Person: Michael Moynihan

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Person: Michael Moynihan

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Three years ago, police in Stanhope, Kent, took away park benches and low-lying shrubbery from small parks because, they explained, the benches had provided 'places to gather' and their removal would help 'design out crime'.</p>

S columnists

Michael Moynihan: Park benches can be a much hotter topic than you'd expect

From Paris to Cork, the debate over benches reveals deeper tensions about design, policing, community needs and who public spaces serve

Michael Moynihan

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

Michael Moynihan

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

Michael Moynihan

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

Michael Moynihan

SMichael Moynihan: The (Cork) questions we should be asking presidential election hopefuls

Michael Moynihan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Moynihan: All-Ireland dreams are for someone else now — the Cork camogie players

S Michael Moynihan: All-Ireland dreams are for someone else now — the Cork camogie players

As we traverse Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s famous stages of dealing with grief, let's remember there's another prize to be won

Thu, 31 Jul, 2025

Michael Moynihan: How mapping memory reveals the real story of Cork’s streets and spaces

S Michael Moynihan: How mapping memory reveals the real story of Cork’s streets and spaces

Michael Moynihan maps Cork not by streets or stations but by life’s moments — joyful, painful, absurd — that shape a city into a story

Thu, 24 Jul, 2025

Laois v Offaly - Joe McDonagh Cup Final

S Michael Moynihan: 15 things every Cork supporter should know this All-Ireland weekend

From finding tickets to dodging tolls and choosing the right pub, here’s Michael Moynihan's All-Ireland final survival guide for Cork fans

Thu, 17 Jul, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Failure to remove graffiti sends out a wrong message about Cork

S Michael Moynihan: Failure to remove graffiti sends out a wrong message about Cork

It seems a city with paint smeared on walls and quaysides has simply shrugged its shoulders because that’s just the way it is. What other conclusion can you reach?

Thu, 10 Jul, 2025

Michael Moynihan: 10 lessons from Dublin's city taskforce Cork can't afford to ignore

Michael Moynihan: 10 lessons from Dublin's city taskforce Cork can't afford to ignore

From derelict buildings to faded flags, Cork’s city centre needs action — not just taskforces and good intentions

Thu, 03 Jul, 2025

Manna Aero drone is seen as it delivers essential household and medical supplies in the Irish village of Moneygall

S Michael Moynihan: Drone deliveries could land in Cork — but at what cost to jobs, privacy, and peace of mind?

As drone deliveries expand from Dublin to Cork, we must ask what’s lost when convenience takes flight over people’s heads

Thu, 12 Jun, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork City’s buses are struggling — and even new plans might not fix the crisis

S Michael Moynihan: Cork City’s buses are struggling — and even new plans might not fix the crisis

From smoke-belching engines to stalled strategy documents, Cork City’s transport future looks as troubled as its present system

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Lights, camera, Leeside — why it’s time Cork claimed its place in the film spotlight

S Michael Moynihan: Lights, camera, Leeside — why it’s time Cork claimed its place in the film spotlight

Inspired by Sicily’s screen-fuelled tourism boom, a new Cork film initiative dares to imagine a brighter, bolder future

Thu, 29 May, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Broken and damaged footpaths cost us more than you think

S Michael Moynihan: Broken and damaged footpaths cost us more than you think

Cork City could learn something from two American cities when it comes to the upkeep of its footpaths, writes Michael Moynihan

Thu, 22 May, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork city is neglected and dirty — but is it really unsafe?

S Michael Moynihan: Cork city is neglected and dirty — but is it really unsafe?

The blighted cityscape is bad enough, but the message of neglect and dismissal it carries is worse. It lowers people’s self-esteem and makes visiting the city a chore

Thu, 15 May, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork deserves better than a 19th-century building for its 21st-century city library

S Michael Moynihan: Cork deserves better than a 19th-century building for its 21st-century city library

Cork’s proposed city library move raises serious questions about civic ambition, architectural fit, and long-term cultural vision

Thu, 08 May, 2025

Michael Moynihan: How Cork built homes after war — and why the same housing issues remain today

S Michael Moynihan: How Cork built homes after war — and why the same housing issues remain today

From slums and returning soldiers to post-war shortages, Cork’s housing challenges echo loudly across the decades

Thu, 01 May, 2025

Michael Moynihan: McGregor factor shouldn't stop power from the ground up

S Michael Moynihan: McGregor factor shouldn't stop power from the ground up

Cork needs a proper decision-maker, even if the 'business case' has already been made

Thu, 24 Apr, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork Luas route and distributor road reveal two-tier planning system

S Michael Moynihan: Cork Luas route and distributor road reveal two-tier planning system

Cork’s latest transport plans favour the south while the northside faces roadbuilding through green space and exclusion

Thu, 17 Apr, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Lack of road markings in Cork is a hazard — and a message that the city doesn’t care

S Michael Moynihan: Lack of road markings in Cork is a hazard — and a message that the city doesn’t care

From chaotic junctions to unclear lanes, faded road markings are turning Cork’s streets into everyday obstacle courses

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork county board is all talk no action on Páirc Uí Chaoimh concert potential

S Michael Moynihan: Cork county board is all talk no action on Páirc Uí Chaoimh concert potential

Páirc Uí Chaoimh struggles to attract concerts, but other Irish venues make it work — what’s stopping Cork?

Thu, 27 Mar, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Uisce Éireann’s silence on Cork’s water crisis is an insult to the public

S Michael Moynihan: Uisce Éireann’s silence on Cork’s water crisis is an insult to the public

Uisce Éireann faces mounting criticism for refusing to address Cork’s ongoing water crisis and councillors' demands for accountability

Thu, 20 Mar, 2025

Dog marking territory

Michael Moynihan: Your dog is lovely — but it doesn’t belong in my coffee shop

As dogs invade shopping centres and cafés, have we lost all boundaries? It’s time for owners to reconsider public etiquette

Thu, 13 Mar, 2025

Michael Moynihan: We've never had a president from Cork and Tommy Tiernan is to blame

S Michael Moynihan: We've never had a president from Cork and Tommy Tiernan is to blame

This business of Michael D Higgins’s replacement is getting out of hand. The field is already pretty crowded

Thu, 06 Mar, 2025

Michael Moynihan: The number of days without sun in Dublin didn’t break any records. But it’s news?

S Michael Moynihan: The number of days without sun in Dublin didn’t break any records. But it’s news?

This privileging of Dublin’s significance isn’t always a case of daggers drawn. Sometimes it reveals itself in humour

Thu, 27 Feb, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Synge Street debate throws light on something that Irish people don’t like to discuss

S Michael Moynihan: Synge Street debate throws light on something that Irish people don’t like to discuss

The Synge Street CBS controversy isn't just about the Irish language — it exposes deep-seated assumptions about class, education, and who gets to succeed

Thu, 20 Feb, 2025

Michael Moynihan: A traffic calming plan for Ballinlough would be such a cool move

S Michael Moynihan: A traffic calming plan for Ballinlough would be such a cool move

Cork’s Ballinlough community is demanding action on school-run gridlock and dangerous roads — calling for real solutions, not excuses

Thu, 13 Feb, 2025

Michael Moynihan: What Madrid’s metro teaches us about Cork’s transport woes

Michael Moynihan: What Madrid’s metro teaches us about Cork’s transport woes

Cork’s traffic is a mess, and public transport isn’t much better. Madrid’s metro shows how things could change

Thu, 06 Feb, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Why is Uisce Éireann doing so much damage to Cork's precious waterways?

Michael Moynihan: Why is Uisce Éireann doing so much damage to Cork's precious waterways?

From sewage spills to dirty drinking water, Uisce Éireann’s failures are stacking up — how much more can Cork take?

Thu, 30 Jan, 2025

Michael Moynihan: ‘Repeated public requests’ can get things done — but not for bus routes

S Michael Moynihan: ‘Repeated public requests’ can get things done — but not for bus routes

Why do over 36,000 people in Cork have a worse bus service now than they did six months ago?

Thu, 23 Jan, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Pyjama pants on Pana? Has dressing in good attire gone out of fashion?

S Michael Moynihan: Pyjama pants on Pana? Has dressing in good attire gone out of fashion?

Everyone seems to have dressed really well in Cork in the 1960s. Now we live in an era of unflattering tracksuit pants, baseball caps, drooping jeans and crocs

Thu, 16 Jan, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Chaos of 1985 reminds us that Cork is in a far better place now

S Michael Moynihan: Chaos of 1985 reminds us that Cork is in a far better place now

One of the lessons from 1985 which is applicable now — even more so now, perhaps — is not to lose hope

Thu, 09 Jan, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Cork City residents deserve their voices to be heard and understood

S Michael Moynihan: Cork City residents deserve their voices to be heard and understood

Open drug use, widespread dereliction, ongoing traffic congestion, and antisocial behaviour in the city centre are ongoing problems for people who are living and working in Cork. That is why we hear and read about those issues, writes Michael Moynihan

Thu, 02 Jan, 2025

File Pics An Post has said it will need to cut staff numbers by almost 2000 by 2015.

S Michael Moynihan: Christmas a reminder that the postman is a vital part of our community

There are now plenty of alternatives to the postman, but I have yet to hear anyone talk fondly of the impact of such operators on matters such as traffic, parking, and, in some cases, the reliable arrival of purchased goods

Thu, 26 Dec, 2024

Michael Moynihan: The tradition of spiced beef in Cork goes a long way back

S Michael Moynihan: The tradition of spiced beef in Cork goes a long way back

If you have lived somewhere in Ireland beyond the borders of Cork then you will be familiar with a Christmastime sidle, a stealthy approach which occurs at roughly the same point in December every year.

Thu, 19 Dec, 2024

Michael Moynihan: Stuck for a superb Christmas gift? This one rewards every reader

S Michael Moynihan: Stuck for a superb Christmas gift? This one rewards every reader

If anyone in your house enjoys history, politics, or revolution then this is the book to buy

Thu, 12 Dec, 2024

Michael Moynihan: Does using VQ as a catch-all term affect MacCurtain Street’s identity?

S Michael Moynihan: Does using VQ as a catch-all term affect MacCurtain Street’s identity?

As a controversy, linking the street named after former lord mayor Tomás MacCurtain to Queen Victoria shrinks in comparison with the ongoing failure to rename Anglesea Street after another hero, Terence MacSwiney

Thu, 05 Dec, 2024

Michael Moynihan: Some advice to new TDs in Leinster House — if you’re from Cork then own it

S Michael Moynihan: Some advice to new TDs in Leinster House — if you’re from Cork then own it

The more obscure place names from Cork you mention the better

Thu, 28 Nov, 2024

Michael Moynihan: A Christmas miracle for Cork but lots more to get done

S Michael Moynihan: A Christmas miracle for Cork but lots more to get done

Last January I made a number of suggestions that would help improve life in the city ... so where are we now?

Thu, 21 Nov, 2024

Michael Moynihan: When small businesses close, communities are never quite the same

S Michael Moynihan: When small businesses close, communities are never quite the same

My message to the next Dáil: When small operations which are rooted in their community close down, those communities are not quite the same afterwards, says Michael Moynihan

Listen | Thu, 14 Nov, 2024

'My message to the next Dáil' podcast: Michael Moynihan on supporting small business

'My message to the next Dáil' podcast: Michael Moynihan on supporting small business

Rising energy and inflated input costs have seen small businesses across the country close their doors for good over the last couple of years. What can the next Government do to support small business?

Listen | Thu, 14 Nov, 2024

Michael Moynihan: Livin’ la vida mocha — when did the Great Coffee War start in Cork?

S Michael Moynihan: Livin’ la vida mocha — when did the Great Coffee War start in Cork?

There must have been some kind of massed battle between baristas of various types on Patrick’s Street, with victory going to those fond of the diesel-flavoured coffee (or coffee-flavoured diesel)

Thu, 07 Nov, 2024