Cork graveyard that is the burial site of a legendary 18th Century figure gets funding for vital repairs
Dún Dea-Radhairc Graveyard Committee were successful in their application for a portion of the €7.5m available from the 2025 Community Monuments Fund.
The funding awarded will go towards creating a conservation report to identify the repairs required for the graveyard at present and plan for future improvements.
The graveyard walls were identified as a part of the resource that requires work.
Fine Gael Councillor Ted Lucey said the committee applied for the funding last year but were unsuccessful, and he believes this year's funding will allow them to apply for a bigger grant next year.
'The boundary wall is in very bad condition and the graveyard itself could do with an uplift.
'There is a lot of history there,' Mr Lucey said.
Legendary Cork hero Art Ó Laoghaire – of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire fame – who was killed by shots fired by soldiers but paid for by a local sheriff who Mr Ó Laoghaire refused to sell his horse to, 253 years ago on Sunday, May 4, was buried outside the graveyard.
'He was buried outside the graveyard first, but I don't know where he ended up, but there is a pile of history there,' Mr Lucey added.
The premise of the fund is to protect monuments from the effects of increased weathering and severe climate events.
Mr Lucey said he is 'glad' that the Dún Dea-Radhairc Graveyard Committee received the funding.
'It would be great if they qualified for the funding again next year.
'I was glad that they got it because they are a good community and organisation.
'This will give them the platform to create a plan, do more investigating and pave the way to apply for stage one of a bigger bracket next year,' Mr Lucey concluded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, June 12th: On rent market changes, the media and hurling
Sir, – For a political party that once declared their support for 'people who get up early in the morning', the changes announced in the rental market feels like a statutory stab in the back. As a property investor who had many sleepless nights during the 'crash', and who has worked hard all my life and done without, I now find my investments held hostage by a legislative tangle of incomprehensible rules and regulations. And why? All because a government has failed miserably to address the housing crisis and needs a fall guy to sate the baying populist politicians on the Opposition benches. Who was there for me when interest rates were rising, when the banks were spitting in my face and tenants were not to be found? No help, no rescue plan for landlords then. We struggled through at great cost, financially, emotionally and physically. READ MORE The Rental Control Zones (introduced in 2016) were to last just three years – they continue in place leaving many small landlords collecting rents that are at 60 per cent or less of market value in an environment of rising maintenance and management charges. Fine Gael should hang theirs collective heads in shame. In an effort to reach those who will never be theirs, they have left the 'true blues' out in the cold. A price will be paid. –Yours, etc, NEVILLE SCARGILL, Bray, Co Wicklow. Gender issues and the media Sir, – It's a rare and welcome sight to see an Irish journalist tackle the contentious trans debate, and Hugh Linehan's recent article does so with commendable courage (' Why is Irish Media so reticent about covering gender issues? ' June 9th) By addressing what others avoid, Linehan upholds George Orwell's standard that 'journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations'. For this, he deserves significant credit. However, I was puzzled by Linehan's description of me as 'an activist with a clear ideological stance'. I challenge him to define this supposed ideological stance, as I suspect he'll struggle to do so. My work is driven not by ideology but by a commitment to reality, biological facts, and professional responsibility. As a psychotherapist, I am duty-bound to advocate for best-practice care for gender-distressed young people, just as journalists like Linehan are obliged to confront challenging issues in the public sphere. It's unfortunate that his piece, while rightly noting Irish journalism's reluctance to engage with this topic, mischaracterises my mental health work as activism rather than professional integrity. In 2021, I founded Genspect, an international organisation that promotes a non-medicalised approach to gender-related distress. We believe that feminine boys should be free to wear dresses, and that masculine girls should be able to express stereotypically masculine traits, without being directed towards puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. As a former masculine girl myself, I know firsthand how society struggles to accept gender-nonconforming children and I advocate for a world that embraces this nonconformity without relying on medical intervention. Genspect provides vital psychological support through regular online meetings for individuals harmed by medical transition, parents of trans-identified youth, and those who identify as transgender. With approximately 1,500 individuals supported, including over 360 detransitioners – people who have medically transitioned and now seek to reverse this transition – Genspect is the only organisation in the world that offers free support to detransitioners. This is not activism; it's a response to urgent, unmet needs. Linehan rightly notes that Irish journalism has too often sidestepped these complex issues. RTÉ, in particular, has avoided meaningful engagement, failing its obligations as a public service broadcaster. This silence has eroded clarity, rigour, and public trust. Linehan's article is a long-overdue example of intellectual honesty and moral courage. I hope it inspires more journalists to ask tough questions and engage thoughtfully. I also respectfully request that the paper of record clarify the characterisation of my work. – Yours, etc STELLA O'MALLEY, Birr, Co Offaly. Sir, – I would like to commend and thank Hugh Linehan for his acknowledgement of the failure of the Irish journalistic class (with a few notable exceptions) to do their job and report on the issues around gender identity and its impact on children and women. His explanation, or excuse, as to why this happened will be of little comfort to parents and women who have experienced radio (and print) silence in trying to engage in a national discussion about actual evidence, best practice, safeguarding and fairness. Linehan is correct that children, and women, deserve better. As a starting point, we need the media to do its job and report on the evidence and the facts. The Irish Times would do well to engage and finally reassert itself as a paper of record on this issue. – Yours etc, SHEENA McAFEE, Dartry, Dublin 6. Godly consultants Sir, – Tom O'Dowd MD (Letters, June 11th) asks 'how are managers expected to deal with a few highly unionised well-paid doctors with track records of bullying junior staff and playing the system?' Perhaps addressing them as God or Your Majesty would do the trick. –Yours, etc, BRIAN AHERN, Clonsilla, Dublin. Nursing homes scandals Sir, – The recent horrifying revelations concerning maltreatment of some residents in some care homes indirectly highlights the critical importance of enabling infirm people to remain in their own homes for as long as is feasible. A critical factor, in enabling people to remain in their homes for as long as possible, is the support that they receive, especially, and not just from family members and neighbours, but also from the unsung heroes, the health care assistants who visit infirm people in their homes and provide them with the sustenance and care that they need order to supplement their support. We see this in the case of an elderly family member. Included in this rank of busy and extremely burdened health care assistants are the many who are non-nationals in origin and who, alongside their Irish counterparts, provide empathetic and utterly devoted care, sometimes to a level way beyond their employment remit. Let us celebrate all those who deserve celebration, who all too often are undervalued even though what they do, on a daily basis, is some of the most important work in society. Without this vital group of healthcare workers there are many, now contently living at home, who would already be in care homes, perhaps receiving less than optimal care for their individual needs, not to mention the premature loss of their autonomy. Proper pay and conditions, sufficient time for visits and proper recognition of the invaluable role of these vital people within society ought to be a minimum practical provision in a truly caring society. – Yours, etc, REGINA and ANTHONY LAYNG, Ringsend Road, Dublin 4. Sir, – Prof Des O'Neill calls for a number of measures, including stronger advocacy voices, to address the lingering crisis in our nursing homes ('Has anything changed since Leas Cross?', June 10th ). Unfortunately, there will never be enough professionally trained advocates to help residents. The wider community can play a pivotal role in this regard. The theme of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th is connection is protection – by being good neighbours and watching out for each other we can protect the most vulnerable from potential abuse. Residents living in nursing homes become quickly disconnected from the rest of society with many experiencing profound loneliness. Such a situation can be a breeding ground for bad work practices and abuse. Communities who visit residents regularly in their local nursing homes are uniquely placed to break the cycle of loneliness, call out poor standards of care and become advocates for the most vulnerable. The persistent determination of those families who continue to fight for their loved ones featured in the recent RTÉ Investigates: Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes should be a rallying call for communities to take up the mantle. – Yours, etc, TONY CARROLL, Beaumont, Dublin. Trump and fatigue Sir, – US president Donald Trump seems intent on testing the powers of his office to the limit. Perhaps it is time for the United States to consider changing the first line of the preamble to the Constitution from 'we the people' to 'I, the President. – Yours, etc, NUALA DELANEY, Killiney, Co Dublin. Sir, – Would it be possible to publish the paper for a week without a reference to President Trump ? I'd settle for a day. – Yours, etc, PAUL WALSH, Co Dublin. Freedom flotilla interception Sir, – So the Israeli military forces intercepted and seized the non-profit Freedom Flotilla Coalition's yacht in international waters, while she was sailing to Gaza with a symbolic contribution of urgently needed humanitarian aid. The stomach churning photo of an Israel Defense Forces individual pressing a sandwich and orange juice on a bemused Greta Thunberg said it all. There were reports that the flotilla detainees would be subjected to a film, while 'guests of the nation', about the original attack by Hamas on Israel in October, 2023. One wonders, purely for balance, if the Israeli government would also show a documentary on the total destruction of Gaza and the killing of an estimated 54,000 people in 20 months of ruthless and incessant bombardment. It was probably unlikely that there would be time to show the detail, in the face of Israel's haste to get the turbulent group of flotilla volunteers off their hands. –Yours, etc, PATRICK JUDGE, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. An affront to humanity Sir, – The release of Ratko Mladic (' Ratko Mladic: Terminally ill Bosnian Serb general serving life for genocide seeks release, ' June 10th) would be an affront to humanity and the entire concept of justice itself. Last year I visited Sarajevo and Mostar, having previously studied the Bosnian war and genocide. I am lucky enough to not have lived during such utter depravity, but its lessons on ethnonationalism and the failure of the international community should never be forgotten. As you stand in the Sehidsko Mezarje Kovaci cemetery next to the old town in Sarajevo, you will witness young people weep as they mourn their parents who never had the chance to see their children go to college or have families; the partners and parents of those who were blown to bits before their very eyes by Serb mortars. They remember what Mladic did to Bosnia like it was yesterday, and it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Victims of a brutal 1,425-day siege, a city abandoned to slaughter by the world. Today, it stands as a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians worship and live side by side, as they have done for over 500 years; a stark contrast to the vision of a resurgent reactionary nationalism across Europe, the United States and the Middle East. Mladic's lawyers have argued that he should be allowed to live out the remainder of his days alongside his family; there can be no true justice for what happened in Bosnia. However, allowing Mladic to experience freedom would be the most grotesque injustice for those who will never cease to mourn. Will international justice fail them once again? – Yours, etc, ANDREW DUNNE, Rialto, Dublin 8. Free-flowing hurling Sir, – Gordon Manning's article about referees and free-flowing hurling('I f we want free-flowing hurling we must accept the refereeing that facilitates it, ' June 10th,) is timely. When the subject of free-flowing hurling is discussed, it is normally assumed that it is entirely the prerogative of the referee that a match is free-flowing ie. the referee tolerates a certain level of fouling or rule-breaking in the interests of a free-flowing game. For some strange reason, the spotlight is never placed on the players who commit the fouls and break the rules. Players behaviour should be placed at the centre of any debate regarding the desire for a free-flowing game. It is quite simple – play by the rules and there will be fewer frees. Then you get a free-flowing game that avoids dubious (and often dangerous) tackles that otherwise become the norm in a match. – Yours, etc, EAMON O'FLYNN, Merrion Road, Dublin 4. Unrestricted censorship Sir, –I had quite a different experience of a library than the one experienced by President Michael D Higgins and detailed by Ray Burke in An Irish Diary (June 9th). All the books were bad for you in the one I visited, but I nevertheless had unrestricted access to them. The Department of Justice had a store of banned publications which they kindly allowed me entry to about 25 years ago. As Burke points out, so many famous authors had had their works scrutinised that the censors handled what are now very valuable books. I visited the collection to see if there were editions that should have been transferred to the National Library or otherwise preserved. Unfortunately, there weren't. Instead, there were shelves of randomly assorted volumes and a small selection of top shelf magazines. The books ranged from aged historical romances that had left my teenage sisters undamaged (and which were by then available in any second-hand shop in the country), to more recherché and pornographic texts in Latin (which no one bothered to ban as they were protected by classic status). While no individual work was valuable, the collection is of considerable interest as it contained the underlinings and jottings of the censorship committee members and I hope that it has been preserved intact. – Yours, etc, JOHN FLOOD, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tense scenes as Paul Gogarty rows with Gavin Pepper and Malachy Steenson
Independent TD Paul Gogarty was confronted by independent councillors Gavin Pepper and Malachy Steenson at a protest by residents over the Government's purchase of the Citywest Hotel in Dublin. Local residents distanced themselves from Mr Pepper and Mr Steenson, but stated Deputy Gogarty made a mistake by telling protestors he had "no truck" with racism or the far right. Cabinet heard last month that Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan will present proposals to purchase the Citywest site. It is currently being used to house asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees. Mr Gogarty addressed the crowd and started with what he called a "preamble", stating that he would "not be associated" with elements he considered to be racist or far right. Mr Steenson and Mr Pepper, who are both Dublin City councillors, objected to Mr Gogarty's remarks. Several members of the crowd also objected. As Mr Steenson and Mr Pepper approached Deputy Gogarty, the Dublin Mid-West TD said: "Go back to where you came from. I'm talking to the people of Saggart. "I don't want any far right here." Cllr Pepper responded: "You're a disgrace." A member of the crowd moved Mr Steenson away from Mr Gogarty but he later re-approached him and asked, "Who are you calling far right?" Mr Gogarty told the crowd: "The reason I came here is because all of you are peaceful individuals who have a right to make a point. "I support you fully in making your point. I'm looking at these signs, which say, 'Public consultation'. "In that context, I am happy to support the residents of Saggart without having any truck with the other people." One local resident from Saggart told Deputy Gogarty that they did not need a "lecture on racism". Mr Steenson later spoke to Mr Gogarty and said, "You called us far right and racist. "No truck with what? What are you having no truck with, Paul?" Speaking to reporters, Deputy Gogarty stated the local residents had told him that if there was anything "untoward", the protest would be cancelled. He continued: "The issue is that certain groupings who aren't associated with the protestors tend to hang around the fringes." Deputy Gogarty stressed that he had "no truck with any racist comments." He continued: "Some of the usual suspects started shouting me down. I wasn't allowed finish my preamble. I don't condone any form of abuse or racism of any nature." Mr Gogarty admitted that it "might be his fault" if residents believed he was calling them racist, insisting that he supports their calls for proper consultation about the purchase of Citywest Hotel. Speaking on behalf of the group, Bernie Cronin, a former Fine Gael member and a current member of Independent Ireland, said they were concerned about the "luxury hotel" no longer being available to locals. He also expressed concerns about outside parties trying to "hijack" the protest, saying they "don't help us". Susan Murphy, a resident of Saggart for 66 years, said it is "not a question about race, it's about space". The group said that Mr Gogarty made a "mistake" by speaking about racism. Cllr Pepper accused Deputy Gogarty of "putting people down and trying to call them racist and far right, as usual". He added: "I think it's unfair for me to be called far right and an agitator. It's classism and it punches down on people that want to speak out."
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Irish Times
`Quango Cull' - almost as many State agencies now as in aftermath of financial crash
The total number of State agencies has almost returned to the peak it reached before a so-called 'quango cull' was announced following the 2008 financial crash, information released by Government departments shows. A 'quango' is typically defined as an organisation to which Government departments have devolved some degree of responsibility, and which are funded by the State. When in opposition in the run-up to the 2011 general election, Fine Gael promised a 'quango cull' and a 'burning of the quangos', believing there to be far too many in the State. There were almost 300 such agencies by the time tough austerity measures were announced in 2010. READ MORE A subsequent 2016 review by Dr Richard Boyle for the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) found a net total of 37 agencies had been abolished in the interim. Although 62 had been shut down in total, 25 new agencies were established over the five-year period. [ Vow to scrap quangos unashamedly populist Opens in new window ] Of the 62 abolished, just 10 ceased to exist entirely. The other 52 were either merged with another organisation or combined to create new bodies. However, newly released information shows at least 33 new quangos will have been created between the end of 2015 and the end of 2025. At least four more – including AirNav Ireland, which provides air traffic management – have directly replaced another agency. In replies to parliamentary questions submitted by Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness , 14 of the 15 Government departments disclosed new quangos established since 2015 (the Department of Health was not in a position to provide the information requested). The information supplied showed a total of 33 have been created, or planned, across the 15 departments, in addition to four that have been renamed or had their role expanded (including Coimisiún na Meán , the broadcasting and online media regulator, and AirNav Ireland). The Department of Justice has established the largest number of new agencies with 10 quangos introduced since 2015. They include Cuan (set up in 2024), the agency that deals with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Other new agencies established under the Justice umbrella include the Independent Examiner of Security Legislation, which reviews the effectiveness of related laws; the Office for Community Safety; the Judicial Council; the Legal Services Regulatory Authority; and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. While the department could not provide information, several large agencies have been established in the health sector. They include Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the Decision Support Service. Two more – a pandemic and emerging threats agency, and the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority – are proposed by the end of 2025. Other significant agencies created in the past decade include An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority and Home Building Finance Ireland. Despite its early objection to 'quangos', Fine Gael's post-2011 coalition with Labour saw a more modest reduction, with an estimated 13 per cent of agencies abolished during that government's term in office. Details of more recent agencies were furnished in replies to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Mr McGuinness who noted that during his time chairing the Public Accounts Committee, it had been difficult to establish how many there were. 'Many of these quangos are getting enormous amounts of money and because they are one step removed from the department, there is not a direct route to audit their finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG),' he said. 'The so-called burning of the quangos never happened. It's hard to see how many of them are adhering to good practices in terms of governance, as they are not subject to the same scrutiny as Government departments. 'We need legislative change to make the C&AG responsible for all those agencies,' he said.
