Fianna Fáil has cobbled together an alliance with Labour Party and Independents to ensure a county mayoral pact for the next five years of Cork County Council.

The Independents look likely to form an alliance with Fianna Fáil to take control of Cork County Council when newly elected councillors meet for the first time on June 7.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has said that it has no problem renaming Cork’s South Ring Road after women who fought in the War of Independence, but for operational reasons it will still refer to it as the N40.

There may still be six months to go to Christmas, but Cork County Council is already thinking of providing towns with a festive treat.