Cultural crown that promises us riches

More than six months ago Dan Buckley took a dismal view of Cork 2005. Now he’s preparing the humble pie.

THE clever and erudite people of north Kerry have a way of dealing with unwelcome criticism, particularly when it cannot effectively be deflected or countered.

They choose to ignore it or, as a friend from Listowel once advised me in this regard, “give them plenty no notice”.

To their credit, the programme makers for Cork 2005 have been giving us all plenty no notice since last summer even when the criticism of plans for the year has been loud, constant and trenchant.

I was among the doleful disdainers when the outline of a programme for the Capital of Culture year was announced on a sunny day in July.

In fairness to the critics, July’s announcement was preemptive, far too early to make a meal of something when the starters had yet to be organised.

The city’s business community was also worried that it would not benefit from Cork 2005, looking enviously at Glasgow as an example of urban regeneration. Since its place in the sun over a decade ago, it has transformed from a cultural wasteland into a vibrant, exciting destination attracting 20 times the number of tourists it used to.

And, although the notion of “cultural tourism” may be anathema to many in the artistic community, the reality is that hosting the cultural Olympics can help everyone from artists, musicians and writers to shopkeepers.

The designation of the city as European Capital of Culture next year has challenged some of the brightest minds in Cork and they have risen to that challenge.

I still take issue, though, with the Knitting Map of Cork, based on a pattern generated from satellite photography of the city. The map will involve 50 people at a time knitting every day for a year. What worries me is that if one of them drops a stitch, there goes Knocknaheeny.

But I make that criticism confident that, like last July, the programme makers will give me plenty no notice.