Cork Views - Irish Examiner

Sign in

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.

<p>A visualisation of UCC's proposed CUBS development on South Terrace in Cork. Read Mick Clifford's in-depth analysis of the saga in Saturday's 'Irish Examiner' in print or online. Image: Pedersen Focus</p>

munster

CUBS project scrapped: UCC pulls plug on €17m Cork city centre business school plan

UCC has quietly stepped back from its flagship Cork University Business School project, despite millions already spent and years of preparation

<p>The proposed development was to be “one of Ireland’s largest academic buildings” with space for teaching, laboratories, meeting facilities, offices and catering facilities. Photo: G-Net 3D</p>

S spotlight

UCC abandons business school: How millions in public money were spent with little to show

<p>The revamped Bishop Lucey Park was opened this week. Here, Róisín Kelly writes about her 'grief' that 'the unique green jewel that made Cork City so appealing to me is gone.' Picture: Chani Anderson</p>

yourview

Letters to the Editor: Cork City Council should be ashamed of the Bishop Lucey Park travesty

Michael Moynihan

SMichael Moynihan: Cork asked for a park — and got a pathway of concrete instead

Ringaskiddy incinerator is the wrong project, in the wrong place, for the wrong future

comment-analysis

Ringaskiddy incinerator is the wrong project, in the wrong place, for the wrong future

Woman's hand holding keys

ourview

Irish Examiner view: Housing plan has to sidestep old pitfalls — for everyone's sake

Michael Moynihan: Anything’ll do for Cork? Bishop Lucey Park reopens — but not completed

S Michael Moynihan: Anything’ll do for Cork? Bishop Lucey Park reopens — but not completed

Bishop Lucey Park reopens after a €7m, year-long revamp — but with works unfinished and questions over Cork’s ‘it’ll do’ attitude

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Mary Martin on boarding school life in Blackrock — and sneaking out to the cinema

Mary Martin on boarding school life in Blackrock — and sneaking out to the cinema

Mary, whose husband is Taoiseach Micheál Martin, boarded at Ursuline College in Cork 50 years ago. She headed back to her 'home away from home' as the school celebrates 200 years

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

Primary school girls are taught during a lesson by a male teacher

Irish Examiner view: 'Voluntary' school payment practice must stop

The Department of Education told this newspaper the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 'explicitly prohibits' the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to, or for continued enrolment in, a school

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork needs to be a city which facilitates both the elderly and very young

S Michael Moynihan: Cork needs to be a city which facilitates both the elderly and very young

There are people for whom large pools of water on road surfaces and footpaths present significant physical challenges

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Security at Ipas centres needs review

Irish Examiner view: Security at Ipas centres needs review

To terrorise innocent people in this way is almost beyond comprehension and there is little by way of consolation in the fact that the forces of law will inevitably catch up with the person responsible

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

Sudan

Irish Examiner view: Ireland cannot look away from Sudan

To look away is a luxury. To care is a duty. To act is the minimum requirement of a civilised nation

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Louvre heist to Rebel raid — would it fly on the streets of Cork?

S Michael Moynihan: Louvre heist to Rebel raid — would it fly on the streets of Cork?

Watch out Cork City Library! Mr Mayfield, Mr Near But Not Quite Douglas, Mr Northern Carrigaline and the gang are coming for Rory Gallagher

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

Michael Moynihan: I'm a little bit worried about the new public toilets opening up in Cork

S Michael Moynihan: I'm a little bit worried about the new public toilets opening up in Cork

It’s truly unfortunate there are nowhere near the same number of public toilets in the centre of the city that there were sixty-five years ago

Thu, 16 Oct, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Garda appointment is a welcome step to tackling rural crime

Irish Examiner view: Garda appointment is a welcome step to tackling rural crime

The appointment of Fermoy-based Superintendent Michael Corbett as An Garda Síochána's rural crime lead will help reassure communities that feel vulnerable

Thu, 16 Oct, 2025

Behind the headlines: How Cork is fighting to restore confidence in the city centre

Behind the headlines: How Cork is fighting to restore confidence in the city centre

Business leaders, gardaí, and city officials met to address safety concerns in Cork, as new measures aim to restore public confidence

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Cork takes steps to make the city feel safer

Irish Examiner view: Cork takes steps to make the city feel safer

Cork Business Association meeting focused on reducing crime hears about new measures including city wardens

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025

Imasha Costa: 'I am not the reason your system is failing'

Imasha Costa: 'I am not the reason your system is failing'

Ahead of Saturday's anti-migrant protest in Cork City, 'Irish Examiner' journalist Imasha Costa describes life for immigrants in a changed Ireland

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Seeing Cillian Murphy on the 208 bus would surely improve its image

S Michael Moynihan: Seeing Cillian Murphy on the 208 bus would surely improve its image

What better way encourage people to come back to using the bus than our most famous artists hopping on

Thu, 09 Oct, 2025

Budget 2026: Childcare cost ‘is basically a second mortgage’

Budget 2026: Childcare cost ‘is basically a second mortgage’

Two mothers trying to balance their household budgets highlight two big challenges — the cost-of-living crisis and eye-watering childcare costs

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025

Fianna Fail president

Irish Examiner view: Jim Gavin crisis overshadows Budget 2026

Fianna Fáil TDs, including some in Taoiseach Micheál Martin's Cork base, criticise party's presidential election fiasco

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025

'Only for one person I think I’d be in prison': Cork filmmaker shining a light on 'broken' foster care system

'Only for one person I think I’d be in prison': Cork filmmaker shining a light on 'broken' foster care system

Seán Downey, aka Swan, is passionate about creating awareness about Ireland's foster care system and is calling for a 'complete overhaul' of the system and the outdated Childcare Act

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Are Cork people the victims of an enormous prank designed to baffle the city?

S Michael Moynihan: Are Cork people the victims of an enormous prank designed to baffle the city?

Talks have been held about boosting visitor numbers to Cork. Just don't expect anything to materialise quickly

Thu, 02 Oct, 2025

Cork fish kill: No culprit for the worst environmental disaster in Ireland this century

Cork fish kill: No culprit for the worst environmental disaster in Ireland this century

A multi-agency investigation failed to find the source of, or even identify, the toxins that killed nearly 40,000 fish in the Blackwater River recently

Tue, 30 Sep, 2025

Irish Examiner view: We need monitoring tech in the wake of Blackwater fish kill disaster

Irish Examiner view: We need monitoring tech in the wake of Blackwater fish kill disaster

EPA and Inland Fisheries Ireland should heed Cork County Council's proposal on water quality monitoring

Mon, 29 Sep, 2025

Irish Examiner view: HSE-CHI merger debacle reminds us to watch out for last-minute emails

Irish Examiner view: HSE-CHI merger debacle reminds us to watch out for last-minute emails

Reading the runes in the timing of official statements and the words deployed therein has become a modern art form

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025

Patrick Horgan 7/6/2025

S Michael Moynihan: Patrick Horgan’s pitch presence was a privilege for people of Cork

Patrick Horgan’s retirement closes a glittering chapter in Cork hurling, leaving fans reflecting on brilliance, pride, and unforgettable nights

Thu, 25 Sep, 2025

A Unifil flag fluttering over Southern Lebanon

Irish Examiner view: United Nations a long way from what is required

Today, the UN looks far from the organisation once described by the second secretary general, Norwegian Trygve Lie, as having been created 'not to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell'

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

General Election Ireland 2020

Irish Examiner view: Dáil Éireann should not be a forum for autism misinformation

As the 'Irish Examiner' reports the testimony of parents struggling to get an education for their children with special needs, a TD stands up in the Dáil to utter unsubstantiated 'rubbish' about autism

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Popcorn with the headphone, a headphone plugged into the popcorn box, concept of entertainment

Letters to the Editor: Cinemas should have audio description for visually-impaired people

A reader says his query about audio description was dismissed by a Cork cinema staff member as 'a very bougie request'

Sat, 20 Sep, 2025

Nursing Home stock

Irish Examiner view: With no plan, catastrophe looms large for elderly

That the ESRI highlighted a potential future calamity in terms of our ability to effectively manage and care for our increasingly ageing population, should set alarm bells ringing

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Michael Moynihan: We need to talk about the word 'Norrie'

S Michael Moynihan: We need to talk about the word 'Norrie'

You learn a lot about someone by their use of the word 'Norrie', writes northsider Michael Moynihan

Thu, 18 Sep, 2025

Safe Harbour review: Opening ritual gives a bit of pagan rave and a masked Cillian Murphy

Safe Harbour review: Opening ritual gives a bit of pagan rave and a masked Cillian Murphy

Ancient Irish culture met dancefloor fun at the first night of Sounds From A Safe Harbour in Cork

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

In pictures: Emotional opening for Safe Harbour festival with tribute to Cork musician Talos

In pictures: Emotional opening for Safe Harbour festival with tribute to Cork musician Talos

The first concert of Sounds From A Safe Harbour in Cork featured friends and family of the late Eoin French (Talos)

Thu, 11 Sep, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Dublin official's comments on English Market were a hostage to fortune

S Michael Moynihan: Dublin official's comments on English Market were a hostage to fortune

The hubris of Dublin City Council's Richard Shakespeare was notable from the start, as plans for that city's Victorian market recede into the distance

Thu, 11 Sep, 2025

Old woman sitting in chair

Irish Examiner view: Dearth of age-attuned healthcare

There is something particularly concerning about the revelations in the latest Tilda report and what they portend for the future

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Shocking indifference to catastrophic Blackwater pollution is a sign of the times

Shocking indifference to catastrophic Blackwater pollution is a sign of the times

The Blackwater fish kill is part ecological disaster, part culture war, part climate change confrontation and, worst of all, a gross denial of responsibility

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Dangerous cycle lanes in Cork highlight flawed city planning

S Michael Moynihan: Dangerous cycle lanes in Cork highlight flawed city planning

Poorly designed cycle lanes around Cork City Hall highlight how shoddy planning risks both cyclists and pedestrians while undermining sustainable transport goals

Thu, 04 Sep, 2025

Dursey Island Cable Car West Cork ireland

Letters to the Editor: A delightful day rambling on Dursey

A reader is captivated by the friendliness of people and 'that deep magical and haunting romantic beauty of the island'

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

Catherine Conlon: At a time of global uncertainty, the Cork-Kinsale Greenway cannot be allowed to fail

Catherine Conlon: At a time of global uncertainty, the Cork-Kinsale Greenway cannot be allowed to fail

The silent majority who spend hours in traffic may well be in favour of this greenway, but they are not as organised as farmers and landowners

Sun, 31 Aug, 2025

Clodagh Finn: Let’s back campaign for public tribute to Mary Jane Irwin

Clodagh Finn: Let’s back campaign for public tribute to Mary Jane Irwin

If a visiting monkey has a place in the streetscape, Mary Jane Irwin, as she was when she lived in Clonakilty, certainly deserves ones too

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Generational challenge to put on a happy face

Irish Examiner view: Generational challenge to put on a happy face

What annoys Helen Mirren the most are patronising comments made by younger people when she holds hands with her husband in public. It is, the hardest part of turning 80

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025

What is the Asian hornet and should we be worried after one was found in Cork?

What is the Asian hornet and should we be worried after one was found in Cork?

First Cork sighting of invasive Asian hornet highlights risks to Irish honeybees and the need for public vigilance

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Robot trees try to clear the air as they say goodbye in exit interview

S Michael Moynihan: Robot trees try to clear the air as they say goodbye in exit interview

Michael Moynihan sits down with the robot trees for a root and branch review of their time in Cork

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

The progress in other cities makes Cork look like a backwater

The progress in other cities makes Cork look like a backwater

The uncomfortable truth is the majority of people in this city voted against Cork having more power

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Say goodbye to Coke bikes in Cork City as we know them

Say goodbye to Coke bikes in Cork City as we know them

Launched over a decade ago, the scheme was a big hit in Cork with almost 300,000 trips taken on the bikes in 2016. 2024 annual trips are down on 2019 numbers, which themselves are down on 2016. We need a solution, writes Conn Donovan

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Remote working is good for some, but not always the customer

S Michael Moynihan: Remote working is good for some, but not always the customer

As remote work blurs office and home, public oversharing in cafes raises fresh questions about privacy and professionalism

Thu, 21 Aug, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Blackwater fish kill is nothing short of an ecological disaster

Irish Examiner view: Blackwater fish kill is nothing short of an ecological disaster

First reported in the 'Irish Examiner' last week, the suspected fungal infection outbreak is a catastrophe that clearly demands urgent action

Wed, 20 Aug, 2025

Beautiful Sunset Reflection Over The Water Lough Erne Enniskillen

Letters to the Editor: We have the competence to resolve housing and environmental issues

The Government cannot do everything but, if our democracy is to remain valid, it must do much better on issues that go to the heart of life in Ireland

Mon, 18 Aug, 2025

Coffee time with best friend

S Michael Moynihan: Forget dog licences — we should need behavioural licences to go out in public

It’s clear that there is a breakdown in social and ethical skills. That is not catastrophising. The evidence is all around you

Thu, 14 Aug, 2025

Irish Examiner view: State overspending smacks of carelessness

Irish Examiner view: State overspending smacks of carelessness

Overpayments by the Department of Social Protection and Revenue suggest their systems are not fit for purpose

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Letters to the Editor: We need a passenger cap on Cork Airport

Letters to the Editor: We need a passenger cap on Cork Airport

A reader says the volume of air traffic through Cork Airport disrupts lives in the city, and yet the DAA plans to substantially increase the number of flight slots there

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork needs more autonomy where driving offences are concerned

Michael Moynihan: Cork needs more autonomy where driving offences are concerned

All around the country - and in Cork - pedestrians have near misses because of people disregarding traffic lights, driving dangerously, or a combination of both. Michael Moynihan believes there is a solution (relatively) close to hand

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

Gena Heraty kidnapping

Irish Examiner view: Hope for Irish charity worker

It is good that the full weight of Ireland’s State apparatus is being brought to bear on this case, with Tánaiste Simon Harris dealing directly with his counterpart in Haiti to resolve the matter

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Cork crime: Persistent and sometimes violent crime now routine for city pharmacists

Cork crime: Persistent and sometimes violent crime now routine for city pharmacists

Pat Dalton says in the last year alone, his pharmacy in Cork City has experienced 'several incidents of theft and of verbal abuse'

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

Fergus Finlay: Ireland may have its challenges but it is still a wonderful country

S Fergus Finlay: Ireland may have its challenges but it is still a wonderful country

The older I get the more I believe that if there is a people who know how to close the gap between what ought to be and what is, it is the Irish people

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

IE_logo_newsletters

Select your favourite newsletters and get the best of Irish Examiner delivered to your inbox