County Mayor's column: New schemes, funds, and an art exhibition for the new year

It is my first column of the new year, and I am excited to share some news about ongoing schemes, funds, and a new art exhibition with you.

This week, I am inviting applications from community and voluntary groups for funding under the new Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) Fund 2025.

The scheme follows on from the remarkably successful 2024 programme which supported more than 160 groups in the county.

Cork County Council is proud to support the community and voluntary groups who make valuable contributions to local communities in every corner of our county.

Funding like this will help support groups to carry out repairs and maintenance, improve their facilities, and help with daily operations. I encourage groups to consider applying to avail of this opportunity.

Showcase

It is great news for our Local Enterprise Offices as they will support 14 of their clients at the upcoming international showcase for Irish craft and design businesses at the RDS Dublin.

Each year at Showcase, the LEO area is a vibrant destination for buyers to discover talented designers and makers showing exciting new products across all four categories — home and gift, jewellery, fashion, and wellbeing.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Showcase, one of Ireland’s largest international trade shows that offers manufacturers, designers, and craft makers the opportunity to exhibit their collections to 3,500 buyers visiting from Ireland and overseas while generating sales orders of more than €25.6m during the three days of the show.

Community Fund Scheme

I am delighted to announce that support of over €1.8m to enhance community engagement and facilities in 2025 is available.

The Community Fund Scheme supports a range of projects and initiatives by local voluntary groups and organisations each year and has opened for applications this Monday.

I am continually inspired by the incredible work carried out by community groups under this scheme.

The scheme supports a wide range of meaningful projects and initiatives and I am proud to see this vital support continue in 2025.

Local Festival and Event Fund

I would like to remind everyone that there is still time to apply for the Local Festival and Event Fund for 2025.

The fund is designed to support festivals and events that celebrate local culture, stimulate economic growth, and attract domestic visitors to County Cork.

Festivals breathe life into our communities, energising towns and villages across Cork County.

They reflect who we are, showcasing our unique identity and offer essential support to local businesses.

With the backing of Fáilte Ireland, this fund is a key part of our commitment to ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of Cork’s vibrant cultural celebrations, and to making Cork a destination that welcomes domestic visitors all year round.

Art exhibition

Lastly, I have some good news for art enthusiasts as a new exhibition ‘Timelines: Growth and Catastrophe’ has opened this past week at LHQ Gallery and will run until February 28.

‘Timelines: Growth and Catastrophe’ is a collaborative of eight contemporary artist weavers: Tish Canniffe, Pascale De Coninck, Heather Underwood, along with Muriel Beckett, Frances Crowe, Lorna Donlon, Terry Dunne, and Catherine Ryan.

Exploring ideas of resilience at a time of global challenge, instability and uncertainty, this exhibition showcases a collaborative 1m x 5m tapestry, eight new individual tapestries, as well as a short documentary film.

Drawing from a broad range of diverse visual references, this collaboration also incorporates current UCD plant science research imagery.