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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>An Garda Siochána, surround RTÉ Studios in Dublin after receiving a bomb threat. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos</p>

S columnists

Terry Prone: RTÉ’s regional services merit a more central place on the national stage

What does Simon Harris suspect Donald’s friend Vladimir is going to do to us to necessitate living off cans of beans for three days?

Clodagh Finn: Who was Caroline Douglas, the Cork-born marchioness who backed Irish independence?

<p>'My 83-year-old mother, who had dementia, spent her first 24 hours on a trolley in a corridor outside the X-ray department before being admitted to a six-bed geriatric ward,' writes Catherine McAuliffe. Stock picture Dan Linehan</p>

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Letters to the Editor: CUH patients need to hear minister’s solutions rather than just criticism

Michael Moynihan

Michael Moynihan: Stewing in Cork City traffic leaves me longing for a ferry service

Sarah Harte Writer head shot.png

Sarah Harte: Today's youth are doomscrolling — but all generations are guilty of it

Cork Airport is going from strength to strength. Now we need to improve how people get there

comment-analysis

Cork Airport is going from strength to strength. Now we need to improve how people get there

Letters to the Editor: A word of praise for CUH

Letters to the Editor: A word of praise for CUH

A reader shares the positive experience his wife had after her lung collapsed

Sat, 31 Oct, 2026

Blurred figures of doctors and nurses walking in a hospital corridor. Motion blur of medical staff moving in a clinic hallway ba

Irish Examiner view: Patients must be at the centre of our health service

Senior management at CUH, one of the country’s biggest hospitals, are seeking additional staff and beds as a matter of urgency

Sat, 31 Oct, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Sodcasting, subscriptions, decentralisation and all that jazz

Michael Moynihan: Sodcasting, subscriptions, decentralisation and all that jazz

The influx of quarter-zip jumpers during the weekend's Cork Jazz Festival has Michael reflecting on some of the proposals put forward by British prime minister Andy Burnham, in particular one that could be applied to the benefit of Cork

Thu, 29 Oct, 2026

Removing right to cook from Trabolgan's Ukrainian residents denies their humanity

Removing right to cook from Trabolgan's Ukrainian residents denies their humanity

In the 2010s, there was a media storm set off by reports that the thousands of people in Direct Provision were not permitted to cook for themselves. The State was forced to concede, yet here we are again.

Fri, 23 Oct, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Cork's precious built heritage is not getting the respect it deserves

Michael Moynihan: Cork's precious built heritage is not getting the respect it deserves

The sighting of the limestone kerbs, removed from old footpaths at Madden’s Buildings in Blackpool recently, 'stored' in a secure Cork City Council depot raises questions about how the council treats this city's built heritage

Thu, 22 Oct, 2026

Irish Examiner view: An Garda Síochána's shocking response to holsters issue

Irish Examiner view: An Garda Síochána's shocking response to holsters issue

It is difficult to argue with Detective Garda Connell’s words to Mick Clifford: 'I was to be got rid of because I had become a problem. Just because I was shot. Anything to avoid the scandal'

Wed, 21 Oct, 2026

As a 15-year-old growing up in West Belfast, Disco Pigs changed my life

As a 15-year-old growing up in West Belfast, Disco Pigs changed my life

Enda Walsh is putting his money where his mouth is by returning to Cork to direct this production. The city should be proud of it

Fri, 16 Oct, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Is architecture a huge part of our history that has been overlooked?

Michael Moynihan: Is architecture a huge part of our history that has been overlooked?

Emma Gilleece's new book looks at notable buildings across Ireland — with two notable entries from Cork

Thu, 15 Oct, 2026

Inheritance tax written on a paper. Financial concept.

Letters to the Editor: Inheritance tax tweaks do not add up to reform

'Why should the families and loved ones of single and childless citizens and cohabiting couples continue to be denied fair and equal treatment under Ireland’s inheritance tax laws?'

Thu, 15 Oct, 2026

Letters to the Editor: Why is a library using the term ‘British Isles’?

Letters to the Editor: Why is a library using the term ‘British Isles’?

I was genuinely taken aback when I visited Cork City Library recently and saw a section prominently labelled “General History of the British Isles”.

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Diarmuid Breen: Cork artist on cloud nine for new exhibition at Lavit

Diarmuid Breen: Cork artist on cloud nine for new exhibition at Lavit

After working all over Europe as an engineer, Breen eventually left the day job to become a fulltime artist

Sun, 11 Oct, 2026

Michael Moynihan: We must congratulate ourselves on our non-defecating pets

Michael Moynihan: We must congratulate ourselves on our non-defecating pets

Michael Moynihan refers to some recent news to defend a previous column

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Cork reacts to Budget 2027: ‘Pensioners are struggling — I’d like them to live on it for a week’

Cork reacts to Budget 2027: ‘Pensioners are struggling — I’d like them to live on it for a week’

There was recognition of some efforts the government is making to provide support, And there was some anger too

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

The Domino scheme is a rare good news story in maternity services — don't gut it

The Domino scheme is a rare good news story in maternity services — don't gut it

Five years later, I can still remember the names of the midwives who cared for me. Naomi. Mairéad. Martina. Lynda. Mags. I remember them because they made one of the most overwhelming, exhausting and important moments in my life a positive experience, writes Sarah Thatt-Foley

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Is the work at Madden’s Buildings a slippery slope for Cork’s social heritage?

Michael Moynihan: Is the work at Madden’s Buildings a slippery slope for Cork’s social heritage?

Work in a specific part of Cork City, so soon after it lost one of its last green spaces, has been brought to the attention of Michael Moynihan

Thu, 24 Sep, 2026

Michael Moynihan: A city's culture isn't just about the arts — how does Cork fare?

Michael Moynihan: A city's culture isn't just about the arts — how does Cork fare?

An online checklist about the culture of a city piqued Michael Moynihan's interst

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Pedestrians on the streets of Cork, Ireland

Michael Moynihan: 100 reasons for breaking the red light

It's back to school time, and with that, every driver in Cork has a different reason for breaking the red light. Here are some of them

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

Laura Harmon: When CUH raises alarm on patient safety, the Government must listen

Laura Harmon: When CUH raises alarm on patient safety, the Government must listen

We need a health service that can plan beyond the next budget, properly fund services over several years and recruit staff according to what patients need, writes senator Laura Harmon

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Animals do not belong on public transport. End of discussion

Michael Moynihan: Animals do not belong on public transport. End of discussion

This proposal must be the most moronic to surface in some time, even in a field as crowded as Irish public policy. Anyone with the remotest acquaintance with actual animals, not idealised creatures or fairytale characters, will be able to conjure up a mental picture or two

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Paris, France - 07 19 2025: Panoramic view of Summer swimming in the Seine at Bras Marie and Paris Beach behind from Sully Bridg

Michael Moynihan: Cork must start preparing a heat-health action plan for 2027 now

Michael Moynihan examines what other cities are doing to counteract the increasingly frequent heat extremes and suggests what Cork can replicate

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Letters to the Editor: In Cork, LDA looks like a State vulture fund

Letters to the Editor: In Cork, LDA looks like a State vulture fund

The Land Development Agency is acquiring hundreds of apartments for cost rental and social housing — a reader asks what will be left for people who just want to buy an apartment

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Patients should not have to cope with hospital staffing issues

Irish Examiner view: Patients should not have to cope with hospital staffing issues

CUH is down 1,050 staff — and that it is not a safe level ahead of the coming winter

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

Peter Dowdall: St Patrick's Street sets the seeds for a cooler, greener Cork

Peter Dowdall: St Patrick's Street sets the seeds for a cooler, greener Cork

The new greening pilot scheme aims to make the city more welcoming as well as boost business and biodiversity

Thu, 20 Aug, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Having four different Irish translations of Bishop Lucey Park is ludicrous

Michael Moynihan: Having four different Irish translations of Bishop Lucey Park is ludicrous

Translating placenames into Irish appears to be inordinately hard for authorities — but four different Irish translations of Bishop Lucey Park within a brief walking distance is ludicrous, writes Michael Moynihan

Thu, 20 Aug, 2026

Alan Healy: Are Cork's new apartments built for roots or temporary stays?

Alan Healy: Are Cork's new apartments built for roots or temporary stays?

Are these State-supported units just transient housing or a missed opportunity for vibrant, family-friendly urban homes?

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

Garry Miley: Cork City's light rail is not a national project — it should be decided locally

Garry Miley: Cork City's light rail is not a national project — it should be decided locally

Cork’s proposed light-rail system didn't make the Government's fast-track list of infrastructure projects. There has to be a more direct and rational way of building it, writes Garry Miley

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Homelessness On The Rise In New York

Michael Moynihan: The evidence is there. The urgency is there. Where is Cork's injection facility?

Evidence from Dublin's pilot and Cork's rising drug deaths strengthens the case for faster delivery of supervised injection services

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Cork needs a safe injecting facility

Irish Examiner view: Cork needs a safe injecting facility

People using hard drugs have been overpowered by an addiction so strong that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Letters to the Editor: A mother's struggle highlights impossible choices due to Israeli occupation

Letters to the Editor: A mother's struggle highlights impossible choices due to Israeli occupation

Readers respond to articles by 'Irish Examiner' writers including Donal O'Keeffe, Breda Graham, and Jess Casey — as well as other readers' letters

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Church and State tried to silence us, but Gen-X women had new tools

Church and State tried to silence us, but Gen-X women had new tools

For survivors of Bessborough, Cindi Bonny's article was both mirror and megaphone, confirmation that what we lived through was real and an invitation to keep speaking, writes Nóra Flaherty

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

Letters to the Editor: We fought Church, State, and my own mother to keep our son. We won

Letters to the Editor: We fought Church, State, and my own mother to keep our son. We won

A reader tells how she was forced into Bessborough mother and baby home in 1984, and how she and 'the love of her life' battled to keep their son, and went on to build their family together

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

Vaping e-liquid from an electronic cigarette

Michael Moynihan: Cork City has a staggering number of vape shops among all the store closures

Is the demand for vapes in Cork so high that all of these stores are profitable?

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Student accommodation crisis could limit third-level to the wealthy

Irish Examiner view: Student accommodation crisis could limit third-level to the wealthy

Housing crisis has reached into almost every aspect of Irish life — and it could be hampering access to third-level education

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Dursey Island Cable Car West Cork ireland

Letters to the Editor: Dursey Island cable car congestion issue can be resolved

Electronic roadside signs — linked to a real-time car-park occupancy monitor at the cable car — could resolve road safety concerns

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Mayo’s drought ends but ours goes on — let it rain somewhere else now

Mayo’s drought ends but ours goes on — let it rain somewhere else now

When a drought is over, it’s good for us. It frees up a bit of brain that we didn’t know we’d devoted to wondering if Mayo would ever win an All-Ireland

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Five For Your Radar: All Together Now, Spider-Man, Ye Vagabonds...

Five For Your Radar: All Together Now, Spider-Man, Ye Vagabonds...

The bank holiday weekend brings plenty of arts and entertainment options

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Homer's Odyssey is universally applicable, especially to Cork City

Michael Moynihan: Homer's Odyssey is universally applicable, especially to Cork City

What could be more Cork than turning down the life of a god in order to just go home?

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

'Do not bury our history beneath concrete', mother of last baby to die at Bessborough tells Government

'Do not bury our history beneath concrete', mother of last baby to die at Bessborough tells Government

Bessborough survivor Cindi Bonny says her daughter was the last baby to die at the Cork institution and urges the Government to halt redevelopment

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Heat is now an issue for Ireland, and it will be for the foreseeable

Michael Moynihan: Heat is now an issue for Ireland, and it will be for the foreseeable

With heatwaves no longer exceptional events and with cities typically experiencing much hotter temperatures than rural areas, Cork needs to develop a plan to reduce heat exposure for citizens

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Letters to the Editor: State should buy Bessborough site

Letters to the Editor: State should buy Bessborough site

Since planning permission to build apartments was granted, survivors and campaigners have been calling for the State to buy the remaining Bessborough lands

Sat, 18 Jul, 2026

In pictures: Kevin Bridges brings Marquee season to a close with phoneless gig

S In pictures: Kevin Bridges brings Marquee season to a close with phoneless gig

Fans flocked to the Marina to enjoy the first show on Friday night, which saw local comics Andrew Ryan and Chris Kent supporting the Scottish comedian

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Clodagh Finn: Remarkable story of Cork's Cummins sisters

Clodagh Finn: Remarkable story of Cork's Cummins sisters

There is so much more to say about the Cummins sisters from Cork city

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Bessborough ruling proves that we can build anywhere

Michael Moynihan: Bessborough ruling proves that we can build anywhere

An Coimisiún Pleanála's decision to uphold planning to build apartments at Bessborough rids us of all those petty considerations like sensitivity or appropriateness, writes Michael Moynihan, who suggests other places in Cork we can build on like the River Lee, Páirc Uí Chaoimh and cemeteries

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

Bessborough survivors' wishes being overshadowed by human rights debate

Bessborough survivors' wishes being overshadowed by human rights debate

Some survivors have accepted that the burial ground in Bessborough is the site of their babies' remains and wish to grieve them in peace

Wed, 15 Jul, 2026

Irish Examiner view: We can't ignore calls to turn Bessborough into a memorial park

Irish Examiner view: We can't ignore calls to turn Bessborough into a memorial park

Cork City Council and An Comisiun Pleanála may have failed to see the humanitarian aspect of approving a plan to build apartments on the notorious Bessborough site

Mon, 13 Jul, 2026

Cobh bandstand and Youghal Clock Gate Tower 'need urgent attention'

Cobh bandstand and Youghal Clock Gate Tower 'need urgent attention'

East Cork municipal meetings hear that iconic landmarks are in state of disrepair and that maintenance must be stepped up

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

James Taylor review: Angelic tones of 'Sweet baby James' return to Marquee in Cork

S James Taylor review: Angelic tones of 'Sweet baby James' return to Marquee in Cork

If Taylor's voice has aged well, then so too have his remarkable songs

Sat, 11 Jul, 2026

Tom Grennan review: Fans enjoy Bedford-born singer's return to 'the motherland' at Cork's Marquee

S Tom Grennan review: Fans enjoy Bedford-born singer's return to 'the motherland' at Cork's Marquee

String tops, loose skirts, and sun hats were the outfits of choice, with handheld fans working overtime in an attempt to circulate some air in the sweltering heat

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

I worked in Bessborough in 1996 as a student. So many questions came to me too late

I worked in Bessborough in 1996 as a student. So many questions came to me too late

My friend and I might not have known what exactly was going on there, but we knew enough to want to run away from the place, writes Audrey Hackett

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

Michael Moynihan: 50 years later, how has Cork changed since the 1976 heatwave?

Michael Moynihan: 50 years later, how has Cork changed since the 1976 heatwave?

Sinking quays, thriving heavy industry and — quelle surprise, conflict about public transport — all made the news for Cork in 1976

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

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