‘A city rising is a beautiful thing’: Meet the volunteers behind Cork's street art revolution

The Mad About Cork alliance of artists and volunteers is changing the face of Cork City, writes John Daly

Cork is on a roll. Everywhere you look these days activity abounds with office blocks rising, new hotels opening, old buildings renovated and the constant commercial melody of business traffic set to cruise control.

Even on a Tuesday evening, restaurants are full and cafes buzzing as the city embraces a new era of activity and expansion.

As a taxi driver declared to me recently: “It’s like St Finbarr himself woke up driving a JCB, boy.”

And yet, within this panoply of commercial and industrial progress, another less visible revolution is also underway on the city streets — a growing army of guerrilla gardeners and radical artists dedicated to transforming those forgotten urban corners this newfound prosperity may have overlooked.

Mad About Cork volunteers begin work on the Kyrl’s Quay mural

A grassroots movement dedicated to urban renewal and sustained by a vibrant community spirit, it has taken root and grown from a simple idea into a powerful groundswell of colour and beauty across the entire city.

At the core of this improvement insurrection is Mad About Cork, a loose collection of artists and volunteers willing to give of their time and energy for the greater good of the city, and whose beautification footprint has so far been as admirable as it is arresting.

“It started out very small, a few friends getting together to pick up rubbish on the streets where we lived,” says artist Alan Hurley, one of the earliest members.

“That led on to us painting blank hoardings, planting a few flower boxes and just generally trying to smarten up the city we all love.”

Quickly, whispers of this quiet regeneration made the news pages and social media, resulting in a trickle of like-minded souls that became a torrent of assistance and goodwill.

It grew and kept on growing to the point where we’re now out on the streets every week throughout the year. And as well as making the city a nicer place, Mad About Cork has become a really great way to meet people.

Holding regular weekly gatherings to plan street art, flower boxes and urban gardens, the results of this modern ‘meitheal’ for the city’s forgotten spaces has gone far beyond its original objectives.

Previously neglected and dilapidated areas such as Coleman’s Lane, Kyle Street, Patrick’s Quay and Douglas Street have been transformed, with the addition of floral window boxes made from up-cycled pallet wood, as well as numerous street art pieces celebrating all things Cork.

Using images of Cork legends above witty slogans, tourists and locals alike smile at mirthful takes on The Frank And Walters, Ashling Thompson, Cillian Murphy, Daniel Florence O’Leary, Mary Elmes and Tanora all given their own tributes on electrical boxes across the city.

Mural on Kyrl’s Quay

My personal favourite is on the corner of Patrick’s Bridge, an arresting image of Roy Keane over the legend: “It’s always Cork first and Ireland second.”

Local support from residents and businesses, allied to the willing ear of Cork City Council, has seen Mad About Cork continue to thrive as their projects get ever more ambitious and expansive.

“People have been behind us all the way,” says Alan.

“They buy us paint, allow us use their taps for water and even buy us Lotto tickets for good luck.

When we identify derelict sites we feel are ideal for artwork or gardening, we look for permission from Cork City Council, who have always been very supportive of whatever we do.

With over 200 volunteers, Mad About Cork resembles a mini United Nations with urban beautification as its guiding ethos.

Alan Hurley and volunteers working on a vegetable garden on Cornmarket Street.

Words of a typical volunteer, Kevin O’Mahony, sum up much of the movement’s collective spirit: “It’s amazing how quickly you take pride in the work and don’t feel at all self-conscious about being in the middle of the street on a busy Saturday, acting like you own the place.

“I guess that’s the whole point of this — we all do collectively own the place and should take pride in its appearance.

More than that we should act on that pride with our ideas, our voices and our hands.

IMAGINING A BETTER CITY

Cillian Murphy, as painted by Mad About Cork volunteers on a utility box on South Mall

The original idea for this urban rejuvenation began in 2012 when Eoghan Ryan and Alasdair Fitzpatrick, driven with a passion for their city, founded Re-imagine Cork, the initiative which subsequently gave birth to the more recent Mad About Cork.

“It was a simple idea to do something for the rundown laneways, urban green spaces and derelict buildings, and try to give them colour and character,” Eoghan recalled.

“We concentrated on the North Main St area and its surrounding laneways which had suffered from problems of dereliction and antisocial behaviour.

Our aim was to provide colourful murals that celebrated the area’s history, heroes and humour.

“We hoped that the artwork would create talking points and breathe life back into the historic arteries of the city”.

Fostering a sense of community and responsibility amongst traders, businesses and local residents, Re-imagine Cork found a willing population ready to lend time and talent to changing drab walls to eye-catching murals, forgotten litter tips into havens of floral exuberance.

It was about working with traders, local voluntary groups and people with a love for Cork on ideas to enhance the streetscape and foster a greater sense of togetherness in the city.

CORK - ‘A CITY RISING’

Kevin O’Brien with one of the Mad About Cork pieces of artwork.

“Cork is in a very good place right now, the city is in the early stages of one of the most rapid phases of development for many years,” says Anne Doherty, Cork City Council CEO.

Through its strategic acquisitions unit the council is working with building owners to bring more sites and buildings back into use.

Projects worth €700m are under way across the city, with 30 new sites in development or in the pipeline.

An estimated 10 per cent increase in employment is expected over the next five years, bringing the total of jobs in the city centre to almost 80,000.

One of the more ambitious city plans is the creation of Marina Park, a €7m amenity five times larger than Fitzgerald’s Park, wrapping around the redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh and expected to open to the public in early 2019.

Cork City is looking out to an ever-changing world, and, in the words of poet Tom McCarthy - ‘a city rising is a beautiful thing’.

“Over the coming decades we all want to create a smart and green city with a strong economy that retains the quality of life and rich community life that we all love.

“We want a confident inclusive city which brings people together.

“A dynamic space with an international feel while also cherishing and protecting all that makes Cork so special — a mixture of the colloquial and the cosmopolitan.”