County Mayor's Diary Cllr Mary Linehan Foley
Last Saturday marked the 100 year anniversary of one of the most significant events in the War of Independence, both for the whole of Cork and for our emerging nation.
The Kilmichael Ambush set in motion a series of events that would shape the war over the following years and saw the largest number of casualties of any single event during the War of Independence. Sadly, restrictions prevented us from gathering to commemorate the event on site.
Cork County Council have instead, as part of its Decade of Centenaries Commemorative Programme, produced a video exploring the significance of the Kilmichael Ambush and another exploring the lives and Cork county connections of Thomás MacCurtáin and Terence McSwiney, two former mayors who gave their lives for Ireland’s Independence. Both videos are available on the council’s YouTube channel.
Offering another opportunity to connect with our heritage, the council has published the second in their series of 'The Colourful Heritage of County Cork' colouring books, as part of their Keep Well campaign. Volume Two of the popular series features 30 brand new sites from across the county, from Bandon and Buttevant to Kanturk and Youghal. The bilingual book is available to download at corkcoco.ie.
These books take full advantage of the diversity in natural, built and cultural heritage in our county, and there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone to connect with - I invite you all to download a copy for your household.
Diversity has taken centre stage this week in the council, with our new Diversity in Local Government campaign. As the third woman to hold the office of the Mayor of the County of Cork in the past 100 years, I was delighted to join with my fellow councillors John Paul O’Shea, Danielle Twomey, Patrick Gerard Murphy, Gobnait Moynihan and Katie Murphy, to talk about the importance of diversity in local government and to encourage people from all walks of life to take part in local politics. The video is available on Cork County Council’s YouTube channel, and I encourage everyone with an interest in their local area and community to take a look.
A broader range of voices leads to broader representation and better decision making, everyone has their part to play. The challenges we have overcome this year so far are emblematic of this fact.
These challenges have affected us all in different ways, and we need to remain vigilant in the run up to Christmas, for ourselves, one another and our wider community. Please choose the business on your doorstep, support your local community and let’s enjoy the festive season in a safe and meaningful way. The nights may be getting longer, but thanks to our individual and collective efforts, they are also brighter.