A tribute to longevity and dedication

It was never going to be a spectacular budget this time. Budget 2020 is happening potentially only weeks before the greatest shock to the Irish economy and to Irish businesses since the bank bailout and crash.

The spectre of Boris Johnson and his attempts to ensure Brexit happens, with no deal seemingly his preferred option, lingers above it.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohue said in the Dáil on Tuesday that this budget is a “bridge to a better future for our country”.

There are no big giveaways, not even the long-signaled income tax cuts. It’s a prudent budget, that contains no measures that could make the Government more popular. In that sense, it is a brave budget.

Of course, there are many justified criticisms too. I’ve read that there’s nothing for pensioners, nothing for renters, nothing (or little) for people on social welfare and not enough for the environment. I’ve heard that tax payers and motorists are the big losers from Budget 2020.

Unfortunately, nearly every spokesperson we hear around budgets has an agenda from the finance minister, to opposition TDs to various interested groups.

Suffice to say there has been plenty of criticism from groups like charities, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, teachers’ groups and many other while business group ibec was one of the few who welcomed the budget.

20 years and counting

20 years ago Kieran McCarthy started writing a local history column in this paper. The paper was called Inside Cork then and Cllr McCarthy must have been but a young pup.

When he started writing his column, I was just starting my first year of college, totally unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. 20 years is more than half my lifetime.

It’s an incredible span of time and commitment, and in that time, the column has spawned a number of books. At the moment, Kieran has submitted another book which will soon be published, while his most recent book ‘The Little Book of Cork Harbour’ was published by earlier this year.

His columns this year are covering life in Cork in 100 years ago and this week’s column covers major housing issues in 1919, which the Cork Corporation struggled to resolve.

Sometimes history reads like current affairs. Kieran has been covering and highlighting Cork and its local history for such a long span of time, providing a vital resource.

And recent events globally should remind us of the importance of history and heeding its lessons.

Kieran is also a city councillor since 2009, retaining his seat this year despite major changes to his ward and the addition of large new areas. His presence in the City Council, means that someone there can always give a historical context to decisions that are being made, a hugely important service to the people of Cork city.

20 years is truly an incredible achievement - bravo Kieran, it’s quite something when a column about local history itself becomes part of history! Here’s to the next 20 years.