Spike Island is up there with Machu Picchu in World Travel Awards
With regard to awards, the year 2017 has been a most positive one to date for the County of Cork. In recent news, Spike Island finished second at the World Travel Awards Gala Final, held in Vietnam on Sunday 10th December. The overall winner was Machu Picchu but notwithstanding this, Spike Island finished ahead of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Burj Khalifa and the Great Wall of China which were among the nine finalists.
The number 2 spot follows on from Spike Island’s win as Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction of 2017, a Cork Business Award as Arts and Entertainment business, and a Chambers Ireland Excellence in local government award. Over the course of 2017, visitor numbers to Spike Island grew by over 70% to 45,000, giving tens of thousands of people a safe and memorable visit, leaving a lasting impression of Cork and growing its global brand. Well done to all the team at Spike Island.
In the Public Sector Magazine Awards, Cork County Council has been named Local Authority of the Year. In welcoming the announcement, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Declan Hurley spoke of the Council undertakings which prioritise people and communities.
“As a council we take great pride in offering the people of Cork services that deliver on their needs. By listening to what people want we seek to provide real responses in the most effective and impactful manner we can. As the role of local authority has evolved so have we,” he said.
As well as winning Local Authority of the Year Cork County Council was delighted to also have received national awards for the Living Space Project in Mallow, which brought Mallow Castle and Grounds to life over 2017 from an Arts perspective; Road safety initiatives including visits to schools and a Short Story Competition; and from a heritage perspective, recognising the vast and varied work of the Council’s Heritage Unit in protecting and promoting the Heritage of County Cork.
In accepting the Local Authority of the Year Award, Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey acknowledged the contribution of staff. “This is only a selection of what we are about and what we do. Crucial to our success is our hard working and dedicated staff. We care about what we do, what we produce and who we serve. We will never stop working for the betterment of the citizens of Cork and will ensure every available resource is deployed to continue to make Cork a great place to live and work. I am very proud to receive the 2017 Local Authority of the Year Award on behalf of Cork County Council,” he said.
Previously recognised at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards, the Heritage of County Cork series has seen the completion of its latest publication – ‘Heritage Castles of County Cork’. The book will be officially launched this coming Monday, 18th December, at 2.30pm in the Library Building, Cork County Council HQ.
The book is the fifth in series, which to date, and in chronological order, has included publications on the County’s bridges, houses, churches and centenary sites.
The latest publication, on castles, takes a charming look at the castles of the County of Cork, which occupied such an important part of our past. These buildings, which once stood at over 300 within the county, still dominate the landscapes in which they are located and are home to a variety of fascinating stories, many of which are included in this publication.
Copies of the publication are available in many locations throughout North and Mid Cork, including Mallow, Kanturk and Macroom and the book and series as a whole is also available online at www.skibbheritage.com/shop. Copies will also be available for sale at the launch and everyone is welcome to attend.
With regard to publications, Cork County Council’s Heritage Unit has also recently brought out a Design Guide for the historic setting of the shopfronts of County Cork with thanks to County Architectural Conservation Officer Mona Hallinan and Fourem Conservation. This will also be launched at the same time and place as Heritage Castles of County Cork on Monday 18th December.
The Guide aims to identify the significance of the historic shopfronts of the county and the benefit of establishing the distinctive character of historic examples to the wider community and economic interests. Recommendations are made for repair and reinstatement of shopfronts in the history setting and it is a most enjoyable and insightful design guide that will undoubtedly have a number of benefits.
History publications can give a great insight into our collective past, as too can college courses. The U.C.C. Short Course Programme for Spring 2018 is now open and accepting applications for close to 50 different topics. From a heritage perspective there are some very exciting courses on offer including Ancient Irish Life and Society, Genealogy, An Introduction to the Study of Irish Folklore and Mythology, Revival of Irish Traditional Music, Irish Saints Abroad, the Culture of the Big House in Ireland, the Making of Modern Ireland, and the World of the Gaeltacht to name a few.
The courses generally run for 10 weeks and applications are invited up until mid-January 2018, with many of the courses starting then by the end of January/start of February. For more information, email shortcourses@ucc.ie or phone 021 4904700. The U.C.C. website also contains further details– visit https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace/courses/ shortcourses/.
With regard to U.C.C., a recent publication by the College, has been the Atlas of the Irish Revolution. This is a most fascinating book which documents the Irish Revolutionary Period in great detail and provides a fascinating insight into this pivotal time in Irish History. The book is now in the running for the Irish Book Awards and people are urged to vote online by Friday 15th December. The website to visit is https://www.irishbookawards.irish/vote-for-thebook-of-the-year-win-national-book-tokens/.
UPCOMING EVENTS
In addition to the launch of Heritage Castles of County Cork and the Shopfronts Design Guide on Monday 18th December, on Thursday 14th December the launch of the Cork Folklore Project’s annual magazine ‘ The Archive’ will take place. Featuring plenty of write-ups and interviews the publication, now at number 21, will showcase the wonderful work being undertaken by the Cork Folklore Project. The launch takes place in the North Cathedral Visitor Centre, Cork City, and commences at 11.30am and all are welcome.