start 2025 on a high note with the release of a new single are an acclaimed folk-rock duo celebrated for their unique fusion of Appalachian The Grammy award winning duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are noted for their activism around Native American land rights Amy Ray of Indigo Girls says: “I feel so fortunate to have been welcomed into the Dervish fold Honored and psyched to be part of the project John Reynolds has always brought us amazing opportunities to broaden our musical horizons and this is one of those precious moments Thanks to Dervish for inviting us over the pond Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls says: “We have been so excited about being part of the Dervish project – many thanks to John Reynolds for the invitation and to the members of Dervish for welcoming us into this gorgeous musical world.” Shane Mitchell of Dervish says: “It’s been such a great privilege for Dervish to record ‘Passage West’ with Indigo Girls artists we’ve greatly admired for a very long time We’re really enjoying collaborating with so many iconic artists for our new album Working with artists from such a wide array of genres has been such an inspiring process for us creatively we’re honored to present the works of some of Ireland’s best contemporary songwriters.” ‘Passage West’ was written by the renowned Irish singer-songwriter John Spillane and is the first release from a brand new Dervish album which featured musical heavyweights such as Imelda May That album earned Dervish a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Folk Awards The new album will feature contemporary Irish  folk songs that have been written in recent years by top Irish songwriters and will be released by Down the Road Records – part of the Exceleration Music Group It’s set to be a busy year for Dervish with a number of important projects in the pipeline for the iconic Sligo-based band Indigo Girls fly into Ireland for a very special show with Dervish at The National Concert Hall on Thursday 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of dearly loved wife of Edmond and much loved mother of Melanie and loving sister-in-law of the late Laura and Finbarr Sadly missed by her loving husband and daughter on Sunday (April 13th) from 4.00pm to 5.00pm The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. Please leave your personal message for Margaret’s family on the condolence section below. Rip.ie, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Ireland The case is due to be decided by June 17, 2025 Parson Developments Limited got the green light from Cork County Council to construct 18 semi-detached homes and the restoration and change of use at the site of the former Mount Saint Joseph orphanage at Black Road The development included the demolition of former farm buildings and the annexes to the rear and southwest of the former institutional structure as well as modifications to the existing vehicular entrance at the Black Road It also included associated site works including road the plans have been appealed by third parties to An Bord Pleanála with objections citing “excessive density and inappropriate scale and urban form of development” which would be “out of character within the curtilage of the protected structure.”  Objections also included the development having a “significant detrimental” impact on the visual amenities of the area Cork County Council have approved plans for almost 100 new homes in Mallow Developers Reside (Castlepark) Ltd sought permission to build 99 residential units at St The approved development will comprise 95 two- three- and four-bed semi-detached houses and townhouses four one- and three-bed duplex/apartment units It will also include associated site works including vehicular access From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in The Camp Field on Cork's Old Youghal Road is one of three sites newly identified by the Land Development Agency as having  potential for affordable homes. Picture: Larry Cummins © Examiner Echo Group Limited, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712. Singer and songwriter Cathy Jordan of Dervish. Photo: David Conachy. 22/2/2019 On a cold, stormy day in Sligo, Cathy Jordan of Dervish is talking about the eternal verities and the great questionings that were stirred in their new single, Passage West – John Spillane’s song about the Famine. Produced by John Reynolds, it features Jordan singing with the Indigo Girls’s Amy Ray and Emily Saliers with whom Reynolds worked on albums Look Long and Come On Now Social. Jordan, Reynolds and Spillane here spill the beans. Daily word puzzles designed to test your vocabulary and lateral thinking skills. Girls from Passage West taking part in the parade at Passage West Ladies Football Blitz .  The two-day event took place across the weekend and was the largest annual blitz held at the club to date which has been taking place at the Passage West grounds for more than 15 years and saw only eight local teams taking part Girls from Castlemartyr Ladies Gaelic Football Club at Passage West Ladies Football Blitz on Saturday The two-day blitz featured 240 teams of 10 players in a range of underage categories.Since then with widespread support from event sponsors including Childline The event sees children’s teams from all over the country ensuring everyone involved can enjoy their day out and not worry about being competitive Girls from Carrigtwohill enjoying the football blitz Pictures: Larry Cummins.The two-day affair also saw the return of the annual parade which encouraged kids and adults alike to sing and dance while enjoying each other’s company the event also saw special guests making an appearance including Lord Mayor of Cork councillor Dan Boyle and Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork councillor Martin Coughlan Other local councillors were also in attendance alongside members of the board from sponsoring companies who taught the children about water safety and CPR Each year the blitz requires a large amount of hands to put together and sees local volunteers band together to bring the event to life Among those who work to bring the event to fruition is long-time event organiser who spends months on end coming up with new ways to improve the annual festivities Cousins Sophia O’Connor and Laura Mannix with team-mates from Fermoy GAA at Passage West Ladies Football Blitz.Speaking to The Echo Mr McEveney said: “It’s all about making contacts and memories and then the parade starts at 11am on the dot “Over the years people have said they love the dancing Even teams from Dublin have said it was better than the Féile,” Mr McEveney said and shops get a lot out of it from people coming down to stay and I reckon it raises anywhere between €1.5m and €3m [in revenue] “The only thing we don’t have control over is the weather and everyone really looks forward to it each year,” he said Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox Please click here for our privacy statement. Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news Serving the best in South Cork News ProudToBeLocal SearchPassage West musician wins first GrammyOnline JournalistFeb 44 min readTara Maher and Eve Lonergan Passage West native Cian Ducrot won his first Grammy for songwriting at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the weekend Ducrot picked up the award for his efforts in co-writing SZA's hit track Saturn which was named Best R&B Song at the awards He marked the milestone by taking to Instagram to say he "can't believe it" Peter's Community School student sold out headline shows in Dublin and Cork last year and toured North America with Callum Scott last year Ducrot was a popular singer in Cork throughout his teens and gained recognition on Tik Tok He won RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish Song of the Year with his track Heaven He returns to Cork this summer to play Live At The Marquee on July 19th Singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot took a trip down memory lane before Christmas as he visited his Alma Mater St Peter’s Community School in his hometown of Passage West Principal Tony McSweeney and Grammy winner Cian DucrotCian Ducrot return came shortly after it had been announced he was nominated for the prestigious Grammy award In what was an inspiring visit and spent an afternoon reconnecting with the place that shaped much of his educational years which was organised as part of the school’s ongoing commitment to fostering connections with alumni coincided with the making of a documentary for Virgin Media that is being produced about Cian’s life It also provided an opportunity for staff to meet the talented musician and hear first-hand about his journey from a student at St As Cian Ducrot stepped back onto the familiar grounds of his former school he was greeted with a warm reception from Principal Tony McSweeney Walking through the halls where his own academic journey began Cian could not help but reminisce about the teachers who made a difference in his life and the friends he made during his time there peers had sent Cian videos of him performing in the school and also shared memories and stories Principal Tony McSweeney said “It was great to have Cian back we got to catch up and chat about his global success however he was very keen to reminisce on his time in St Peter’s and what a positive relationship he had with staff and he talked about the different memories he recalled from different parts of our school “We walked the halls and Cian was shocked to see his picture up from a decade old talent show on our school corridor but it has been his work ethic and resilience which has helped foster such an amazing musical career “Cian was drawn to our student leadership wall and I explained that this is our way of recognising and acknowledging student achievement in different aspects of life both within school and out in the community Cian came across our school piano in its new location and was happy to sit and perform and he commented positively on the nostalgic effect his visit was having.” Once just a talented boy from Passage West Cian has recently received a Grammy nomination for his part in the songwriting in ‘Saturn’ by acclaimed R&B artist SZA Cian’s visit home wasn’t just about looking back—it was also about inspiring the future By sharing his experiences and offering encouragement Cian hopes to ignite a sense of possibility in the students he emphasised the importance of following one’s dreams Principal Tony McSweeney also commented how grateful the school was for the visit “Cian is a wonderful example of how hard work and staying true to yourself can lead to success His success has been incredibly inspiring for both our students and staff and we are so proud of everything he has accomplished “We as a school are so proud of our past and our present and in the past two years we have had visits from past pupils such as Michael and Seamus McGrath all of which are chances for us to celebrate the achievements of our alumni while also serving to inspire and motivate our current students to set the highest of standards and expectations.” The visit was a reminder of the powerful role education plays in shaping individuals who go on to make an impact in the world Cian Ducrot’s visit was a clear demonstration of the limitless potential they all have within them reflecting on the journey that had brought him from these very classrooms to stages around the world Cian also promised that the next visit would not be so long as it was his first time in the school in 10 years He was delighted to read about the upcoming musical and wished staff and students all the best for the event Ireland  If you would like to make a donation to the chosen charity please click on the button below. Ardmore House is on the Cork Road approach to  Passage West. Agent Maurice Cohalan guides on four acres at €1.5m, saying  it may suit for commercial or private home purposes Ardmore House is impressiveFor sale for the first time in almost a century is the impressive Ardmore House in Passage West, on four acres with stone courtyard buildings and barn: it dates to the 1770s, originally owned by the Roberts family, with Richard Roberts the first man ever to cross the Atlantic by steamship, captaining the SS Sirius, in 1838. A model of the Sirius, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic after leaving Passage West, on display in Passage West Maritime Museum.After generations in Roberts family ownership, the three-storey 4,000 sq ft Ardmore House was bought in 1927 by the Aherne family who farmed it for decades. Some of the outbuildingsThey previously sold some of the land in the early 2000s to developers O’Brien & O’Flynn for the substantial Harbour Heights residential development a few fields way from the period house and farm buildings which now also come to market. Selling agent again is Maurice Cohalan of Cohalan Downing, who sold the development land for the Ahernes back in the 2000s for a multi-million euro sum. This time, the guide price for the 250 year old Ardmore House is €1.5m, and that’s for a distinctive five-bay three-storey home with canted bay windows, enclose limestone porch or portico, two fine reception rooms, up to six bedrooms and an array of fine two-storey outbuildings, two of them six-bay, inside an enclosed courtyard via a tall limestone arch. One of two flanking archesThe land going with house includes a steel farm barn, and there’s an option to acquire more than the initial four acres the historic home is offered on, says Mr Cohalan. The land is good pasture, and is unzoned, with numerous specimen trees in the paddocks and there’s a new, wide approach avenue to the house from the Cork Road from Rochestown into Passage West (just before an Aldi). The Ardmore name is linked to a townland and to late 20th century high density and private housing schemes on the perimeter of Passage West, while the former Aherne family lands on the town side now hold many hundred homes in the OBOF Harbour Heights scheme. Family members will avail of a different access point off a higher road to their retained lands for cattle and other farm enterprises, it’s understood. Predicting both commercial/hospitality (think Crosshaven House?) and private buyer interest Cohalan Downing’s Jackie Cohalan says Ardmore House is “steeped in history. It deserves considerate new owners who will undertake the upgrading and refurbishment necessary to blend contemporary comforts with historical charm.” Con's Shop 12A Gurranabraher Road Jeremy Murphy The MV Matthew is being stored near Passage West by Revenue, which says that, for operational reasons, the engine cannot be shut down. Picture: Dan Linehan. with a local councillor calling it “unacceptable” Several locals have made complaints to Cork County Council about loud engine noises coming from the large ship which is currently being stored near the town by Revenue which says it is not possible to shut off the engine or move the ship which is costing the State €100,000 per week to maintain was stormed by a specialist wing of the Irish Defence Forces in September 2023 off the Cork coast and 2.2 tonnes of cocaine The trial for the eight accused relating to the drugs seizure is expected to begin in January and take four months “The ship was seized in October 2023 and arrived in Passage soon after effectively,” Fianna Fáil councillor and general election candidate Seamus McGrath told The Echo “Revenue told us that the ship is needed because of proceedings going through the court and it is part of the evidence and confirmed it would be disposed after that.” In a letter to Mr McGrath seen by The Echo a Revenue commissioner wrote: “A number of persons are currently before the courts on charges related to this matter and the MV Matthew is deemed to be an exhibit in those proceedings “The MV Matthew is currently in a standby operational status it is not possible to completely shut down a vessel of this size as generator power is required 24/7; nor is it possible to move the vessel to anchor The main engines are only run when absolutely necessary." “Revenue is aware of noise complaints in relation to the MV Matthew and continues to work with the Port of Cork and on-board personnel to assess the issue and explore any possible mitigation measures which may ameliorate the position,” added the commissioner Mr McGrath expressed his disappointment with the response saying: “Residents feel that they’ve put up with a lot of inconvenience and disruption for going on a year Revenue weren’t in a position to give us an end date A spokesperson for Cork County Council told The Echo: “From May of this year a total of six complaints have been logged by Cork County Council in relation to noise from the MV Matthew “The council’s Environment Directorate have been actively engaging with Port of Cork Company in recent months seeking to address the issues giving rise to these complaints.” surrounded by his loving family at the Cork University Hospital O’Connor Ltd; On Monday (March 24th) from 5.00pm to 6.00pm Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Tuesday (March 25th) in St My Condolences P.A.C.E Please leave your personal message for Tom’s family on the condolence section below. memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one Passage West and formerly of Farranree): On April 9th 2025 Beloved partner of the recently deceased Angela Stout adored mother of Kenneth and stepdaughter Jacinta and dear sister of Christina Turners Cross on Thursday (April 10th) from 5pm until 6pm Cremation Service on Friday (April 11th) at 1pm at the Island Crematorium, Ringaskiddy which will be livestreamed HERE No flowers please. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Marymount Eileen’s family would like to sincerely thank all the doctors, nurses and staff who cared for Eileen in Cork University Hospital and Marymount. Messages for Eileen’s family may be left on the condolence link below. Cremation / Burial.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: Higgins – O’Mullane (Convent Place, Passage West) On March 29th 2025, peacefully in the presence of her loving family and in the tender care of the Staff at Marymount, CORA, beloved mother of Ricky and Corey, adored grandmother of Ella and Rónón. Dear sister of Maire, Theresa, Imelda and the late Raymond and Eileen. Sadly missed by her loving family, Ricky and Corey’s partners Jenny and Enya, extended family, neighbours and friends. Reposing at her home in Convent Place on Monday (31st) from 6.00pm until 8.00pm. Requiem Mass on Tuesday (1st April) at 11.00am in St. Mary’s Church, Passage West, funeral afterwards to St. Michael’s Cemetery, Blackrock. Passage West and formerly of McCurtains Villas) On January 17th 2025 peacefully in the presence of her loving family and in the tender care of the staff at Riverstick Care Centre especially her friends in the P.A.C.E Centre Carrigaline on Saturday (18th) from 5:00pm until 6:00pm Requiem Mass on Monday (20th) at 1:00pm in St Funeral afterwards to The Island Crematorium No flowers please, donations in lieu to the Alzeimher Society (https://alzheimer.ie/get-involved/ways-to-give/) or I.S.P.C.A (https://ispca.ie/donations/). SCALLAN (Cork and Wexford): On 31st December in the presence of his loving family at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice RICHARD (Dick) much loved husband of Margaret (O’Sullivan and née Reidy) and of the late Elizabeth (née Cullimore) Matthew and Isaac and his great-grandchildren Cillian Daithí and Liam and his late grandchildren Niall O’Connor Ltd; On Thursday (January 2nd) from 3.00pm to 4.00pm Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Friday (January 3rd) in St Passage West which will be live streamed on https://mycondolences.ie/ Cremation service at 11.00am on Saturday (January 4th) at the Island Crematorium Marymount Hospice Please leave your personal message for Dick’s family on the condolence section below. Dineen (Passage West) On December 27th 2024 unexpectedly Dean Noel beloved son of the late Noel and the recently deceased Lucy (McCarthy) Carrigaline on Sunday (29th) from 4.00pm until 5.00pm Cremation on Monday (30th) at 10.00am at The Island Crematorium https://www.pieta.ie/contact/pieta-cork/ Messages for the family may be left on the link below. Cuthbert (Passage West and late of Bandon Road) On October 28th 2024 peacefully in the presence of her loving family and friends and in the wonderful care of the staff of the Cork University Hospital Passage West followed by funeral to The Island Crematorium No flowers please, donations in lieu to CUH Charity click here Messages of sympathy for Catherine's family can be left on the condolence link below. surrounded by his loving family at Cork University Hospital Patrick Vincent (Benny) (late of Haulbowline Industries Passage West and E.S.B Pitch and Putt Club) beloved husband of Mary Carrigaline on Tuesday (8th) from 5:00pm until 6:00pm Requiem Mass on Wednesday (9th) at 2:30pm in St Family flowers only donations in lieu to Marymount (https://marymount.ie/get-involved/donate/). Condolences for the family may be left on the link below. The death has occurred of Eileen O’ Brien (née Cullinane) Passage West & Skibbereen on 31st October 2024 peacefully surrounded by her loving family in the tender care of the staff at Beaumont Residential Care Home Finola (Harrington) & Dee (O’Connor) and sister of Patsy & the late Mary Copley Street from 6pm followed by prayers at 7pm on Friday 8th November Requiem Mass on Saturday 9th at 11am in St Mary's Church, Passage West which will be livestreamed here followed by burial in Castlehaven new cemetery Messages of sympathy can be left on the condolence link below or on foleyfunerals.ie Family flowers only please, donation in lieu to PACE (Passage Association for the Care of the Elderly) Donation box provided in funeral home and church. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday BLUETT (Passage West, Co. Cork): On August 18th, 2024, peacefully, at home, MARY ELLEN (née Murphy), dearly beloved wife of the recently deceased Jim, loving mother of Margaret, Michael and Patrick, dear sister of Jim, Helen, Ann, Catherine, Liz, Paddy and Mick. Sadly missed by her loving family, son-in-law Vlad, daughters-in-law Chris and Anna, grandchildren, relatives and friends. Reposing at her home in “Windy Ridge”, Passage West on Thursday (August 29th) from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Friday (August 30th) in St. Mary’s Church, Passage West. Funeral afterwards to St. Mary’s Cemetery, Passage West, Co. Cork. Please leave your personal message for Mary Ellen’s family on the condolence section below. Sligo-based traditional Irish music band Dervish have teamed up with The Indigo Girls for their new single, Passage West, and they both play the National Concert Hall on 30 January We asked Shane Mitchell of Dervish the BIG questions We need your consent to load this Spotify contentWe use Spotify to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences The track was written by Cork singer-songwriter John Spillane and is the first release from a brand new Dervish album The new album features contemporary Irish folk songs that have been written in recent years by Irish songwriters It is produced by John Reynolds (Sinéad O'Connor Andrea Corr) and is a follow up to Dervish's 2019 collaborations album Speaking about the Indigo Girls collaboration Shane says: "It's been such a great privilege for Dervish to record Passage West with Indigo Girls artists we've greatly admired for a very long time We're really enjoying collaborating with so many iconic artists for our new album "Working with artists from such a wide array of genres has been such an inspiring process for us creatively we're honoured to present the works of some of Ireland's best contemporary songwriters." Amy Ray of Indigo Girls says: "I feel so fortunate to have been welcomed into the Dervish fold Honoured and psyched to be part of the project "John Reynolds has always brought us amazing opportunities to broaden our musical horizons and this is one of those precious moments Moya Brennan of Clannad, who also features new Dervish album, will be another special guest at the NCH show. Tickets from €35 incl. booking fee are on sale here. I was born in Sligo and I come from a musical background, my father was a fiddle player and my mother was an Irish dancer and teacher of dancing. They had a music bar in Sligo in the 1960s and this is where I heard my first music. They later moved to the country to raise my sister Fionnuala and myself. I have two teenage sons, Tiarnan and Lochrann, who I am very proud of. I also have a strong interest in festivals and in 2004 I founded the Sligo Live Festival where I co-produced shows for artists like Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and others. My music is traditional Irish but I love being innovative and creating new arrangements to present traditional music. In recent years Dervish have been collaborating with a wide range of different artists which has been great for the band creatively. My musical inspirations are very local from the Sligo tradition of music. I grew up listening to traditional music legends Matt Molloy, Fred Finn, Peter Horan, Seamus Tansey and Joe Burke. I also listen to a wide variety of other music like Van Morrison, Travis, Vasen From Sweden, The Bothy Band, Planxty, First Aid Kit, Alison Krauss, to name a few. More recently I went to see Fontaines D.C. with my son and I believe they are one of the greatest bands out of Ireland in recent times, who proudly embrace their Irish roots in a sincere way which is refreshing to see. Stockton’s Wing at The Baymount, Strandhill, Co. Sligo in the late 70s. What was the first record you ever bought? Traditional Music of Ireland by Joe Burke. I am thinking these days about the late Seamus Begley whose anniversary occurs around now and thinking about his version of The Boys of Barr Na Sraide. "See the brown ground under the green" - The Business Enterprise (My Friend John) by Those Nervous Animals (1984). If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be? It would not be a song it would be an instrumental from The Bothy Band called The Keash Jig Set. Where can people find your music/more information? © RTÉ 2025. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Media. RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Dervish\u0027s new album features contemporary Irish folk songs that have been written in recent years by Irish songwriters. Photo credit: Tim Jarvis \u003Cp\u003EThe Indigo Girls: \u0022We feel so fortunate to have been welcomed into the Dervish fold. Honoured and psyched to be part of the project.\u0022 Photo credit: Jeremy Cowart\u003C/p\u003E The murder of Cork woman Olivia Dunlea (pictured, will be featured in an episode of TG4's Marú Inár Measc on Wednesday. who then set fire to the duvet on the bed where she lay dying paralysed from her injuries has said that it is “maddening ” to think that he can apply for parole this year Darren Murphy set a second fire downstairs in the kitchen of Olivia Dunlea’s home in Passage West A murder trial in 2018 heard that when Murphy was contacted about the fire he returned to the house and gave an “Oscar-like performance”. Ann Dunlea of Victoria Avenue in Cork had to endure three murder trials before she saw the killer of her daughter Olivia jailed for life in 2018 Ms Dunlea said that “it feels like being back on trial again” now that Murphy is eligible to apply for parole this year “It is all about him now again and we are back to square one She was 36 years old when he murdered her and left her poor three children without a mother "He lied and lied and lied even on the night he murdered He went home up the back way (of the park) and watched the house on fire Ann said that Olivia’s children were being minded by one of her other daughters Amanda on the night of the murder When Ann heard that a fire had broken out at Olivia’s she rang her daughter who had gone on a night out was discovered lying face down on her bed having suffered stab wounds.“Little did I know God help us that she was burned alive The ceiling was after falling down on top of her "(Her kids were) nine, 10 and 12. Aaron (her son) made his confirmation two week later.” Ann told show host PJ Coogan that even after the three murder trials concluded Mr Murphy lodged an appeal of his conviction He didn’t say ‘no’ I am after putting them (the family) through enough He hasn’t a decent bone in his body.” Ms Dunlea has described as deeply upsetting the fact that Murphy can apply for parole after 12 years in custody He is after doing (being in custody) 12 years It is a pity he wasn’t a good boy before he went to prison and left my child alone Ann says that Darren and Olivia had only casually dated for a number of weeks when he murdered her she says they now know that he was displaying extremely worrying behaviour in the weeks before he killed Olivia “He was stalking her (Olivia) at night and we never knew anything about that It was through the court that we used to hear that he was outside in his car Not directly outside her house but in her park "It is heartbreaking to see her poor children growing up without her I am hoping he won’t get parole but we have to be practical and think ‘what if.’ I am not prepared for that "For me life is life and he should be left rot somewhere I can see their mother now in them (her children) I have an awful habit of calling some of the grandchildren Olivia when they are all in the house a postmortem examination revealed that Olivia had six stab wounds two behind the right ear and four to the front of the neck One of the wounds behind her ear penetrated in to her spinal canal causing bleeding inside her skull which would have caused paralysis The Central Criminal Court in Cork heard that during the trial that clothes had to be bought for the children of Olivia Dunlea because they literally didn’t have a shirt on their backs after the fire The family managed to retrieve a few photographs and personal items from the loft of the house in Pembroke Crescent in Passage West the family did not get to the see Olivia's body before she was laid to rest he conceded that he had committed manslaughter He was 41 when he was jailed for life in 2018 Olivia Dunlea was discovered lying face down on her bed having suffered stab wounds Two lockers on either side of her bed were burned and the ceiling had collapsed The ceiling joints in her bedroom were charred and the en suite was badly burned The trial was told that Mr Murphy reacted so strongly to the break-up of an earlier relationship that he slashed his wrists and required admission to a psychiatric unit Witnesses in the trial had indicated that he had wanted to control his girlfriend Ann Dunlea says that Olivia lives on in her "incredible children" Ann and Olivia’s daughter Megan are set too feature in Marú inár Measc a three-part true crime documentary series produced by Midas Productions The series explores the impact of crimes on victims’ families and their communities The episode involving the Dunlea family will air on Wednesday at 9.30pm on TG4 Follow and share the latest news and stories more violence against women articles A 13-year-old girl who died in a crash whilst she was competing in an auto grass racing event at the Castletown Kennigh track in Enniskean Cork yesterday has been named locally as Lauren O’Brien of Knockane Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence Volunteers helping out at last year's blitz more #Ladies Football articles Join Éamonn Murphy, Denis Hurley and Barry O'Mahony on the new season of The Echo Sport Podcast where they'll be analysing Cork GAA. Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news, views, sport and more The late Fr Con Cronin features in the new documentary, Sins of Ireland. He is pictured above saying Mass in Passage West  It introduces fifteen Irish priests of different ages and backgrounds who openly share their perspectives on the harm caused by the institution’s troubled history in Ireland through the lens of confession. Fegan, who previously brought us the insightful documentaries Older Than Older and The Irish Pub, has a knack for understanding things that are intrinsically Irish. Regardless of your faith, Catholic priests are integral to society despite dwindling numbers. Many non-practising people still baptise their children and continue with the trappings of faith. Fr Con Cronin pictured at Cobh Cathedral.During his son’s first confession, Fegan began to consider the role confession plays in Irish society. “My son was making his first confession, and I couldn’t believe it was still happening. My first reaction was, why are we asking our kids to go to a priest and confess their sins? Then I started thinking about honest introspection, which no longer seems to happen; everyone is more interested in looking outwards. It was the end of the first Trump presidency, and people were going more to extremes, and it made me wonder if it would be healthy if we started looking at ourselves again.” Fegan says he began to wonder what would happen if he asked priests to look at themselves. "I reached out to fifteen priests; my only criteria were that they were hearing confessions, and I wanted to get a good spread from across the country and to hear their honest views.” The documentary features two priests with strong Cork connections, who both sadly passed away shortly after filming had ended. Father Con Cronin, who was well-known for his sense of humour and once famously did the floss dance at his parish church during First Holy Communion in Passage West, tragically died saving the life of a friend in a bus accident when the driver suffered a cardiac episode in 2021. Fr Con Cronin saying mass outside during  the pandemic. Fegan has fond memories of his time with Fr Con during filming. “Fr Con was one of the few priests I stayed in touch with from the documentary. He once took me to a pub in Passage West. Father Con was unbelievable. We got in a car and drove over to Cobh to the church, but everywhere we went, people were waving at him, and he was beeping at people he knew. He couldn’t drive two minutes up the road without a wave. He was like a celebrity in Passage West.” There is a scene in the documentary, during the pandemic lockdown, where Fr Con practices mass from the front door of his house. Fegan says Fr Con was a character who was very much loved by his parishioners. Fr Kevin McNamara, who served on the Western Road for almost a decade, is also prominently featured in the documentary. He has sadly since died of illness, and Fegan says, Like Fr Con, Fr Kevin had a great sense of humour. Filming was interrupted by the pandemic, but Fegan managed to continue the shoot. During the lockdown, priests found new and innovative ways of celebrating mass and hearing confessions. We see priests using social media to say prayers and broadcast mass. Fegan says it was interesting to see an ancient tradition adapt to modern ways of doing things. “When covid shut everything down, priests had to adapt and change, which became the theme of the film. Can this ancient thing so intrenched in its ways change? “Using technology shows that anything’s possible. One of the ideas put forward by the priests is that a smaller church on its knees has greater potential than a powerful one on a throne. “Everyone I spoke to is horrified by the past actions of the church, and they hope it’s not too late to bring people back to the faith.” The filmmaker says that he was a sceptic about the Catholic Church but that a documentarian’s job is to find the nuance. Fegan, who worked as a solicitor with GJ Moloney Solicitors in Cork before becoming a filmmaker, will hold question-and-answer sessions following some screenings of his documentary. He will be at the Arc Cinema on April 24 to discuss the film and hopes his message is clear. “I hope it broadens people’s horizons, even just a tiny bit. I am not saying that in a preachy way, but it is a chance to look at something in a way you might not have done before.” Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter to be in with a chance to win prizes and see what's coming up in The Echo Cian Ducrot (second left) with (from left) Rob Bisel, Jared Solomon and Scott Zhang with their Grammy for Best R&B Song. Photo: Reuters ​A Cork town is celebrating a local triumph at the Grammy music awards in Los Angeles. Cian Ducrot (27), who was raised by his French-born mother in Passage West, received a Grammy for co-writing the hit Saturn for US artist SZA. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Cian Ducrot at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) who also provided backing vocals on the tune was at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night and received the Best R&B Song award alongside his co-writers Rob Bisel The particular category is also known as the R&B Songwriter's Award and goes to the writer of the song the 27-year-old Corkman is the first Irish person to win in that category joining an illustrious list that includes Stevie Wonder  ‘Saturn’ was released in February 2024 and cracked the Top 30 in Ireland The other big Irish interest on the night was Fontaines DC in the Best Rock Album category with Romance but they lost out to the Rolling Stones’ record Hackney Diamonds holds his Grammy Award with co-writers Rob Bisel (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)Meanwhile Beyonce  secured the prestigious album of the year Grammy Award for her chart-topping country album Cowboy Carter The US superstar had been nominated on four previous occasions but failed to secure the prize with 2008’s I Am… Sasha Fierce The recognition alongside earlier wins on Sunday of best country album and the country duo/group performance award for her song featuring Miley Cyrus has extended her lead as the most-awarded artist in Grammys history to 35 awards Collecting the album of the year award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles the 43-year-old said: “I just feel very full and very honoured many years and I want to thank the Grammys “I want to dedicate this to Ms (Linda) Martell who was joined on stage by her daughter Blue Ivy also praised the firefighters for “keeping us safe” during the Los Angeles wildfires fellow album of the year nominee Taylor Swift presented a stunned Beyonce with the best country album award The singer admitted she was “not expecting” to win the award and praised the “incredible country artists” who accepted her album adding: “I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.” she said in a social media post that the record had been born out of an experience where she “did not feel welcomed” but this prompted her to “dive into the history of Country music” The major wins come after Beyonce was snubbed at the Country Music Awards last year despite the Texas-born star becoming the first black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart with the album’s lead single Texas Hold Em’ Her husband Jay-Z used his winner’s speech for the global impact award at the Grammys last year to address his wife Beyonce never winning the top prize is currently fighting a US lawsuit which alleges he raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean “Diddy” Combs an allegation he has vehemently denied and has claimed is a “blackmail attempt” by the claimant’s lawyer the singer announced she would be taking Cowboy Carter on tour with an Instagram post featuring a light-up billboard US rapper Kendrick Lamar scooped up two of the other top awards – record of the year and song of the year – for his “diss” track Not Like Us which is reportedly directed at Canadian rapper Drake The song also picked up a slew of early prizes including best music video Lamar dedicated the record of the year award to his hometown Los Angeles after the city was devastated by wildfires The Compton-born artist added: “This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup since I was in the studio scrapping to write the best raps and all that… “I can’t give enough thanks to these places that I rolled around since high school Most importantly the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena This is a true testament that we can continue to restore the city.” This year’s award ceremony is raising funds for wildfire relief following wind-driven blazes that swept through parts of the Californian city last month destroying neighbourhoods and killing at least 28 people Lady Gaga offered her support to the transgender community as she collected her award after the new Trump administration issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights Accepting the best pop duo/group performance prize for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on Die With A Smile Gaga said: “It is a privilege to be a songwriter and a producer “And I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible The queer community deserves to be lifted up Chappell Roan called for the music industry to provide a “liveable wage and healthcare for artists” as she collected her first Grammy award After the 26-year-old US star secured the coveted best new artist prize she revealed she had told herself she would demand that labels and the industry would protect artists more if she ever won a Grammy She recalled feeling “betrayed” and “dehumanised” when she struggled to find work and afford health care during the pandemic after getting dropped by her first label as a young artist when she had given “everything” to them she delivered a joyful performance of her disco anthem Pink Pony Club which saw start by sitting on a giant pink pony before joining a group of dancers dressed as rodeo clowns for some western-inspired choreography Colombian singer Shakira dedicated her best Latin pop album award for her 12th record Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran to all of her “immigrant brothers and sisters” in the US after US President Trump toughened immigration policies And to all of those women who work really hard every day to provide for their families US singer Alicia Keys also spoke out against recent political moves by the new administration as she hailed the importance of having a “diversity of voices” after winning the Dr Dre global impact award “When destructive forces try to burn us down music is the unstoppable language that connects us all pop star Sabrina Carpenter secured her first two Grammy wins picking up best pop vocal album award for her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet and best pop solo performance award for her summer hit Espresso The US singer was cheered on by fellow nominees Swift and Billie Eilish as she made her way to the stage shortly after performing a theatrical medley of Espresso and Please Please Please from the winning album Rising star Doechii took home best rap album for her third mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal becoming the third woman to do so after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B with the latter rapper presenting the award on Sunday British star Charli XCX was among the early winners at the Grammys premiere ceremony with the singer picking up best dance/electronic album and best recording package for her culture-shaping sixth record Brat and best dance pop recording for its lead single Von Dutch – her first Grammy wins She was later joined on stage by actress Julia Fox who got a birthday shout out from the singer and collaborator The Dare as she performed hit Von Dutch during the main ceremony The Beatles also picked up best rock performance for their new song Now And Then which was written and sung by John Lennon and later finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison fellow British rockers The Rolling Stones won best rock album for 2023’s Hackney Diamonds their first album of original music in 18 years who has worked with Roan and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo while Amy Allen became the first woman to take home the Grammy for songwriter of the year after co-writing smash hits with Carpenter Among the other performers included British singer-songwriter Raye who sang her hit Oscar Winning Tears while US star Billie Eilish delivered a melodic rendition of her song Birds Of A Feather – both artists had several nominations but were snubbed from all awards The 2025 award show was hosted by South African comedian Trevor Noah for the fifth year in a row Linda Corcoran conducting the Harmony Federation Male Voice choir from Dublin in the Marina Market as part of the 70th Cork International Choral Festival A 15 year old boy who managed to push a friend to safety after they were caught in a strong current, whilst doing everything in his power to save a second pal in the water,has described a bravery award he is set to receive today as “bittersweet.” David Akar (14) from Togher in Cork city is due to become of one of the youngest ever recipients of a National Bravery Award this afternoon at a ceremony in Dublin. David, who will receive a gold medal, is among 23 people who will receive awards at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. On August 24th 2023, Jack O’Sullivan from Friars Walk in Cork died after he got in to difficulty in the water at Passage West in Cork. David Akar, told the Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM, that he was amongst the group of friends who went in to the water that day only to quickly realise that the current was exceptionally strong. “I checked the water first because everyone was saying ‘you have the lifeguard certificate you check the water.’ "The two lads jumped in from the right side of the pontoon and got in to difficulty. My first reaction was to help them so I dived in to the water straight away and first I helped one of the other lads. I put him over my right shoulder and brought him towards the pontoon. "I swam back over to Jack. I tried many different saving positions for Jack. But the undercurrent was very strong. We were just getting spun in a ball and thrown.” David said that he managed to get Jack over his right shoulder. “ He let out a giggle of relief. I left out a small bit of relief myself. The current was so strong that we were trying to just go at the same speed towards the pontoon but we were getting further and further away not closer. "I got him on to my right shoulder and the current was way too strong. Jack was the same kind of build as me so it was basically like me trying to carry myself and trying to swim at the same speed as the water was dragging us back. It just wasn’t working. I tried different saving positions after that then. "I tried dragging him and things like that but Jack was in a state of panic and he was trying his best to keep himself above the water. "The more he struggled the more he panicked and the more I panicked. I was going underwater he was going underwater. We were both going up and down. "Then he was fully submerged under the water and the only thing I could see was his right arm. And then I pulled him three times to the right side to a small boat that was on the pontoon. I then pulled him to the pontoon. "I climbed up on the boat and I told Jack ‘ get to the boat, get to the boat. I went up on to the boat first knowing he was right behind me. As I got on to the boat Jack was no longer there. I screamed to everybody to go get help. They did their best to get help.” David said he took three deep breaths and dived back in to the water in a bid to save Jack. “I was trying to grab him and touch him to see if he was there but I was only grabbing green moss.” He added that Jack was a fantastic athlete and a funny character who uplifted all of his friends. “He was a great helper if you were ever stuck for anything. He would always motivate you if you had a match and you weren’t in the mood or you were injured. It is bitter sweet this award.” David’s mother Pamela Creegan said that her son did everything in his power to save Jack. “The undercurrent was terrible. It is a beautiful place but extremely dangerous when the current is against you. Unfortunately the outcome was poor Jack lost his life on the day. As much as we are honoured today for David to be receiving the Gold Medal bravery award our thoughts today will be with Jack and his family. The impact of losing your son, brother and nephew. There are no words.” Jack, had been due to go into second year at Coláiste Éamann Rís on St Patrick’s Road in Cork city. He was a keen sportsman. A guard of honour was provided at the funeral and in the graveyard by his schoolmates and sporting friends at St Finbarr’s GAA club and Pearse Celtic. He is survived by his parents Kevin and Evyonn, his siblings Kayleigh, Sophie, Chloe, Mia, James and baby Isabelle. He is also “sadly missed” by his grandparents, uncles, aunts, relatives and a wide circle of friends. Sign up to our newsletter for updates on Roscommon news, sport, community notes and more O’REILLY (Passage West and late of Rosscarbery, Co. Cork): On June 19th 2024, unexpectedly at home, NOREEN (née O’Donovan), dearly loved wife of Cathal, loving mother of Grace, Andrew and Aisling, beloved daughter of Pat and the late Imelda. Sadly missed by her loving husband, family, brothers Martin, Oliver and Jim, sister Monica, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, relatives and a wide circle of friends. Reposing at the Temple Hill Funeral Home, Boreenmanna Road of Jerh. O’Connor Ltd. on Friday (June 21st) from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. Cremation Service at 10.00am on Saturday (June 22nd) at The Island Crematorium, Rocky Island, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. Donations in lieu of flowers to a charity of your choice. Please leave your personal message for Noreen’s family on the condolence section below. Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open You are visiting us because we have something you value Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. RESIDENTS OF A small Cork Harbour town have appealed for help from the State to deal with the loud round the clock noise from an unwelcome alleged drug trafficking ship The town of Passage West is located about 10 miles from Cork city centre – it is also just a few hundred metres across a stretch of water from where the MV Matthew is being stored by Revenue as they await the outcome of court proceedings Local residents have contacted Cork County Council and Port of Cork in regard to a number of noise complaints because of a loud generator on the ship that they have said is keeping them awake at night The Journal took a trip to Passage to hear the noise and it sounds like a very loud engine and exhaust – it is on 24 hours a day 2023 in a dramatic drugs interdiction operation off the south coast Members of the Irish Special Forces unit the Army Ranger Wing and the Naval Service launched a daring mission to take the ship On board gardaí and Revenue Customs officers allegedly found 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €157m A number of people have been charged in connection with the seizure Following the capture of the ship off the Waterford and Cork coast the MV Matthew was brought into Cork Harbour and has remained there since generally tied up at the Marino Point site near Cobh In September The Journal revealed that keeping the ship in Cork Harbour has cost the Irish State close to €5m. But the costs are not the only problem – this website has been contacted by a number of people living in Passage West who have said they have brought complaints to authorities regarding the noise coming from the ship. In a trawl of documents we found evidence that Port of Cork and Revenue had changed a generator from one side of the ship to the other to try and reduce the noise.  While the house holders would not speak on the record the about their concerns local councillor Seamus McGrath has said that he has liaised with Cork County Council and Port of Cork to try and find a solution.  “The MV Matthew has been there now for more than 12 months – it has been berthed in Marino Point [near Cobh] and also at the Royal Victoria docks in Passage West, which is even closer to the town and even closer to residents. “The main source of the complaints is coming from being positioned in Marino Point and it’s just going on a long time. Residents have put up with an awful lot of noise pollution,” he said.  McGrath said that the biggest issue at the moment is that there is “no clear timeline for when it will be resolved”.  “I have been in touch with Revenue, and they are saying that they have to hold it as evidence until the court proceedings progress but that it is their intention to dispose of it as soon as the proceedings come to a conclusion. “The residents feel they have put up with enough, and I would agree with them, and we’re asking that more efforts are made to reduce the noise impact or to move it to another location at this stage,” he said.  Other ports have not been considered and there is also no plans to send it outside the harbour to an anchorage as the ship does not have a way to keep itself in position due to a fault onboard.  Cork County Council confirmed they were receiving noise complaints and working on trying to find a solution. “From May of this year, a total of six complaints have been logged by Cork County Council in relation to noise from the MV Matthew. “The Council’s Environment Directorate have been actively engaging with Port of Cork Company in recent months seeking to address the issues giving rise to these complaints,” a Cork County Council spokeswoman said.  A spokeswoman for the Port of Cork said it takes the complaints seriously and is committed to “addressing concerns promptly”. The company said that it is handling the complaints and its Community Liaison Officer is working with local people to address their concerns and work toward a solution. “It is not ideal to have a vessel of this size berthed long-term at the Port. However, this is an exceptional circumstance, and our role is to work with stakeholders to facilitate them as much as possible while minimising any disruption to the local community. “The Port of Cork is committed to balancing operational needs with the wellbeing of our neighbouring communities. We will continue to liaise with local authorities and residents to ensure minimal disruption and maintain open communication throughout the process,” she said.  To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Create an email alert based on the current article Cian Ducrot arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) The Passage West native was one of the co writers of the track Saturn performed by singer SZA and which won the Grammy for best R&B song “Can’t Believe It,” was what Mr Ducrot posted on an Instagram story sharing the news of his Grammy award success which was released in October 2023 top the album charts in Ireland and the UK He also won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish Song of the Year with his track Heaven In the summer of 2024 Mr Ducrot performed in a number of high profile Irish concerts including on his native Leeside at Virgin Media Park Cian Ducrot is to return to Cork this summer for another gig at Live At The Marquee Bishop Fintan has announced arrangements for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in parishes for 2025.  These arrangements have been made available to parishes and schools involved Bishop Fintan added that he hopes to visit a significant number of parishes himself for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation next year as well as delegating some retired bishops the Vicars General and a number of other priests when more than one parish is celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on the same day Resources for Confirmation Sr Mary Grace at CONNECT6 - Sat 10 MaySr Mary Grace at CONNECT6 - Sat 10 May Family of Parishes Sessions Completed for Year of Prayer Listening and DiscernmentFamily of Parishes Sessions Completed for Year of Prayer Maranatha 2025 HighlightsMaranatha 2025 Highlights Preparations are underway to celebrate 99 years since the first Corpus Christi ProcessionPreparations are underway to celebrate 99 years since the first Corpus Christi Procession Young people from over 25 parishes around the Diocese gather to prepare for the Jubilee of YouthYoung people from over 25 parishes around the Diocese gather to prepare for the Jubilee of Youth Mass offered in Cork's Cathedral for Pope FrancisMass offered in Cork's Cathedral for Pope Francis Already a subscriber? Sign in Introductory offers for new customers. Annual billed once for first year. Renews at €120. Monthly initial discount (first 4 months) billed monthly, then €10 a month. Ts&Cs apply Graham Norton's home in Wapping in London up for sale at €5.8m O’MAHONY (Passage West, Co. Cork): On June 8th 2024, peacefully, in the tender loving care of the staff at Douglas Nursing Home in the presence of his loving family, PATRICK (PAT), St. Mary’s Terrace and late of Eagle Printing and Verolme Dockyard, dearly loved husband of Molly (née O’Connor) and much loved father of Kevin, Deirdre, Brendan and Brian and loving brother of Denis and the late John, Kitty, Ray and Jim. Sadly missed by his loving wife and family, brother, daughters-in-law Nicola and Ali, Brian’s partner Marlene, Deirdre’s partner Kieran, Kevin’s partner Daiva, grandchildren Lauren, Ríona, Anna, Tom and Callum, sister-in-law Treasa, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends especially Margaret. Reposing at the Temple Hill Funeral Home, Boreenmanna Road of Jerh. O’Connor Ltd. on Monday (June 10th) from 5.00pm to 6.00pm Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Tuesday (June 11th) in St. Mary's Church, Passage West. Funeral afterwards to St. Mary's Cemetery, Passage West. Please leave your personal message for Pat’s family on the condolence section below. Bobby from Star of the Sea School and his mother at the St Peter's open night with Mr Joe O Connor, engineering teacher. Maya and Nina from Scoil Barra Naofa at the St Peter's open night.St Peter’s Community School in Passage West held its open day last week where prospective students and families were able to look behind the classroom doors even exceeding the expected large crowd," school principal Principal Tony McSweeney giving an address at the St Peter's open night.“The excellent condition of the school and its facilities were acknowledged with parents also going to great lengths to comment on the warm atmosphere which is evident throughout the school.” parents of fifth and sixth-class students were given the opportunity to tour the school meet subject teachers and learn about everything from academics to extracurricular activities Students provided guided tours of the school and were on hand Teacher Jennifer Creedon with Cooper from Star of the Sea and his mum.The principal's address included outlining the broad curriculum the school offers alongside giving an insight into life as a student in St Peter’s and the pastoral care system in the school The plans for the new school building project which moved to stage two during the summer These will see a €35 million investment made to create a new 750-student capacity build on the school campus Emily and Amelia from Star of the Sea at the St Peter's open night.The application process for incoming 1st year students opened this week and will close on October 30 Application forms and further information is available from https://www.stpeters.ie/admissions Approximately 3pc of the forest estate in Ireland is composed of larch species All Scottish log exports have been paused as a result of the discovery of larch bark beetles at a port in Cork Minister of State Pippa Hackett has welcomed the cessation of the export of conifer logs from the Pest Free Area of Scotland into Ireland on a precautionary basis The Department found three Ips cembrae beetles (commonly known as the large larch bark beetle) in one of its pheromone traps in Passage West Port in Cork Following confirmed findings by the Irish Forestry Inspectors Scottish authorities have ceased all exports of logs with immediate effect until a full investigation takes place Approximately 3pc of the forest estate in Ireland is composed of larch species and maintaining freedom from the presence of larch bark beetles is required to maintain good forest health and vitality The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Health Stakeholder Engagement Group met earlier this week where stakeholders were informed by the Department of the finding “I welcome my Department’s close co-operation with Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts on this and other forest health matters,” Minister Hackett said “Ireland is free of many of the bark beetles that are found in Europe and in Great Britain It is very important for the future of the forestry sector in Ireland that we do everything we can to keep the island free of these beetles.” Minister Hackett said these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of Department surveillance work at ports As in the case for other conifer bark beetle species the larch bark beetle is associated with fungi including non quarantine ‘blue stain’ fungi The fungi ‘ceratocystis laricicola’ kills bark and cambium in the host tree stains the sapwood and likely contributes the dieback of and killing of larch during larch bark beetle outbreaks The beetle has been introduced into areas where larch is planted (mainland UK and to date has behaved there in the same way as in its natural range The Department has said it will continue to survey extensively throughout the country for all Protected Zone species and to date has no findings of any Protected Zone bark beetles A spokesperson said that the Department will continue to work with its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland in connection with this investigation and will assess any possible future actions and keep the industry informed of developments A former postman who pleaded guilty to charges related to the theft and interference of mail has received a two year suspended sentence Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard 39-year-old Seán Hogan of The Quays County Cork was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions Gardaí spotted a large number of letters in Seán Hogan’s car when he was stopped at a routine checkpoint in Innishannon in January 2022 149 undelivered items and 514 violated items were found while 1,692 postal items were discovered during a search of his home Detective Garda Peter Nolan said Hogan made full admissions and told Gardaí he had an alcohol and drug addiction Defence barrister Neal Horgan said his client has been drug free for three years after attending rehab The court also heard he had gathered compensation money for the victims involved and donated €1,000 to Cork University Hospital after receiving help for his mental health Developed by Square1 This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in A “GENUINELY REMORSEFUL” former postman who interfered with thousands of items of mail during a low period in his life when he was suffering from addiction issues has received a two year suspended sentence. Seán Hogan of The Quays, Main Street, Passage West, Co Cork appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today, having previously pleaded guilty to eight sample charges. Three of the charges related to theft whilst the other five involved delaying, detaining or interfering with mail. Judge Sinead Behan said that what occurred was a “serious breach of trust affecting both the public and An Post”. Det Garda Peter Nolan said that the 39-year-old man was stopped by gardaí at a routine checkpoint in Innishannon, Co Cork on January 27th 2022, where they spotted a large quantity of letters in his car. They found 149 undelivered items and 514 items that had been violated. A follow up search of his home in Passage West was carried out – where gardaí came across 1,692 postal items of which 1,257 had been interfered.  Gardaí conducting the search also found 6,000 undelivered publicity posts. The discovery of the items led to a probe by the An Post National Investigation Unit. Despite the best efforts of gardaí and An Post, a large number of the violated items could not be either delivered or returned to sender. Det Garda Nolan said that Seán Hogan was very forthcoming and co operative with Gardaí both on his arrest and when he was interviewed. He made full admissions and told gardaí that his behaviour was motivated by drink and drug addiction. As his substance abuse worsened, Hogan, who has no previous convictions, started opening letters to see if they contained small amounts of cash. Det Garda Nolan said that Hogan stepped down from his position with An Post in the summer of 2022. He now works in retail. Nolan added that it was accepted that Hogan was genuinely remorseful for his actions. “He expressed regret and remorse for his action at interview, expressions I believe are genuine – he became very upset during questioning and said he had left himself and his family and his employers down by his actions,” Nolan said. Judge Behan was told that Hogan had entered a guilty plea at an early stage, and had not come to garda attention in the interim. Defence barrister, Neil Horgan BL said that his client has been drug free for the last three years having attending a rehab facility to deal with his addiction problems. He said that Hogan’s behaviour had cost him a permanent pensionable job. Seán Hogan has already made a donation of €1,000 to Cork University Hospital to show his appreciation for help he received for his mental health. He also gathered compensation money for victims of his crime. Judge Behan factored the guilty plea and the remorse of Hogan in to her sentencing and imposed a two year sentence.She suspended the sentence in its entirety. Gardaí indicated that the entering of a guilty plea had saved the State the cost of a complex trial. Isabelle Boyce, Mia Murphy, Aoibhínn Cotter, Caitlin Kelly, Olivia Morgan and Siobhán Lordan, from Kilmacsimon Rowing Club, at the champs.  showcasing some of the finest rowing talent across Ireland Laura O’Mahony and Saoirse Manning from Passage West Rowing Club at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships Rushbrook dig deep at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships Donogh and Ruth Wall (9) from East Ferry Rowing Club at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships held in Farran Picture: Chani AndersonIt was held at the home of the Irish rowing the National Rowing Centre in Farran (County Cork) John O’Regan and Daphne Miller from Ballycotton supporting their club Passage West’s vet men cox Alan Treacy congratulates his competition at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships held in Farran Kilmacsimon RC’s masters women’s crew celebrate after winning silver Caoimhe O’Driscoll and Tim Crowley from Rosscarbery warming up Racing action from aKilmacsimon crew at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships Picture: Chani AndersonAnd as our pictures here today show enjoyed by rowers and spectators from all over Ireland Racing action at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships Gavin O’Flaherty of Passage West RC’s vet men’s crew cooling down after his race Una Hayden (10) and Sadhbh Kenny (10) of Kilmacsimon Rowing Club Prepared for all weather (and they needed to be!) spectators watch the racing at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships in Farran celebrating after winning gold in the men’s masters category at the Irish Coastal Rowing Championships Picture: Chani AndersonAnd there was a great scattering of Cork medal wins which made for an even more enjoyable occasion for the host county Kay Murphy from Passage West rowing club who is under taking a rowing challenge in aid of charity. Picture; Eddie O'Hare “Why am I rowing from Inverness Scotland to Norway later this month? “Why am I training six days a week, clocking up between 70km and 90km a week rowing in the water?” “Why do I give up my Sundays to row 30km to 40km? “Why do I walk for miles and do regular Pilates sessions and clock even more mileage up on the rowing machine?” The face looking back at Kay from the mirror knows exactly why. “I’m doing the row from Scotland to Norway for Marymount Hospice,” says Kay. She flies to Scotland on July 13 and begins her rowing odyssey, over 546 nautical miles, on July 15. “Marymount is close to my heart,” says Kay. “Everyone knows someone who had a connection with the hospice, and I know someone who works there looking after cancer patients and their families.  All of Cork city and county knows someone who has benefitted from the wonderful care and the unwavering support offered at Marymount Hospice. Kay Murphy. Picture; Eddie O'HareThat’s why the 252 volunteers who freely give of their time to Marymount Hospice, do so. “Why I volunteer is because when you arrive here, you just get sucked in,” says Frank Peyton, from Ballintemple. He meets and greets people at Marymount, mans the reception, and escorts patients to hospital appointments. “I am on first- name with all the patients,” says Frank. “We are all like one big happy family.” Kay belongs to Passage West Coastal Rowing Club, who form another family close to her heart. “I love being one of the crew at the club and we all have a shared love of rowing and being in the water.” Kay, the mother of three daughters and who has nine grandchildren, is supporting the “big happy family” that is Marymount, undertaking a huge expedition, one of a team of 12, rowing from Scotland to Norway. The journey will take eight days to complete. “I grew up near the water and I always loved living near the water,” says Kay, who turns 59 this July. “Looking out our window at home, you could only see water. “We all had a fun time by the sea and swimming in the sea.  “I often do an island hop, maybe 8km. I row to different locations; over to Mahon Point for instance. I wanted to row the Atlantic and this row from Scotland to Norway is a compromise for me.” Kay Murphy from Passage West rowing club. Picture; Eddie O'HareKay has endurance and she has determination. “I wouldn’t give up on that idea just yet!” says Kay laughing. “I wouldn’t write it off. The Atlantic still beckons.” “I’ve always wanted to do a marathon in the water. Why would she go through the hardship and the pain of doing a marathon in the water? “Yes, it can be painful, but I will go through it,” says Kay. “Scotland to Norway can be likened to a marathon.” “I feel at home in the water, and I can spend hours out rowing in the sea. I am at home in the water. My social life is rowing.” “I find rowing relaxing and a really good way to release energy,” says Kay. She loves the freedom and tranquility of her surroundings when she’s rowing. “I love the feeling of feeling fit and when I took part in the Ocean to City sailing event this year; I found my fitness and endurance levels really stood to me.” Kay, like many of us, loved to party in her youth. “I row now like I used to party!” says Kay laughing. “At 36 I gave up drinking and smoking. I got into fitness, and I put all my energies into it. I found that very satisfying.” Kay, who married her childhood sweetheart, Martin, at 17, went back studying, sitting her Leaving Cert at age 36. “And then I did a parent mentoring course in UCC with Tony Humpreys.” No wonder her husband, daughters and grandchildren are so proud of her. “Kay loves rowing, and she is well able and very capable,” says Martin, who sailed a yacht to the Caribbean in 2002. “It is very hard, but Kay has a target, and she will grasp it and reach it. The success of her upcoming mission rowing from Scotland to Norway certainly won’t be for the want of trying.” Kay Murphy is rowing from Scotland to Norway for Marymount. Picture; Eddie O'HareThe sea is home-from-home for Kay. “Kay is not happy unless she’s in the water,” says Martin. “And she is delighted to be able to support Marymount Hospice. It is such a good cause.” “The North Sea is unpredictable,” Martin admits. “The Irish Sea can be tough, throwing up unexpected winds. “So taking any chances is not an option. There will be two very experienced rowers on the boat along with the novice rowers. “The team of 12 on the boat will rotate. Six rowing for three hours, then the other six taking over for three hours.” Other challenges will surface during the eight-day sea-faring trip. “The cabins are small, and the toilet facilities won’t be up to much,” says Martin. “I’m really looking forward to it,” says Kay. “I love to have a challenge. The training keeps me going, keeps me motivated.” “I know that I can complete the row from Scotland to Norway with the team,” says Kay. She feels she knows exactly why she is taking on this amazing feat to raise awareness and vital funds for Marymount Hospice. “Yes, even though I often question why I eat, sleep and think about rowing all the time: doing the Scotland to Norway trip for Marymount makes it all worthwhile,” says Kay. When Kay looks in the mirror, she has her ‘why’. “I know why I’m taking this on,” says Kay, who is a tough cookie. “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” (Friedrich Nietzche). Uisce Éireann marks the significant milestone of 250,000 hours worked without a Lost Time Injury by Ward and Burke Group Limited in over 2 years working on the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project.  Ward and Burke Group Limited have been working to extend the sewer network as part of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project since 2017. They have constructed over 14km of new sewer pipes and 6 new pumping stations in the busy roads and streets of Carrigaline Passage West and Monkstown and connected Ringaskiddy Passage West and Monkstown to the Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant.  Their focus on providing a safe work environment for all of their workers is reflected in this figure of 250,000 hours worked without a Lost Time Injury A proactive safety culture has been promoted within the Cork Lower Main Drainage Project. This culture of safety has been enthusiastically championed by the Contractor Employers Representative and Resident Engineering team throughout the many construction challenges of the project.  This included innovations such as constructing the pumping station in the Monkstown Bosun Car Park the largest box caisson to be constructed and then sunken underground in Ireland.  The pumping station is the equivalent size of a large 2-storey house It was constructed to full height within the carpark and then sunk underground to maintain the carpark and minimise the impact of the pumping station in the area "Safety is at the heart of everything that Uisce Éireann does the involvement and commitment of everybody working on this project has been essential to ensure that we delivered these necessary works safely" says Deaglan Healy Project Manager for the Cork Lower Harbour Project "We have worked almost half a million hours without a reportable accident on the project to date having constructed the Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant and pipelines and pumping stations on the south side of the harbour so that wastewater from Ringaskiddy Passage West and Monkstown is now being treated No job is so important that it can't be done safely and we bring this ethos to the other works now started in Cobh as part of the Cork Lower Harbour Project.""Safety is at the core of our organisation." says Padraig Burke Director of Ward and Burke Construction Limited "We are delighted with this recognition of our commitment to safety We are passionate about raising safety standards in the construction industry through investment in our people our systems of work and encouraging new entrants in to the industry through traineeship programmes and third level institutions. This focus on safety allows us as a turnkey design and build contractor with a direct labour force to manage risk and deliver projects safely for our workers The successful completion of the connection of Ringaskiddy Passage West and Monkstown to the Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant means that raw sewage from these areas will no longer discharge directly into the harbour This means that 30,000 of the 40,000 wheelie bins of raw sewage that were discharging daily into Cork Lower Harbour when the project commenced in 2015 are now being treated before safe discharge to the harbour Work has commenced on the Northern side of the harbour both on the Cobh to Monkstown Estuary Crossing and on the Cobh sewer network.  When works in Cobh are complete in 2021 the raw sewage from Cobh town will be collected and transferred for treatment via the Cobh to Monkstown Estuary Crossing to Monkstown pumping station from where it will be pumped to Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment before its safe discharge to the harbour When all the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage works are complete in 2021 in compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive treat all wastewater from the agglomerations of: This means 20,000 homes and businesses will be connected to the new scheme and that raw sewage from these areas will no longer be discharged into the harbour positively impacting the local economy and greatly improving the amenity value of the Cork Lower Harbour for the surrounding communities For more information on the project, information days and works information view our project page at Cork Lower Harbour or contact the project team at corklowerharbour@water.ie. Uisce Éireann is a designated activity company, limited by shares. Registered Office: Colvill House, 24-26 Talbot Street, Dublin 1 | Copyright © 2023 Uisce Éireann. All rights reserved. Registered in Ireland No.: 530363 A Garda on duty at the scene of a ffatal road traffic collision which occured in the early hours of Sunday morning at Rathanker near Passage West, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan Gardaí attended the scene of the single-vehicle collision that occurred at approximately 2.30am in the townland of Rathanker near Passage West was fatally injured during the collision and two occupants of the car were taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment of their injuries which are understood to be non-life threatening Independent councillor for the Carrigaline Municipal District Marcia D’Alton said the community was “devastated” following the news of the death of the young man Ms D’Alton said: “We heard in the community this morning [Sunday morning] that there was an accident on Laurel Hill Fianna Fáil councillor for the Carrigaline Municipal District Seamus McGrath described the news as “extremely sad” “It is extremely sad and tragic that a young life has been lost in this way,” he told The Echo Gardaí continue to investigate and are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the L2474 road between Rochestown and Monkstown are asked to make this footage available to gardaí Anyone with any information is asked to contact Togher Garda Station on at 021 494 7120 the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 The Royal Victoria Dockyard in Passage West was opened in 1832 at a cost of £150,000. Boats built by the yard are still afloat, reclaimed by the Heritage Boat Association. The sign wasn’t always painted in the colours which it now displays: Green Passage West is known for Republican traditions so it is not unreasonable to assume some association with the repainting of the dockyard sign The Royal Victoria Dockyard in Passage West was opened in 1832 at a cost of £150,000 reclaimed by the Heritage Boat Association.Not far from that sign and 73 years after the event it commemorates and also in August which was held by anti-Treaty Republican forces The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and evaluating the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland” says the former dockyard was “established during Cork’s maritime boom and is a reminder of Passage West’s industrial heritage “Shipbuilding and repair were once important local industries significant sources of employment and centres of maritime engineering expertise and excellence.” It quotes the The Cork Examiner as reporting in 1932 that “while the closure of the dockyard was economically disastrous the loss of the sound of hammers and the screeching of cranes made the area residentially more desirable” Vessels built in Passage dockyard are still afloat today They are part of the maritime heritage of Ireland though they have not been seen in Cork waters since their construction These are known as ‘heritage boats’ and their owners are part of the Heritage Boat Association and celebrate “the floating heritage on the inland waterways of Ireland “What is remaining of our floating heritage provides us with a direct link to the past and includes both commercial and pleasure craft that plied the inland waterways through the different eras of the canal Passage dockyard completed a contract to build nine barges for the Grand Canal Company They were often horse-drawn along the canals The yard also had naval and other commercial contracts and built boats for use on the River Shannon The heritage boats have been restored and modernised by owners who purchased them often in rundown condition and even sunken to raise and to return them to the canals and the inland waterways I have been aboard a few of them to see the painstaking work In publications by the Heritage Boat Association the names of ‘Bowler’ and ‘Tristan’ are recalled There was a second dockyard in Passage West in the 19th century Hennessy’s yard was situated in what is now Fr O’Flynn Park this yard was involved in launching the City of Cork The Royal Victoria was the bigger of the yards A slump in shipbuilding led to most of that workforce being made redundant by 1925 and it closed down in 1931 Amongst the plans of Passage West Maritime Museum is an exhibition about the history of the docks The still existing barges of the Heritage Boat Association may be the last of the surviving examples of what the men who worked in the Passage Dockyard built The online home of everything new and happening in Ireland’s greatest city The notorious ship at the centre of Ireland’s largest cocaine bust has brazenly sailed right into the heart of the harbour town’s artwork is currently chilling at Marino Point in Cobh just a stone’s throw across the water from its painted doppelgänger The vessel has become a bit of a celebrity locally pulling in crowds of curious onlookers to the otherwise quiet town of Passage in recent weeks MV Matthew has taken up permanent residence in art form thanks to Rochestown’s artistic dynamo Known for her architectural drawings of Cork Jill wears even more hats as she is an avid rower and a member of the Passage West Rowing Club Jill made the playful nod to Irish maritime history in recent days and told Yay Cork that the overall mural is still a work in progress largely because Mother Nature hasn’t always been on her side The project is part of Passage West Rowing Club’s renovation project with fundraising currently underway for a new clubhouse on the site Following the club’s spring clean in March which included a fresh lick of paint and the addition of the club’s logo to the entrance door Jill’s vision was to revitalise the fading wall beside the clubhouse With the assistance of other members — one lending their plastering skills and another crafting a cute bench — she has embarked on the monumental task of painting a mural “The club in Passage has been here for over 50 years carrying on a decades-long tradition of coastal rowing in the harbour I wanted to acknowledge this sport and its place in the hearts of people in the town,” she said Jill’s artwork can be viewed by those cruising on the water It doesn’t just mirror the scene outside the clubhouse but also showcases the five coastal rowing clubs tucked away in the scenic beauty of Cork Harbour Each boat flaunts its own unique club colours “One thing I really would like is that boats and ships coming into the Port of Cork might be able to see the ‘Welcome to Passage West’ sign and know where they are in our harbour It fills me with joy to think of that,” added Jill or simply in search of a reason to hop aboard the fun Harbour Cruise Type and hit enter to display search result we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes Cork City Council today (Friday 28 April) announced the official opening of the Cork City to Passage West Greenway Phase 1 by Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD.  The 3km greenway provides a high-quality recreational and commuter corridor between Cork City Docklands and Mahon tracing the route of the 19th century Cork The greenway provides a wider and more accessible route for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy extensive planting of over 2,000 new trees alongside a wide range of other pollinator-friendly planting play and rest features as well as the restoration of historic railway structures including some of the finest examples of stone-cut bridges in the State.  Today’s opening of the new main ramp at the Marina will allow access to the “snakes and ladders” providing integrated placemaking and playful elements for Cork City’s young people The greenway project builds on the ambitious plans for the redevelopment of Cork Docklands which is one of the largest regeneration sites in the country It follows the pedestrianisation of the Marina in 2020 and the opening of Phase 1 of Marina Park last year Later this year construction is scheduled to commence on the revamped Marina between Cork Docklands and Blackrock Village and Phase 2 & 3 of the Marina Park which will add a further 56 acres to the already complete 14 acres.  welcomed the launch of the first phase of the Cork City to Passage West greenway saying: This is an exciting day for Cork as we officially open the first phase of the Cork City to Passage West Greenway which we can already see is being warmly welcomed by local communities and visitors to Cork City This project forms part of a series of investments across Cork City demonstrating Government’s commitment to creating and developing a sustainable way of living for future generations.  Cllr Deirdre Forde said: “I am delighted to join in the celebrations today as Phase 1 of the Cork City to Passage Greenway is opened we have truly learnt the value of connecting with nature and spending quality time with our family and friends The opening of our greenway will allow us to reconnect with nature explore some of Cork City’s fascinating historic features and introduce more opportunities to play Cork City Council is undertaking a series of exciting and transformative projects including the Cork Docklands and the upgrading of the Cork City to Passage West Greenway – these projects will transform the area for users of these much-loved amenities – creating a more vibrant and inclusive amenity with sustainability at its heart.”  Ann Doherty said: "Today’s opening of Phase 1 of the Cork City to Passage Greenway is a hugely positive news as we start to enjoy the longer evenings This 3km greenway provides improved access additional opportunities for young and old(er) to play whilst prioritising sustainability one of Cork City Council’s key strategic priorities."   The works were designed by Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates and constructed by Ward and Burke Construction Ltd with funding provided by the National Transport Authority under the Active Travel Programme This form is for feedback on the website content. If you wish to report for example potholes, faulty street lights, barking dogs or any council housing maintenance issues please use the report it option on https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/ +353 21 4924000 Submit a query, service request, or complaint online Take a short survey to help improve this site +353 21 4966512 Powered by pTools Coastguard, Navy and RNLI with gardai at the scene in Mariner's quay Passage West, during the drowning tragedy. Picture: Eddie O'Hare The teenager went missing in the water near Passage West while swimming with his friends It is believed that he may have banged his head more cork - news articles A 13-year-old girl who died in a crash whilst she was competing in an auto grass racing event at the Castletown Kennigh track in Enniskean, Co. Cork yesterday has been named locally as Lauren O’Brien of Knockane, Terelton. Picture: McEgan College/Facebook Friends of Jack O'Sullivan released balloons in tribute to him from the pontoon in Passage West. Cork County Council Senior Executive Officer Nicola Radley responded to concerns from Independent councillor Marcia D’alton who penned a letter to the Chief Executive with a view to having a lock or card system activated at the gate of the pontoon She was speaking less than a month after 14-year-old Coláiste Éamann Rís student Jack O’Sullivan from Deerpark lost his life while swimming in the area He had been swimming off the boat pontoon last month when he tragically got into difficulty The emergency prompted a multi-agency search and rescue operation “We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family on their tragic loss” Ms Radley said at a meeting of the Carragaline Municipal District yesterday "Passage West is one of 14 council owned pontoon facilities in place where there are a wide range of access arrangements There are a wide range of facilities that are gated not gated with access controlled and open access There are also a wide range of uses ranging from recreational to commercial and everything in between Our municipal district officer has been in constant detailed contact with the harbour master’s office and can assure that they are investigating practical appropriate measures "An action has been identified and it is their intention to implement that within in the coming days "I won’t elaborate any further but it will be a matter of days before this happens." Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton praised Cork County Council who she said are taking action in response to the issue "This was never going to prevent a tragedy but it was the right thing for the gate to be fixed and that’s why I felt the need to bring this up I am conscious that this is a very sensitive matter so I felt it only right to wait to raise the concern There needs to be management of council facilities we need to build on the resources of the old infrastructure that we don’t develop because due to the lack resources to turn it into something for the modern era."