Muskerry News

Muskerry incorporating northcitynews

News Vol 19, Issue 4 | January 2021

Shop Local

Eat Local

Stay Local

Enjoy Local...

Free

TYRES Now Open Vicars Road, Togher

www.dessiestyres.ie

www.dessiestyres.ie

Open 7 Days Togher 021 4808511 Blackpool 021 4501050 Little Island next to NCT 021 4297722 Carrigaline 021 4371000

ress ExpSERVICE CENTRE

GARAGE

Eastgate, Ballincollig, Cork

CALL: 021 420 8616

2 GREAT LOCATIONS THE SAME GREAT SERVICE

M: 087 291 5551

|

Myler Industrial Estate, West Village, Ballincollig, Cork

CALL: 021 487 0655

E: johnolearyautos@gmail.com | www.johnolearyautos.com

WE ARE OPEN ONLINE! www.marys.ie Shop local and support local jobs Macroom

Ballincollig

MC ELLIGOTTS PHARMACY

Ashdale House, Shean Lower, Blarney 021 4385307

Medical Grade KN95 Protective masks available now €5 for 5 masks Surgical 3 ply Protective face masks; €5 for 10 masks.

Lightweight design with adjustable nose clip and elastic straps, the KN95 mask fits any face shape, creating a 360 degree secure seal for maximum protection.

Metal strip above the nose to adjust and form a comfortable seal.

www.muskerrynews.biz | 087 2330398

Follow our stories

Permission has been refused for a large scale strategic housing development (SHD) in Blarney, as reported in The Echo last month. “Eoin Sheehan applied to An Bord PleanĂĄla for permission to construct 150 residential units - 112 houses and 38 apartments - and a childcare facility at Monacnapa.

The 150 units were to be divided into ten one-bed; 36 two-bed; 77 three-bed; and 27 four-bed units.

Of the 112 houses one was to be detached; 50 were to be semi-detached; and 61 terraced units, along with the 38 apartments. Local residents of Sunberry Drive and Sunberry Heights had highlighted concerns with the proposals.

They said that the proposed development will undermine the “long standing quiet residential nature� of the estate, while also highlighting access and design issues.

It was proposed that the development would be accessed via the existing Sunberry Heights/Sunberry Drive off the Blarney Relief Road. An Bord PleanĂĄla agreed that the proposals materially contravened zoning objectives for the site. Under the Blarney Macroom Municipal District Local Area Plan 2017, residential density of 36.6 units per hectare was excessive for an area of land that is zoned for 12-25 units per hectare. “The proposed development includes a residential density in excess of that planned for the lower portion of the site,â€? the board’s decision states.

In September, the Sunberry Residents Group also said the proposed development would negatively impact on the “world famous views� from the top of Blarney Castle.

In the past 12 years, the residents' group has twice won on appeal against two different plans to develop the site, at a cost of almost ₏20,000.�

OPENING HOURS INDIAN RESTAURANT EST 2000

Monday - Wednesday 5pm - 10pm Thursday 2.30pm - 10pm Friday 5pm - 10.30pm Saturday 2.30pm - 10.30pm Sunday 2.30pm - 10pm ------------Kerry Pike Village (Near Tower, Cork)

021 487 7112 / 4877757 FULLY LICENSED

TAKE AWAY SERVICE AVAILABLE

Childcare & Montessori Preschool

 � � � � ��

2 / Muskerry News

So many local companies worked hard in December with St Vincent de Paul to make sure that no one was left behind this Christmas.

Matt and Sue, Costcutter Grenagh, delivered Christmas meat to Annette and Niall, SVP, to help them prepare thousands of food hampers that they distributed throughout Cork City and County last month.

DJ Kelleher, Riverview eggs, pictured with Annette, SVP, gave a generous donation of eggs.

Joe Enright and Cliodhna Byrne, on behalf of all Flex Cork staff, pictured presenting Christmas turkey vouchers to Kate Durrant, SVP. Flex staff very kindly donate their turkeys each year to make Christmas easier for local families.

We were so sorry to hear of the passing of the former Lady Mayoress of Cork Bina Falvey before Christmas, we are all the poorer for her passing.

May she rest in peace.

Margaret McEvoy and her backing singers pictured singing to raise money for St Vincent de Paul Blarney, and add some Christmas cheer to the village, before Christmas.

Well done to sixth year Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Blarney, student Luke Walsh who has been accepted to Bird College for Performing Arts in the UK. Great news for this very talented student.

Niamh McCarthy who teaches in Cloghroe National School, recorded a beautiful rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’ at Christmas which went viral with shares from all over the world. As Niamh told us, “I, like many others I’m sure, spent some time isolating at home hoping to see a family member in hospital on Christmas Day. To pass some time, I reflected on the year gone by and decided to put my thoughts and feelings into a song that would sum up the year.”

Muskerry News / 3

Berrings NS Christmas Joy in full swing at Berrings National School Bubbles and pods didn’t dampen the Christmas spirit of the children and staff and the joy of Christmas was felt throughout the school as each class was busy preparing for their ‘distanced’ festive performances. The Junior and Senior Infants along with children from the Naíonra performed a wonderful nativity play.

The children from 1st to 6th class sang a selection of Christmas songs which were all recorded and placed on Seesaw (our online platform) for the parents to enjoy. Our Senior classes also recorded two songs for the Christmas Tree Lighting in Berrings.

It was a month that saw all classes displaying their artistic talents.

Each class produced an array of varied and creative artwork using Advent and Christmas for their inspiration.

There was a very special visitor to the school on December 18th.

Santa himself donned his red suit with his important Christmas mask and kindly gave a selection box to each child. He was greeted by Christmas songs and dances and excited children who couldn’t wait to tell him what was on their Christmas lists.

WE ARE OPEN

Due to Covid our clinics have been restricted. We do have regular Doctor and Nurse Clinics in our Grenagh surgery

Contact us for COVID advice

We have a Nurse Clinic with Nurse Sarah, and Doctor Clinic with Dr Nick Flynn, Dr George O'Mahony and Dr Ronan Coakley Please ring 021 4886672 to book, or via our website mycorkgp.ie

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year Clinics also in St Marys Health Campus 021 4211787 • Douglas 021 4893829 • North Main Street 021 4502838 4 / Muskerry News

mycorkgp.ie

To mark the launch of the new Munster Te c h n o l o g i c a l University with the coming together of the Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Tralee, which took place on January 1st, the RTE Concert Orchestra partnered with the two institutes in a competition for a new orchestral work, composed by a graduate of those institutes and representing both their traditions and their aspirations for the future.

There was a fantastic response with the winner named as local musician Daniel Murphy. Daniel graduated in 2019 winning the award for Student of the Year. Now a busy freelance arranger and MD, Daniel hopes to pursue opportunities in the film and television industries, as well as developing his own music.

Donoughmore Parish Facebook page was a great resource during the lockdown, helping the community and lifting spirits.

As Mary Brew told us, “We shared hundreds and hundreds of photos from around the parish submitted by our followers and also used the page to pass on information and keep people posted on what was happening even if they were unable to go anywhere themselves. We had a big following from those who were away from home. “From this I came up with the idea of doing a calendar of these photos that had been submitted illustrating our beautiful parish and at the same time including lots of people from all parts of the parish, many of them new to our community.�

Calendars are priced at â‚Ź10 each with all proceeds going to fund the local Community Council to help with the upkeep of the community facilities in Stuake. Calendars are for sale in local shops, online on the Donoughmore Parish facebook page or by contacting 086 6017724.

DOWNEY CLEANING SERVICES � � �  ­ € � ­€ ‚�ƒ €­ „

 Â?  Â

A.P VAUGHAN RECYCLING Waste permit no. NWCPO - 15 - 11524 - 02

SKIPS FOR HIRE

WE BUY SCRAP METAL COPPER TANKS

PHONE ALAN ON 087 933 9731

BOILERS RADIATORS

OLD CARS

supported by PHONE PAT ON News The Muskerry 087 119 2904 Muskerry News / 5

Could the Witch’s Yew Tree be European Tree of the Year?

Congratulations to the Rev Robert Ferris, Carrigrohane Union of Parishes, pictured at his institution at the Cathedral Church of Saint Fin Barre, Cork. pics Jim Coughlan

Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress pictured during a visit to Dr. Moore Groarke, Consultant Psychologist, Harley Court and the Bon Secours to celebrate her 30 years in practice. Dr. Moore Groarke, a native of Blarney and an active member in the community, has been at the forefront of Covid19 this year in the clinical work with Covid patients and writing about and highlighting the burn out of frontline workers and writing about the effects of long Covid, and managing stress throughout lockdown.

After

A big thank you to ICA member Mary Spillett from Bumbleance for her generous donation of €700 from the sale of her beautiful hand-crafted Christmas Cards. Mary wishes to thank the people of Blarney and Tower and her many friends for supporting her sale.

JOE COTTER

40kg ... plus 1 Free

Dripsey Co. Cork ______

10 Supatherm Smokeless Coal ... €178 5 Stove Fuel 40kg ... €90

086 8289803 Large bag of Ash blocks for 021 7334878 Stoves ... €190 Ash Kindling, Bags of Turf

General Truck Hire, Site Clearance General Groundworks, Lawns, Driveways & Roadways and Farm Passages 6 / Muskerry News

Good quality topsoil supplied & delivered.

Fitzgerald and Cronin All types ofHurleys stone supplied, limestone and Photo caption inhere... stock. sandstone Agricultural lime supplied.

A

Ardtech Industries Ltd

Drimoleague, Co. Cork

+353 (0) 2831410 | ardtech@eircom.net

Merry Christmas to all our customers!

PVC GATES, RAILINGS & FENCES

Available in Golden Oak, White, Black & now Grey!

NEW RANGE OF GREY GATES NOW AVAILABLE www.ardtech.ie Muskerry News / 7

Posting that all important letter.

Junior Infants busy in Santa’s workshop.

Enjoying the Christmas Woodland Experience.

Creating beautiful Christmas wreaths to decorate our doors at this festive time.

Chatting with Santa Claus.

KILN DRIED FIREWOOD

Counting down the weeks with our Advent candles.

FREE delivery in the greater Blarney area

Wheelie Bin Bags €60 One ton bags €140 Crates €240 Best quality kiln dried ash logs for stoves

087 250 4771 8 / Muskerry News

Are you interested in hosting a

German Exchange Student for one or two terms or the entire school year…

…earning some money at the same time?

087-9956218

highschool@aupairserviceeurope.com www.aupairserviceeurope.com

Christmas would not be Christmas without the Whitechurch Carol Service and, for almost 25 years, for people in Whitechurch and the surrounding areas Christmas starts with the beautiful annual service. Despite the restrictions that Covid-19 have placed upon us all, the hard working choir managed to present a magnificent virtual carol service for 2020.

With more than 20,000 viewers from all over the world, this wonderful service was even tweeted by the Department of Foreign Affairs to Irish Armed Forces and Embassies worldwide!

As always the Service was directed and arranged by Cór Geal Musical Director Betty Fitzgerald, who also arranged the music and prepared the orchestra. Betty received an early Christmas present when she was awarded a distinction in her Master’s Degree in Music Education from Trinity College, Dublin. This highlights her passion for and commitment to music education for both children and adults. Congratulations Betty!

The concert, which raised a considerable amount for The Samaritans thanks to the generosity of those watching who donated to the charity, remains available to view on www.corgealchoir.ie

@Martin Crowley Electrical Services

Martin Crowley ELECTRICAL SERVICES Blarney Fuseboard Upgrades, Re-Wiring, Smoke Alarms, Electric Shower Installations & Shower Pumps, Extra Sockets/Lighting Points, Certified Electrical Testing, Outdoor Sockets and so much more!

We are Safe Electric registered, certified & insured so you can have peace of mind when we work in your home or business.

Call Martin on

085 121 8458

“We have done 6 upgrades over the last two weeks alone. Getting lots of phone calls as ESB are issuing letters after installation of smart metres these letters are for safety reasons tails earthrods and fuseboard need upgrading as the old ceramic fuseboard have little to no protection for customers.

Call us today for more info on 085 121 8458”

Muskerry News / 9

Scoil Chroi Iosa Surprise and delight at Scoil Chroí Íosa when Santa and his elves jingled in for a magical visit.

Santa announced that since every child in our school has made it onto the good list this year, they would have no homework that night and he sent a special link from the North Pole so that the Sword in the Stone Panto from the Helix can be shown in every classroom! A huge thank you to our wonderful Parents Association for contacting the elves and to our amazing caretaker Paul Hassett who helped Santa to get to the school.

COLM BURKE TD

ADVICE CENTRE Due to Covid-19 social distancing requirements and in the interest of public health I am currently not hosting advice centres but should you need assistance with any matter please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Do you feel troubled? Do you feel isolated?

I am an experienced qualified Counsellor in North Cork. I specifically work with farmers or people whose background is related/linked to agriculture.

I offer a non-judgmental, trusting space. Fee €50/hour

46 Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Cork.

021 4564552 / 087 2592839 / 01 6183115 Email: colm.burke@oir.ie 10 / Muskerry News

Contact Joe @ 087 7151241 joe@blackwatercounselling.ie

FULLY INSURED

Tree Surveys

Including maps for planning

• Architects

• Engineering Firms

• Construction Firms • Schools

• Domestic Gardens

Dangerous Tree Felling Roadside Tree Clearance Pruning & Reductions Stump Removal

Call Us Now on 021 4383762 Email: info@countytreecare.ie

George Earle Dip Arb, Cert Hort - Hydro Hill, Kilnamucky, Tower, Cork Competitively priced & dedicated to safety and cleanliness, County Tree Care Ltd is a company of nationally accredited arborists offering an exceptional tree surgery and tree management service to Munster and Leinster.

Muskerry News / 11

Popular local man Paddy Murphy has been walking on the Clogheenmilcon for 22 years and his birthday was recently marked by a socially distanced get together before Christmas when restrictions allowed.

As one of his many friends told us, “He is an inspiration to us all as he comes out in all weathers to go for a walk. He is a charming man with a great sense of humour. He loves to meet his walking friends every morning for a chat.”

His daughter Margaret Murphy thanked all those in attendance saying, “Thanks to the early walkers on the Blarney walk who went to a lot of trouble to honour my father Paddy Murphy's 91st birthday. He walks early every morning and meets various lovely people who got together at 8am with folding tables, home baking, flasks of tea/coffee etc for a socially distanced gathering, they even brought extra coats for him to put on while sitting and a blanket for his lap. They marked his 90th last year in one of their houses at 7.30am. Ye know who ye are so from the bottom of our hearts we thank each and everyone of ye, God Bless ye.”

Ballyshoneen, Berrings, Co. Cork

novan & Co. Ltd. Dan Do General Merchant & Farm Supplies

021 733 2153 dandonovanltd@gmail.com

January Special Offers 6 bags Black Star Polish Coal €114 3 bags Firequick Stove Fuel €50 Special January Offer 3 bags coal, 3 Ecoblaze briquettes, 3 Firelogs €70 Turf, Ash Kindling & Blocks all available Wild Bird Seed with tasty Sunflower seeds & peanuts for all our garden friends 5 bags Cosyglo, Supatherm still good value €95 Three County & Lightning Sliotars plus Fitzgerald Hurleys all in stock

AVAILABLE Soil Sampling kits available in store

12 / Muskerry News

D FR EL E IV E ER Y

Calsea Pre Calver blocks on sale 15 plus 1 Free.

What stunning photographs of Waterloo and Blarney in the snow last week. Waterloo photograph courtesy Marticus O’Duinn

Ballincollig Main Street has been chosen as one of the ten locations for the new Cork City Council parklets currently being installed across the city. Ballincollig Tidy Towns will be the designated partner group working with Cork City Council to maintain and enhance this fantastic new addition for the community.

Great news for Dripsey National School with confirmation that their application for two additional SEN classrooms has been approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021.

Muskerry News / 13

The big hearted students of Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, Blarney, didn’t let Covid stand in the way of their charitable work before Christmas. Not only did the Transition Year students help St. Vincent de Paul pack the many food hampers that they distribute to families in Cork for Christmas, but they also appealed for food donations and contributed a considerable amount of food to those less fortunate.

Covid didn’t stop them carolling either! There is a long standing tradition for sixth year students and teachers to go carolling outside Penneys in Patrick Street before Christmas to raise money for St. Vincent de Paul. Given the restrictions, and in order to keep everyone safe, unfortunately they could not go carolling so they created a fabulous video of their sixth year students singing two carols to help raise much needed funds for St. Vincent de Paul and uphold their treasured tradition.

There is much disquiet locally about the proposed M20. As the closing date for submissions, January 15th, approaches Cllr Damian Boylan answers some of your questions...

Over the last few weeks we have had meetings and discussions regarding the route choice for the proposed M20 and listened to the questions from the people who stand to be affected. I have put these questions to the M20 team and below are the answers received. I hope this answers some of your questions, it may raise more and if so, contact me or the team in Limerick and they will always take your call. Remember that the 15th is the closing date for this round of submissions.

Is there a preferred route option? Not at this time as all shortlisted options are currently viewed as equal. We are aiming to have shortlisted the options to a preferred option later this year.

Does consultation finish on the 15th? The closing date for submissions on the shortlisted options is Friday 15th January 2021. The consultation process will continue throughout the project and our project team will be available to answer any queries going forward. Feedback on the project is always welcome from the public and interested parties, even after the closing date for submissions. A further public consultation process will take place after the announcement of the preferred option later this year.

Is the full corridor of 500 metres required? At this stage the full 500m width is required to allow a fair comparative assessment of options to be undertaken. This is not the width required for the design within a corridor.

What is the width of a standard motorway? Typically the width required to construct a motorway is circa 100m but it can be more or less at specific locations depending upon cutting and embankment requirements.

14 / Muskerry News

Will flyovers to maintain community connectivity be included in design? Infrastructure projects endeavour to minimise the severance of communities. Where is it physically possible we would look to maintain local road connectivity through the use of over or under bridges but will seek to rationalise their number where there are several roads in close proximity.

If a route is chosen in July will further consultation continue with affected residents and communities? Once a preferred option is selected landowners impacted by the developing design will be contacted throughout the design process in Phase 3 to discuss the specific impacts on them.

In general is it a preferred option to not disturb housing estates? Yes this is correct as projects work on the principles of avoidance and least impact.

If the Green route is chosen will there be an increase in noise levels versus the current situation? Traffic volumes on roads tend to increase with time through demand growth resulting in increased impacts such as noise. Where a road is subject to an online improvement, such as with the green option, the relative change in flows tend to align with demand growth so flows tend to be similar if no upgrade is undertaken. A wider road may take it closer to existing properties which in turn may increase noise but conversely widening on one side may take traffic further away from properties.

If so how can this be mitigated? When developing a design noise impacts are assessed and compared against existing levels.

If the guidance threshold levels are breached then mitigation measures are provided such as low noise surfacing, physical noise barriers and mitigation planting to reduce the impact inline with the guidance thresholds.

With the unwelcome but necessary news of a return to level ďŹ ve restrictions the local Cork City Council backed Covid-19 Community Response Forum is once again available to you.

This voluntary service is there to ensure that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access vital grocery, medicine and fuel deliveries and social care supports.

Support is available to any individual or family who needs some help due to Covid-19, including people who are self-isolating or cocooning.

If you need help Cork City Council operates a freephone number 1800-222-226 and email covidsupport@cork.ie to assist all vulnerable citizens during these difficult times, or contact local members Cllr Damian Boylan, Kate Durrant, Sean Foley, Deirdre Hourihane Healy or Valerie Kirby.

Stay safe, mind yourselves and each other and if you need help, we’re here for you.

Muskerry News / 15

Vicarstown National School

New Year Greetings for 2021 from Vicarstown National School We were absolutely delighted that Santa and Emily Elf paid us a socially distant visit before Christmas. Thank you Santa for all of the fabulous presents that you brought!

School Videos Instead of our school concert in Ballyanly this Christmas we organised class performances. All of these plays and carol singing were videoed and shared with our school community.

1st & 2nd class are pictured here singing Feliz Navidad, while 5th and 6th aimed to top the charts for a Christmas No. 1.

Building Fund GoFundMe page Thank you to the Parents' Association who organised a GoFundMe page for our upcoming school extension. Congratulations to the Breen family who won 1st prize, a voucher for Supervalu. Our youngest pupil is pictured here drawing the winning ticket.

24 HR BREAKDOWN Emergency 24/7 Call: 086 323 0790

FUEL DRAIN

Filled up with the wrong fuel?

Emergency 24/7 - Call: 086 323 0790

www.sos24hrrecovery.ie

Thank you to the parent body who presented a Christmas gift to the staff to Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, Deputy Principal.

16 / Muskerry News

Blarney Matters with Cllr Damian Boylan

The irrepressible duo that is The HubCap Theatre Company saw ‘Mary and Mary’ go back to school in a wonderful video made for Whitechurch National School at Christmas. If you haven’t seen it, it is still available to view on YouTube

With the unwelcome but necessary news of a return to level five restrictions the local Cork City Council backed Covid-19 Community Response Forum is once again available to you. This voluntary service is there to ensure that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access vital grocery, medicine and fuel deliveries and social care supports. If you need help please call the helpline on 1800 222 226, or contact me, Kate Durrant, Sean Foley, Deirdre Hourihan Healy or Valerie Kirby.

We have met the communities in Blarney who will be affected by the proposed route of the M20 motorway. Please note that the closing date for submissions is the 15th of January and I would encourage anyone who will be affected to make their case. If you have any queries don't hesitate to contact me.

Coachford College fit or fail final challenge was held before Christmas with finalists Shauna and Danny battling a gruesome course. A very close contest with Danny winning by a tiny margin.

Nearly €2000 was raised for the children's ward in CUH. Well done to the 390 students and staff who participated.

Along with Colm Burke, I welcome the news that Blarney will be awarded €100,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This funding will go towards the provision of outdoor seating, pedestrian walkways, signage and a village healthcheck, the awarding of €100,000 will assist in the development and completion of these projects. Whilst we cannot presently meet up with one another due to Covid-19, a lesson learned from this pandemic is the importance of community spirit. We must continue to develop this even in the most challenging times.

Thanks to the Cork City crews who were out across all areas during the recent cold spell. Main roads were done with the smaller salter doing other routes over night. Many thanks to these people working to ensure our safety.

Cork City Council have opened up FREE Christmas tree recycling drop off points at 6 locations including Ballincollig Regional Park (green adjacent to bring bank site) which will be available until January 31st.

The 2020 Blarney & District Person of the Year Awards of which I am proud to be one of the organisers along with John Henchion and Kate Durrant, will be taking a different form this year with details to follow as we have them. For now take a look at this month’s centre pages and reflect on the wonderful people who received a monthly nomination in 2020.

To all of those who helped me on the way through 2020 my sincerest thanks and to those I was able to help in 2020 it was my pleasure. I wish everyone nothing but the best for 2021, there’s a light at the end of that tunnel.

You can contact me on 087 224 4364 or by email damian_boylan@corkcity.ie.

Muskerry News / 17

Congratulations to Coachford musician Christopher Hockey who releases his new single this week and was featured extensively in DownTown in The Echo last week. Chris’s single ‘After Dark’ releases on January 15th, while debut extended-player ‘Closed System’ is due for release in February. Both will be available across streaming services, and for download /adding to your collection on Bandcamp:christopherhockey.bandcamp.com

As Mike McGrath Bryan wrote in Downtown, “Cork singer-songwriter Christopher Hockey has made the most of lockdowns with a new single and debut EP due for release in the coming weeks.

We’re coming up on 10 months since the extent of the Covid-19 crisis made itself apparent. A period of time that might not seem like much in the overall scheme of things, but among Cork’s student population, long enough to affect one’s relationship with their field of study locally. In the case of Coachford man Christopher Hockey, that means missing gigs and all that attends, having just got into the rhythm of Cork’s local scene and helping fellow School of Music student Lloyd John assemble a live set.

He’s been making the best of matters, though, following the release last year of a pair of solo singles with upcoming single ‘After Dark’, a brooding, atmospheric slice of shoegaze-inspired indie, spurred on by the kind of head-spinning, equally glorious and harrowing anxiety that can only happen in one’s early twenties.

As Chris told Mike, “It was inspired by a conversation I had with my girlfriend last year in January, while we were away in Edinburgh for the weekend, before Covid. We were walking on Princes Street, and we were talking about this feeling of not understanding your own head, and how frustrating and scary that sometimes is, when you’re processing feelings and don’t know why you’re feeling them, what caused it, going through it.

“I went back to college, things were picking up, we were about to do a run of gigs, then the night before the first lockdown was announced, we’d been playing at Cyprus Avenue, and the following, we went into lockdown.

18 / Muskerry News

It was fairly full-on, then everything just stopped, and you were by yourself, with your thoughts. That conversation just came to mind again, and I was able to think about it more.”

Being a product of our time, ‘Closed System’ was created almost entirely in isolation, with collaborators like God Alone’s Jake O’Driscoll, drummer Mark O’Gorman Daly, and other guest players.

Working remotely from rough demos sent on by Hockey to give them an idea, and ultimately to leave their own mark on, they created a collaborative record, made largely on a solo basis.

“It’s the first project where I’ve been able to work with other people, even though we were all locked up at home. I wrote all the songs bar one on guitar, and recorded rough tracks of guitar and singing, then layered stuff on.

“My main instrument is bass: the lines are quite simple but I like what they do. I added that, then mapped out rough drums in MIDI, and sent them to Mark. All he had to record with was a single drum mic, so he really focused on the sound, moving it and retaking things. It fit the vibe, as I wanted trashy-sounding drums that were big and boomy. He made such a difference.”

“Jake is brilliant - an inspiring musician to play with. I don’t play much electric guitar - bits and pieces - but the stuff he can do is just his own thing. I’d have the track in whatever state it was, send it off to him. He just went away and came back with something brilliant, and there’s some crazy stuff in there: some shoegazey stuff, but some almost harsh-noise stuff that can transform a song.”

The resulting extended-player is self-produced, mixed and mastered: a huge undertaking for anyone, much less someone relatively young, or struggling through the process while attending college and negotiating life in the current circumstances. It’s quite the learning curve to say the least, says Hockey.

“At the start of lockdown, (digital audio workstation) Ableton offered a three-month trial, and I said, right, I’ll try and get this done in this period. Having that time limit helped, otherwise I wouldn’t have settled on anything. There’s only so much changing or altering you can do once it all comes together.

“I’d love to be a mixing engineer, I’d hate to be a mastering engineer. The mix was done as it was recorded, to fit things in, give things their own space, and it came together quite quickly. I got so bogged down with mastering, questioning decisions, frustrated with it, so I’d take a

break for a week, come back and realise I was very close, and that it was in my own head.

‘Closed System’ releases into an uncertain time for music in the city - some venues’ existences are up in the air, as are any processes or protocol for attending eventual gigs, festivals, etc as a performer, professional or punter. As such, looking for bookings and ways to promote is a much different business.

“The EP has been done for a while, but then it was a question of release. Leading up to Christmas, loads of people were releasing, so I decided to wait until the New Year in hopes of gigs, but that hasn’t gone too well “I’m glad I’ve waited. Hopefully a fresh start. Everyone misses gigs, and if I can gig with this EP, I’ll jump at the chance, but it’s impossible to tell. The main goal is to get it out there.

It’s sad - before lockdown, in my first semester, we were going to gigs three to four times a week, that was my introduction to Cork music.

"Suddenly being in the city and spending most nights at gigs was an eye-opener, the scene is really friendly and I’m a fan of the smaller venues in the city, like Fredz and the Roundy. I really miss them.”

Conversely, Cork music had an incredibly busy 2020, full as ever with great releases, revolving around Bandcamp Fridays, live streams, and other means of interaction.

Hockey’s musical highlights of the year cut close to the grassroots.

“Some of the music last year has been phenomenal, was really excited for releases from Luunah and Rowan, really excited.

It’s been inspiring, and even some of the other projects I’ve gotten to work on, like helping the God Alone lads record a live set at their practice space for a festival they were meant to be playing last summer, have been the closest I’ve been to gigs. A whole half-hour set in one take.

I don’t know how they do it.”

"The thing is just to keep creating, to be more forgiving to myself when creating rather than the constant battle, especially now, with the world going mental. The last person you want to be fighting is yourself.”

Times Past 2019-20, the journal of Muskerry Local History Society, was launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork City, Councillor Joe Kavanagh, in a socially distanced fashion at Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills recently. The Lord Mayor praised the Committee for publishing a very impressive journal. The journal has over 120 pages relating to the history of Ballincollig and Muskerry. The articles range from a medieval battle in Carrigrohane, the national school system in Ballincollig, the Kilmichael Ambush, the flying circus of the 1930s, to the Class of 1958 in Scoil Mhuire. There are also many interesting articles recording the World War 1 tour organised by the Society in 2019. The journal is being sold in local shops and special arrangements are being made to sell directly to the members of the Society. pic Mike English

Such kindness was shown before Christmas from the children of Canovee and Clogheen Kerry Pike National Schools who donated generously to St Vincent de Paul.

ff 20% o

a Wa ll p Stock

per

All cushions

â‚Ź9.95 3 for â‚Ź20 New fabulous section of cushions now in!

FULL INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE

A Place in your Heart

AVAILABLE

Muskerry News / 19

We couldn’t think of a better way to start a new year than to remind ourselves what wonderful people live in our community and take a look at the people who help make life better for all of us.

Catherine O’Sullivan April 2020

Dinkar Lagali January 2020 January saw Dinkar Lagali, who works in works in Blarney Auto Centre, honoured after he was involved in the rescue of three children from a house fire on Blarney Street.

Jessica Griffin February 2020 Talented local artist Jessica Griffin was our February person of the month after she launched the first episode of her comic series ‘One Piece Missing: On the Road’, exploring life with Asperger’s Syndrome. Unsurprisingly Jessica has since received multiple awards for her wonderful work.

April was the turn of Catherine O’Sullivan who has been the leader of Whitechurch Foróige for over ten years. In that time she has been hugely influential in facilitating the club’s members to raise thousands of euro for various charities, and instrumental in making Whitechurch Foróige the successful and vibrant Club it is today.

Valerie Kirby May 2020 Valerie Kirby was honoured in May for her compassionate work through the pandemic. Whether delivering hot meals and groceries, collecting prescriptions and pensions, Valerie was there. As joint PRO of Blarney GAA Club, Valerie used this to great effect to spread information and help others during the pandemic, and her determination to help those in need also saw her organise, with Blarney Healthy Club, the Blarney 500 miles challenge which raised

The Person of The Year will be announced at a ceremony on Robert Gabriel March 2020 Robert Gabriel received his award in March after he was included in Forbes’ prestigious ‘30 under 30’ list of Europe’s leading young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders for his work as the founder of Helperbird, a tool for people with dyslexia, which supports an incredible 150,000 daily users from more than 28 countries.

Sponsored by The Muskerry News

20 / Muskerry News

Andy Mackin June 2020 In June Local businessman Andy Mackin was recognised for his inspirational business achievements. He also made the shortlist for the prestigious 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards as one of only 24 finalists selected from across the island of Ireland.

The 2020 Blarney & District Person of the Year Awards will be taking a different form this year, with details to follow, but for now let’s reflect on the wonderful people who received a monthly nomination in 2020.

Lucy Kay July 2020 In July Lucy Kay was honoured for her lifelong commitment to scouting in Ireland which has seen her receive awards at local and national level.

Lucy has been a leader, Venture Leader, served on the board of National Executive Board of Scouting Ireland and as a County Commissioner and National Programme Commissioner for Rover Scout, and is involved with Joint Committee of Scouting and Guiding in Cork. Lucy also remains devoted to her local Scout Group and was recently presented with her 25 year service award.

Dr Oisin O'Connell October 2020 October saw Dr Oisin O'Connell honoured for his incredible work in the fight against Covid19 in Ireland, which resulted in many Irish lives being saved. His knowledge has been shared nationally and is key to Ireland’s fight in this global pandemic.

Deborah Maguire August 2020 August was the month for Deborah Maguire, Chairperson of voluntary organisation ‘Brand Blarney’. The achievements of this vibrant group include the production of a Blarney Heritage Map in 2017; the creation of a website to facilitate tourists, businesses and residents; bringing Cork Culture Night to Blarney; and her work on an ambitious five year plan for the revival of the hundred acre Clogheenmilcon Fen.

Paul O’Leary September 2020 September saw Paul O’Leary, player-manager of the Blarney Intermediate Hurling Team, honoured after the team won the Cork County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship. Paul has been instrumental in various activities in the club over a long number of years.

As well as being a prominent hurler and footballer, Paul has also served as coaching officer and has managed a number of underage teams.

Margaret Carroll & Margaret Spillane November 2020 Our last 2020 Person of the Month award winner was not one but two people, when we saw Margaret Carroll and Margaret Spillane, chefs who work at Blarney Castle Hotel, recognised for their work throughout the pandemic. When Meals on Wheels had to cease at the start of the pandemic, the two chefs immediately stepped into the breach and since March have been preparing meals from the Castle Hotel kitchen ensuring that many of our vulnerable citizens continue to receive a hot meal.

Sponsored by The Muskerry News

Muskerry News / 21

An Nollaig i nGaelscoil MhuscraĂ­ The school had a busy time before Christmas as they counted down the days. The children made some wonderful Winter themed art, posted letters to DaidĂ­ na Nollag, visited the Church crib and recorded performances for their website.

22 / Muskerry News

Santa in Stuake! The embodiment of school and community spirit in collaboration with the elves brought Stuake to life before Christmas when Santa spent some special time with the children of Donoughmore parish through the ‘drive thru' experience organised by the parents council of St. Lachteens school. He arrived in a convertible and could have left in a boat the rain came down so heavily but that did not dampen the spirits of all who were involved in the event.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley has selected the winners of the ‘A Real Cork Christmas’ postcard competition out of hundreds of entries from 4th class students of Cork County including Matthew Kelleher (10) of Clondrohid National School and Emma O’Sullivan (10) of St. Lachteen’s National School, Donoughmore.

The winning designs have been printed on special ‘A Real Cork Christmas’ postcards and were sent to friends and family the world over.

Muskerry News / 23

Due to current restrictions Cllr Sheila O’Callaghan is unable to hold clinics locally but she wants you to know that she is there for you!

Born and raised in Whites Cross/Upper Glanmire Sheila’s heart lies very firmly in local matters.

A member of Macra na Feirme for many years, Sheila has held many positions within the organisation right up to Chair, As Sheila told us, “I come from a family with a huge interest in politics and would have remembered many heated debates in our household growing up. In 1992 my brother Billy Kelleher was selected to contest a general election in November 1992, giving me a great insight into politics. I also joined Fianna Fáil. Watergrasshill has a very active Fianna Fáil Cumann of which I am currently secretary.

“I live in Watergrasshill on a dairy farm with my husband James, and three adult children, Donal, Mairead, and Con, and when I moved to Watergrasshill I very got involved with Watergrasshill Community Association. As the children were growing up I was involved with the ladies football club and various fund raising events in the parish, and was an active member of the first Watergrasshill/Glenville Parish Assembly group.

Congratulations to Laura Dunlea pictured with her dad John and bridesmaids Sarah and Ina on her recent wedding day to Shane Grey at Blarney Church.

“I have always been an active canvasser in both local and national elections I love the interaction with people, listening to their viewpoint. I was co-opted to Cork County Council in February after a vacancy arose when Padraig O’ Sullivan was elected to Dáil Éireann and look forward to continue serving the people of the Cobh local electoral area which covers Cobh, Carrigtwohill, Little Island, Glounthaune, Knockraha, Riverstown, Watergrasshill, Carrig na bhFear, Whitechurch and Monard and encompasses Cork city to the east and north. I met with community and tidy town groups when restrictions allowed, unfortunately lockdown occurred shortly after I was co-opted.

“I’m aware of the fact that the closing date for submissions to the N/M20 is fast approaching and I would encourage you all who will be impacted by this to make your case.

“I have an active facebook page and can be contacted any time on 086 1940762 / sheila.ocallaghan@cllr.cork.coco.ie" Sheila

Cllr. Sheila O’ Callaghan I am here to help!

Clinics at

WHITECHURCH COMMUNITY CENTRE will resume in 2021 ( hopefully ) or (subject to Covid regulations)

Member of Cork County Council - (MCC) Cobh Municipal District.

Congratulations to Jlenia and Luca of Eatin’it Blarney village on the arrival of their baby Stella this Christmas.

24 / Muskerry News

086 1940762 / sheila.ocallaghan@cllr.corkcoco.ie Facebook Cllr. Sheila O’ Callaghan

Thank you to Kieran in Eiremed for, once again, repairing the box that houses the Blarney village defibrillator. There are currently accessible defibrillators at the entrance to the Woollen Mills, Blarney Autos, Blarney GAA and Scout Hall, Shournagh Childcare and SuperValu Tower.

A partnership between Mallow Road Motors and Blarney Community First Responders sees our chain of survival extend out further to Blarney Business Park with the installation of yet another accessible defibrillator outside Mallow Road Motors premises. Thanks to Pio and all involved for purchasing and installing the box and making this happen.

Double world and European champion rower Sanita Pušpure gave the keynote address at the first Network Ireland Cork event of 2021. The webinar ‘Off to an Olympic Start — Self-belief, Resilience and Staying the Course in 2021’ took place earlier this week.

Ballincollig rower Sanita Pušpure said, “Twelve months ago, I was focused on Tokyo. Now, a year on, the focus is still the same. Last year was a rollercoaster, with everyone, from business people to athletes, finding it challenging. However, now in a fresh year, we can all look forward to new goals and opportunities. For me, that’s the Tokyo Olympics, while for others, it will be whatever their new year’s ambition is. As we start into 2021, it is so important to take stock of where we are, what we have learned from the past year, and how that learning can help us succeed.” pic Darragh Kane photography

Ballincollig Community School were proud to acknowledge to current student Éabha O'Mahony and past pupils, Maria O'Sullivan and Zara Foley, all Cork City WFC ahead of the 2020 FAI Cup final against Peamount United, which took place at Ballincollig Community School. pic Jim Coughlan

TOP TIP GUIDE FOR ORAL HEALTH 1. For consistent cleaning, brush your teeth and gums at the same time every day, e.g. after breakfast and before going to bed.

Supervise children under seven.

2. Only use the recommended amount of toothpaste and ensure all teeth and gums are cleaned thoroughly. You can use different sized inter-dental brushes to clean plaque from inaccessible areas.

3.

Make a special effort to quit smoking. Smoking is a major cause of preventable death and oral problems include bad breath, stained teeth, tooth loss and oral cancer.

Your dentist can advise.

4. Change your toothbrush every three months and make sure to floss at least once a day.

5.

Take time to read the sugar content of your food and drink and reduce intake of high sugar content foods. Keep snacks between meals to low-sugar or sugar-free foods.

6. Remember there is a relationship between oral health and general health and ask your dentist if a visit to your medical practitioner is appropriate.

7.

Make a resolution to visit your dentist regularly so that small problems can be resolved before they become bigger, more complicated and expensive.

8. If you decide to whiten your teeth, make sure to discuss with your dentist who can ensure safe and professional teeth whitening under the care of a qualified dental practitioner.

9. Arrange preventative fissure sealants for children reaching the age of six or seven as directed by your dentist. Follow up at six or twelve months intervals.

10. If you notice ulcers or lumps in your mouth or neck persisting for more than a week, arrange to have an oral cancer screening appointment with your dentist.

Muskerry News / 25

The Children in Dripsey National School have had a great Christmas term in school culminating with a week of Lego workshops, Cinderella, a Christmas Jumper Day in aid of BUMBLEance which raised ₏450, a No Uniform Day, Christmas disco in the yard, and a fabulous whole school recording of the poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas’.

Buying or selling a house in 2021?

2021

2019 26 / Muskerry News

Behind the Castle Walls

Goodbye 2020. Well, I can’t say I’m unhappy to see the end of 2020. To say it’s been a challenging year would be an understatement. I’m going to focus on the positive though and say the good thing about covid was that it brought a large number of locals into the gardens and gave people a new appreciation of nature and the outdoors in general. For a long time, Blarney Castle was seen as a tourist destination and not somewhere for the locals.

This year, however, things were different. It is fantastic to see so many families in the grounds and gardens. We are frequently stopped by people on their first visit, who remark at their amazement to find so much here. They almost seem offended that they hadn’t known about our fantastic gardens and grounds and some ask why we haven’t advertised it more. Others thank us for staying open and giving access to the locals in what is a very difficult time.

I’m very happy to see the gardens being appreciated and loved by locals and tourists alike and it’s a pleasure to meet so many happy and positive people.

With the new year comes new arrivals. The snowdrops on the front avenue are starting to emerge and a couple of early varieties are in flower in the new winter borders. It’s always one of the first real signs of spring for me. The daffodil avenue is also starting to flower. There are a few already out and I expect it will be in full flower by February.

The variety is Rijnvelds Early Sensation, and it is definitely that, early and a sensation! It’s always nice to get the unexpected sight of more than 40,000 daffodils in full bloom so early in the year.

The new Winter Borders are also looking good now. This is only the start of this project, as we plan to extend the borders, add more varieties of plants, and underplant the shrubs with large drifts of spring bulbs, so next year’s display should be even better.

It’s now time for pruning and tidying the grape vines, fruit trees and bushes as well as ornamentals. Our apple orchard will be getting some formative pruning next week. While doing this we will be firming up the roots of young trees and plants that may have been loosened by the high winds and wet conditions. It is extremely important, and you should check your own gardens for this too.

It has been a very mild winter so far but I’m always aware of the chance of a sudden change. I believe we could still be in for a cold snap at some point and we have the fleece and straw ready to protect the less hardy plants should this happen. Regardless of the weather, the grounds and gardens really look beautiful at this time of year, especially the lake walk. We are very lucky to have such a diverse estate on our doorstep, and the season tickets are a bargain for locals who wish to make it a regular visit.

The work never stops here in the gardens. We all love the hustle and bustle, and we are lucky to have a fantastic team working here who want to achieve the very best that they can.

I hope to see you in the gardens in 2021.

Happy New Year!

Adam

springs as we see the Specialising in dermatology Hope first snowdrops of 2021 on the front avenue.

Oliver, with his siblings, Caoimhe and Reuben, and some of the two week old puppies which will be trained for 'Dogs for the Disabled' in the coming months.

Young Oliver Lynch from Ballincollig, and his siblings Caoimhe and Reuben, met some very special pups recently when they spent some time with the latest litter born into the Dogs for the Disabled family.

As Eoin English in The Examiner wrote, “Lockdown fundraising hero Oliver Lynch hopes the puppy he has just named for an assistance dog charity will give the gift of independence to another child next year.

Inspirational Oliver, aged eight, from Ballincollig, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and walked 100-metres a day with his walking frame from March to July, raising an incredible €37,000 for three charities that help him — Enable Ireland, Dogs for the Disabled, and the CUH Charity.

He's among dozens of people on Dogs for the Disabled's waiting list.

Charity CEO Jennifer Dowler said the charity was so impressed with his efforts that they invited him to name one of their newest arrivals.

Oliver, his twin brother Reuben, their sister, Caoimhe, and parents, Alison and Kevin, made a visit pre Christmas when restrictions allowed to meet Dogs for Disabled dog, Jasmine, who is part of the charity’s ethical breeding programme, and her new litter of gorgeous golden retriever puppies, and Oliver named one Nollaig.

“We had a few names on our list but the one we all agreed on was Nollaig,” Kevin said. “We thought it was fitting given the time of year and how this puppy, when she grows up and undergoes training, will hopefully give the gift of independence to another child.”

Irish Dogs for the Disabled, founded in 2007, breeds and trains specially selected dogs to carry out a range of practical tasks to help disabled children and adults to achieve greater independence.

It breeds about 40 pups a year, and trains about 25 partnerships annually. It costs about €15,000 to produce each fully trained assistance dog but the charity places dogs with its clients for free.

Ms Dowler said Oliver represents all the children on their waiting list.

“We know lots of Olivers up and down the country,” she said.

“His strength of character, his determination during his fundraising challenge, showed the side of the children we work with that society doesn’t always see.

“It was so inspirational to see him raise money to help other children like him and we are so proud of him."

Nollaig and the other puppies will be placed with volunteer foster families when they are 12-weeks-old. When they're 18-months-old, they will undergo six months of formal training.

The charity will then assess each dog’s progress, skills and personality, to match them with people on their waiting list.

Oliver, who has been waiting for an assistance dog for several years, hopes to be partnered with his very own assistance dog late next year.”

To find our more about Dogs for the Disabled you can visit them online at www.dogsfordisabled.ie

Muskerry News / 27

News from Times Past with Brian Gabriel, Blarney & District Historical Society Blarney Hunt Club 1886-2019 byBRIAN GABRIEL Blarney Hunt Club or ‘The Hunt Club’ as it was locally known, was founded and established in 1886 and lasted for 133 years until it was eventually disbanded in 2019. At this stage it would be almost impossible to write a complete history of the Blarney Hunt Club but what follows is a brief summary of the main aims and activities of the club during its existence. Hunting was a pastime for a number of young men from the Blarney area prior to 1886 but there being no club in the district, these young men would hunt with the nearest one to Blarney which was known as ‘Kerrypike and Blarney Street Hunt Club’. They walked out with their hounds, each Sunday morning, to either Kerrypike or Blarney Street, for a day’s hunting. Sometime during 1886 these Blarney lads made a decision to form their own club and so the idea of ‘The Blarney Hunt Club’ was formed. The new club’s activities were funded mainly by a weekly collection from the members who were mainly workers in the local Woollen Mills. Eventually the club’s activities, such as the purchasing of young hounds and insurance, were funded by annual membership subscriptions and an annual draw.

Among the original founding members were such hunting stalwarts as Bob Dooling, Ned Walsh, John Coleman, John Horgan, John Meaney and Bill Cassidy. At this time, Bob Dooling, who was the current Huntsman for the ‘Kerrypike and Blarney Street Hunt Club’, was also the first elected Huntsman of the newly formed Blarney Hunt Club. A Club-house was eventually situated in nearby Waterloo on William Cronin’s land and survived until about the mid-1950s when it was demolished. It was a red painted, corrugated iron structure with internal timber walls and floors and also a fireplace. Over the years it was also used as a practise room for the Blarney Brass Band as well as a meeting location for many other local, political and sporting organisations including Blarney Boxing Club and as a temporary dwelling house during its existence.

Generally known as Harriers, the correct name for this type of hunting dog is the Kerry Beagle which is one of the oldest of native Irish breeds and these hounds are bred primarily for hare-hunting and fox-hunting. An interesting fact is that the famous Irishman, Daniel O’Connell (the Liberator), from Derrynane near Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry, was a noted hunting man and kept a number of these Kerry Beagles on his own property. The Harrier is described as a medium-sized hound, used commonly in Ireland for hunting hares, with some packs hunting mainly foxes. It resembles an English foxhound but is smaller, though not as small as a Beagle and comes in a variety of colour patterns. It is a muscular hunting hound with large bones for stamina and strength. It is cheerful, sweet-tempered, tolerant of people and is excellent with children. It prefers life in a pack with people, dogs or both.

This pack dog is good with other dogs but should be supervised with non-canine pets unless it is raised with them from puppyhood. A Harrier requires daily exercise, such as long vigorous walks or runs but should be kept on a leash or in a safe enclosed area. Without proper exercise a Harrier can become hyperactive, overweight and/or destructive. They stand about 48.5 to 53.5 cm at the shoulder and adults can weigh between 20.5 and 29.5 kg. There also appears to be a greater concentration of harrier packs in the south of the country than either foxhound or beagle packs.

Harrier pups were regularly reared by local farmers who were themselves hunting members of the club. This was a vital training aid to the young dogs to getting used to open fields and farmlands where they would eventually be hunting. The local farmers were also greatly appreciated for their general co-operation and granting of permission to hunt on their lands, all of which was done without charge to the club or its members. The good quality of the breeding of the Blarney hounds also shone through as the club had much success at the Harrier Shows around the country when Joe O’Callaghan’s ‘Hamlet’ was runner-up Champion Dog in 1968. Con Horgan’s ‘Blueboy’ being Champion Dog in 1969 and then runner-up in 1970. ‘Blueboy’ and Tom O’Connor’s ‘Harvest’ were Best Couple, also in 1970. The 26th September is the beginning of the legal hare-hunting season and it runs until the 28th February, when it closes again by law. From a hunting point of view, hares generally have become almost non-existent locally and are now to be found mainly in more remote and mountainous areas.

28 / Muskerry News

A sub-species of the native mountain hare is the most numerous and is hunted more than any other. The Blarney Hunt Club was strictly a ‘hunt only’ and not a ‘hunt-to kill’ organisation. To prevent over-hunting, hares would be purchased from breeders and released back into various areas. The Blarney Hunt Club, Blarney Coursing Club, Horse-hunt riders and Shooting Clubs were all subscribing towards the funding of the replacement of hares in the areas being hunted.

During the close season between the end of February and late September, the sport of Drag-hunting was carried on. This was a very popular sport especially during the middle years of the 20th century with very large crowds being attracted to the different venues where the best hounds from all the clubs would meet each Sunday. There was a huge rivalry between the neighbouring clubs and it is a particularly difficult and gruelling test for the hounds. Originally a large piece of rotting horse-flesh was dragged over the proposed course but nowadays an aniseed-scented trail is laid by several ‘Dragsmen’ over a seven- to-ten-mile course about twenty minutes before the release of the hounds which are all released en masse when the starter gives the ‘go’ signal. Small cash prizes were sometimes awarded and the first hound over the last fence on the course was declared the winner. It was also a busy day for bookmakers who arrived whenever big meets took place between the neighbouring clubs.

A hugely successful open Drag-hunt was held annually at Blarney, usually in the month of May, which was extremely well patronised. The Bradley Perpetual Cup, a much sought-after trophy, and other prizes were offered for such competitions The Drag-hunting hounds were the hunting hounds which were used during the open season. In Cumbria, North-West England, drag-hunting or trail-hunting is also extremely popular and their trail hounds are bred specifically for racing and speed and are much faster than the Kerry Beagles.

During the 1970’s many of these hounds were introduced to Ireland by the clubs with the result that today, all the Drag-hunting hounds are of English origin. In spite of their success, many older club-members bemoan the introduction of the English hound. The Blarney Club ceased drag-hunting entirely in 1984, concentrating on hare hunting only.

The Blarney Hunt Club has had many champion Drag-hunting hounds down the years. To mention a few; ‘Midleton’ kept by the late John T. and Jerha Buckley, was once the fastest hound in Ireland winning a huge number of cups as well as hundreds of pounds in prize money. Some years later, ‘Kerryman’ kept by the late Joe Nagle was another superb hound. They were both outstanding champions. Other hounds of note were; ‘Statesman’ kept by the late John Horgan, ‘Rommel’ kept by Bob Dooling, ‘Melody’ kept

by Dermot Ryan, ‘Towler’ kept by Denis Harrington. The Club also had a very consistent Drag-hunter in ‘Richmond’ kept by Mr. Dan McCarthy, who won quite a few of hunts in his time.

The mid-1970’s was an extremely successful time for the Blarney club and the popularity of the sport reached its greatest heights. Photographs and film taken of the outings emphasise the large percentage of youths and young men who followed the hounds each Sunday. The Club was governed by a President, Chairman, Secretary, Asst. Secretary, Treasurer and a committee of ten members. Over seventy members were on its books and Master Huntsman Frank Lynch with his brother, Kenneth as Assistant Huntsman, would have up to thirty-six hounds in the pack hunting regularly every Sunday and was responsible for directing the hounds, the whips and the followers by use of a hunting horn. The Huntsmen were assisted by ‘Whips’ whose main job was to keep control of the pack and prevent hounds from straying in the hunting field. A few of the notable whips of the time were the brothers Arthur and Sean Lynch, John Murphy, Michael O’Shea, Ted Dilworth and Denis Lynch.

Unfortunately, over the latter years, interest in hunting, especially among the younger people, fell off and membership of the Blarney Hunt Club dropped to the extent that the club had almost become extinct with only a few stalwart members remaining. Some of the main causes for the collapse of the club were a lack of new members, loss of traditional hunting territory to encroaching infrastructure and on-going urbanisation of the country-side.

The Blarney Hunt Club was eventually dissolved in October 2019 and the remaining three members decided to throw in their lot once again with the Kerrypike Club, from whence it had all begun in 1886.

A limited number of back issues of ‘Old Blarney’ Journals and ‘Old Blarney’ Photo-Journals are still available by contacting 087 2153216, or www.blarneyhistory.ie.

Blarney and District Historical Society thanks everyone who supported the Society in any way during 2020 and wishes you all a Safe and Peaceful New Year.

Muskerry News / 29

Busy as he was, Santa still found time to visit the young people in Whitechurch before Christmas arriving, of course, on a tractor.

Do you have Time in your Life, Room in your Home, A Place in your Heart?

30 / Muskerry News

Cork Builders Providers step up for Irish charities as staff walk from ‘Cork to Cape Town’ to raise €25,000 for charity!

While 2020 was a difficult year for everyone, Irish charities have really felt the pain. In order to carry out their all-important work they rely on the help and support of the Irish public and their generosity. Traditionally the vast majority of their fundraising is focused on physical events and interactions, which unfortunately this year were cancelled, leaving a big deficit to fill in their budgets in order to continue their vital work in our communities.

The Chadwicks Group, Ireland's leading builders' merchanting company, wished to cement their commitment to helping the community by building an initiative which staff across their 46 stores around the country could all take part.

The Chadwick’s Challenge tasked teams of up to six staff members to step-up and get active. Hosted online via the Fitbit app, teams had 30 days to log as many steps as they could, with the top three teams getting to nominate their charities of choice to receive the funds raised.

Over 70 teams nationwide took part in the Chadwicks Challenge, but there was no stopping three Cork Builders Providers (CBP) powerhouses. Celebrating 30 years in business, Cork Builders Providers are a member of the Chadwicks Group. With two purpose built premises and showrooms in Cork, Togher Industrial Estate and Blackpool, they are the single largest builder's providers site in Ireland and the UK, with products aimed at both the trade and consumer market.

With words of encouragement from former Irish and Munster rugby star, Donnacha O’Callaghan to launch the walking challenge commenced. Throughout the challenge the competing teams could see their position on the leaderboard, resulting in some healthy competition between colleagues, with Cork letting the rest of the country know that they were the teams to beat! During the last few months which has found people more isolated, this challenge provided a fantastic platform for interaction, with lots of fun pictures and comments being posted to the dedicated online challenge site.

Even Cork Builders Providers team, The Lumberjacks, who took pole position from the start and eventually were crowned winners, took time out from competition mode to put their creative foot forward as they recreated the famous Beatles Abbey Road album cover CBP style!

Having walked the equivalent of Cork to Cape Town, 15,827,611 steps in total, three of the Cork Builders Providers teams took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

1st - The Lumberjacks; Cian Keohane (captain), Vince O'Brien, Des Murphy, James Reardon, Eoin Crowley and Dave Cronin.

2nd - No ‘Margin’ For Error; Sean Twomey (captain), Barry Hackett, Mark O’Sullivan, Paul Comerford and Thomas Darcy.

3rd - Stepbrothers; Liam O Brien (captain), Paul Duggan, Chris Fox, Eoghan Simpson, Eoin McSweeney and Mick Cronin Walking on average over 40,200 steps a day each, the equivalent of every team member completing 23 marathons over 30 days, winning team, The Lumberjacks, selected Field Of Dreams Cork as their chosen charity. Cork Penny Dinners, who work tireless feeding and providing outlets for the homeless and needy, along with Temple Street Children’s Foundation, dedicated to saving critically ill children, were the charities chosen by the 2nd and 3rd placed teams. Each of these charities were in receipt of €5,000. In addition to the three charities chosen by the winning teams, an overall Chadwicks Challenge charity recipient was also selected, the Irish Cancer Society, who received €5,000.

Muskerry News / 31

STARCAMP row in behind FOCUS Ireland and extend free camp to all children in Ireland until January 31st while schools remain closed.

Starcamp had a whirlwind response to the free online camp that they offered to children nationwide earlier this month when over 200,000 children signed up to avail of the camp, causing the website to crash. Following the announcement of school closures, and in response to the overwhelming demand that they are experiencing, they will extend the availability of the camp until the end of January and anyone who can and would like to, should make a small donation to Focus Ireland on their behalf.

This decision came on the back of Aideen O’ Grady, owner of Starcamp, being contacted by Focus Ireland, who heard about the availability of the camp from numerous different sources and wanted an extension of free access to the camp so that children we support could engage with it. This instantly struck a chord with Aideen and Paul, husband and wife team behind the camp, who decided in that moment that they would extend the offering until the end of January, not only for the children who are homeless to avail of it, but for every child to. And furthermore, anyone who wants to, can donate what they can to Focus Ireland.

Focus Ireland, the national housing and homelessness charity, supports around 4,000 children who are homeless or at risk across its services every year.

Ironically, The Starcamp team were contacted by hundreds of parents who availed of the incredibly positive, uplifting and vibrant camp which kick started 2021 on a high for many children, who wanted to make a donation to cover expenses to show their gratitude. Rather than taking any donations, Aideen and Paul wanted to pay it forward.

“Teaming up with Focus Ireland at this moment in time just feels right. With the pandemic causing job losses, business closures and a probable recession, apparently these are the classic circumstances for rise in homelessness, something we as a nation should try to prevent at all costs. We totally understand that so many people are under financial pressure right now, this is for not for you, this is for those lucky enough to have an extra €2 to spare and wanted to give something. There are thousands of children homeless in Ireland right now and we just find this completely heart-breaking.

We are worried about having to stay at home for a month, they don’t have a home!”

Niamh Lambe Project Leader with the Family Homeless Action Team in Focus Ireland said, "This is so generous of Starcamp and much needed respite for all children but especially homeless children who are further marginalised by the Covid crises. Every day Focus Ireland move families out of homelessness. We believe it is crucial to support families’ emotional needs while they are living with the uncertainty of homelessness. It has been heartwarming to hear the feedback from parents and children of how this camp has given families we support an escape from the reality of lockdown while homeless".

The online camp can now be downloaded at any time and runs over 5 days. It offers children 90 minutes of magic, games, performance, science, baking, jokes and much more each day. It was released earlier this month free of charge to every child in Ireland, as a gesture of goodwill and in the spirit of encouraging children to have fun and stay healthy, mentally and physically over this new and hopefully final lockdown.

"Simply to give back to the world in a time of need," said Aideen O' Grady, STARCAMP's owner.

Word soon got out about what is being described as an ‘extremely generous’ and ‘heroic’ offering from Starcamp in a month where children were due back to school. It instantly went viral as it spread through Facebook, instagram, parents whatsapp groups and school websites with everyone from Pippa O Connor and Todays FM’s Dave Moore rowing in behind it, to school principals and teachers, child psychologists and GP’s. However, the most grateful are the parents who will be able to offer their children a daily outlet filled with positivity and happiness for the week ahead – and of course the children themselves.

The intention was to sell the experience to children for the midterm in February, but the STARCAMP owners felt that every child in Ireland deserves a positive, happy, feel good kick start to a brand new year... and every parent deserves to get something for FREE after the year they’ve had!

Having cost thousands of euro to create, produce and record, the Starcamp team spent weeks writing, making, and editing these 5 x 90 minute programs for children.

Contributors include Keith Barry (showing us magic tricks) and Don Conroy (giving drawing lessons) along with lots of the usual STARCAMP team who a lot of children will know from the summer and Easter camps!

The online camp, which can be watched over five days or all at once, can be availed of by signing up to it on their website at www.starcamp.ie Simply go to ‘Virtual Camp - Jan 21’ at the top of the page and fill in your details, it is available to all children until January 31st.

To make a donation to Focus Ireland please go to... ... www.focusireland.ie/donate/from/2021stargaze/www.starcamp.ie

32 / Muskerry News

Blarney United FC

Thanks to Blarney United senior team manager Brian Murray who did a session with our U12 team last month when restrictions allowed. Thanks also to all the coaches from our other teams and Academy groups who attended as well to observe and learn.

Well done to all the boys on our 2015 group who started with the Academy last month on our new astro pitch. Thanks to all the parents for bringing the boys out this morning and to all the coaches also. For enquiries about boys born in 2015 joining the club please contact academychairman@blarneyunited.com We look forward to resuming training as soon as it is safe to do so.

For now, stay safe, stay home and look after yourselves and each other.

DL Ă?ODĂ“I R I

John Quirke & Co. PR

OP

ER T

Thanks to Blarney United senior management team Brian Murray and Niall Murphy for giving our U16 Premier team a very enjoyable and educational training session before Christmas.

A sk about our FAST & COST EFFEC TIVE conveyancing with FREE will

SOL ICI TOR S Y

MO

RTG

AE

WIL L S

FAMILY & COMPANY L AW

PERS

021 488 4652 / 087 6611 911

IN JU ONAL

RY

ROA

D

FF TR A

IC A

CC I D

S ENT

info@johnquirkesolicitors.ie

John Quirke N.T. B. A H.D.E BCL LLB

Your Local Solicitor

Muskerry News / 33

Congratulations to organiser Shane Hayes and fellow runners Kevin Hedderman, Cian O’Mahony, Brian Jordan, Kevin Downey, Kieran Lynch, Eugene Mccarthy, Daniel Ring, Declan Collins and Eamon O’Caoimh who took part in the inaugural Reeling in the Years Christmas City Marathon on December 20th, starting at 6am.

The determined runners took in all the City suburbs starting from Blackpool; up the hundred steps; down paddy's hill; through town; up into Greenmount; The Lough; Togher; Ballyphehane; Turners Cross; Douglas; Ballintemple; Blackrock; Mahon; Blackrock Castle; Marina; Horgans Quay/Train station; back through City Centre again; up Paddy's Hill; Dillons Cross; Mayfield; Ballyvolane; back into Blackpool; up Pophams Rd into Faranree; Churchfield; Knocknaheeny; down through Gurranabraher (Cathedral Rd.) Into Shandon; heading out Sunday's Well; Mardyke; back through City for third time and finished in Blackpool in time for tea and cake!

34 / Muskerry News

Situations Vacant

Blarney Meals on Wheels are currently in a position to employ a part-time chef / cook.

The suitable candidate would need to be able to prepare between 30-40 two course meals a day and coordinate the deliver of the meals to recipients in the Blarney area.

If interested please email your cv or letter of application to brendandmurphy58@gmail.com

Lismore Castle Arts is seeking an Operations Manager Lismore Castle Arts is seeking an Operations Manager to support the delivery of Visitor Services, exhibitions, events and gallery activities. The role is a full time permanent position.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team at Lismore Castle Arts, one of Ireland’s leading visual arts organisations in the historic setting of Lismore.

Lismore Castle Arts, a not-for-profit initiative, was founded in 2005 and is committed to the presentation and promotion of contemporary visual art in Ireland across two distinct gallery spaces and programmes. It hosts exhibitions of international significance alongside a series of smaller exhibitions, projects and events as well as a comprehensive learning programme.

Reporting to the Curator, the Operations Manager is a key position, managing Visitor Services and front of house operations, and assisting with the promotion and delivery of the exhibitions programme.

Deadline for applications Friday 29 January 2021. To apply for the role please email a cover letter and CV to: gallery@lismorecastlearts.ie For a full job description please see: www.lismorecastlearts.ie/about/

Service’s Available Sewing Machines Sewing machines repaired and serviced.

Phone Pat on 087 4170868 All Doggie Hair Doo’s 086 8478762 Don’t forget your Best Friend!

Full grooming service and wash only available.

Late evening appts on request Why not drop your doggie for grooming whilst you shop at Blackpool Centre?

ServicesShopping A Two Hearts Meet are matching single & unattached people since 2011. Why not get in touch and we will help you find your special someone!

Call 085 7742444.

Low Cost Counselling Life can be difficult and we all struggle with grief, loss & loneliness at times. Don’t be alone. Reach out!

Low cost counselling available from Mary Malone Counsellor and Psychotherapist Call 087 9941594 Dermot Casey Tree Care All tree problems solved without delay. Free quotations & fully insured. Call the experts on 022-55000 www.dermotcaseytreecare.ie It’s time to clean your carpets!

Blarney & District Carpet andUpholstery Cleaning Service.No job too small.

087 6384396.

Downey Floor Sanding Floor Sanding & Dealing.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES Emergency Services

Ambulance, Fire, Gardai 999 Blarney Gardai 4516290 Ballincollig Gardai 4214680 Gurranabraher Gardai 4946200 Blarney 021 4385440 Ballincollig 021 4871111 Grenagh 021 4886105

Doctors

Dr Una O’Halloran 4385602 Ballincollig Family Practice 4870808 Blarney Medical Centre 4382077 Tower Medical Centre 4385348 T

Dentists

Onslow Gardens Dental Practice 4398572 Blarney Dental Practice 4385664 Niall Coonan Blarney 4385973

Opticians

O’Connor Poole Blackpool 4397399 Anne O’Donovan Blarney 4383128

Pharmacies

PFP Tower 4385225 PFP Grenagh 462998 PFP Onslow Garden 4398135 McElligotts Blarney 4385307 Walshs Blarney 4381223 Cloghroe Pharmacy 4382244

Contact Jeremy at 4516901 / 087 2372213

Veterinary Clinics

Almighty God and Father, we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your beloved Son, as we call to mind the great things his love has done for us. Fill us with the grace that flows in abundance from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. RWM

Cabs

O’Connell Chimney Cleaning Blarney. Stoves and Open Fires Contact Darren at 087 653 3480

Churches

O’Connell Window Cleaning Blarney. Contact Donal 087 6592697 or 4383407 (after 6pm).

Driving Lessons Beginner / Pre test ADI approved instructor. Very patient.Test routes covered.Car available for test.

Gift vouchers available.

Blarney School of Motoring. blarneyschoolofmotoring.com 087 2796008

Blarney Vets 4381823 Abbeyville Blarney 4382583 A to B Cabs Blarney 4516666

Credit Unions

Blarney 4381149 Ballincollig 4872305 Church of the Immaculate Conception Blarney 4385105 Church of the Resurrection (C of I) Blarney 4877260 Church of St Mary and St John Ballincollig 4871206 Church of Chri our Light Ballincollig 4876171 St Peters (C of I) Carrigrohane 4877260

Muskerry News / 35

Muskerry MOTORING Family Run Business

BALLINCOLLIG

TYRE CENTRE Westpoint Trade Centre, Link Road, Ballincollig Located behind MD O’Shea & Sons

nd To p Q u a l i t y • To p B r a

s

Prop. Matt Kavanagh

Tel: 021 4860 777

www.ballincolligtyres.ie.

OPEN | Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm | Sat 9am - 4pm

Pic 3 Marion, Abbey, Leo and Leah O'Sullivan, Dripsey.

36 / Muskerry News

KIA, CitroĂŤn and Peugeot cars and light commercial vehicles Located at Blarney Business Park, New Mallow Road, Cork & Old Mallow Road, Cork.

Muskerry News / 37

Blarney Aggregates The Mill, Blarney (Turn into the Mills at Tim’s Corner Shop)

Sand, Gravel, Cement, 804 Binding Sewer Pipe & Fittings, Water Pipe & Fittings Concrete Products and Blocks Drainage Stone, Decorative Stone Open Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm & Sat 8am - 3pm

Large and small loads delivered

Call 021 4220008 / 087 4304158

BICYCLE

C B C Y C L ES SALES & REPAIR

Ladies, Gents and Children’s BICYCLES

CALL 08 5 18 04 2 08 C.B. Cycles, The Mills, Blarney (Behind EMF Fitness)

38 / Muskerry News

m

Canty’s 24 Hour Recovery Service - 086 1841329 n Carboide x Mono s rm la A Fitted

Boiler Service

Domestic & Commercial Solid Fuel Oil Gas Heat Pumps Pressurised Systems Underfloor Heating Gas Boilers supply, sales & service Repairs & Maintenance 087 2642098 / 021 7437729

3 Ton Digger

Donoughmore, Co. Cork tonysullhp@gmail.com

for Hire

All Jobs - Big or Small

General Groundworks, Landscaping, Drainage, General Foundations, Driveways, Tidying Up, Percolation Tests and more.

Call Danny for info & quote

087 7770791

Canty’s Lawnmowers

Repairs & Service New & Used Spare Parts Collection & Delivery

Lorem ipsum

Contact us today on - 086 184 1329 38 14

4200

CALL

02

DRINKING WATER & WASTE WATER TESTING

Muskerry News / 39

NOEL KELLEHER T R E E C A R E & S I T E C L E A R A N C E E S T. 1 9 9 4

NO MESS NO FUSS

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS We cater for all aspects of Tree Surgery Specialists in the safe removal of oversized trees.

Woodchipping & Feller Grab Hire

087 2364898

noelkelleher@outlook.com Kilnamartyra, County Cork Fully Insured

Free Quotations

Ideal for topping trees, evergreens etc.

Woodchip removed off site if requested Tree Shears and Mulcher Head available on 13 tonne track machine

300 metres of lawn / pitch all weather mats available. Protects against ground damage Bobcat Hire Site clearance, Clearance of Poultry, Sheep & Cattle Houses