The great work of St Patrick’s Community Hospital in Fermoy was honoured twenty one years ago as it was declared a ‘beacon of hope’ for the whole Avondhu region. Brian Crowley, who was then an MEP, made his remarks during a massive fundraising drive. In words that would strongly resonate during the current Covid-19 crisis he said: “In a world of detachment and apathy, hospitals like Fermoy are beacons of hope and an example of how we should treat the elderly and those requiring care.” Sr Patricia Duggan, who was matron of the facility, said there was a need to change how the hospital operated and that was happening, thanks to the work of local people.
Locals turned out in high numbers to celebrate 100 years of Cork County Council at an event in Mallow. The crowd, gathered from across North Cork and comprising the workers of the council, celebrated their part in keeping Cork moving.
While the workers were holding their event in Mallow, the councillors gathered in Cork City Courthouse to celebrate the anniversary of the first meeting which was held at the location.
There were festival announcements too as Kilworth was set to have a bluegrass event which was built around the visit of renowned musician, JD Crowe. The event was to herald his gig and give an opportunity for people without tickets to enjoy the music.
There was anger mounting over how people were parking in the newly refurbished New Square in Mitchelstown. Despite newly laid out parking bays in the square, motorists were ignoring the lines and parking on the footpath. Complaints were received that drivers had little respect for the new layout and were driving across footpaths and abandoning their cars despite the best efforts of council officials.
Meanwhile in Fermoy, there were plans to turn Mill Island into a massive car park to serve the town. The plan would see 131 car spaces made available along with a site linked to the Mart.
Vandalism at St Fanahan’s Well was highlighted as a group of youths had set plastic ornaments at the site on fire. There were empty beer cans left at the scene and the vandals were also accused of urinating into the well.
There was a meeting held in Watergrasshill as the village looked to be in the whirlpool of major development project by Cork County Council. A large audience attended the meeting and discussed their concerns about the proposed growth of the population in the area. One key issue, that continues to this day, was the provision of an adequate waste water treatment plant for the area, while the need for recreational areas was also discussed. The meeting of locals called on the council to only carry out its development work if it was strictly managed and prepared.
There was news of a book launch titled Bride Rovers Abu which was a history of the famous GAA institution. The book by local author John Arnold, charted the history of the club from 1741 to 1999.
There was a concerted campaign of fundraising for Loreto Secondary School to build an extension as well as a modern sports facility. The school secured £500,000 from the Department of Education but the rest of the cost would be met by various fundraising drives held by students, staff and supporters. The sports hall would be used by the 700 students attending the school at the time.
There was excitement in Mitchelstown as they prepared for the arrival of the Special Olympics torch run which was due to pass through the town. The torch run involved members of An Garda Siochana and the former Northern Ireland police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
The retirement of well-known councillor Con Donovan was marked with an event in Ballyporeen. He had served on the Tipperary South Riding County Council for 39 years without interruption – his service to his community was marked with a huge turnout at the celebration of his political life. His wife Nora was by his side with a number of well-known local politicians and senior Fianna Fáil members.
There was another star attraction in the Castletownroche stud farm as Mustang, an Arabian stallion took up residence at Ballygriggan House. Mustang, which was also known by his stable name Charlie, was enjoying the wide open spaces in the area.
In sport, Fermoy took a victory in the U15 league by four goals to Avondale’s no score – Liam Kearney (2), Steve Coughlan and Sean McCarthy the scorers; this put Fermoy right back in contention for the league. The Mitchelstown Badminton Club also saw success as they qualified to take part in the Munster Championship at Division 4 mixed team level. The team – John Conway, John O’Donovan, Tony O’Donovan, Caroline Conroy, Clotilde Fitzgibbon, Olive Kenneally, Peter Watson and Marie Aherne.
