Never underestimate the power of local knowledge. AsChristopher O’Sullivan moves around Ballydehob, the 37-year-old is propelled around town by others with decades of experience.

A new blueprint has been drawn up by Cork County Council designed to reduce traffic speed in estates, villages and outside schools.

Kerry and Cork county councillors are demanding the HSE and Health Minister Simon Harris bail out the Irish Community Rapid Response air ambulance.

A major row broke out between county councillors over a proposal to rezone an industrial area in a County Cork town to green belt, which would prevent a plastics factory from locating there.

Cork County Council's economic development department has been asked to draw up plans to attract small and medium-sized businesses to Bandon amid fears major sewerage and flood projects underway in the town are driving them out.

Councillors said the state of rural roads was the main issue on the doorsteps during their local election canvasses.

A poll-topping councillor in West Cork has been elected the Mayor of the County of Cork.

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.

A special committee of Cork County Council is to look at the possibility of setting up women’s refuges and ‘safe houses’ after an impassioned plea was made by a councillor who described how she was once a victim of domestic abuse.

Cork County Council, in a countywide first, has set up a joint venture company aimed at providing major infrastructure projects which will aid the provision of public and affordable housing.

Cork County Council has been told to prepare plans to get a number of harbour forts, Martello towers, and what was once the largest gunpowder factory in the world added to Unesco’s world heritage status list.

The Mayor of County Cork has offered to act as an honest broker to ensure the GAA holds the Liam Miller memorial fundraiser in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) are refusing to row back on plans to replace historic lights at the country’s most southwesterly lighthouse, reducing the power of their beams from 27 to 18 nautical miles.

An internal report carried out by Cork County Council paints a “devastating” blow to the local authority’s future growth and investment if the National Planning Framework (NPF) is implemented.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is being urged to stop the Commissioner for Irish Lights (CIL) downgrading the range of beams emitting from the country’s most iconic lighthouse.

Cork county councillors are demanding that senior IDA officials address their concerns about the lack of progress in establishing industries on 230 hectares of vacant land which the IDA owns at 14 locations around the county.

Cork County Council is to examine barring start-up businesses from securing grant-aid unless they take measures to reduce the use of plastics in the workforce.

A county councillor has claimed he and some of his colleagues are being criticised by the public because of a new system which allows people to apply for local authority houses anywhere in Co Cork.

Harbour constables are to be appointed by Cork County Council to oversee new bylaws which will limit areas for jet ski use, ship speeds in bays, and they may also liaise with gardaí on suspected drug importation.

A unknown issue which caused work to cease on a €16m flood relief project in Co Cork has been resolved.

The Office of Public Works’ mapping of potential flooding in Cork county is seriously inaccurate in a number of locations, it has been claimed, forecasting “Noah’s Ark” extremes and paving the way for insurance companies to hike up cover or refuse it altogether.

The roads’ authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), has parked proposals to name a major route in Cork City after the women who fought in the War of Independence.

The Government is to be asked to prevent the further building of solar energy farms in County Cork until proper guidelines are put in place for their design and operation.

Multimedia displays and apps focusing on walking tours of the famous Battle of Kinsale look set to be developed by Cork County Council to promote tourism in the harbourside town.

A record €120m was collected in rates in Co Cork last year, up nearly €30m on 2010.

Of the six newcomers co-opted onto Cork County Council, three are siblings of councillors elected to the Dáil.

The leas-chathaoirleach of the Seanad has announced that he won’t be running in the next general election, which means for the first time in a generation a new face will appear on the Fianna Fáil ticket in Cork South West.

The next general election is about a year away but already some candidates have declared their interest. Sean O’Riordan looks at the possible runners and riders.

The bonfires were blazing in Bandon on Saturday following the town’s U19 rugby team scooping the All-Ireland title — although the players have been urged to mind the celebrations ahead of another final this weekend.

A TD has claimed it may be illegal for a town council in Cork to use taxpayers’ money to mount a legal challenge against Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s plans to abolish the country’s 80 town councils.

A large construction firm which pulled out of a €3.5m drainage scheme in West Cork earlier this week is continuing to work on a major roads scheme in Cork city.

The auction of a unique collection of War of Independence letters is to go ahead tonight despite calls for the collection to be kept in public ownership.

There have been renewed calls for a new sewage treatment plant for Youghal in Co Cork following the E.coli outbreak which has closed seven beaches.

With rumblings of insurance companies playing hardball, the situation in Cork City and county is as follows:

A TOWN council count in west Cork had to go to a second recount, with a first-time FF candidate finally unseating a veteran FG member last night.