County Mayor's Diary Cllr Mary Linehan Foley
With the Christmas trees going up and the kids making their lists for Santa, we start to look backwards, and forwards at the end of the year.
That means one thing at Cork County Council, and that is planning for 2026 through various projects and programmes.
I get a firsthand view of this through my role as Mayor of the County of Cork, with our main focus at this moment in time our budget for 2026.
€526 million has just been approved and this will include increased investment in frontline services such as roads maintenance, housing maintenance, library operations, public conveniences and estates taken in charge.
This is an increase in what we had in 2025, and it reflects Cork County Council’s commitment to delivering the services needed to enhance urban and rural communities across the county.
We want to make our hometowns and villages the best that they can be, with something for everyone and that means providing for people, while striving to constantly improve the existing infrastructure.
It aims to support economic development with specific funding for land acquisition and the upgrading of industrial sites, and €678,000 has also been allocated for burial grounds expansions as well as funding for piers, harbours, and climate action.
2026 will also see the return of My Creative Wish, a project done we run in collaboration with the Creative Ireland Programme.
This initiative invites children and young people from across Cork county to submit their most imaginative creative wishes, with the opportunity to see those wishes brought to life by professional artists.
This follows on from a very successful edition in 2025 that saw approximately 35 creative wishes granted through a wide range of workshops delivered directly through schools and local libraries.
Wishes spanned an extraordinary breadth of artistic disciplines, including architecture, acting, dance, circus, ceramics, baking, design, ballet, and more. It was a testament to the diverse interests of young people in Cork.
A total of 16 winning wishes will be selected by Cork County Council’s Culture and Creativity team.
Each winner will receive 6 fully funded creative workshops, delivered by professional artists to them and their class.
An additional 16 runners-up will be awarded a free Creative Ireland–funded workshop in their local library.
The 16 winning wishes will be showcased as part of Cruinniú na nÓg on Saturday 6 June 2026, with support from participating schools and groups.
Showcases may include exhibitions, performances, concerts, demonstrations, or other creative presentations that highlight the vibrancy and originality of Cork’s young creatives.
To apply, schools and youth groups may request an application pack by emailing creativeireland@corkcoco.ie by 5 December 2025 and the deadline for applications is 19 December 2025.
I hope every young person from across Cork takes part in My Creative Wish as it is a magnificent scheme that has something for everyone.