CORK VIEWS

A collection of opinion and analysis articles from - and about - the Cork region by the Irish Examiner's editorial team and an ever growing band of contributors.

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Michael Moynihan
SMichael Moynihan: How Keir Starmer's Cork hop compares to other fabled visits by British PMs
Irish Examiner view: No, minister — Cork's traffic gridlock is even worse than New York's
Irish Examiner view: No, minister — Cork's traffic gridlock is even worse than New York's
A reader suggests that junior minister Jerry Buttimer may have made an apt comparison, but the situation is far worse than he stated

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Experts and voters agree that green space in cities has major health benefits 
Experts and voters agree that green space in cities has major health benefits 
More walking and cycling infrastructure, a congestion charge, and space for nature are key to unlocking Cork's potential — and our health 

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Paving over Bessborough's missing babies
The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Paving over Bessborough's missing babies
Survivors and relatives express anger after planning permission granted for apartments on site linked to hundreds of infant deaths

 Listen | Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

 Listen |
Jennifer Horgan: We've replaced Church oppression with the canon of the car
S Jennifer Horgan: We've replaced Church oppression with the canon of the car
From a distance we now see the grip the Catholic Church one had on our lives, few people can see we are part of a similarly oppressive system today — the  car culture we protect that is taking and destroying lives

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

Michael Moynihan: The prospect of building on Bessborough babies' bones should anger us all
S Michael Moynihan: The prospect of building on Bessborough babies' bones should anger us all
If we can’t get angry about the prospect of diggers unearthing the bones and skulls of dead babies in order to build apartments, what is there to be angry about?

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

The Smiths, Rolling Stones, Damon Albarn...  Eight great gigs at the Savoy in Cork through the years
The Smiths, Rolling Stones, Damon Albarn...  Eight great gigs at the Savoy in Cork through the years
With the Savoy in Cork recently re-opened, Des O'Driscoll trawls through the annals to look back at some of the greatest gigs at the venue through the decades 

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Bessborough planning decision shocking for mother and baby home survivors 
Bessborough planning decision shocking for mother and baby home survivors 
The Bessborough Mother and Baby Home Support Group and Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan say they intend to appeal Cork City Council’s decision to grant planning, writes Donal O'Keeffe

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Iran strikes could spark unintended consequences
Irish Examiner view: Iran strikes could spark unintended consequences
Already, Iran has retaliated with missile strikes in Kuwait, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, while also targeting the cities of Haifa and Beit Shemesh in Israel, among others

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Future Cork: 2026 must be year of infrastructure delivery for the city
Future Cork: 2026 must be year of infrastructure delivery for the city
Cork’s continued growth depends on faster delivery of transport, housing and strategic infrastructure projects in 2026

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Taoiseach's Future Cork speech opens door to new vision for Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Irish Examiner view: Taoiseach's Future Cork speech opens door to new vision for Páirc Uí Chaoimh
The municipal stadium model has long been in use in other European countries with as many different sports as Ireland, if not more. There is no reason why it cannot work here too

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Future Cork: City Hall needs to embrace progression and action
Future Cork: City Hall needs to embrace progression and action
From street clutter to stalled ambition, Cork’s civic leaders are urged to act decisively and rediscover pride in shaping the city

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

€1.5m Cork City home is going to set a price record for Botanika
€1.5m Cork City home is going to set a price record for Botanika
No 3 is the first detached house to come up for sale in this upmarket estate of 31 homes

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Future Cork: Investing in Ireland’s second city will pay off in spades
Future Cork: Investing in Ireland’s second city will pay off in spades
With population set to grow 50% by 2040, Cork argues it needs sustained Government backing to deliver housing, jobs and infrastructure

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Jennifer Horgan: ‘It is what it is’ mentality won’t build a better future for Cork
Jennifer Horgan: ‘It is what it is’ mentality won’t build a better future for Cork
From roadside kindness to theatre ambition, small acts of belief show Cork’s future need not be shaped by resignation

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Future Cork policy must be matched by delivery
Irish Examiner view: Future Cork policy must be matched by delivery
Ahead of Friday's event hosted by the 'Irish Examiner', and the accompanying supplement in print and online, we pause to ask where we're going — and how we're going to get there

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Future Cork: €353m Docklands investment driving Cork housing and infrastructure growth
Future Cork: €353m Docklands investment driving Cork housing and infrastructure growth
Massive Docklands investment, new housing and public realm upgrades are reshaping Cork, but transport and flood risks remain pressing challenges

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Inside the Savoy Cork revival: Historic music venue reopens in city centre
S Michael Moynihan: Reopening of the Savoy will breathe new life into St Patrick's Street
The Good Room team have shown what drive and energy can do, rather than succumbing to 'sure what can we do' lassitude

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Paper chain friends, teamwork, diversity, family or community
Michael McGrath: EU is ready to fight back against threats to our democracy
The new European Centre for Democratic Resilience is tackling attempts by authoritarian regimes to disrupt our freedom

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Four years of war in Ukraine and finding safety in Cork
The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Four years of war in Ukraine and finding safety in Cork
It’s four years today since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a day that changed the course of world history

 Listen | Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

 Listen |
Future Cork: Is the city ready to enter the 21st century?
Future Cork: Is the city ready to enter the 21st century?
Five years into our 10-year vision for the city, there has been real progress but the biggest eyesores remain, while city centre green space has been decimated, write Jude Sherry and Frank O'Connor

Sun, 22 Feb, 2026

Future Cork: The city centre enters a new golden age after decades of change
Future Cork: The city centre enters a new golden age after decades of change
Cork has seen war and peace, boom and bust, and on more than one occasion the flat of the city has risen Phoenix-like from the ashes of total annihilation, writes Cónal Creedon

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026

Michael Moynihan: A city is never finished — the neverending roadworks prove it
S Michael Moynihan: A city is never finished — the neverending roadworks prove it
It truly is a commentary on our times when the national capacity to produce traffic cones defies the student body’s capacity to throw them into the river

Thu, 19 Feb, 2026

'It’s simply not possible': Cork principal hits out at SNA cuts
'It’s simply not possible': Cork principal hits out at SNA cuts
Education Correspondent Jess Casey hears from parents and teachers about their fears amid NCSE review of special needs assistants

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Paris, France
'The X-minute city': Reshaping urban life for a more sustainable future
Carlos Moreno’s ideas are reshaping the world’s cities in the face of three challenges

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

UCC students commuting before dawn as housing crisis fuels daily parking battle
UCC students commuting before dawn as housing crisis fuels daily parking battle
Sky-high rents and a lack of public student housing are forcing UCC students into long commutes and daily parking stress

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Indie Pix/ RTE CUH
S Gareth O'Callaghan: What weeks in Cork University Hospital taught me about fear, faith and survival
A near-fatal asthma attack and a devastating crash revealed the fragility of life, the power of care and unexpected grace

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: The Cork doctor who spent a year living in the Arctic
The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: The Cork doctor who spent a year living in the Arctic
Dining on seal and walrus meat in temperatures as low as -40C, travelling by dog sled and sewing clothes from animal skins in the traditional Inuit way is not standard fare for a doctor on a sabbatical

 Listen | Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

 Listen |
Michael Moynihan: Cork’s Lord Mayor embracing AI raises serious questions about leadership
S Michael Moynihan: Cork’s Lord Mayor embracing AI raises serious questions about leadership
The Lord Mayor’s embrace of ChatGPT highlights ethical, environmental and democratic risks when artificial intelligence replaces human judgement

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Fergus Finlay: Meeting inspiring Cork people keeps bizarre world events at bay
Fergus Finlay: Meeting inspiring Cork people keeps bizarre world events at bay
After I was added to the Cork Person of the Year Hall of Fame, I got to meet some real genuine Cork heroes, but I was brought crashing back down to earth by events in America

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Mary McCarthy, director of Crawford Art Gallery, picks her touchstones
Culture That Made Me: Mary McCarthy, director of Crawford Art Gallery, picks her touchstones
Mary McCarthy includes Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Liss Ard gigs, and Corcadorca among her selections 

Sun, 25 Jan, 2026

Clodagh Finn: The forgotten Cork woman imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps
Clodagh Finn: The forgotten Cork woman imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps
New archival discoveries reveal the story of a Cork woman held in Ravensbrück, and why remembering her matters today

Sat, 24 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Council responses show they can't see the wood for the trees
S Michael Moynihan: Council responses show they can't see the wood for the trees
Residents of Knockfree Ave in Cork are angered by council plans to cut down mature trees in their area

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

'We have been cut off': UCC student fears for family amid Iran crackdown
'We have been cut off': UCC student fears for family amid Iran crackdown
UCC medical student Shadi Mahjoum describes fear, helplessness and heartbreak as Iran’s internet shutdown silences families

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Is there a coded message in the weather forecast's choice of random suburbs?
S Michael Moynihan: Is there a coded message in the weather forecast's choice of random suburbs?
Or is there some even more subtle message being conveyed by the sequence of Cork suburbs being used? Why Mahon and then Douglas? Why Knocknaheeny and then Frankfield? Is this some kind of sublime trolling from Dublin, an attempt to sow discord in the southern capital?

Thu, 15 Jan, 2026

Dump Truck at Copper Mine
When councils won’t act, communities turn to nature to get justice
Environmental law has become the last line of defence against unauthorised quarrying, writes Eugene Farrell

Wed, 14 Jan, 2026

The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: A Cork publican’s story of addiction and recovery
The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: A Cork publican’s story of addiction and recovery
He’s the face behind some of Cork’s most popular bars, but for many years, Michael Droney lived a half-life of alcohol and drug addiction

 Listen | Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

 Listen |
Michael Moynihan: Why has the Crawford Art Gallery project ballooned from €30m to €93m?
S Michael Moynihan: Why has the Crawford Art Gallery project ballooned from €30m to €93m?
The Crawford’s redevelopment matters, but a year-long delay and tripled costs expose a deeper problem in public project planning

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

A general view of Pairc Ui Chaoimh ahead of the game 12/5/2019
S From bad coffee to missing buses, 50 Cork things we need to fix — lovingly, loudly and now
From buses and bathrooms to scones and signage, a Corkman’s hopeful, grumpy and affectionate wishlist for the city

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

Steady progress on Cork's St Patrick’s Street in 2025 with the arrival of some strong brands
Steady progress on Cork's St Patrick’s Street in 2025 with the arrival of some strong brands
Urban Outfitters was one of a number of new entries to Cork city centre's fashion retail scene in 2025, writes Savills Lia Dennehy

Wed, 24 Dec, 2025

Letters to the Editor: BusConnects won’t fix services in Glanmire
Letters to the Editor: BusConnects won’t fix services in Glanmire
'No amount of fancy bus stops and unnecessary pull-in zones is going to fix the failed services that currently exist all around the county'

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Enough complaining — here are 40 things to love about Cork 
Michael Moynihan: Enough complaining — here are 40 things to love about Cork 
If the 'New York Magazine' can publish its list of Things To Love About New York, then so can we

Thu, 18 Dec, 2025

Michael Moynihan: I was wrong — but Cork City Council still hasn’t explained the missing green space
S Michael Moynihan: I was wrong — but Cork City Council still hasn’t explained the missing green space
Michael Moynihan argues that Cork City Council’s explanation for removing a tree in Blackpool sidesteps the real issue — the unexplained loss of the surrounding green space

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Letters to the Editor: Car is king in Charleville road plans   
Letters to the Editor: Car is king in Charleville road plans   
'Relief roads feel somewhat 'pie in the sky' when the long-discussed N20 upgrade has remained unrealised for more than 30 years'

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visit to Ireland
Letters to the Editor: War and militarisation leave us on brink of catastrophe
The Government 'is abandoning Irish neutrality and the rule of international laws, including the UN Charter, and joining the coalitions of the willing and the killing'

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Motion to rename ‘Herzog Park’ to ‘Hind Rajab Park’, in Dublin
Jennifer Horgan: Herzog Park renaming debacle shows how difficult it is to think with nuance
Irish people used to be known for their ability to think in 'grey areas' and not reduce everything to a binary argument. Jennifer Horgan asks if we have now lost it

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork still waiting for task force while our green spaces disappear
Michael Moynihan: Cork still waiting for task force while our green spaces disappear
Any reticence among our public representatives about a task force made up by the local authority is entirely justified, writes Michael Moynihan

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025

DENIS SCANNELL
‘Misguided and foolish’ Knitting Map has stood the test of time
An artwork and community project 'The Knitting Map' made a space for older working-class Irish women to make meaning, writes Jools Gilson, Professor of Creative Practice at UCC

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Letters to the Editor: Uisce Éireann is failing the people of Adrigole on the Beara peninsula
Letters to the Editor: Uisce Éireann is failing the people of Adrigole on the Beara peninsula
A school, homes, and businesses such as B&Bs have been affected by water interruptions in the village

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

Clodagh Finn: Women on Walls — the art of challenging the status quo
Clodagh Finn: Women on Walls — the art of challenging the status quo
An event happened on Thursday at UCC that gives us real cause for celebration, writes Clodagh Finn

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

Pensive middle-aged woman look in distance thinking
Irish Examiner view: Coercive control is as old as time — its perpetrators must be called out
Recent court cases in Cork and Wexford recount horrifying tales of coercive control. As an MEP, herself a survivor, says, such abuses 'must be treated with the seriousness they deserve'

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025

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