Coacchfforrd & Donoughmorre
IT’S not every village can boast of hosting an international parade of nations down the main street but they can in Coachford, where the local people are becoming quite adept at rolling out the red carpet for visitors from far and wide.
And when the area plays host to yet another angling world championships later in the summer it will, again, be down to a great deal of diligent work on the part of local groups co-ordinating their efforts for the benefit of all of the community. To the forefront in these efforts is the Aghabullogue Coachford Rylane Community Council, which has spearheaded efforts on several fronts down the years, from improving local facilities to securing improvements to local roads and water supplies so the area can grow and develop.
Aghabullogue, Coachford, and Rylane are neighbouring communities in the parish of Aghabullogue which is situated amidst one of Cork’s most scenic areas, with the stately river Lee to the south and the majestic Boggeragh mountains on the north.
The opening of the 3km Coachford Greenway in June of 2014 in advance of the World Feeder Fishing Completion visiting the lake in August 2014 has been one of the greatest additions to the area in some years. The Greenway has been a huge success with thousands of people availing of this beautiful Leeside river walk. The walkway was developed to create a new amenity for the area and to become a state of the art venue for the World Fishing Championships and for visiting fisherman to the area in the coming years.
This year, the World Youth Angling Championships is coming to Coachford from August 8 to 13. The competition will take place on Inniscarra Lake with many of the pegs being situated along the Coachford Greenway.
Teams from around the world are expected to start arriving from August 5 for the five day event. The opening ceremony takes place in Coachford village on August 10 at 6pm and promises to be a colourful affair with a parade of flags and nations through the village.
Huge crowds are expected along the river bank and in the Lee Valley area for this event. The GAA Complex in Coachford will act as the HQ for the five days and hotels and guest houses in the area are booked up for this event for months.
The angling championships are just an example of what local groups have managed to achieve through co-ordinated local efforts.
With a very lively social and cultural scene active in the area, fun and festivals loom large in this corner of the country, the Coachford Family Festival and the Broomhill Vintage Club’s autumn festival being prime examples.
At the moment, the organisers of the Coachford Family Festival are looking for contestants for their main Saturday night event. It’s Lip Sync time and for all those who were always held back because they thought they couldn’t sing well now is your chance to shine.
The organisers are looking for groups, individuals and duets to enter and be entertaining. You can become Boybands,, Beyonce or Big Tom for the night on July 15.
As with many of the events held annually, it’s not just about fun but charity, too and this event is in aid of the Cork Children’s Hospital at CUH and Marymount Hospice - and promises to be mighty craic.
But it’s not all about fun and frolics and the community association recently launched a fundraiser to raise some money to supplement the Tidy Towns expenditure, purchase and repair the Christmas lights and provide funds for any other development projects which may arise in the future. The 50/50 draw is being held initially every fortnight. 50% of what comes in through ticket sales is being given out as first prize at every draw. Tickets are now on sale locally for €2 each or three for €5.
Another serious issue locally – improved water supply and treatment to allow the village grow – saw some advancement recently when Irish Water contractors conducted some sample testing in the area in advance of starting work on the long awaited and badly needed new sewage treatment plant. The works are due to begin in November 2017 or early 2018. The new plant would enable more houses and other developments to be constructed in the village and allow the vibrant community to expand and grow.
It’s very much a matter of a work-life balance in the area and with a host of social, cultural and sporting organisations pulling the sky’s the limit in this corner of the county.