Looking behind the walls of Cork’s landmark castles
The County of Cork is steeped in heritage, particularly with regard to the castles that dot and indeed define the landscape. Since the arrival of the Normans, right up to the 17th century, some wonderful castles have been constructed and theirs is a fascinating history that deserves to be told.
Following on from the success of Cork County Council’s Heritage of County Cork Publication Series – which received a citation of excellence in the Local Government Awards – the latest installation in the series sets out to tell the story of Cork’s many fascinating castles and indeed their associated families; also touching on a range of typical features that are to be found on castles. The publication will furthermore include fine examples of castles that can be visited today across the county.
One of the most important elements of this publication is the input of local heritage groups and enthusiasts. Past publications in the Heritage of County Cork Series have benefited hugely from a great number of public submissions, including photos, stories, and indeed lists of recommended sites that should be featured in the book(s). With respect to the Heritage Castles of County Cork, the Heritage Unit of Cork County Council would be delighted to see a similar response in 2017. To this effect local heritage societies, community groups and individuals are requested to get involved in the project by submitting any specific information/stories/photos of interest to Cork County Council by Friday 9th June 2017. Details can be emailed to conor.nelligan@corkcoco. ie and/or martin.millerick@corkcoco.ie and a number of the submissions will be featured in the publication.
Another closing date in June to take note of is the closing date for Cork County Council’s Municipal Districts Creative Communities Scheme on Friday June 23rd 2017. Under the scheme, first established in 2016, Cork County Council invites proposals for projects that can create new opportunities for communities to develop arts and cultural activity in local areas in County Cork.
The Creative Communities Scheme underpins Cork County Council’s commitment to the arts by supporting the development of partnership models of arts activity in each of Cork County’s eight Municipal District areas. The scheme will provide funding to enable community bodies, creative artists, local arts groups, and others to come together as local partnerships to plan and deliver an arts project that will achieve a significant, sustainable enhancement to cultural and social life in their area. Successful projects will need to involve communities and the creative sector working together in partnership and make best use of the artistic and creative resources in the community. Successful projects will be innovative, well researched and will engage positively with people, by placing the arts and creativity at the centre of community life.
Under the scheme, funding of up to €15,000 will be awarded for any one project per Municipal District. Cork County has eight Municipal Districts, the largest in the country, and hence success in the overall scheme will be seen countywide. For more information and to download an application form, see www.corkcoco.ie and please note that the closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday, June 23rd 2017. The funding scheme is being run with thanks to the Arts Office of Cork County Council who can be contacted by emailing arts@corkcoco.ie.
In relation to upcoming events, Baltimore will be a hive of activity over the weekend with the hosting of the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival. Running from Friday May 26th to Sunday May 28th. The festival is a celebration of the traditional timber sailing boats of Ireland, and aims to ‘celebrate the revival in traditional boat building, encourage a local interest in the traditional wooden working boats of the area and develop a regular event that would forge links with lovers of wooden boats from other areas and countries’.
As part of the weekend, Cuas, the West Cork Maritime Heritage Company, will present an exhibition and videos on Tom Moynihan, the master shipwright who built iconic vessels like The Saoirse and AK Ilen during the 1920s in the Baltimore Fisheries School. The festival runs in conjunction with Baltimore Seafood Weekend, and for more information see www.baltimorewoodenboatfestival.com.
The following weekend, on Friday 2nd June, the ‘West Meets West’ Exhibition will be launched in Uilinn West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, at 6pm. The exhibition features the work of three leading artists from the West of Cornwall – Philip Booth, Matthew Lanyon and Tony Lattimer – building on the historic links between Cornwall and West Cork to develop a cultural exchange between the two regions, made more possible now, due to the new air link this year between Cork Airport and Newquay in Cornwall.
The many historic links and similarities between the two seaboards include Cape Clear’s Saint Ciarán travelling over to Cornwall from Ireland and, through his missionary work, becoming Cornwall’s own patron saint (there known as Piran) - much celebrated on his day of 5 March. Other links involved metal mining (most of the 19th century mines in Cork worked under Cornish mine captains), fishing and fish processing (from medieval times into to the 20th Century) and, of course, through artists in both areas being attracted by the quality of light on the peninsulas and a perceived unspoilt ‘idyllic’ rural lifestyle.
A number of events will take place during West Meets West at Uillinn. They include a panel discussion on Saturday 3 June at 12 noon featuring the exhibiting artists; an illustrated talk by Robert Harris on Saturday 10 June at 12 noon on the historical and cultural links and artists’ colonies in both regions; and a guided tour of the sites in West Cork associated with Cornwall on Sunday 18 June. For more information, visit www.westcorkartscentre.com.
Next week will touch on a number of the upcoming events scheduled for the month of June.