County Mayor's Diary - Cllr Frank O'Flynn
Although it doesn’t feel like it, we have now officially entered the spring season. As we embrace the season of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth, there are several key upcoming events and initiatives that I would like to talk about in this week’s column.
Plans for this year’s Culture Night are well underway. Over the past number of years Culture Night has brought together voluntary organisations from brass bands to youth theatres, established arts centers, music venues, artists, and other cultural spaces, to showcase the diverse and rich cultural offering our county boasts. I’m encouraging the arts and culture community to fill out an expression of interest form on the Cork.CoCo.ie website. We look forward to hearing from the wider cultural community and encourage all those interested in delivering events to submit a proposal.
International Women’s Day is fast approaching, and the council is delighted to host a series of events to mark the occasion. This year’s theme is Inspire Inclusion and is particularly reflective of the council’s work to ensure our services are inclusive and welcoming to all, such as our libraries being awarded age friendly status. Don’t forget to get involved this year and to check out your local library branch for details of events and booking details or email corkcountylibrary@corkcoco.ie.
In other news, I am pleased to announce that significant milestone has been reached in the development of the West Cork Greenway with the appointment of RPS Consulting Engineers as technical advisors to progress a further 40km section of the greenway, including Crossbarry to Bandon, Bandon to Clonakilty and another section to Timoleague. Funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the €2.8m contract offers an opportunity to develop a plan for safe, scenic, off-road routes that will connect communities with a convenient and enjoyable means of travel.
The council has also welcomed the 2024 Grant Allocation of €61.8m announced for National Roads, Active Travel and Greenway Projects in county Cork. These include funding for the N73 Annakisha South Improvement Scheme, N72 West Pavement Improvement Schemes, Midleton to Youghal bypasses (Castlemartyr), Midleton to Youghal Greenway and Mallow to Dungarvan Greenway.
Lastly, I warmly welcome the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant permission for remedial works to the existing Fermoy weir (protected structure) and the construction of a new fish bypass on the River Blackwater. The council’s project team and their consultants are currently reviewing the decision and associated conditions.
They will now progress to preparing updated cost projections and tender documents in line with the terms of the grant of permission. While the council has made some provision for the cost of the remedial works to the weir, the significant additional cost of providing a new fish bypass will require support from Government. The council will then engage with the relevant departments and appraise them of anticipated costs.