News

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Gillian Coughlan welcomes news of the return of Youghal Medieval Festival in a new online format. The festival, which won Chambers Ireland Festival of the year in 2018 drawing over 8,000 visitors, will run in an online format this year from August 14th to the 22nd and will include music, songs and stories.

Spike Island Cork recently played host to Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD who visited the historic island which has been making waves in Ireland’s heritage and tourism circles.  Minister Noonan thanked Cork County Council for the fascinating visit to Cork’s own Alcatraz - noting in particular the three-storey barracks, which retains much of its original form, together with the remains of some important features and materials.

Cork County Council has announced the first recipients of its new Heritage Grant Scheme, with 23 Historical and Community groups set to benefit from up to €1,000 each in funding.

The original Mallow Bridge was constructed in 1615 from timber. It and its replacements were swept away by floods in 1628, 1689 and 1712. A stone bridge was constructed in 1712 comprising of 15 equal arches. This too was badly damaged by a flood in 1853. The stone bridge was reconstructed in 1856. The reconstruction retained 4 of the original stone arches on the northern end of the bridge and the remainder of the bridge was replaced by 4 large segmental arches built using large blocks of dressed limestone. The use of segmental arches was a technological advancement at the time, enabling the spans to be wider and higher than previously possible. This increased the hydraulic capacity of the bridge and made it less likely to be damaged by floods.

One of Ireland’s oldest churches to remain in continuous use, St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal, has a great many stories to tell. Now an exciting new immersive visitor experience in the church, ‘Voices of St. Mary’s’, uses a variety of interpretative media to invite visitors to engage with and explore the meaning and significance of this important national monument in East Cork.

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley has unveiled the latest addition to Cork County’s maritime heritage attractions, a 126-year-old anchor from the Swedish ship ‘Saga’ at Ballybrannigan Beach.

The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley paid a visit to the twin West Cork villages of Ballineen and Enniskeane recently to launch the new Heritage Trail, created by the Ballineen and Enniskeane Tidy Towns Association, taking in several sites on the Trail and the much-admired Biodiversity and Sensory Riverside Garden during the visit.

Cork County Council have begun the inaugural Historian in Residence programme with the appointment of Tony Harpur. The new residency, funded by Creative Ireland, will enable history specialists to creatively connect with communities in Cork County through co-created research, discussions, events, activities and virtual gatherings.

A new documentary, ‘The Young Fella’, funded by Cork County Council’s Commemoration Committee and Michael Collins House, is set to premiere Friday April 16th.

A new heritage trail asset for Skibbereen, featuring videos and blogs on sites of interest around the town, has been launched by Cork County Council. The 'Skibbereen Heritage Map' provides in-depth historical and heritage information on more than 60 local sites, researched and compiled by Council-owned Skibbereen Heritage Centre.

Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland have published an online Story Map entitled ‘Ambush at Cúil na Cathrach, West Cork, Ireland: A story of conflict and sacrifice in the Irish War of Independence, 25 February 1921’. The map commemorates the centenary of the Irish War of Independence ambush at Cúil na Cathrach (Coolnacaheragh), close to Baile Mhic Íre in West Cork.

Applications Open for Built Heritage Investment Scheme & Historic Structures Fund 2021