All About Cork: Mahon Point unveils plaque to beloved teacher Tracey

A memorial plaque has been unveiled at the community room in Mahon Point Shopping Centre to pay tribute to a local woman.

Mahon woman Tracey O’Donovan Linnane ran the very successful Footdreams Performing Arts studio at the Mahon Point community room for several years.

Hundreds of students passed through the centre on a weekly basis to learn from Tracey.

Two years ago, on March 7, 2023, Tracey passed away following a short and sudden illness.

In recent days, Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Tracey’s family paid tribute to the much-loved teacher by unveiling a plaque in her honour in the very room in which she taught so many students.

Mahon Point marketing manager Clare O’Neill said the centre was honoured to host the plaque unveiling.

“At our community room here at Mahon Point, classes are run by various different teachers,” she said.

“It is a service that has been offered by the shopping centre for many years.

“One of these teachers, local Mahon lady Tracey O’Donovan Linnane, ran the very successful Footdreams Performing Arts from our community room for several years and had hundreds of students passing through the centre weekly.

“However, two years ago, Tracey sadly passed away following a sudden illness. Needless to say, we were all heartbroken.

“On the second anniversary of her passing, we were honoured to welcome back the family of our beloved colleague, Tracey, as they unveiled a plaque in her memory.

“Tracey was a cherished member of our community, dedicating many years to running her school, Footdreams Performing Arts, in our community room at Mahon Point,” said Ms O’Neill.

“Her kindness, passion, and dedication touched so many lives, and it was truly special to come together to celebrate her lasting impact.

“Though she is no longer with us, Tracey’s spirit remains a part of Mahon Point, and she will always be remembered with love and admiration.”

Style Squad sessions in Mahon Point until March 28

The highly anticipated spring/summer Style Squad sessions are running in Mahon Point Shopping Centre until March 28.

This free fashion event, which takes place every spring and autumn, has been a staple of the Mahon Point experience for over a decade, attracting fashion enthusiasts seeking personalised styling advice to update their wardrobes for the new season.

The event gives shoppers the opportunity to join Mahon Point’s style advisor Dee Kelly Morgan and her team of fashion experts as they guide you through the latest SS2025 trends.

“This season, we are thrilled to partner with Good Shepherd Cork, a charity that provides invaluable support to vulnerable women and children in Cork,” a spokesperson for the shopping centre said.

“Rooted in the principles of social justice and equality, Good Shepherd Cork is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness across generations, empowering those in need to build brighter, more independent futures.

“Instead of a fee for your Style Squad appointment, we kindly encourage clients to make a donation to Good Shepherd Cork.”

Book your free appointment at: eclv.ie/squad.

Local clean up in bad weather

The Blackrock Clean Up Group has thanked members of the community for braving poor weather conditions at the weekend and collecting 10 bags of litter.

In a statement on Saturday, March 8, the local group said: “A sincere thank you to all seven brave souls who, despite the weather, took part in today’s Clean Coasts cleanup.

“In all we collected over 10 bags of litter, so well done. We appreciate the commitment of our regular volunteers, and are always delighted to welcome new volunteers.”

The group shared photos of the bags of litter collected at the Castle car parks, Dutchman’s Cove, in Blackrock Village, and at the Marina.

“Some photos also show fly tipping over the wall on Castle Road down to the shoreline on Dutchman’s Cove, which is so disappointing to see,” the group added.

“As always, thank you to Liam, Martin, and their team in Cork City Council for disposing of the bags we collect. And a big thank you to Emmett, Ian, Jerry, Michelle, and all the staff of the Castle Cafe Cork for looking after us.

“We look forward our next cleanup on Saturday, April 12, and we hope to see you then.”

Mahon renewal work

Construction works are continuing on the Mahon Street Renewal Scheme, Cork’s first community-wide streetscape renewal programme, according to the latest progress update from Cork City Council.

The scheme aims to provide improved streets which are safer and provide multi-modal connected links to schools, retail, sport, and leisure facilities within the Mahon area.

The €12m investment in the area is being funded by the National Transport Authority and aims to deliver new footpaths, carriageways, bus and cycle infrastructure, and additional measures including integrated traffic-calming measures.

VEX Robotics success

A local primary school recently achieved success at the VEX Robotics All-Ireland competition.

Scoil na Croise Naofa, a school that has received numerous awards for their robotics projects, was again successful this year.

The school’s VEX Robotics team were crowned teamwork champions and also claimed the overall excellence award at the finals at Munster Technological University.

In a statement, the school said it was “so proud” of its students.

“Well done Maciej, Ethan, Glib, Maiia, Faye, Leon, Jada, Dean, Juliane and Ryan, and huge thanks to Mr Hayes, Mr O’Connell and Mr Connaughton for their hard work in preparing the team,” the school added.

Work experience for students

Eight transition-year students from a local secondary school enjoyed an exciting work experience at a major pharmaceutical company in Cork in recent days.

The students, from Nagle Community College, were invited to attend a STEM work opportunity at Viatris Pharmaceutical Company in Little Island for four days.

In a statement, the school described it as a “fantastic opportunity”.

“This was a very hands-on work experience, where the students got to spend a lot of time in the laboratories, carrying out biological and chemical experiments.

“The students were also given a number of presentations on the careers available and the education paths of Viatris professionals,” school management stated.

“Well done to all, who were excellent participants.

“Thanks to Ms McLaughlin, for organising. Thanks to John Foley and all the team at Viatris, for your continued support!”

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