All About Cork: Busy year ahead for Mahon Tidy Towns group

This year looks to be busy for the Mahon Tidy Towns group.

The group had a major impact in Mahon last year, tackling litter and organising local initiatives and events.

Last Wednesday, volunteers from Mahon Tidy Towns met to discuss their plans for the year ahead.

Speaking to The Echo, Michelle Buckley said that the group hopes to highlight heritage in the community, support biodiversity, and ensure that the area looks its best.

“We had a great meeting last Wednesday, and we have teamed up with Mary Gordon, from Nagle Community College,” Ms Buckley said.

“She broke down the Tidy Towns report, which outlines the different categories and what they’re looking for each year,” Michelle said.

“Out of the eight categories, we will be mainly focusing on heritage in Mahon, especially near the Mahon Community Gardens.

“We’ll be looking to put up plaques there, as well as heritage-trail signage.

“We’re hoping to link in with the local Men’s Shed and ask them to make the signs for us.

“We’ll also be looking at biodiversity in the Mahon area as well,” she added.

“We’ll be putting some flower bedding around signs and bus stops in Mahon, and we’ll be involved in the Mahon Street Feast again this year, after it was a huge success in 2024.” The most recent Irish Business Against Litter survey said Mahon was showing ‘significant improvements overall’, with just one litter blackspot.

‘The recent works [and] local initiatives certainly seem to be paying dividends,’ the report stated.

‘Hopefully, this upward trajectory will continue.’

However, Mahon’s one blackspot, off Avenue de Rennes, ‘wasn’t just littered, but subject to dumping’, while St Michael’s Lawn and St Michael’s Drive were both heavily littered.

“We printed out the results of the survey and handed it to businesses and organisations in the Mahon area, particularly in Avenue de Rennes, to try to link up with people in the area to work together on it,” said Michelle.

“We said to the businesses that we are available to meet up and to work together to target these areas.

“We have a big year ahead,” Michelle Buckley said

School delight with bikes and equipment donation

A local primary school expressed its delight at receiving a donation of five bikes and helmets in recent days.

Scoil na Croise Naofa received five bikes and helmets which will be used by students for outdoor movement breaks, gross motor skill development and road safety education.

In a statement, the school said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to Frank Fitzgerald, the Sustainable Travel & Road Safety Awareness Officer with Cork City Council for the exciting donation.

“Thank you also to councillor Peter Horgan who helped to make this happen for our school.”

Rainbow Club joy at €5k gift

A local charity recently received a donation of €5,000 from a Cork business, which it said will have a major impact this year.

The Rainbow Club in Mahon supports more than 1,300 children and young people with autism and their families in Cork.

The charity received a cheque for €5,000, before Christmas, from Industrial Insulation Specialists Ltd, an established contracting company, specialising in the fabrication and installation of insulation and cladding.

The Rainbow Club statement said: “We are so, so grateful for this amazing donation, Industrial Insulation Specialists Ltd, which will help us to establish our Adult Hub in 2025.

“This hub will be an integral step in our strategic plan to provide continuous supports to autistic people and their families at all ages.

“We are super excited for this new project and will be sure to keep you all updated as it progresses. We are so grateful to ISS for their support for this exciting new programme.”

Praise for soccer club

A soccer club has been praised for making the dreams of a Mahon teenager come true.

Max Hourigan, aged 14, from Mahon has a neurodevelopmental disorder called GRIN2b and cerebral palsy.

GRIN2b affects Max’s cognitive ability while his cerebral palsy affects his muscles, causing them to be stiff and contracted.

As a result, Max has never taken part in mainstream team sports. That was until an intervention from Alan and Celine Cooper and Ringmahon Rangers. His mother Michelle spoke of her son’s love for the local club.

“From the first day he walked into his Football For All programme with Sean Fitzgerald in Ringmahon he fell in love with soccer and the club,” she said.

“He went every week without fail and the support and encouragement he received was second to none, but unfortunately the For All programme could not continue due to lack of numbers and Max was gutted.

“He then was encouraged by Alan and Celine Cooper to come to their U14 weekly training and their support was exceptional.

“It has been his dream since that first day to make the mainstream team under his new coaches Trevor and Jordan and he is growing in confidence and is extremely proud of himself to have achieved his dream.

“We are unbelievably proud of Max in everything he does. However, seeing Max achieve his dream today playing for the Ringmahon team and standing amongst his teammates in their jerseys - it made us so proud we felt like we could burst!

“Ringmahon Rangers are an exceptional club who encourage and support all their players. What they all have done for Max is so unbelievable we can’t thank them enough.”

Actor hosts workshop

A Cork actor, famous for a role in ‘The Young Offenders’, recently held an interactive workshop at a secondary school, inspiring students.

Shane Casey, who plays Billy Murphy in the popular Cork-based TV show and movie, this week delivered an interactive workshop to transition year and senior cycle students at Nagle Community College.

In a statement, the secondary school said:

“We were thrilled to welcome the renowned Young Offenders actor Shane Casey (Billy Murphy) to our school for an unforgettable day!

“Shane delivered an inspiring and interactive workshop on resilience and communication to our TY and senior cycle students.

“This event wasn’t just enjoyable – it was meaningful.

“Shane shared valuable insights on how to overcome challenges, stay motivated, and build strong connections, leaving a lasting impression on everyone.

“His ability to blend humor, honesty, and wisdom created a powerful experience that will stay with students for years to come.

“Shane also went above and beyond, taking the time to meet and greet both students and staff.”

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