usual hours of operation.
It is available to library members on a self-service basis, seven days per week, from 8am-10pm, 365 days per year. Bandon is the 1st library in Cork county to offer the My Open Library service but there are plans to roll it out to Fermoy, Mallow, Carrigaline and Kinsale libraries over the coming months. This latest service offering from the library will open the library doors to existing members and hopefully lots of new members given the improved accessibility.
I have to offer a hearty congratulations to everyone who helped make Cork county one of the biggest winners at this year’s Tidy Towns event. I must especially congratulate Rosscarbery and Clonakilty on their amazing success as they were awarded Ireland’s tidiest village and Ireland’s tidiest small town.
A total of 20 medals were awarded to towns and villages across Cork county with special awards given to Sherkin and Bere Island with the All Island Pollinator Plan and Young Person in Tidy Towns both going to Cobh Tidy Towns.
It is the 64th year of the annual event and I want to take this opportunity to thank the huge effort made by every community throughout the county that participates. I see the villages and towns of Cork county that make the effort as I travel throughout in my current role.
It is inspiring to drive into a village or town and see the pride the community have in their space, clean streets, freshly painted buildings, beautiful planting at entries and exits to the areas, wonderful shared spaces with benches.
It may be acknowledged by a competition once a year, but it is valued by every member of your community and those of us who pass through these locations be that now and again or on a regular basis. I say keep up the good work.