AN INTERESTING WATER FEATURE IN THE WATERFORD PEOPLES PARK
One thing that I have noticed in Ireland is that water features are never properly maintained and eventually they become non-water features. Unfortunately, when I photographed this a year later it was in very poor condition … hardly any water and lots of litter and branches within the pool area. But to be fair in 2017 it was in excellent condition and the water in the ball was clear.
In 1999, artist Tina O’Connell was commissioned to re-create a fountain on the same site as where there had been a Victorian style tiered fountain which had fallen into disrepair. Thus Tina’s contemporary sculpture is also a fully functioning fountain. After an extended period of research into the materials and of development ‘In-Visible’ was finally sited and fully installed in 2002.
‘In-Visible’ (2001) is a contemporary sculpture incorporating a water feature. Inspired by the connection between Waterford City and the world famous Waterford Glass industry, O’Connell’s work consists of a very large transparent acrylic sphere (2 metres in diameter), over which clear running water continuously flows, and which is positioned on a large, circular platform made from black Kilkenny marble. The work has been referred to locally as the ‘Orb Fountain’.
I came across this by accident as I was trying to find my way to St. Finbarr’s Cemetery. At the time there was too much traffic at the Wilton Roundabout so I decided that it would be better to return later in order to photograph the sculpture but as it began to rain I decided to get the 216 bus back to the city centre. Of course, the rain ceased the minute I boarded the bus.
Born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, in 1946, John Burke studied at the Crawford School of Art in Cork, and in London with Brian Kneal.
He has shown sculptures in all the major Irish group exhibitions, as well as international shows like Artists 77, New York (1977); 18 European Sculptors, Munich (1978); Sculpture Européenne, Brussels (1979); A Sense of Ireland, London (1980); and C.A.N., Cork (1985), where he won the sculptor prize. He has held solo shows at Trinity College, Dublin; the Ulster Museum, Belfast; the David Hendriks Gallery, Dublin; and an open-air show in Cork city.
His outdoor works include the abstract red steel sculpture at the Bank of Ireland building on Baggot Street, Dublin.
He won the Cork Arts Society Award (1967), a Macaulay Fellowship (1970), and the Alice Hammerschlag Travel Award (1979).
KINGSLEY PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND NEARBY ACROSS THE LEE NORTH CHANNEL NEAR THE KINGSLEY HOTEL
[UPDATE] Not long after I uploaded this series of images I was contacted by a person who zoomed in on a notice in one photograph which indicated that the bridge was sponsored by the Kingsley Hotel in May 2009. They also mentioned that the Kingsley was forced to close because serious of flood damage in November 2009. It reopened under different ownership in July 2014].[]
According to various guides there are ten bridges spanning the North Channel of the River Lee in Cork but it would appear that I have used one that is not on any of the lists.
When I visited the area in 2017 A gentleman that I met on the trail mentioned that I might see an a coypu and I had no idea what he was talking about. Later, on my return to the hotel, I checked online and found the following “The public has being asked to report sightings of any coypus, sometimes mistaken for otters, after one was spotted in or near the River Lee near the Lee Fields in Cork City recently”. I never did find out what happened to the coypu.
Adjacent to The Kingsley Hotel there is walkway along the banks of The River Lee. There is a footbridge which appears on Google Maps as the “Kingsley Bridge”. But I cannot find any information relating to this bridge and cannot confirm the name … maybe it has a different name?
The bridge is interest as it allows one to visit an interesting memorial to Brian Quillingan [I will publish photographs of the sculpture later] and then walk on past the Missionaries Of The Sacred Heart to the Mardyke Pavillion.
The Lee flows from the lake of Gougane Barra as a fast-paced torrent, but by the town of Ballingeary it eases and flows into Lough Allua. Departing the lough, running east, it again becomes a rapid flow before running into The Gearagh, and Carrigadrohid feeder reservoirs, and then into the large Inniscarra reservoir created by Inniscarra Dam. Moving on, it flows down from the dam, in normal conditions a gentle river until it comes to Ballincollig Weir in Ballincollig Park; here it is dangerous to swimmers when in high water.
The Lee then flows into the city under Inniscarra Bridge and flows parallel to the Carrigrohane road. Along this section gauges monitor the water levels from the Inniscarra Dam. The river flows over the Lee weir and then is split into the north and south channels at a sluice (it historically occupied the city area as a maze of channels). This area is popular for recreation, kayaking and fishing. The two channels join again at the Cork docks and enter the extensive estuary and harbour, south of Glanmire, passing either side of Great Island (Cobh lies on the south coast) to fill the outer harbour, and reaching the open sea between Whitegate and Crosshaven.
City area tributaries include the combined Maglin (from Ballincollig) and Curraheen (occasionally Curragheen) Rivers, capturing the Glasheen River also and joining at the western end of the UCC complex, and the Kiln River (sometimes Bride River) which joins by the Christy Ring Bridge in the city centre, a little west of St. Patrick’s Bridge (formed in turn from a Bride River and the Kilnap or Glennamought River, later joined by the Glen River).
In the past I had difficult photographing this sculpture, in Fitzgerald Park, because children play on it but for some reason there were very few children in the park when I visited in May 2022.
Betty Gold, a professional sculptor for more than 24 years, has worked in diverse media to create pieces that reflect her artistic focus on intensifying opposites. “I’ve always been interested in opposite ends of the spectrum, such as the contrast of my rugged, oversized, sandblasted outdoor steel sculptures with my indoor, delicate gold-leaf icon visuals.” Her works appear in more than 50 permanent installations and private collections throughout the world.
WHERE THE BLACKROCK ROAD CROSSES THE PASSAGE GREENWAY WALKING ROUTE
The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway (CB&PR) was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The line originally opened in 1850 as a 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Irish standard gauge railway between Cork and Passage West and operated steam feeder ferries to other locations round Cork Harbour. The company was heavily dependent on summer tourist traffic for a considerable proportion of its revenue. The railway was converted to 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge in 1900 in conjunction with extensions southwards to Crosshaven which were completed in 1904. The railway closed in 1932 and has since been replaced by a public pathway and nature area.
The overall aim of the project is to provide a high quality, attractive transportation and recreational route while also creating and supporting an environmental living corridor.
The project includes additional access ramps onto the greenway. These are located at the Marina, Blackrock Station, Eden and Skehard Road. The Marina access ramp will form a new gateway to the greenway. These new access points will enable safe and convenient connections between the greenway and adjoining areas. This includes disability access, access for cyclists and other users.
To facilitate the widening of the greenway and construction of these new access points it was necessary to remove a total of 46 trees however a total of 65 semi mature trees will be planted along the route plus 2000 immature trees (samplings). The new trees will be native Irish species as recommended by the project’s environmental advisors. An ecologist and arborist have been employed to advise Cork City Council throughout the project.
The greenway will remain open to the greatest possible extent throughout the works however it will be necessary to close sections on a rolling base for the safety of both users and workers. Traffic management plans will be established to facilitate the safe movement of construction traffic. Pedestrian signage plus information and diversion signage will also be erected for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists.
The project will:
Provide significantly improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians along the Passage Railway Greenway from Pairc Uí Chaoimh to Mahon. Provide improved and new access points to improve connectivity with area around greenway. Provide an avenue for wildlife movement, protection of natural resources and green space buffers for humans. These objectives will include: Wider surfaced area over length of greenway. Public lighting and CCTV installed along length of greenway. Greater amenities and facilities for public. Widen the greenway from the existing 3m to 5m in width. The Blackrock Road railway footbridge will be reinstated, utilising the existing historic abutments, access ramps and disused railway platforms. The existing bridges, historical structures and features along the route will be repaired and cleaned where necessary. Environmentally sensitive public lighting will be provided along the full extent of the greenway plus CCTV. Soft landscaping works will be undertaken including tree, shrub and wildflower planting with native pollinator friendly species. Bee, bird and bat boxes will be installed to improve the attractiveness of the greenway for native fauna.
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