All About Cork: Ballincollig candidates are lining up for a run at the Dáil

With the declaration by Fianna Fáil councillor and former Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher that he intends to seek his party’s nomination for the next general election, it seems that Ballincollig may have at least three candidates running for Leinster House next time out.

Mr Kelleher, owner of Kelleher’s Tyres and a city councillor re-elected at the top of the poll for a second term last month, told The Echo last week that he intends to seek the nod at the general election — the one the Government crosses its heart and hopes to die that we won’t have around the time the clocks go back.

Mr Kelleher said he hadn’t spoken “directly” with the Tánaiste about his electoral ambitions, but few would be foolish enough to accuse the Fianna Fáil leader of knowing less than the proverbial dogs on Ballincollig’s main street. Mr Kelleher said that, since former minister Batt O’Keeffe retired in 2011, Ballincollig has not had a “native” TD. The way things are looking, The Village may soon have several candidates vying to rectify that injustice.

Fine Gael’s Garret Kelleher — no relation to Colm — is strongly rumoured to be eyeing a Dáil or Seanad seat, which, were he successful, would mean that the City Hall deal agreed last month between FF, FG, the Greens, and Labour would need some slight tweaking. As things stand, current Lord Mayor Dan Boyle will be succeeded next year by FF’s Fergal Dennehy, and then Garret Kelleher will be FG’s Lord Mayor, before FF’s Mary Rose Desmond and then Labour’s John Maher. 

If Garret is in Leinster House, that would leave an FG vacancy in the middle of this term.

Barrister Ciarán McCarthy also told The Echo that he intends to seek the Social Democrats’ nomination, while new Sinn Féin councillor Joe Lynch hasn’t ruled himself out of the running. With perhaps more to declare, whatever about a lack of “native” TDs, Ballincollig looks set to have no lack of candidates.

Watch this space.

Garda soccer challenge

The annual Ballincollig garda soccer tournament has been a fixture in The Village over the past 20 years, and it is run by the local community gardaí and volunteers. 

The aim of this under-12s tournament is to get children playing soccer, and it takes place at Innismore soccer pitch.

The final took place last week, with Classis Lake the ultimate winners. Beating Old Quarter 3-2 in a thrilling final, they took home the cup, with medals presented to both teams on the night.

Community garda Anthony McSweeney extended his thanks to “Tim Donovan and Lisa, and Mary O’Regan, who all give up their time to organise this tournament every year, and to Joe who cuts the pitch, and sponsor Mark O’Keeffe”.

Parkrun volunteers sought

Every Saturday morning, hundreds of people turn out for the Ballincollig Parkrun, and organisers are always looking for volunteers as the weekly event continues to grow. 

The parkrun is a weekly, timed, five kilometre run organised by local volunteers.

The parkrun website, parkrun.ie/ballincollig, says volunteering at parkrun offers a great opportunity to get outside, to make new friends, have fun, to learn new skills and be a valuable part of your local community.

Volunteers set up the course, scan barcodes at the finish, and ensure route safety. Organisers say they never ask anybody to do anything they’re not comfortable with and if anyone wants to do a particular volunteer role, let them know and they will try to accommodate.

If you would like to get involved in Ballincollig Parkrun, you are asked to email ballincollig@parkrun.com with your name and number and the role in which you would like to participate.

Where to bee or not to bee in Ballinora?

There has been a buzz from Ballinora Bees over the weekend, with the local beekeepers seeking a new home for their bees. 

“We’re on the lookout for the perfect spot to set up our new apiary. Do you have a bit of land and a love for nature? 

This could be the perfect partnership,” they said in a post to social media.

They said that the requirements for an apiary space would include that it offers an area that would have some shelter while also being open to sunshine. 

It would need to be on dry and level (ish) ground, with easy access for transporting equipment.

Ballinora’s beekeepers would require a certain amount of freedom for access to check on the hives, which would need to be secure and away from walkways or roads, not to mention well out of reach of curious hands and safe from animals that might knock the hives over.

They go on to say that among the benefits of having bees on your land would be that their bees will pollinate your flowers, fruits, clover and vegetables, making your garden more beautiful and bountiful, and giving a definite boost to your garden or farm. 

By hosting hives, you would also be helping the environment, directly contributing to the conservation of the native Irish honey bee, a vital pollinator that is essential for biodiversity.

By being part of a sustainable movement and supporting local beekeeping efforts, you will also boost community spirit, not to mention you get to enjoy a share of delicious, locally produced honey straight from your own land.

If you or know anyone you know has some land where Ballinora Bees might locate some hives, give the beekeepers a buzz on 085 7801117.

If you are a local business and don’t have the space but would still like to get involved, the company offers a hive sponsorship programme that enables contribution to conservation of the native Irish honey bees with delivery of locally produced honey for your business. For further details, make a beeline for info@ballinorabees.ie.

Crochet Club meeting

The Ballincollig Crochet Club meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm at the Tesco Community Room. Sessions usually run until around 8.30pm. 

The message on the club’s Facebook page is: “Time to get out of the house and meet others that like to crochet or knit”.

Ballincollig GAA weekly lotto

The numbers drawn in the weekly Ballincollig GAA Club lottery on last Thursday, July 4, were: 4, 5, 17 and 28. With the club’s lottery jackpot of €20,000, the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach and must be won. 

There was no jackpot winner drawn last week, and consolation prizes went to Tony O’Connor (€100), Rachel O’Flynn (€50), and Catherine Buckley (€50). 

The next draw will take place this week, on Thursday evening, July 11, with all proceeds going to Ballincollig GAA Club. For details on how to enter the draw, see Ballincollig GAA Club’s various social media pages.

Have Ballincollig news to share? Contact Donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie