As the clocks go forward, JP is back with a timely and sustainable new venture at UCC
JP Quinn, head of UCC's Visitor Services, with the new clock memento, which is made from reclaimed slates from the roof of UCC's Quad building.
We don't know where he found the time — but his timing is perfect.
Just weeks after celebrating the birth of twins, the man behind the famous UCC College Bar floorboard mementos has launched a new limited edition timepiece memento on the weekend the clocks go forward.
JP Quinn, who along with his wife, Belcy, recently celebrated the birth of twins Corazon and Joseph, has unveiled replicas of the iconic UCC tower clock made from reclaimed slates from the roof of the college's landmark Quad building.
The twins arrived early, spending the first two months of their lives in the care of Cork University Maternity Hospital's neonatal unit. But they have been home for several weeks and are thriving.
Proud dad, JP, the head of UCC Visitor Services and who often shares images of his life with the twins on social media, said he's always been a busy person but life is busier than ever since the birth of Joseph and Corazon just over four months ago.
“Time seems way more relevant to me than it ever has as I now have so little of it to spare," he said.
“I have kind of surprised myself that I have found the time regardless to advance this project.”
The clocks — produced entirely in Cork, from the clockwork to the packaging — are the latest mementos to go on sale from UCC’s Visitor Services and follow the sell-out success of the framed pieces of floorboard from UCC's old College Bar.
In keeping with the university’s proud sustainability ethos, JP began looking at other ways to upcycle parts of the university that could be developed as keepsakes for nostalgic UCC graduates.
He spoke to a member of the university’s buildings team and discovered that there were a large number of slates from the roof of the main Quadrangle that were unused and available.
As he looked up at the roof, the famous Mangan's clock on the UCC tower caught his eye, and the idea for the new timepiece was born.
“Reusing the slate to create something new, we stand true to our commitment to sustainability and our passion for looking for unique ways to find new life for all that we see around us,” JP said.
“This piece has been made in Cork with all parts of its production taking place in the city supporting not only the university but also four local businesses.
“Only 300 of these clocks will be produced so it really is an exclusive item and, as well as a timepiece, a conversation starter.”
And if that wasn't enough, JP is also working on a new book. The UCC clock tower houses the clock designed by Mangan's, the famous Cork clockmakers and jewellers who had a shop from 1817 to the late 1980s at the site of the modern-day entrance to Merchant’s Quay shopping centre.
Mangan's craftsmen were involved in the manufacture of the iconic clock on St Anne’s Church, Shandon, in 1847.
The family also paid for the famous Mangan's Clock which has been a feature outside on St Patrick's Street since the 1850s. It is currently undergoing restoration.
A spokesman for UCC said it is looking at a whole range of sustainable gifts, including souvenirs made from fallen trees, mementos made from upcycling old furniture, and jewellery made using the leaves and trees on campus as its inspiration.
The clocks go forward at 1am on Sunday morning, in order to make the best use of the natural light as the Earth orbits the Sun.
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