Too much caution in Cork has left its mark

I had a wander down the South Mall in Cork last week and it was an under-whelming experience. The city and those who take responsibility for it should take a stroll down this important street and realise a step change in energy and ambition is needed if Cork is to regain its position as a key European city.

Michael Collins talked of people being “too damn careful and cautious” on his return from England and a similar refrain would not be lost in a debate about Cork today.

Perhaps it’s the five-year trauma our country has suffered or maybe it is the ongoing gravitational pull of Dublin but on a relative basis Cork is being left behind. “De Mall” looks tired and shabby and there is little or no evidence of the progressive economic agents sweeping the capital. The Mall is a symbol of under-performance in Cork.