Cork city councillors pay tribute to outgoing chief executive

Ann Doherty said running a city is a “team sport”, and urged the Government to help deliver the long-delayed Cork Event Centre.

Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty at the opening of Mary MacSwiney Court. Picture: Alison Miles /OSM PHOTO

The outgoing chief executive of Cork City Council used her last council meeting after a decade in the job to urge the Government to approve additional State funding to secure delivery of the city’s long-awaited event centre.

Ann Doherty said the proposed 6,000-seat venue, a project she has been pursuing on behalf of the council since its sod was turned in 2016, will act as a massive economic stimulus for the city, supporting 900 jobs during construction and a further 800 long-term once built, and will attract up to 500,000 people to the city annually.