I have photographed this bandstand a number of times but this time I had a number of problems but the main one was that I had to edit out a number of children who kept getting in the way but it is nice to see that they like the structure as much, if not more, than I do.
The other issue is that they structure is no longer uniformly white and there is much discolouration which appears to be much uglier in the images than it is in reality.
Here is how the developer (Darmody Architecture) described the structure: “Understanding the client brief in terms of the desire for innovation together with the need for a functioning pavilion was a clear starting point. This led us to a sculptural form which embraces the functionality of a performance space while being a poetic element in its own right. Our studies of fluid forms guided us to an aerodynamic structural skeleton with a technical skin inspired by the engineering of modern aircraft and its composite elements. This development of a fluid skin allowed us to explore and enjoy the idea of the lightness and the vitality of summer light. The canopy form was manipulated and folded creating the implied enclosure of space and light.”
The Mardyke is an area in Cork city, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the River Lee near the city centre. It was historically left as open space because the land along the north channel of the river is prone to flooding. From east to west these open spaces are: Presentation Brothers College, a boy’s secondary school; the Mardyke ground of Cork County Cricket Club; Fitzgerald Park, which includes Cork Public Museum; Sunday’s Well Lawn Tennis Club; and the athletic grounds of University College Cork.
I ended up at this location by accident and for various reasons I quickly moved on with the intention of returning at a later date in order to explore the area in greater detail
Just outside the city walls is Ballybricken, one of the many inner-city villages in Waterford. The centre of the village has been converted into a public green area with a bandstand and many benches. It is known locally for having some of the finest produce and butcher shops in the city.
Penrose Lane was known locally as Dennys Lane and it was the scene of the 1896-67 Pig strike. Pig traders/buyers based in the Ballybricken area had a local monopoly on buying from farmers in order to supply local bacon producers but the factories began to buy direct from the producers.
By the middle of the 19th Century, around 75% of the Irish pork products imported into London were coming from Waterford. The City and its surrounds were at that point huge manufacturers of sausages and bacon, largely due to the Denny’s factory, a family business passed from generation to generation. Denny’s still exists today but the factory in Waterford shut in March 1972.
Until I visited again in 2018 and discovered the Bull Post in Ballybricken I had been unaware that the cruel practice of Bull-Baiting had ever taken place in Ireland. I will discuss this in detail at a later date.