All About Cork: New councillors co-opted for city’s south-west ward

It might be fair to say that the March meeting of Cork City Council was something of a baptism of fire for the local authority’s two newest councillors.

The meeting, which ran for four hours, featured some pretty fiery and bad-tempered exchanges, but for all of that there was a warm welcome for its new arrivals.

Fine Gael’s Gary O’Brien and Labour’s Ciara O’Connor were both co-opted as councillors for the south-west ward, replacing newly elected senators Garret Kelleher and Laura Harmon.

Mr O’Brien said colleagues of all parties - and none - had contacted him to offer their support and assistance.

“They’ve certainly made me feel at home, and that’s been very heartening,” he said, adding that his experience of being on the council had been very positive so far.

“I’ve been continuing on with some of the things Garret was doing, and familiarising myself with the running of the council and the committees.

“It’s been great having people coming to me now as a councillor, rather than as a community activist, so there’s that sense of ‘We’re going to get stuff done now given that you’re now in City Hall’,” he said. 

“Certainly there’s that shift in attitude now from some of the groups that I’ve been working with over the years.” Mr O’Brien said he had spearheaded a campaign to get a dedicated community centre for Ballincollig for over a decade, and he added that delivering this will be one of his top priorities as a councillor.

“The local infrastructure and services are the key things that are needed in the south-west ward, and Ballincollig in particular. The growth is coming, but the infrastructure isn’t there. Childcare is a big thing in Ballincollig, I’m in child protection myself and community work, and in the resource centre we would see the lack of services, and then housing, obviously, is a priority,” he said.

“Beyond that, then, it’s working to ensure that local council services are here in the south-west ward.”

Talk at Biodiversity Hub

On Thursday, the recently opened Cork Biodiversity Hub will host Greening our Back Gardens for Biodiversity, a talk with guest speaker Rosemarie McDonald, Cork City Council biodiversity officer.

Attendees will be invited to discover how small changes in urban spaces — back gardens, balconies, and front gardens — can boost biodiversity and support climate action. Learn how planting native species, creating pollinator-friendly areas, and reducing pesticides can provide vital habitats for birds, insects, and wildlife.

The hub is located in the former Powdermills Visitor Centre building and has been spearheaded by Maria Young of Green Spaces for Health, and local residents Dr Mabel Hernandez and Eithne Lynch.

To book a place contact corkbiodiversityhub@gmail. com

Gospel choir to host fundraiser

The White Horse Gospel Choir is set to host a fundraising concert on April 4 at Ballincollig’s Church of Christ Our Light, in aid of Balance Summer Camp and Charity Shop.

The choir will be joined by some special guests on the night.

Since its formation, the choir’s members said, one of the things they have been most proud of is supporting charities with fundraising.

“Balance Summer Camp does incredible work in our community,” they said. “Every summer this wonderful organisation hosts children and young people with special needs for four weeks of activities, merriment and camaraderie.

“The summer camp is an essential support to families and young people alike during those long summer months and it relies on the kindness and generosity of donations and fundraisers, to keep the show on the road,” they added.

Tickets are on sale at Balance Charity Shop or directly from the choir. Email whgchoir@gmail.com for more.

Ballincollig Basketball Club on parade

Childcare job opportunity in Family Resource Centre

Ballincollig Family Resource Centre has a job opportunity for people who would like to work in its childcare service. The job offers a 19.5 hour working week and would allow the chance to study to gain a qualification. This is a developmental opportunity, and the centre says no experience would be needed, “just a love for children and the ability to work in a professional manner”.

Accredited training will be provided to support the career of the successful applicant. The role would entail supporting a preschool leader with the care of children.

Validated references and completed garda vetting, and international police clearance where necessary, are required prior to starting in any CE position.

For further information, contact audrey@mahoncdp.com or call 085 8721773.

GAA club golf classic

Ballincollig GAA Club will hold a golf classic in Macroom Golf Club on Friday, May 2. The main sponsor this year is McDonald’s Ballincollig Drive Thru. Teams of three have an entry fee of €200 per team, with a meal included in the price of the entry fee.

For timesheet bookings, contact Jim O’Connell, tournament director: 087 2800659, and Ger Delaney, captain: 085 7123268.

Personal development course

Ballincollig Family Resource Centre is set to host a free, four-week Introduction to Women’s Personal Development course, which will start on Wednesday, May 7, and will run from 10am to 12.30pm each day.

Run by Cork City Partnership, the course promises to explore multiple issues affecting emotional wellbeing and growth, among them the management of feelings and stress, as well as skills relating to listening, communication, and relationships.

For more information or to book a place, contact Mary Sheehy on 087-9162015 or email msheehy@partnershipcork.ie. 

Eligible participants must live in Cork city and complete a registration form before joining the course.

GAA Club weekly lottery

The numbers drawn in last week’s Ballincollig GAA Club lottery, which was held on Thursday, March 20, were 1, 2, 18, and 31. While there was no winner of the €10,200 jackpot, there were three consolation prize winners, with €100 going to Elaine Crowley, €50 to Barry McCarthy, and €50 to Sharon Darby.

The club is migrating its club lottery from its previous host to its club platform ClubZap. The new system mirrors the previous one and is played with 36 numbers, and all existing players with remaining credit have been moved across with their same numbers plus their remaining credits. For further information, see ballincolliggaa.clubzap.com.

The next draw is scheduled to take place on this Thursday evening, March 27, with the jackpot now standing at €10,400. For further details, please see the club’s social media pages.

Have Ballincollig and Bishopstown news to share? Contact donal.okeeffe@gmail.com