Latest news with #LarryCummins
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
In Pictures: Crowd pleaser Olly Murs delivers lively performance at Marquee in Cork
Olly Murs took to the stage of the Marquee in Cork on Sunday delivering a high-energy set at the tented venue. Always a crowd pleaser, the Essex-born singer and songwriter delivered a lively and infectious performance with catchy hits and smooth dance moves. Concert-goers were also treated to an opening set by Cork singer-songwriter Allie Sherlock, who rose to prominence through busking on the streets of Cork and Dublin from a young age. Sisters Vaida and Daiva Griciute from Galway at the gig. Picture: Larry Cummins. Saymia Frahill and Bridget O'Regan, from Cobh with Rachel Byrne and Laura Quinn, from Tracton. Picture: Larry Cummins. Ella and Trish Hurley, Carrigaline at the gig. Picture: Larry Cummins. Olly Murs performs at Live at The Marquee, Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins. Helen McVeigh-Gould, Dublin Hill with mum Patricia McVeigh, from Armagh with visiting Gould and Buckley families at the gig. Picture: Larry Cummins. Read More In Pictures: Dec Pierce belts out the Block Rockin Beats at Marquee in Cork
Irish Examiner
07-07-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Covid changed everything — let's use it to prepare for the future
We know what a 'normal' society looks like, in all its messy diversity. People's experiences include birth, childhood, education, relationship formation, employment, housing, parenting, sickness, and disability as well as providing and receiving care. No one person's life path is the same as another, and yet many of us experience the same key events in life: our formative first years of life, going to school, transferring from primary to secondary school, maybe going to college, starting a relationship, getting our first job or having a child, bereavement, living with sickness or disability, and needing the care of others in older age. Covid-19 disrupted all of it. From January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2022, Ireland experienced profound upheaval. These were not simply public health measures – they were life-shaping experiences. More than 120,000 children were born in the core period of the pandemic and the experience of giving birth during covid-19 lockdowns was entirely different, with a far more medicalised environment in the maternity hospitals, and far fewer interactions with family and friends to offer support or to celebrate the birth of a new child. A key concern for the covid-19 evaluation is to understand how the lockdowns and restrictions affected people who were already marginalised or disadvantaged before the pandemic. File picture: Larry Cummins More than 70,000 people died, of all causes, during that time. For many people, there were restricted opportunities – or no opportunities at all – to be with loved ones in their final weeks. There were restrictions on the numbers at funerals. All of the normal process of gathering with family and friends to mourn the passing of a loved ones were disrupted by the pandemic. The disruption was total and affected education, work, relationships, and daily life. Toddlers missed out on crucial socialisation. Teenagers were cut off from peer groups. Couples were forced apart or cooped up. Thousands lost jobs, shifted careers, or worked in precarious conditions. Health workers, carers, teachers, retail and transport staff bore the brunt and kept the country running. Covid-19 evaluation The independent covid-19 evaluation is to document and try to understand the extent of the disruption and upheaval that occurred during the lockdowns. It's about the real human experience. We want to understand the positives as well as the trauma or scarring effect that loss or anxiety had on people living in Ireland during that period. We want to understand how people's relationships were affected. Some people experienced strong solidarity and shared identity due to the collective challenges. But others had much more negative experiences. We want to understand what pandemic measures and supports affected people. What were the pros and cons of blanket restrictions, such as the 'cocooning' of older people? Nat O'Connor: 'We want to understand the positives as well as the trauma or scarring effect that loss or anxiety had on people living in Ireland during that period.' File picture: Tommy Clancy What new resources, if any, did people find to help them cope, such as access to outdoor facilities in their area? How was people's mental and emotional health affected? A key concern for the covid-19 evaluation is to understand how the lockdowns and restrictions affected people who were already marginalised or disadvantaged before the pandemic. Social policy tells us that adverse child experiences can last a lifetime. And disadvantage can accumulate across a person's life course. It is extremely important for us to understand how more disadvantaged people in our society were affected by the pandemic, such as people with underlying illnesses or disabilities, or those who found it hard to make ends meet. We also want to understand the different experiences of women and men, of different age cohorts, and of minority ethnic groups. We recently held a roundtable event with stakeholder organisations from across Irish society – education, parenting, mental health, care work, community outreach, disadvantaged and equality sectors. Their insights reinforced the need to centre the evaluation on real-life impact. The ripple effects of the pandemic were deep and unequal. Initial survey findings are suggesting negative impacts across education and development; civil liberty, human rights and trust; and mental health. Preliminary analysis also points towards wide-ranging difficulties for those who were already disadvantaged – a pattern well known in social policy. We are asking the public to share their experiences – positive or negative – in our national survey, which remains open at: We want as many people as possible to contribute. Everyone's experience matters. Even now, years later, this is a moment to be heard. We will also examine the decisions made at the time – how and why they were taken – and assess their impact through the lens of lived experience. While pandemics are rare, they are not unpredictable. Experts had long warned of the risk of a novel respiratory virus going global. It is not a question of if another public health crisis will occur, but when. The best way to honour those we lost, and those who sacrificed so much, is to learn every possible lesson from this one. We owe it to ourselves – and future generations – to act on those lessons. Nat O'Connor is Assistant Professor of Social Policy at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD and a Fellow of the UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy. He is also Senior Policy Adviser to Age Action. For information on the covid-19 Evaluation, or to complete the public survey see Read More Limited scope of covid evaluation may not judge if key decisions were right or wrong
Irish Examiner
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
More than 1,000 march in Cork City to demand urgent action on housing crisis
More than 1,000 people marched in Cork City today, demanding that the government urgently address the housing crisis. The rally followed news that new home construction is at a 10-year low, while rental prices continue to climb beyond the reach of many. The 'Raise the Roof' protest was organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) along with left-wing political parties. Aileen Murphy, a pensioner from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, said she used her free travel pass to attend the march. 'I have the bus pass, so it didn't cost me anything, but I felt I had to be here because I'm worried about the younger generation ever having a home of their own. I'm lucky I have. But if I was stating out today it might be a very different story. We have to worry about the future generation,' she said. Raise the Roof protest macrh against government housing policy at Grand Parade Cork City. on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Sean Norberd, from Freemount on the Cork/Limerick border, said he came to support young people struggling to find homes, including nurses. Theresa Mehegan from Kanturk said her son has saved a house deposit but can't buy a home due to lack of supply and high demand. He's currently renting shared accommodation in Cork City, but wants to live independently. However, she said he can't afford to do so with the sky-high rents currently being asked. 'Michael Martin would want to stop and think about the damage he's doing to those who can't get their own home,' Ms Mehegan said. Protestors highlight #DERELICT IRELAND at the Raise the Roof protest march against government housing policy at Grand Parade Cork City on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Amy Lynch from Carrigaline said attendees were sending a message that the government 'can't turn a blind eye anymore' to the housing crisis. Her friend Sarah Murray-Fitzgerald from Bishopstown, attending her first protest, said the housing situation 'is making it hard for young people to survive.' Protesters gathered at the National Monument on Grand Parade at 2pm, but the event was delayed by 20 minutes as some attendees had also joined a separate rally in the city supporting Palestinians. Crowds attending the Raise the Roof protest march against government housing policy at Grand Parade Cork City on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins ICTU's Paul Gavin said many workers now face retiring without owning a home and paying high rents on a meagre pension. He criticised the consistent failure of successive governments to build public housing on public land. Mr Gavin proposed immediate solutions, including restoring the Tenant-In-Situ scheme and imposing an effective tax on owners of vacant or derelict properties to encourage refurbishment. 'There are tens of thousands of these properties across the country that could be brought back into use,' he said. Musician and activist Martin Leahy performs for the crowds at the 'Raise the Roof' protest march against government housing policy at Grand Parade Cork City on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Fórsa trade union campaigns officer Kevin Donoghue called the housing crisis the 'number one social issue' for union members. He argued the only real solution is to give local authorities the funding and authority to build sufficient social, affordable, and cost-rental housing. Labour TD for Cork North Central Eoghan Kenny described the situation as 'completely unacceptable,' noting that 15,000 people — 5,000 of them children — are homeless. 'Governments have ignored the crisis for over a decade. What is needed now is a State-run construction company as private developers hold the monopoly on house-building,' Mr Kenny said. STOP BLAMING MIGRANTS poster at the Raise the Roof protest march against government housing policy at Grand Parade Cork City on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for the same constituency, said protestors were putting pressure on Taoiseach and "Corkman Micheál Martin" to act. 'There are too many boarded up houses all over the place. There are three generations living together in overcrowded houses because there are not enough being built. All the groups represented at this protest are here to highlight solutions,' he said. Currently, there are more than 300 vacant council houses in Cork City. Protesters later marched a short distance to Cornmarket Street, where more speakers addressed the crowd. The event also featured live music from legendary Cork singer-songwriter John Spillane.
Irish Examiner
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: We must take our Tricolour back from those who sow hate and intolerance
The poor Tricolour. When will it ever make its way home to the people of Ireland? Last Saturday in Cork, there was a rally organised by far-right activists or, as they might style themselves, nationalists. Their agenda, to the extent that they have one, is focused on making Ireland poor again. They apparently want the country to revert to a time when nobody would come near the place because it was, as Gay Byrne once noted, banjaxed. The defining image of their march was the prominence of the Tricolour in various forms. These people were claiming to represent the State, its origins, and all that has flowed from it. Last Saturday's rally in Cork was organised by far-right activists — or, as they might style themselves, nationalists — who apparently want the country to revert to a time when nobody would come near the place. Picture: Larry Cummins Ahead of the march, a few lads were selling cheap Tricolours. The plan was obviously to display as much green, white, and orange as possible, identifying marchers with some mystical notion of what the flag might represent. An identical scenario was played out last month ahead of a march organised by the same elements in Dublin. They started at the Garden of Remembrance, and marched down O'Connell St, past the GPO, the cradle of the nation, waving the national flag as if they possess a direct political lineage to the men and women of 1916, who fought and died for an inclusive Republic. The anti-immigration protest in Dublin on April 26 was again cloaked in the Tricolour as if the rally represented the ideals of the men and women who died for Irish freedom in 1916. Picture: Conor Ó Mearáin/PA Together, these two marches, or shows of strength as the organisers might have it, demonstrate the extent to which the Tricolour has once again been misappropriated. For instance, Eoin English's report in Thursday's Irish Examiner about threats made to bar staff in the wake of last Saturday's march, referred to the prominence of the flags. Bar owner Benny McCabe told Eoin that he had left instructions that 'nobody would be refused for carrying an Irish flag'. Entirely correctly, the businessman assumed the Tricolour was now an integral part of the paraphernalia attaching to these elements. Our flag linked to exclusion and hate It was obvious at the general election last November: As one commentator noted, the places that the Tricolour was flown prominently during the 2020 election tended to be strongholds of Sinn Féin. But at the 2024 election, the flying of the flag suggested allegiance to the new form of nationalism current, that of intolerance, exclusion, and hate, with particular emphasis on despising immigrants. At the moment, the display of the Tricolour outside a home, a vehicle, or other property is to invite identification with far-right elements. Such an identification may well be mistaken. An independent-minded person, proud of their nation's record in helping the world's most downtrodden, or acting as agents of peace, may well decide to plant the national flag in their front garden. That is an act of a strong and independent mind. But unless the flag-bearer is willing to sit out in the garden and explain in detail to passers-by the premise for the display, an assumption will be made that they subscribe to the ugly strain of nationalism. We've been here before Of course, we have been here before. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, another ugly form of nationalism had somehow misappropriated the flag. At that time, it was associated with the Provisional IRA and its political wing. By extension, and by deed, this pitched the flag as a prop in a campaign of violence designed to terrorise Protestants into a United Ireland. Thomas Francis Meagher first raised the Tricolour in Waterford in 1848, the green white and orange signifying peace between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. Image from 'Timeless Colours: Waterford' by Ian Hannigan Just as today's flag-carriers attempt to dehumanise children through the colour of their skin, so the Provos did likewise with all victims of its indiscriminate bombing, all targets of ethnic cleansing along the border. While they attempted to portray their nationalism as a struggle, in reality it subscribed to the standard ugly form of exclusion. Ironically, the Tricolour would have been a legitimate standard for those in the North, and across the island, who aspired to peacefully achieving a United Ireland. It was first flown in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher, who stated that the white was to signify a truce between Catholics and Protestants with the hope they can live together. That is an entirely legitimate aspiration and one that still persists today across the political spectrum. Republic of Ireland fans at the 1990 World Cup. The Tricolour was waved with joy and pride throughout Italia '90 at matches and back at home in Ireland. Picture: Billy Stickland/Inpho The 1990 World Cup was seen by many as the time when the flag began to come back to the people of Ireland as a whole. Roddy Doyle, who set his best-selling novel The Van in that frenzied summer of Italia '90, was of this opinion when reflecting on the time during the 30th anniversary. 'It was the best of the luck that I had when I was writing the book that the World Cup took off and indeed the Provos owned the flag for a while but then in 1990 when people waved it to celebrate, that was big, and I think The Van captures that quite well,' he said. Team Ireland, led by flagbearers Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin, taking part in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony last year. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile By the turn of the century, the flag was well and truly reclaimed. Sure, Sinn Féin was prone to roll it out for any bunfight, but their ostensible allegiance to peaceful means meant it wasn't to be sullied any more. All the way up to the last five years, the Tricolour was, to a large extent, back where it belonged. Even when Conor McGregor was in the early straits of his career it was possible to feel — go on, admit it — a sting of pride when he wrapped the flag around himself. The Irish women's relay team, Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Rhasidat Adeleke, and Sharlene Mawdsley celebrate winning silver in the women's 4x400m relay final at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Today, the sight of the man who would be president draped in the flag would be enough to make you want to jump up and declare 'not in my name'. That's where the national symbol resides now and its misappropriation is being perpetrated in an organised fashion. Those who have attached it to their agenda of hate are not representative of any coherent section of society. Ireland's Sarah Healy jumps for joy with the Tricolour as she celebrates winning gold in the women's 800m final at the European Athletics Indoor Championships 2025 in the Netherlands. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile At the last general election, none of their ilk were elected to the Dáil. Only a handful of councillors who march under the broad standard were elected to districts across the State last year. So, in any court of public opinion, they might well be indicted for misappropriation of a national symbol. It isn't totally lost. Of course, it will continue to be flown at official events and at Irish soccer matches in particular. Troops marching along O'Connell St during the Easter Rising centenary commemoration in Dublin in 2016. The Tricolour was at half mast throughout until The Last Post, when it was raised. File picture: Maxwell's There are plenty of occasions, not least during Amhrán na bhFiann during All-Ireland Final day, when turning to the flag can still induce a sense of pride in what we like to think of as the positives aspects of being Irish. There is also the possibility that it might be serving through its final years as the national flag. Abby and Robyn Ryan from Midleton in the Spike Island museum in Cork Harbour with an iconic photo of the Tricolour being raised over the island for the first time in 1938 after the 'Treaty port' was handed over to Ireland by British. Picture: Dan Linehan Should the project of uniting the island as one political entity reach fruition, the various symbols will be up for grabs, with the Tricolour most likely topping the agenda. In theory, the Tricolour would be the perfect flag of a United Ireland in terms of its original design and interpretation. But it has been through so much since, misappropriated in so many ways, it's unlikely that those who associate it with killing during the Troubles would be happy to salute it. In the meantime, while it remains the State's national flag, it would be nice to have it back.
Irish Examiner
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Thousands attend pro-Palestine and anti-immigration rallies in Cork
A major policing operation was in place in Cork City this afternoon as thousands of people marched in two separate rallies. Dozens of uniformed gardaí, backed up by dozens of members of the Garda Public Order Unit — all deployed in soft cap mode — and members of the Garda Mounted Unit were on duty on the Grand Parade in Cork. Thousands gathered in one area for a Munster-wide pro-Palestine march, and nearby for what was billed as a "national protest for Ireland," organised by anti-immigration campaigners. Several prominent far-right agitators were involved in that event, including former Ireland First leader Derek Blighe. Hermann Kelly of the Irish Freedom Party was among those attending. Garda Mounted Unit at Grand Parade Cork to support the Garda Public Order Unit as two protest marches take place on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Rebel News, a Canadian-based far-right online news website, had a reporter on the ground covering what it described as a rally of Irish patriots opposed to the Government's mass immigration policies. Crowd control barriers were in place to keep both sides apart. The Garda Air Unit patrolled the skies above, and with road closures and diversions in place, there was widespread disruption to public transport timetables. Following initial chanting, some verbal insults were traded back and forth between sections of both crowds before the marches began. Protest march to City Hall, Cork on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins The pro-Palestinian campaigners were marshalled in one direction — down St Patrick's Street, onto Oliver Plunkett Street, and back to the Grand Parade for speeches and music — while the anti-immigration protest marched in the other direction, down the South Mall at around the same time, to gather on MacSwiney Quay outside City Hall for speeches. Gardaí have not given out official crowd estimates, but organisers of the pro-Palestine march, the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign — who record attendance at their weekly rallies — have put their numbers at just over 4,500 people. They heard calls on the Irish Government to place sanctions on Israel, pass the Occupied Territories Bill, and stop the Central Bank of Ireland from authorising the sale of Israeli bonds in Europe. Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign weekly protest march in Cork City against the atrocities in Gaza. Picture Larry Cummins Naser Swirki, a theatre and film director who was born in Gaza and now lives in Skibbereen spoke of the horror that Israel is inflicting on people who are trying to survive in his country. 'In Gaza, death spares no one — doctors, children, the displaced, and even hope itself,' he said. 'In Gaza, instead of saying, "See you tomorrow," they say, "See you in heaven." 'Parents memorise their children's clothes to identify their remains later. 'They struggle to get a piece of bread, offering it before bed, so their children don't die while they're still hungry.' Protest march to City Hall, Cork on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Limerick-based Palestinian poet Tamar, 26 — whose four brothers and parents are still in Palestine — and activist Tadhg Hickey were also among the speakers. It is estimated that around 3,000 people marched in the 'national protest for Ireland' rally, with many carrying tricolours. They heard speakers criticising government immigration and housing policy. Mr Blighe also addressed the Irish diaspora and said Irish nationalists want to give them a 'homeland to return to.' Garda Mounted Unit at Grand Parade Cork to support the Garda Public Order Unit as two protest marches take place on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins Wearing a set of blue rosary beads on his left wrist, he said the government wants to put climate, diversity and foreigners first. 'What counts in my heart is to put the Irish first,' he said. The organisers of both events encouraged participants to behave responsibly. Both events passed off peacefully and there was just one arrest for an alleged public order offence. Read More Stricter regulations needed at Cork camper van site after excrement dumped in fields, council hears
