Dangerous driving near schools was causing serious concerns 21 years ago as Cork County Council received a strongly worded warning from Bunscoil na Toirbhirte, Mitchelstown. Such was the danger that their Junior Traffic Warden Scheme was suspended and they sent a letter to the council advising them of the potentially deadly crossing point. The school had to cut short its scheme because of ‘excessive speed and volume of traffic’ passing the school, it also had strong criticisms regarding the training.
There were also concerns at Castlelyons NS where there were complaints about speeding motorists. There were concerns from representatives who said that such was the danger posed by heavy goods vehicles and cars that there was a risk that the school would be declared unsafe. Local woman Mary Crowley, vice principal, declared: “There are trucks flying around the corner, ready to take all and sundry with them.”
Granny Nellie Fitzgerald was honoured on the front page as she faced into the Over 60s Talent competition due to be held at Cork Opera House. The mother of eleven and grandmother of 22 from Mitchelstown was set to sing her signature tune ‘Crazy’ by Patsy Cline. She was no stranger to competition having won the Queen of the Galtees previously.
There were strong calls for a bus service in Ballindangan to bring people between Glanworth and Mitchelstown via the village. Dave Ryall was making an appeal on behalf of his fellow citizens, who he said were desperate for a bus to link the village.
There were plans for a fish hatchery in Lismore as the Southern Trout and Coarse Anglers Association were preparing to rebuild a previous facility in the area.
In Fermoy, there were plans for a Fun Row as the local canoe club were fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Twenty canoeists took part in the event and it took four hours for the first participants to finish in Lismore following an 18 mile trip.
O’Callaghan’s Deli and Cafe, Mitchelstown was given recognition for the quality of its food as an Irish Times’ food critic gave a glowing review. The reviewer was on a tour of the main Cork to Dublin road seeking out the best of food on the way. Tribute was paid to Pat and Mary O’Callaghan and their staff.
There was a concerted campaign for cleaning the roads and towns of North Cork with the people of Fermoy involved in the national spring clean. Councillor Joe Sherlock was calling for the council to send out workers to clean the rural roads around the area and also asking that they carry out an audit of large trucks using those roads. He had called for heavy goods vehicles to be halted from using rural by-roads, but council officials told him this was not possible.
The Fermoy hospital construction project was due to start with a massive investment in the facility announced. There would be a project to help those who were highly dependent on nursing care and the terminally ill. They were also looking at another side of the development which would allow for the treatment and rehabilitation of the elderly.
There were calls for more council houses to help solve a growing housing crisis in the Fermoy area. Then Fermoy UDC chairman Cllr John Dunlea said that the Pike Road area of the town would be earmarked for housing developments.
The people of Araglin were celebrating after the local community council succeeded in their campaign to have major road and drainage work carried out in the area. The village had fallen into disrepair but council officials said they would carry out the work.
Mystery surrounded the identity of a burglar who stole a large amount of money from an office on the main Fermoy to Mitchelstown road. The man had appeared in the office and claimed to be on business, but he fooled employees and instead launched a daring theft. Gardai were closing in on a suspect and warned other people in the area of confidence tricksters.
Then in the Corbett Court, a thief walked in and stole two statues in the popular restaurant! The criminal had also picked up other trinkets before fleeing the scene.
In sport there was a 1-16 to 1-10 victory for Castlelyons against St Catherines in The Examiner Conroy Cup SHL. Timmy McCarthy for Castlelyons and Christy Clancy for the Saints were the goal scorers. Fermoy Soccer Club took victory in a five goal thriller in the MSL v Douglas Hall. The scorers of their three goals were Gavin Howard, Graham Lonergan and Trevor Moloney.
