Economics and entertainment: How to get Cork buzzing once more

Expecting the country’s second city to offer a range of entertainment venues comparable to those in Dublin would not be realistic; even the most optimistic of Cork’s boosters and promoters would, we hope, be prepared to accept that as a statement of undeniable fact. It would, though, be fair to ask if it could be improved — and if so, how.

Change, of course, is an inescapable ingredient in the life of cities, and that can, more often than not, mean decay; especially so in free-market economies. The engines of commerce and the capricious winds of fashion and media lay waste to what were once treasured venues and landmarks — dance halls, cinemas, nightclubs, even churches — for a place to meet friends and neighbours, or for a good night out.