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Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘It was a stroke of madness,' Macroom Music Festival prepares to bring the party vibes back to Midwest Cork
Now in its third year, the festival will take place on Sunday, June 1, and promises to be an event that would demand to be marked down on the calendar of any self-respecting music fan. Derry band The Undertones will headline, and their upcoming performance will mark their first since featuring at the Macroom Mountain Dew Festival back in 1981. Household name Sharon Shannon will meanwhile bring her musical talents to Midwest Cork, and platinum selling Irish singer/songwriter Ryan Sheridan will complete the exciting line-up. The festival will take place in the Town Square in Macroom and is expected to attract over 3,000 visitors from across Ireland and the UK to the town. Founding Chairman Killian Lynch told The Corkman that the Macroom bypass made the event possible. 'Prior to the Macroom bypass in December 2022, we couldn't have had this done because of traffic, but since the bypass we are able to close the entire town. 'It is fantastic, and it will be one of the biggest events around this time of the year,' he added. Live music will be a feature in most bars and the Briery Gap Theatre in Macroom on Saturday, May 31, ahead of the festival. Mr Lynch said the idea of hosting a music festival in the town was a 'stroke of madness' but has given the world the chance to see what Macroom can do before the plans for the festival were finalised. 'It was a stroke of madness, maybe, and Macroom had to show what it had to offer and when we do it, we would do it 100% professionally. 'I think that statement is standing the test because it is getting bigger and stronger when you look at the calibre of acts that we have and who are delighted to come to Macroom and perform. 'It is a small world, the music industry, and if it (Macroom Music Festival) is not done professionally or is not done right, the acts won't come here,' he added. The event is run by the Macroom Business Association and Mr Lynch said: "When it comes close to the time all the businesses come in and pull together. "There's an awful lot of help given between the local businesses," he added. Tickets are still available for €46 via Gates will open at 5:30pm and the concerts should be finished by 11:30pm. Those wishing to continue to party venture to various bars in the town for further late-night entertainment. The event is strictly over 18's and ID will be required to seek entry. For more information, visit
Irish Independent
12-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Independent
Cork MTU astronomer says promising signs of extra-terrestrial life are very ‘exciting for students'
The James Webb Space Telescope was used to look at the light that goes through the atmosphere and they discovered two molecules that suggested they discovered two molecules that on Earth are associated with life on the exoplanet known as K2-18b. Astronomers at Cambridge University detected the most promising signs of extra-terrestrial life to date by using data from James Webb Space Telescope, and the Head of Blackrock Castle Observatory at Munster Technological University (MTU) spoke to The Corkman about the revelations. The James Webb Space Telescope was used to look at the light that goes through the atmosphere on the exoplanet known as K2-18b and they discovered two molecules that are indelibly associated with life on Earth.
Irish Independent
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
‘It's a total disgrace' – crunch meeting in rural Cork town over poor state of historic courthouse
Kanturk's historical courthouse is a building with over 200 years of history and the bridewell contains rare graffiti that was etched on the walls by Republicans who were incarcerated there during the Revolutionary Period. But the bridewell has been protected by a temporary tarpaulin covering after the roof became badly damaged, in what the Vice-Chairman of the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee Dan Dennehy has described as a 'total disgrace.' 'Over three years with a temporary tarpaulin covering, which is a total disgrace. 'It is probably only adding to the deterioration of the graffiti,' Mr Dennehy told The Corkman. Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West Christopher O'Sullivan said there is so much 'passion and dedication' within the Kanturk community to see the courthouse returned to its former glory. 'I visited the courthouse with Deputy Michael Moynihan, the [Kanturk Courthouse Restoration] Committee who have been working for a couple of years to make a case for the state to renovate it and what I can say is there is so much passion and dedication with the community. 'I can see Michael's passion for the project shines through and he has so much knowledge and interest, which shone through on the day,' Mr O'Sullivan said. Locals who formed the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee have advocated for the building to be urgently restored so that its artefacts are not further damaged by dampness caused by the bridewell's damaged roof. Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North West Michael Moynihan said protecting the building is 'crucially important.' 'There's a lot of drawings on the courthouse building itself in terms of the battleships from the first World War that were drawn there by the people who were incarcerated during the War of Independence and the Civil War. 'We have evidence of people who are long since gone that have played a visible part in the War of independence who have since been forgotten,' Mr Moynihan said. Minister O'Sullivan, Deputy Moynihan, members of the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee and representatives from the Irish Court Services held a 'constructive meeting' about the restoration of the building. 'I was representing the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and from the Heritage point of view to explain that there are types of funds available for groups, for state bodies and local authorities to apply for funding for the protection and renovation of these incredible landmarks. 'The Court Service has a very important role to play because they are the owners of the building. 'We certainly identified a path forward that we are exploring at the moment, and that path would have to involve the court service and eventually the local authority,' Mr O'Sullivan added. Mr Moynihan told The Corkman that further engagement with the Court Service is 'important.' 'There were routes to funding discussed by Minister O'Sullivan and the Court Services. 'We have to further engage with them because it is crucially, crucially important that we protect this structure,' he said. Mr O'Sullivan continued to say: 'I would urge the Court Services, along with the OPW and the local authority to bang heads together and for them to avail of the funding mechanisms available. 'It certainly is as my state admission as Minister to where opportunities arise to protect, renovate and to increase access to these very important monuments, that is what we want to do. 'In the case of Kanturk where you have a really passionate community and you have local representatives who are very passionate, that is the basis to doing something very special,' he concluded.
