Creative Celebration Day at St Luke’s NS, O’Mahoney’s Avenue

Posted on May 27, 2022 by mediaccr

Jacqueline Collier, Principal of St Luke’s NS, writes:

Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme to enable the creative potential of every child. Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The initiative is also informed by the Arts Council’s ten-year strategy (2016–25) Making Great Artwork: Leading the Development of the Arts in Ireland.

St Luke’s, O’Mahoney’s Avenue commenced our two-year partnership in September 2020. There were three phases to the project: Understand, Develop and Celebrate. The Creative Associate, Ms. Fiona Lawton, the school’s Coordinator, and the Principal planned sustainable child-centred arts and creative activities, within a set budget. Our Creative Plan involved as many voices as possible, pupils, staff, parents and artists. A pupil committee was set up comprising of two pupils from each class to facilitate a pupil voice, and a podcast gave the pupils a channel to express what “creativity” meant to them. There were many successful collaborative aspects of this plan, which included the formation of an outdoor classroom, creativity at home projects, a senior photography project, outdoor planting and the creation of an outdoor mosaic. This latter project invited each pupil and member of staff to imprint their own design onto a ceramic tile (20cm by 20cm). A botanical/ nature theme was chosen to integrate learning with the Green Schools Initiative. Artist Treasa O’Malley guided our project through each stage: designing, creating and the firing of all eighty-nine tiles. The outdoor area was prepared and the tiles attached.

On Friday, 20th May we celebrated our creativity and expression and held a “Creative Celebration Day” displaying our finished projects to each other and parents. Pupils wore their personally designed tie-dyed t-shirts (another project), performed a drama, created under a Teacher Artist Project, sang under the direction of Mr. Peter Stobart (Director of music in St Fin barre’s Cathedral, Cork) and played their tin whistles, with gusto. The culmination of the day was the cutting of the ribbon by Fiona Lawton to officially open our outdoor area and mark the end of our two-year projects.

It was a truly rewarding project, funded and supported by the Arts Council, and an incredible creative and learning experience for each pupil.

From left to right: Siobhan Kelleher (Deputy Principal), Treasa O’Malley (Artist), Fiona Lawton (Creative Associate), Jacqueline Collier (Principal)
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Tower renovations completed at the Church of the Ascension, Timoleague

Posted on May 26, 2022 by mediaccr

The Church of the Ascension in Timoleague is undergoing some major renovation works since 2020. Phase 1 was completed in Summer 2020, restoring and renewing the entire roof of the church. Phase 2 of the plan has been completed recently, resulting in the new, white colour of the church tower.

The Rev. Kingsley Sutton, Rector of Kilgariffe Union, has created a short video about the ongoing conservation project and explains why the church tower is now white.

You can find the video here.

The Rev. Kingsley Sutton, Rector of Kilgariffe Union, commented:

West Cork has many hidden gems, but this one is changing colour. Please share the good news of how Ireland’s Heritage is being conserved for future generations.

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St Mary’s Tractor Run Fundraiser in Dunmanway

Posted on May 25, 2022 by mediaccr

The Rev. Cliff Jeffers writes:

Over 100 vintage cars and tractors gathered at Cox’s Hall in Dunmanway for the annual St Mary’s Tractor Run. This event is one of the highlights of the year, with parishioners and people from the local community gathering to raise funds for local charities.

The three charities this year were Multiple Sclerosis West Cork, St Mary’s Church Dunmanway, and Co-Action Dunmanway. Sean Murphy from MS West Cork thanked the organisers of the Tractor Run for all the work they put into making it a wonderful event.

It was not only an enjoyable fundraising event, but also wonderful to be able to meet again socially and see many people from the parish, local community and from around West Cork coming together on Rogation Sunday.

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Annual Service for Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week held in St Anne’s Church, Shandon

Posted on May 24, 2022 by mediaccr

Once again this year, St Anne’s Church hosted its annual service for Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week on Sunday 22nd May. The service takes place around International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) each year.

The Rev. Steven Foster, Alan Howe and Stephen Spillane in front of St Anne’s Church, Shandon.

The service was lead by Diocesan Reader Alan Howe and the Rev. Steven Foster of the North Tipperary Methodist Circuit and Amach le Dia gave the address.

  • Reader Alan Howe
  • The Rev. Steven Foster

Stephen Spillane, churchwarden at St Anne’s Church, commented:

St Anne’s was once again delighted to host our Annual Service for LGBTI+ Awareness Week. This year the address from Rev Steven Foster was timely and spoke about how the courage and partnership needed for us to be advocates for inclusion in the church. This is something we take very seriously in St Anne’s and we firmly believe that whoever you are and where ever you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here.

The Rev. Steven Foster, Alan Howe and Stephen Spillane in front of St Anne’s Church, Shandon.

Earlier that week, on Monday 16th May, Bishop Paul Colton joined the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Colm Kelleher, at the launch of the annual Cork LGBT Awareness Week.

Photo from the Lord Mayor of Cork, Colm Kelleher’s social media. For original click here.
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Rector of Kilgariffe Union receives Community Award

Posted on May 20, 2022 by mediaccr

On Tuesday, 17th May 2022, the Mayor of Clonakilty Mr Anthony McDermott and the members of the Clonakilty Mayoral Council presented the Rev. Kingsley Sutton with a community award for his outstanding community spirit in his many video productions over the Covid-19 Pandemic.


The awards are given to various people/groups each year by the Mayor of Clonakilty to highlight their many outstanding achievements.

‘Mayor Anthony McDermott said that he is delighted to be able to honour outstanding people and said it just goes to show what a fantastic community we live in. There is something for all, young and old, in our town and it is so important that we honour the outstanding achievements of these people and groups.’

Mayoral Council of Clonakilty

The Rev. Kingsley Sutton commented:

I am really humbled and yet honoured to accept this award. I am so glad that my videos have helped to give people a lift in life, especially in the darkest days of the pandemic. There is so much community spirit in Clonakilty, it has been a joy to record it and broadcast it to the world!

The Rev. Kingsley Sutton, his wife Daphne and three of their children.
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