All About Cork: Colouring, music, and fairy house crafting at Mayfield library

Mayfield Library has announced the winners of its summer colouring competition, as well as details of upcoming events including a musical evening for Culture Night and three fairy-themed crafting afternoons.

A whopping 206 entries spread across four age categories were received in Mayfield Library’s Summer Colouring Competition. The age three to five category proved the most competitive with 76 entries.

Special congratulations went to talented artist Elaine Mawe of Bishopstown Horizons Hub, who won the teen/adult category. Méabh O’Farrell was the youngest winner at age three.

Executive librarian Richard Forrest said: “Well done and thanks to everyone who took part. All entries are now on show and brightening the library. Next up, Halloween, get your oranges, blacks, and purples ready!”

On this Friday, September 19, events for Culture Night at the library feature songwriting and a choral performance.

Siân Brown, who recently launched her book and album Follow Your Heart at the Crane Lane, will visit at 6pm to lead a songwriting workshop. There is no number limit to this event and at the end of the session, a brand new song will have been born.

Ms Brown, a music therapist, is also well known for her community work in the area, running a Singing for the Brain course in Lower Level Roseville House, Mayfield.

The programme comprises a two-hour session with vocal warm-ups, gentle movement to music, then singing sessions where participants choose their favourite songs to sing themselves or with everyone, based around the many benefits of music, particularly for older people.

The songwriting workshop with Ms Brown at the library will be followed at 7pm by a performance from one of Cork’s best loved choirs, Voices of Cork, a four-part harmony community choir. Members of the choir are people of all ages from diverse backgrounds, and its repertoire includes popular songs, ballads, and jazz.

The library also invites families to “step into a world of magic” for fairy house crafting events over three weeks next month.

Mr Forrest said: “Children aged five to eight can craft their very own fairy houses and decorations, bringing Mayfield’s fairies to life with creativity and imagination.”

The events will take place on October 4, 11, and 18, all from 3pm to 5pm, and you can sign up by emailing mayfield_library@corkcity.ie or by calling (021) 4924935.

Glen River dumping

Labour’s John Maher recently asked the council to clean illegal dumping along the Glen River.

Mr Maher was told: “Given the topography of this location it is extremely difficult and expensive to remove the illegal dumping of rubbish from this site.

“Efforts were made previously to carry out a clean-up of this area, with a contractor engaged with specialised equipment. Unfortunately, the contractor was subsequently unable to carry out this work.”

The council committed to removing accessible litter in the coming month, and to review appointing a contractor. “Litter wardens will also inspect and monitor this area and if evidence is found litter fines will issue in order to deter future illegal dumping,” it added.

Oceans Plastic Project talk

A free talk about the Oceans Plastic Project will be held on Wednesday, September 17, from 10-11am in Mayfield, and will cover the effect of pollution in Irish seas and on beaches, with all welcome to attend.

Oceans Plastic Project was started in 2017 in West Cork with the aim of researching the plastic waste along the Atlantic and Irish seacoasts of Ireland.

There are also several free courses beginning soon — storytelling workshops on September 17 at 11am; beginners computers from September 23, 10am; Word Processing level 3 QQI from September 25, 10am; Information Technology level 4 QQI from October 3, 9.30am; and Powerpoint/presentation ECDL module, from September 24, 9am.

The talk and all courses will be held in the Mayfield CDP Community Resource Centre, 328 Old Youghal Rd, and are funded by Cork ETB and Cork City Partnership CLG.

If you are interested in any of these courses contact Mayfield CALP on (021) 4508562 or email
mayfieldcalp1@outlook.com.

Community safety forum

A Neighbourhood Safety Forum for Mayfield, The Glen, Ballyvolane, and St Lukes will take place tomorrow at 7pm.

Neighbourhood Safety Forums are spaces where you and your community can discuss any safety concerns with An Garda Síochána and staff from the community team of Cork City Council. It will be held in The Glen Youthreach, Glen Community Services Building, Carnloch Court — behind St Brendan’s church, via Arderin Way.

You can find out about what issues can be raised and where other forums are held at: www.corkcity.ie/communitysafety.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran welcomed the return of the forums, which had not been running while Cork City Council and other councils across Ireland transitioned from the previous joint policing committees structure to local community safety partnerships.

He told The Echo: “These were in hiatus while the new structures were being put in place but are now in action again.

“Those are really useful to deal with local matters that are important to people, like scramblers, school traffic problems, even poor lighting where that affects the sense of safety in an area, anything really. The new act puts these forums on a statutory basis too and provides a degree of protection against claims of defamation at the forums. That will foster an openness to discuss things and get to the real root of local neighbourhood issues.”

Choir seeks new members

St. Joseph’s Adult Church Choir has put out a call for new members, both male and female, to join. The choir rehearse every Thursday evening at 7.30pm at St Joseph’s Church, Springhill, Glanmire. For more information or to join up, contact Margaret by email at

tobinmargaret@yahoo.ie.

Montenotte culinary event

The Montenotte hosted celebrity chef and TV presenter Matt Tebbutt and cocktail and spirit expert Carmen O’Neal on Wednesday, as they partnered with executive head chef Martin Lovell to create a bespoke dining experience paired with cocktails.

The evening started at The Glasshouse, The Montenotte’s rooftop bar, with Carmen’s Terrace Bloom cocktail, a sparkling floral apéritif inspired by The Montenotte’s gardens, and canapés such as spiced crab, and fennel and apple crispbreads.

The evening continued into The Gallery Suite for a sit-down three-course dinner menu which began with a cured local duck breast starter served with bitter leaf salad, pickled mushrooms and charred pear and cider vinaigrette, paired with the Autumn Verjus cocktail — a light, orchard-fruity and gently sparkling drink with herbal undertones. This was followed by roast turbot with mussel and butter sauce, potato polenta, seaweed pancake, sautéed samphire, and burnt lemon oil, paired with the Salt & Smoke cocktail, a savoury and smokey martini-style drink with a bright citrus finish. Dessert was spiced apple tarte tatin, with buttermilk and hazelnut ice cream, paired with a clarified apple and Irish whiskey milk punch.

Have news to share? Contact amy.campbell@theecho.ie