All About Cork: Call for review to deliver on fire station for Ballincollig

With Cork City Council due to publish its fire cover review, a local councillor has said it must deliver an operational fire station for Ballincollig, where the local station has been closed since November 2021.

Joe Lynch, Sinn Féin councillor for the Cork City South West ward, told The Echo that, in response to a recent council motion on the publication of the review, Cork City Council management had stated that “the fire cover review will be published in late May or early June at the latest”.

He said he had previously submitted various questions on the matter, with council management telling him the report would assess “how to provide the most effective and efficient fire service to the people of Cork, including those in the extended boundary area”. In 2019, Ballincollig, which was previously the largest town in Co Cork, was incorporated into Cork city.

“It is now three and a half years since the doors of Ballincollig fire station were shut, and throughout that time we in Ballincollig have been denied the service we were promised when the city boundaries were redrawn,” Mr Lynch said.

“The forthcoming fire cover review, which council management now say will be published imminently — following months of delay — is, we are told, going to set out how Cork City Council will provide the most effective and efficient fire service for the people of Cork.”

He added that with more residential development happening in the south-west of the city than any other part, it made sense to re-open the fire station in Ballincollig

“The men and women of Cork City Fire Brigade work day-in, day-out, to keep citizens and communities safe across the city, and this review will play a major role in shaping the service they work in, and the service they provide to us all, over the coming years,” Mr Lynch added.

Cork City Council was asked for comment.

Charting a course for maritime knowledge

Sponsor a guide puppy

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, the national charity based in Carrigrohane, is asking members of the public to sponsor a puppy in training for as little as €10 a month.

Guide dogs enable people who are vision-impaired to achieve greater independence and mobility, acting not only as a mobility aid but also as a constant support providing both safety and social benefits.

Dogs are trained for 24 months, and sponsors can watch them grow from small puppies to fully trained guide or assistant dogs who will give freedom and independence to someone with sight loss.

The charity trains people from 16 upward, giving them and their new canine partners the skills to work together.

For more information about sponsoring a puppy, see guidedogs.ie.

Field of Dreams charity cycle

The annual Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams Cycle takes place this Sunday, June 8, and some places are still available.

This year there are two distances available to those taking part: 50km and 100km, and the entry fee is €40.

The 50km route sets out to Bandon, before turning back and looping up to Begley’s Forge and home.

The 100km route heads out to the Old Head of Kinsale before heading back up to Bandon and home to Field of Dreams.

There will be a pit-stop along the way, and afterwards refreshments at the Field of Dreams.

The Field of Dreams was established in 2017 to meet the ongoing learning needs of adults with Down syndrome from across Cork city and county.

The vision of Field of Dreams is to provide adults with Down syndrome opportunities for ongoing learning and growth.

For information and to register for the Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams Cycle, see eventbrite.ie.

MTU and Cygnum host annual awards night for students

Munster Technological University (MTU) has announced the winners of its third annual student awards, which honour outstanding student projects in timber design and sustainable construction. The award ceremony took place recently at MTU’s Bishopstown campus.

The awards were presented to students from three MTU departments: the department of civil, structural and environmental engineering, the department of architecture, and the department of construction. The students’ work showcased innovation in the use of timber within the current environment. Sponsored by Cygnum, which is one of Ireland’s largest timber frame manufacturers, the competition was designed to encourage students to work on sustainable building methods and modern ways of construction that can help Ireland’s evolving housing sector. The award was presented by Heber McMahon, director of sales at Cygnum, who noted that, when compared to conventional methods, not only can building with timber frames reduce the build time of a house by over 50% but it also stores up to 15 tonnes of carbon over its lifecycle.

“It was very inspiring to hear every student’s project and the different ways in which we can make use of timber in our built environment,” he said. 

Joe Harrington, head of MTU’s school of building and civil engineering, welcomed Cygnum’s sponsorship of these Students Awards. He added that the competition provided an outstanding example of collaboration between the Irish construction industry and higher education sector, offering students an opportunity to showcase their talents and expertise through projects focusing on timber design and sustainable construction.

“We very much welcome Cygnum’s sponsorship. Cygnum, as an off-site timber frame manufacturer, plays a key role in the Irish construction industry supply chain,” Mr Harrington said. 

“This competition and collaboration provides our students with an insight into some of the key challenges that are being addressed by the Irish construction industry, including implementing modern methods of construction and addressing the sustainability issue.”

MTU and Cygnum say that, through this award, they aim to inspire the next generation of professionals in the construction business tto promote sustainable practices in the industry.

Ballincollig GAA Club lottery

The numbers drawn in the Ballincollig GAA Club lottery, which was held on Thursday, May 29, were 3, 13, 25, and 31. There was no winner of the €12,000 jackpot, but there were three consolation prize winners, with €100 going to Eileen Murphy, €50 to Daniel Murphy, and €50 to Alice McCarthy. The club has migrated its lottery 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.

This Thursday evening’s jackpot now stands at €12,400. For further details, please see the club’s social media pages.

Have Ballincollig and Bishopstown news to share? Contact donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie