CBA to host cleaning morning on North Main St next week

A new voluntary initiative, which is set to begin next week, will attempt to refresh Cork city one street at a time.

Next Tuesday, April 29, Cork Business Association (CBA), working in partnership with Cork City Council, will host the city’s first Cleaning and Greening morning, with North Main Street the inaugural venue.

Working with local businesses and CBA volunteers, the initiative will give the street a spring refresh, focusing on deep cleaning, power washing, removing algae, planting, painting, with a drive to improving the overall streetscape.

CBA will provide cleaning supplies, gloves, litter-pickers, brushes, and paint to support the works, while painting and cleaning contractors will also be on site to assist.

This initiative follows a visual “Clutter and Quality Audit” of the street, undertaken by CBA and Cork City Council, identifying short, medium, and long-term actions to enhance the area.

Those measures range from clearing dirt and debris, to addressing unsightly wiring, redundant poles, outdated signage, broken lights, and anything in need of repair or replacement.

Cork City Council has already completed a deep clean of the pavements.

CBA is calling for volunteers from the business community to clean litter and weeds, install new plant baskets, paint poles and gates, and wash windows and facades.

A creative street mural project led by artist Alan Hurley will bring new life to 14 electricity boxes along the street.

The initiative is supported by McKechnie Cleaning Services and Pat McDonnell Paint.

The morning will begin with a light breakfast at St Peter’s, provided by Centra, with Fast Al’s Pizza ensuring volunteers are well fed throughout the morning.

Dave O’Brien, CBA president, said the project was about the business community taking “real ownership and pride in our city and making it as attractive as possible to shoppers, visitors and residents”.

Kate Neville Culhane of Neville Jewellers, chair of CBA’s Safe and Clean committee, said it was the collective responsibility all to keep the city’s streets looking great.

“We want to encourage civic pride, one street at a time,” she said.

North Main Street marks the first in a series of Cleaning and Greening mornings planned by the CBA.

For more information, please see corkbusiness.ie.