County Mayor: Passion and dedication defines every corner of Cork

One of the best parts of my job as Mayor of the County of Cork is getting to meet people and hear their stories.

It gives me an insight into what is happening in Cork’s towns and villages, from the tip of Castletownbere to our border with Waterford, and each place defines itself through sports and hobbies.

You could spend your weekends and mornings rowing in the national centre, designing and creating in a local community centre, or kicking a ball around. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you follow your passion and in Cork, there truly is something for everyone.

As mayor, I was delighted to honour and recognise some incredible individuals and groups with a civic reception held at Vertigo in County Hall at the beginning of December.

We welcomed jockey Wayne Lordan following his victory at the Group One Betfred Epsom Derby, the Carrigaline Pipe Band after their success at the world championships, and the All-Ireland winning Cork minor ladies Gaelic football panel. A civic reception is the highest honour that I can bestow upon an individual or an organisation as mayor, and I was thrilled with the event organised to celebrate three huge moments for our home county this year.

Wayne Lordan was first up to collect a commemorative ornament, and that joined a collection that has been steadily growing since 1998.

His most recent accolade involved an incredible race with a favoured Charlie Johnston in pursuit on his horse, Lazy Griff, where he edged clear at Tattenham Corner before crossing the finishing line.

It was a magnificent achievement, and things got better for Cork when the Carrigaline Pipe Band made it a clean sweep of honours this year by winning two titles at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

This followed victories at the Leinster Band Championship, the Mid-Ulster Pipe Band Championships in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, and an All-Ireland title in Derry.

Carrigaline’s achievements bookended a summer which also celebrated the Cork Minor Ladies Gaelic Football team claiming their 13th All-Ireland title. The Rebels were relentless in their pursuit of glory, with their pathway including a 5-18 to 1-5 victory against Kerry in the Munster final.

Cork went on to defeat reigning All-Ireland champions Cavan in the semi and Dublin were dispatched on the biggest day of all, with a five-star performance by every player on the pitch. As Mayor, I made sure to recognise everyone who contributed, from Kate Carey and Eabha O’Donovan who combined to score 3-5, to the back-line that dug-in to secure the win.

It was a fantastic occasion at Cork County Council, made even better by the large crowd that we had on the day at Vertigo.

My week also included the launch of our Writers Block creative writing programme, which is set to run through 2026.

This first stage is inviting applicants from experienced writers in all genres, from scriptwriters to slam poets, who are interested in developing a programme of engagement with writers’ groups, individuals, community groups, schools, and other interested parties, for the year of 2026.

Writers will work to develop creative writing opportunities across communities in a defined area, while engaging a variety of audiences such as older people, youth, hardly-reached communities, and others.

They will also engage with local writers’ groups in library branches in their areas, and there will be opportunities to work with the other writers on the panel.

This will become a collaborative process as writers work with others from across Cork county by sharing knowledge and programme events while working together towards a shared goal.

Full details about the Writers Block initiative can be found at corkcoco.ie and the closing date for applications is January 5, 2026.