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Cork City School Sports 2013

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Considering “the Sports are the biggest track and field athletics competitions in Europe that are held on one day.” and even after the events of last year this years Cork City School Sports day press release has no mention of a traffic management plan, temporary parking or advice for people to park legally. 

If the proper planning was put in place the site used for Funderland/Marquee could be used for parking on the day. Funderland were able to provide temporary parking in the Showgrounds, when they visited Cork over Easter. The Showgrounds is Public land so a similar arrangement could be agreed with Cork City Council.

Press release from organisers of Cork City School Sports 

Lúthchleasa Bhunscoileanna Chorcaí

Wednesday next, 22ndh May, will be an action-packed day in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Almost 6,000 children from over 300 schools throughout the City and County will participate in the Cork Primary Schools Sports. The first race begins at 9am and the event will come to a close at 5pm approximately.This is a fantastic family day and a memorable day for all schools that participate in the event.2013 will be the 86th year of the Primary School Sports. The Sports were founded in 1927 by a group of teachers from some Cork City Schools :J.J Fennessy, St. Patrick’s BNS

Joe Donoghue, Douglas
Dinny Kelly, Glasheen and Togher.

The Cork Primary School Sports have been held every year since except during the war years. Originally the event was held in the Mardyke until numbers became too large in the early 1980’s. It was then moved to Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The committee of Lúthchleasa Bhunscoileanna Chorcaí are hugely grateful to Mr. Frank Murphy and the County Board for the use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Their generosity contributes hugely to the success of the day. The staff at Páirc Uí Chaoimh are always at the ready to lend any assistance and their help is greatly appreciated.

The Sports are the biggest track and field athletics competitions in Europe that are held on one day. Schools are graded in Roinns (sections) on the basis of their size/enrolment and also on the basis of the previous years results.

Prizes are given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places and the winners of each section compete in the County Final in the different age-groups. Obviously there is immense competition to achieve the much sought after title of County Champion. County medals are valued and treasured!

There are many famous trophies still in existence which schools receive for their success at the event. The Dean Sexton Cup dates back many years and the I.N.T.O cup is a replica of the Ardagh Chalice. Many new cups/trophies have been added over the years, such as Br. Canisius Cup and the Michael Jackson Cup.

Michael Jackson is one of the legends of the Cork Primary Schools Sports. Mr. Jackson was Principal of Farranree Boys School. He became Treasurer of the Sports in 1953 and a reliable source informs us that there was 39 shillings in the Sports Bank Account! Michael kept the Sports going, he ran the day like clockwork and gave generously and tirelessly of his time. He passed away in 2011 and is sadly missed. He will always be remembered for his huge contribution to the Cork Primary School Sports.

Many other Teachers are synonymous with the Sports throughout the years – Paddy O’ Shea who was acting secretary for many years, Theo Lynch (a brother of Jack) from Blackpool, Jim Crockett from Morning Star School and Ted O’ Sullivan from Togher BNS.

In the present time, the Sports are stronger than ever with a vibrant and efficient Committee. Ann-Marie Knightly is the hard-working and dedicated Secretary. The Sports are self-financing. Each participating school sells tickets which enable the Committee purchase medals and trophies, pay for insurance and many other expenses incurred in the running of the event. The trophy bill alone is €15,000.

Children have participated in heats in their schools to qualify to run in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Much preparation by Teachers and Pupils leads up to the main event. The day itself is run like clockwork. The programme is followed literally to the minute. This year the Boys will run first and the Girls will run in the afternoon. Both participate in sprints and relay races. It is an amazing sight to see the children emerging from the tunnel in an orderly fashion as they line up in their lanes. Races are run off at an admirable pace.

Approximately 120 stewards (all Teachers) are present on a voluntary basis for the day under the capable stewardship of Chief Steward, Mr. John Daly.

Some children from North, South, East and West of the County will be leaving their homes as early as 6.30am to make the journey to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Wednesday next. All are welcome to attend this fantastic event. Be prepared for the air of excitement! It is a unique day.

An Taisce calls on Cork City Council to redraft the Marina Park masterplan

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An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland, is asking Cork City Council to redraw the masterplan for Cork’s Marina Park to ensure the public park is not split in two by a proposed GAA facility.

The proposed GAA campus, which incorporates an all-weather pitch, as well as a host of other key facilities, is a welcome development and can be delivered in such a way as not to sever the public amenity of Marina Park.

An Taisce is asking Cork City Council to ensure that the project is developed as envisioned in an earlier draft of the South Docklands Local Area Plan, and as originally zoned for by the City Council.

The Council’s subsequent re-zoning of public land allows has the effect – unintended but nonetheless adverse – of splitting the public park in two, thus drastically compromising its intended function as a much needed public amenity serving communities in the docklands area and its environs.

An alternative siting of the centre of excellence and second pitch, such as at the city end of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, would both accommodate the GAA and respect the functional integrity of the Marina Park and its proximity to the Atlantic Pond. The alternative approach would also meet with the approval of the many local residents who oppose the present draft plan, and An Taisce commends it to the Council.

ENDS

For further information, please call:

Kevin Connolly, An Taisce Cork   Tel: +353 87 74177 13

James Nix, Director of Operations, An Taisce  Tel: + 353 86 8394129

 

Email: publicaffairs@antaisce.org

An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland

www.antaisce.ie

Cork City Council response to an FOI request

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Date 09th May 2013

Re;     Freedom of Information Request 16/13

I refer to your request received under the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003, to access the following information:

“ Relating to the development of the Marina Park and the proposed sale/handover of land, including the land known as the Showgrounds and Marina Hall, to the GAA & Cork County Board for the redevelopment of Pairc Ui Chaoimh Stadium and the establishment of a “Centre of Excellence”.

1) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and other documents relating to meetings between Cork City Council representatives and/or their agents, GAA representatives and/or their agents, Cork County Board representatives and/or their agents.

2) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and other documents relating to that included any or all of the following organisations, companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Redscape, OKRA, O’Connor Sutton Cronin (engineers), Venhoeven CS (architects), Howley Hayes (conservation architects), Fehily Timoney (environment and ecology), Modus Operandi (art consultants), and Davis Langdon PKS (quantity surveyors) or any other members of the Marina Park design team.

3) All minutes of meetings that included any or all of the following organisations, companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Malachy Walsh & Partners, Consulting Engineers and Scott Tallon Walker Architects or any other members of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment team”

Decision

A decision has been made to part grant your request.

I attach  copies of the relevant documentation.

If you have any queries regarding this correspondence you can contact me at 021-4924037.

1) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and other documents relating to meetings between Cork City Council representatives and/or their agents, GAA representatives and/or their agents, Cork County Board representatives and/or their agents.

This information is refused  under

Section 27(1)(b) and (c) Commercially Sensitive Information

27. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a head shall refuse to grant a request under
section 7 if the record concerned contains

 (b) financial, commercial, scientific or technical or other information whose disclosure could reasonably be expected to result in a material financial loss or gain to the person to whom the information relates, or could prejudice the competitive position of that person in the conduct of his or her profession or business or otherwise in his or her occupation, or

(c) information whose disclosure could prejudice the conduct or outcome of contractual or other negotiations of the person to whom the information relates.

Section 20(1) Deliberations of Public Bodies

20. (1) A head may refuse to grant a request under section 7 if the record concerned contains matter relating to the deliberative processes of a public body (including opinions, advice, recommendations, and the results of consultations, considered by the body, the head of the body, or a member of the body or of the staff of the body for the purpose of those processes).

and Section 21(1)(c) Functions and Negotiations of Public Bodies.

21.(1) A head may refuse to grant a request under section 7 if access to the record concerned could, in the opinion of the head, reasonably be expected to

(c) disclose positions taken, or to be taken, or plans, procedures, criteria or instructions used or followed, or to be used or followed, for the purpose of any negotiations carried on or being, or to be, carried on by or on behalf of the Government or a public body.

2) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and other documents relating to that included any or all of the following organisations, companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Redscape, OKRA, O’Connor Sutton Cronin (engineers), Venhoeven CS (architects), Howley Hayes (conservation architects), Fehily Timoney (environment and ecology), Modus Operandi (art consultants), and Davis Langdon PKS (quantity surveyors) or any other members of the Marina Park design team.

This information is part granted. The report of Howley Hayes (Architectural Heritage Assessment) is attached.

The remaining information is refused under Section 20(1) Deliberations of Public Bodies.

3) All minutes of meetings that included any or all of the following organisations, companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Malachy Walsh & Partners, Consulting Engineers and Scott Tallon Walker Architects or any other members of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment team”

This information is refused  under Section 20 Deliberations of Public Bodies and Section 21 Functions and Negotiations of Public Bodies.

Right of Appeal

You may appeal this decision.  Please note that a fee applies for an appeal, with the exception of an appeal against the imposition of a fee.  The level of this has been set at €75.00.  In the event that you need to make such an appeal, you can do so by writing to:

Ms Valerie O’ Sullivan

Director of Services,

Corporate and External Affairs,

Cork City Council,

City Hall,

Cork.

…enclosing the appropriate fee.  Payment should be made by way of bank draft, money order, postal order or personal cheque payable to Cork City Council.  You should make your appeal within 4 weeks (20 working days) from the date of this notification, however, the making of a late appeal may be permitted in appropriate circumstances.  The appeal will involve a complete reconsideration of the matter by a more senior member of staff of Cork City Council.

Yours sincerely,

NOREEN MULCAHY

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICER

Press release: Marina Park Draft Masterplan II

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Ballintemple Area Residents Association and Save Marina Park dismayed at behaviour of City Manager with re-design of  Marina Park Masterplan to satisfy the GAA and Páirc Uí Chaoimh 

Despite spending in excess of €250,000 on landscape consultants in 2012 the City Manager, Tim Lucey, has ignored their recommendations and the recommendations of his own Planning Department in relation to the development of the showgrounds in Ballintemple as a new city park and instead has bowed to pressure from the GAA to increase their land take and reduce the area left open for the public park.

It is obvious from the re-drafted master plan, which was pulled from the Council in December 2012 at the request of the GAA, that the area to be used by the public to move freely between the existing Atlantic pond area and the proposed park towards the city end of the showgrounds has been cut from being over 60 feet (20m) wide to less than 40 feet (13m). It now looks as though this narrow channel will have a proposed 32m (almost 100 feet) high stadium on one side with over hanging seating looking onto the GAA’s proposed “centre of excellence“. The effect of this narrowing and overhanging will be to create a barren windswept little alleyway between the two pitches that will be neither inviting for people out for a stroll in the new park nor successful in creating a visual link between the new and old section of the marina park. On top of this, the public will only have access to this part of the park when it suits the GAA.

The whole re-drafting process to satisfy the GAA stinks of the sort of cronyism that we had all hoped had gone the way of the planning tribunals when developers held sway over Council’s to the detriment of the wider community. It looks like a-tug-of-the-elbow for a quiet word is how the GAA and the City Manager in Cork like to do their business. The 150+ objections to the initial re-zoning process in 2012 from the surrounding community also fell on deaf ears with the City Manager preferring to keep the County Board happy over the people who pay his wages, the People of Cork!

It was ironic that at the same Council meeting the City Manager called for Expressions of Interest from private developers for the construction of a large events centre for Cork. Why would BAM Construction (the old Beamish & Crawfords site) or Owen O’Callaghan (Albert Quay) pour any money into a badly needed events centre when the GAA have made no secret of their plan to run marquee-style events on their second centre of excellence pitch.
How Cork will ever win an another All-Ireland with concerts filling the training pitch will be something for the weary Cork fans to ponder in the years to come.
On top of all this is the constant issue of flooding. The show grounds and Páirc Uí Chaoimh are well below high tide level and already prone to flooding. The whole purpose of the original draft plan prepared by the Council’s Consultants was to address this flooding problem as the Docklands grew in size. Building irresponsibly on flood plains is the scourge of western Europe  but global warming, flooding and climate change don’t get a look in in the cosy relationship between City Manager Tim Lucey and The GAA.

While we welcome the proposed traffic plans to be submitted with any planning application for the re-development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the second pitch and the fact that Councillors raised the issue of parking with the City Manager the fact remains that we are still being besieged in our community by visiting fans who are forced to drive into the cul-de-sac of Blackrock/Ballintemple for matches in the absence of anything resembling a coherent traffic plan by the GAA, the City Council and the Gardaí.

We have always been pro-sport, pro-GAA and pro-community. We have, in our meetings to date, always sought compromise with all the stakeholders but it looks like it’smy way or the highway with the GAA on everything to do with the re-development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. We have no doubt that this will eventually go all the way to An Bord Pleanála and possibly beyond.

ENDS

Note to editor: The Save Marina Park Group was formed following a public meeting in October 2011 arranged by Cllr.Des Cahill (FG) and attended by Cllr. Denis O’Flynn (LAB), Cllr. Chris O’Leary (SF) and Bob Ryan of the GAA Cork County Board that highlighted the proposed re-zoning issue and the proposed re-development of the stadium.

Cork City Events Centre

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Items on the agenda for Monday the 22 April Cork City Council meeting include the Cork City Events Centre & Marina Park / Cork GAA County Board redevelopment. These two items are more closely related than you might imagine.

The City Council plan to contribute to the development of an Events Centre in the City by providing €6,000,000 in funding to a private developer.  At the same time Cork City Council are supporting the Cork GAA County Board (another private developer) by providing 7 acres of the Showgrounds so that they can develop a one pitch ‘Centre of Excellence‘ next to Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

The problem here is that the Cork GAA County Board plan to generate revenue by using the Showgrounds, land that they acquired from the City Council at a knock down price, to host Marquee style and outdoor events  as they know the days of filling the Stadium for concerts multiple times a year with 40,000 people have long since passed. Their intention is to use the Showgrounds for medium size concerts ranging from 8,000 to 20,000  so as to pay for the €70,000,000 investment in the Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment.

This will be in direct competition with the City funded Events Centre therefore threatening the Events Centres viability.

Introducing EcCoWell

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eccowellEcCoWell is about integrating strategies across ecology & economy (Ec), community & culture (Co) well-being & lifelong learning (Well). The concept has been developed by Peter Kearns out of work done by the OECD & PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) on lifelong learning. The approach provides a platform for integrating strategies such as Healthy City, Green City, Learning City and the Economic Development to create a blueprint that fosters quality of life and wellbeing for people in the Cork region.

An EcCoWell Cork leadership group has been working on ways of applying this concept to the Cork City region. Peter Kearns, who formulated the concept, was the keynote speaker at a seminar organised in Cork as part of the 10th Cork Lifelong Learning Festival, on Wednesday March 21st, 2013. He is co-director of PIE, and a leading Australian thinker, researcher, and consultant in lifelong learning and learning communities. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to education & is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators.

As a follow-up to the seminar an international EcCoWell Conference and Ideas Exchange will take place in Cork City on September 26 & 27, 2013

To find out more, to get involved to make suggestions models of good practice visit at www.eccowell.com and Facebook

Where are we now

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It appears Tim Lucey the current Cork City Manager is going against his own recommendations and the advice of the experts designing the Marina Park.

OKRA the team being paid €250,000 by Cork City Council to design the Marina Park on what’s remaining of the Showgrounds have recommend in their Draft Masterplan that the permeable space / public right of way linking the Marina Park and Atlantic Pond be set a minimum 20 Metres (66 feet) wide to provide both physical and visual linkage between the Marina Park and Atlantic Pond so as to ensure maximum permeability and cohesion. This is based on the City Managers recommendations in the Variation to the City Development Plan dealing with Marina Park / Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

We’re now hearing that this permeable space is being eroded by the demands of the GAA Cork County Board. The GAA Cork County Board who have yet to apply for planning permission for the second pitch and stadium redevelopment  are not willing to compromised on the size of the all weather pitch. The all weather pitch at 98 metres wide is larger than either Croke Park and Pairc Ui Chaoimh playing pitches with a 5 metre run off on all sides. The Big Wheel is Funderland is 48 metres high, the pitch will be the width of two Big Wheels laid flat. In other words you could put two football pitches on the GAA Cork County Boards All Weather Pitch. This along with the increased footprint of the Stadium will mean that the public right of way between the Park and the Pond will be lost before the public get to see the draft masterplan that we paid for. The Marina Park Draft Masterplan is already skewed in favour of the GAA Cork County Board in the way it has been designed as the access routes required for the stadium are included in the Marina Park design again decreasing the amount of public green space.

The Marina Park draft masterplan that you’ve paid for with the Household Charge, Property Tax and the many other Taxes has yet go to Public Consultation stage but yet the GAA Cork County Board are allowed modify it at will to facilitate their land grab. The City Manager and certain Cork City Councillors appear to have an open door policy for GAA Cork County Board. Whereas the concerns of resident presented in the 150 submissions are dismissed in a two word sentence in the City Managers report.

Letter: Re Cork City Council meeting

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We the residents of Ballintemple are outraged at what transpired at the council meeting on 10th Dec. 2012. The more than quarter of a million euro design of the Marina Park is to be scrapped. The council voted to defer its approval for public consultation. The reason as put by Councillor Michael Ahearn is the GAA are not happy with the plans for the park and they want it changed to accommodate their new plans which we believe are to substantially increase the amount of land already agreed to a much larger parcel of lands.

Meetings with the park designers were held  in good faith which have now been declared null and void. This is due to a  surprising last minute usurpation of the whole process by the GAA . The City Council capitulated to the wishes of an organisation to have its own design and its own process of public consultation scrapped to accommodate the demand of the GAA for more land.

If this criticism of the City Councils plans  were coming from any other  community other than the GAA , it would not be accepted by a single Councillor or indeed any official of the City Council . However, in light of their relentless criticism of anything less than making this parkland their own private enclave, serving their own personal visions, and their own self-serving desires, they simply become the de facto arbiters of what the Council will be allowed to develop on its own lands and that of the people of Cork. Let’s face the facts: (1) They want an all weather pitch  for their own private use that excludes the general population of Cork  and people from outside their organisation  (2) nothing – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING – must interfere or obstruct their views of what is allowable on public land (3) They want easy access to their facilities to the determinant of all other users , but it must be “one way” so that others do not use the same path to actually get into public  parkland (4) recreational facilities must be design for them and them only and they will dictate what sports should or should not be played

The City council have wasted 250,000 euros of taxpayers money on a design which will now accompany  Diarmuid Gavins Sky Garden as a non starter .

PATRICK MULLEY

CHAIRPERSON OF BALLINTEMPLE RESIDENTS

Cork City Council response to an AIE request

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Date 04th March 2013
Re: Request For Access to Information – Environment (AIE) Regulations, 2007-2011
A.I.E 01/13

Decision

A decision has been made to part grant your request.

1) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and other
documents relating to meetings between Cork City Council representatives and/
or their agents, GAA representatives and/or their agents, Cork County Board
representatives and/or their agents.

This information is refused as it does not fall under the definition of environmental
information as set out in the AIE regulations.

2) All minutes, record notes (formal and informal), e-mails, diary entries and
other documents relating to that included any or all of the following organisations,
companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Redscape, OKRA, O’Connor
Sutton Cronin (engineers), Venhoeven CS (architects), Howley Hayes (conservation
architects), Fehily Timoney (environment and ecology), Modus Operandi (art
consultants), and Davis Langdon PKS (quantity surveyors) or any other members of
the Marina Park design team.

The report of Howley Hayes (Architectural Heritage Assessment) is attached.
Ecological, Drainage and Appropriate Assessment Screening reports are in
preliminary/draft form and are refused as they are classed as material in the course
of completion. These will be released to you on completion.

Other information is refused as it does not fall under the definition of environmental
information as set out in the AIE regulations.

3) All minutes of meetings that included any or all of the following organisations,
companies, their representatives and/or their agents: Malachy Walsh & Partners,
Consulting Engineers and Scott Tallon Walker Architects or any other members of
the Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment team”

This information is refused as it does not fall under the definition of environmental
information as set out in the AIE regulations.

Right of Appeal

You may appeal this decision. In the event that you need to make such an appeal, you can do so
by writing to:

Ms. Valerie O’Sullivan,
Director of Services,
Corporate & External Affairs,
Cork City Council,
City Hall,
Cork.

You should make your appeal within 1 month from the date of this notification. The appeal will involve a complete reconsideration of the matter by a more senior member of staff of Cork City Council.

Yours sincerely,

________________________
NOREEN MULCAHY
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICER