County Mayor's Diary Cllr Mary Linehan Foley
It’s officially spring, and you can feel it with the small stretch in the evenings.
This offers us a chance to look forward with optimism, at everything the year has in store, and I am privileged to say as Mayor of the County of Cork that Cork County Council is driving this message with events for everyone.
These will run from furthest point in Beara through to the borders of Youghal and Dungarvan, regardless of the weather and time of year.
One of my favourite events over the last few weeks was the opening of a new display dedicated to the doctors that worked through the Great Famine at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre. I launched this new exhibit alongside Christopher O’Sullivan, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell and it is available for all to see.
The display includes a silver samovar that was gifted to Dr Dan Donovan in 1859 by the people of Skibbereen in recognition of his work, and the apothecary scales belonging to Dr Stephen Sweetnam of Schull.
They were local heroes that stood up and did everything to serve their communities during one of the darkest chapters in Irish history.
The silver samovar was said to be lost, and it was later found in Canada. The artefact was later donated to the Skibbereen Heritage Centre by Brenda Ratkay of Ontario, after it was given to her parents as a wedding present.
The silver samovar and apothecary scales are now available for all to see, as we continue to build a lasting legacy to the Great Famine.
This week also saw Cork County Council open applications for the 2026 Circular Economy Fund, an initiative designed to empower local communities to reduce waste and embrace more sustainable practices.The fund supports a move away from the take-make-use-dispose model towards a circular approach, where resources are reused, repaired, or recycled for maximum value.
This year, we are inviting schools, community groups, sports clubs, festivals, and events are to submit proposals specifically focused on reducing single-use plastics.
We ran this programme last year to great success, with more than €52,000 in funding awarded to 23 community groups through the Circular Economy Fund.
2026 is all about supporting a range of practical, community-led initiatives, that carry large- and small-scale benefits. This could be reusable cup or container schemes for community use or programmes such as meals-on-wheels, the installation of permanent water refill stations at sports facilities and schools, and the provision of water refill points at festivals and events.
Applications for the Circular Economy Fund are now open and must be submitted online by 4pm on Friday 20 February.
For further information contact Cork County Council’s Environmental Awareness Office at cefund@corkcoco.ie or 021-4532700. To apply, visit corkcoco.ie.