Bid to name bridge after late Cork Life Centre director

Former students of the late Don O’Leary are campaigning to have one of Cork’s newest pedestrian bridges named after the man they remember as “an advocate, an educator, and a friend”.

Mr O’Leary, who passed away in October at the age of 68, after living with terminal cancer for five years, had served for more than 18 years as director of the Cork Life Centre.

During that time, working with a volunteer-led staff, he helped provide one-to-one, relationship-based tuition to hundreds of young Cork people failed by Ireland’s mainstream education system.

Paying tribute to Mr O’Leary after his death, Taoiseach Micheál Martin recalled working with the Ballyphehane native over several years to improve employment conditions in the centre.

“He believed in the dignity of every individual, and the capacity of every individual to grow,” Mr Martin said.

“His contribution to the Cork Life Centre and to many, many young people was very, very positive, and he has left a significant legacy in that sense.”

Now several of those young people are calling on Cork City Council to name one of the city’s two newest bridges after Mr O’Leary.

Darcy Faye, who graduated from the Life Centre in 2018, said Mr O’Leary had, for so many young people, offered them a bridge to education and greater confidence, and it would be appropriate that his name be remembered on a bridge in the city he loved.

“Don was all about empowering young people to find their voice and to stand up for what they believe in, and we believe that because Don is someone who helped so many of us, he shouldn’t be forgotten,” she said.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said a public consultation process was ongoing, inviting proposals from the public to name the bridges. 

“Proposals to commemorate living persons are not generally encouraged. Nominees should be deceased, preferably at least 20 years previously,” they said.

However, they added, an exception to those guidelines can be considered by the council “if deemed appropriate”. 

The deadline for submissions is January 26.

Mr O’Leary’s son, Don Jr, said his father “would never have stopped giving out, but he would have been so proud of the fine young people they are”.

“Even if this goes nowhere, the effort that his past pupils have put into this is all the tribute that he would want.”