JLT Tiles came out on top at the Northside for Business Awards in the Ambassador Hotel last night.
The company were named best new business, before beating 80 others to be named best overall business at the ceremony.
Acme Blinds were named best established business, while Cronin’s Coaches took the prize for best family business.

Pictured at the award ceremony are Joanne O’Regan and Alice O’Shea from JLT Tiles Ltd the winner of the Overall Northside For Business 2016 Award
PIC DARRAGH KANE

Brackens Bakery took the hospitality award, while Unforgettable Flowers was named best retail.
Complete Calibrations was named the best service business, and the Churchfield Community Trust was named best social enterprise.

 Pictured at the award ceremony are Sinead O’Connor from AIB Blackpool, Declan and Lydia Bracken from Brackens Bakery who won the Hospitality Award.
PIC DARRAGH KANE

Northside For Business was established in 2012 as part of the Northside Economic Development Group and aims to support the development and growth of enterprise and employment on the north side of Cork city.
Adrienne Rodgers, chair of the Northside For Business Steering Committee and Head of Enterprise at LEO, Cork City said: “The standard of entries was a superb showcase of the indigenous businesses on the northside, who are creating employment, providing excellent services and adding to the value of the area and local economy.

 Pictured at the award ceremony are Caroline O’Brien from Unforgettable Flowers who were the winners of the Retail Award.
PIC DARRAGH KANE

“These awards are a new initiative developed to recognise the variety and quality of the businesses on the northside of Cork. Congratulations to JLT Tiles who were named as the overall winner for 2016. The company is a fantastic example of a thriving northside business.”
The awards were sponsored by AIB, and Blackpool branch manager, Sinead O’Connor, spoke of the importance of the Northside for Business group.
“AIB sponsored these awards as we see The Northside For Business organisation as an invaluable support to Cork business people. AIB is here to support business enterprise and start-ups across all sectors, which will fuel sustainable economic growth and employment in the years to come.”

THE weekly 5km Parkrun race around the Tramore Valley Park, due to take place tomorrow, has been cancelled due to its popularity.
Organisers said Cork City Council has withdrawn permission for the event because of traffic problems. “Last weekend we had a record of 520 runners completing the two lap course, up from 339 the previous week,” organisers said.

Pictured at the first Parkrun at Tramore Valley Park  in September.
Picture: Eddie O’Hare

“There is only room for 240 car parking spaces at Tramore Valley and while the Black Ash Park and Ride is just across the road, there is no pedestrian crossing connecting the two.”
The numbers taking part in the races have risen significantly and were expected to grow even further due to the Operation Transformation television show.
“While permission has been withdrawn Cork City Council have left the door open to a review at an early stage when plans at how to make the event safe to take place can be implemented,” organisers said.
Since the Parkrun races began in September more than 1,400 runners have participated.
In a statement Cork City Council said that in recent weeks those participating in the races had almost trebled, thanks to the promotion of Parkrun on Operation Transformation.
“The City Council has serious health and safety concerns regarding capacity to cater for such numbers of vehicles, given the proximity of the site to the South Link Road.”
“In the event of not being able to cap participants and numbers of vehicles arriving at the site, and attendances increasing each week, the City Council reluctantly has no option but to withdraw permission for the event.”

LABOUR Minister Kathleen Lynch today hit back at Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien, who last night accused her and Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy of “betraying” the people of the northside.
Speaking at Sinn Féin’s campaign launch, alongside his running mate Cllr Thomas Gould, in The Commons Inn, Mr O’Brien said the party was aiming to take out one of the government TDs in the election. “We’re not fussy whose seat we take. The reality is we have two junior ministers in this constituency who have sat on their laurels for the last five years. In my opinion they have abused their position of power. They have betrayed the people of this constituency,” he said.
“There is a very stark choice for the people of Cork North Central. They can either reelect those two junior ministers, or they can direct two dedicated republicans who are dedicated to improving the lives of people in this constituency,” he said.

At the Commons Inn, Blackpool, Cork Sinn Féin launched the General Election campaigns of Jonathan O’Brien TD and Cllr Thomas Gould. Also included are Cllr. Mick Nugent and Liadh Ní Riada MEP. Picture Dan Linehan

Mr Gould added: “If they think what they did in the last five years was in the interest of the Irish people, they’re in cuckoo land.”
Responding this morning, Ms Lynch said she wasn’t offended by the comments, but questioned what Mr O’Brien had done himself since being elected.
“What has Jonathan O’Brien done apart from use language that belongs in the last century? Everything is ‘disgraceful’, everything is ‘a scandal.’ Jonathan has been saying this for the last five years, but he hasn’t done anything himself other than make noise. I don’t think he ever will,” she said.
She pointed to the continuing regeneration of Knockanheeny, the urgent care centre in Gurranabraher, and a number of completed school builds as concrete examples of the government’s work on the northside.
“People will have to make up their own minds. These are actual things you can stand in front of and see. These aren’t pie in the sky ideas. These things happened,” she said. The Evening Echo was unable to reach Deputy Murphy for a comment.
Meanwhile, the two Sinn Féin candidates also dismissed reports that there was friction between them and their teams, saying there is just “one camp” aiming to take two seats.
See tomorrow’s Evening Echo for more.

LOTTO fever is sweeping the country today as a person or group holds in their possession a ticket worth €66 million after hitting the jackpot in the EuroMillions draw last night.

 Dolores McNamara celebrating her win  of €115m  back in 2005.  Photo: Cathal McNaughton/PA

The jackpot stood at €132,376,632 and will be split between the Irish winner and another from a ticket sold in France, with each getting €66,188,316.
It has not yet been revealed where the Irish ticket was sold.
The winning numbers were 1, 5, 23, 29, and 32, and Lucky Stars 1 and 7.
This is the third highest ever lottery win in Ireland after a Dublin-bought ticket won €94 million two years ago and Limerick woman Delores McNamara won €115 million in 2005.
The winners have 90 days to claim the top prize.
Last night’s EuroMillions showed the difference a single number can make, with two Irish winners getting four numbers and both lucky stars for a prize of €4,209 each.

Glen Rovers hurling club victory dinner dance took place at the Rochestown Park Hotel last night with a large and glamorous crowd enjoying the event -see today’s Evening Echo for more pictures.

Cork captain Stephen McDonnell accompanied by Erika Howley, at the Glen Rovers hurling club victory dinner dance, at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
Picture: David Keane.

JUST one county councillor, one Senator and no TDs following the General Election — Labour could be facing annihilation in Cork.
That was the worry expressed by a number of Labour Party supporters in Cork ahead of the party’s annual conference in Mullingar today as the fate of its four Cork TDs lay in the balance ahead of polling day.
The seats of Kathleen Lynch in Cork North Central, Ciarán Lynch in Cork South Central, Sean Sherlock in Cork East and Michael McCarthy in Cork South West are all being targeted by opponents ahead of the General Election, with only Mr Sherlock seen as having the odds in his favour.

The doomsday scenario for the party would be if no TD was re-elected, leaving just county councillor Cathal Rasmussen as the sole representative in both Cork County Council and Cork City Council. Senator John Gilroy is not believed to be seeking re-election to Seanad Éireann following the General Election.
The local elections of 2014 had previously been thought of as the nadir of Labour’s fortunes when it lost all its city councillors and all but two of its county councillors. Its leader on Cork County Council, Noel McCarthy, subsequently moved to Fine Gael.
The feeling among members is that the party is split into various factions in Cork — those loyal to the Lynches, the unions, old Labour and the more centrist pro-business factions. It lacks a clear unity of vision which has harmed it, according to demoralised members.
All four TDs in Cork have vowed to fight all the way to polling day ahead of today’s conference.
Mr Gilroy told the Evening Echo that Labour was the best party in Ireland for formulating policy and expressing good ideas but that it had not been as good at communicating them with the electorate.
“Communicating our ideas gets lost and the constant message from opponents is that Labour is to blame for everything. It is simply not true and I am proud of what we have achieved in Government. It is not over by a long shot and the pundits who have written us off don’t acknowledge that more than 25% of the electorate still haven’t made up their minds. The feeling on the doorsteps in Cork is not as toxic as it was in 2014 and we should not panic. It is all to play for.”
Ms Lynch agreed that Labour had not communicated with the public as well as it should have in recent years.
“Without Labour, there would have been no free GP care for Under 6s and Over 70s, no vast improvements in education, including a huge investment in schools in Cork and increased resources in mental health. You can be 100% sure that the same-sex marriage referendum would not have happened without Labour. We have worked so hard in Government yet we never list our achievements.”
She said that Labour had traditionally been made up of various factions in Cork but that it showed the party embraced all viewpoints.
“We represent a whole range of views. That is not a bad thing because we all want the same thing when it comes down to it — to improve the lives of the Irish people.”
Mr Lynch said the electorate faced a stark choice next month.
“It is a fait accompli that Fine Gael will form the next Government. Yet Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin will not enter a coalition with them. Without Labour, that leaves Fine Gael and a few independents such as Michael Lowry. Do the people really want that? I think they will realise the best way forward is to have Labour providing a balance to Fine Gael in Government.”
n For more pre election news see pages 4, 10 &11
n See more from Padraig Hoare in Monday’s Evening Echo

AFTER 155 years doing business in the city centre, Hilser Bros Jewellers will close its doors at Easter.
Five staff will lose their jobs but their Bandon store will remain open.
The Grand Parade store is part of the English Market complex, owned by the city council.
Miriam Hilser-Foley, great-great-great-granddaughter of founder Richard Hilser, said the building was no longer suitable for their modern needs and they had been unable to find a suitable replacement after six months of searching.

Miriam Hilser-Foley. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

“The building isn’t suiting our needs anymore. It was great in its day but we’re now only using half the building, but still paying the full rents and rates,” she said
Ms Hilser-Foley said they needed a very specific type of building for a jewellers, and were unable to find an alternative.
“It would have to be a very secure place. It’s not like opening a shoe shop or a clothes shop. There was nothing available, so we made the decision to close,” she said.
She said that major projects like the Capitol a few doors away had nothing to do with the closure, and that future developments could include a shop suitable for their store to return to the city centre.
She also thanked the long-standing staff of the store.
“I want to thank our staff for their long-standing service and commitment.”
Ms Hilser-Foley said that Bandon will welcome all their customers, and is just a short drive away.
The store will have major reductions on stock until its closure on Easter Saturday, March 26.

THE Irish in Australia will be enjoying Clonakilty sausages straight from the ‘barbie’ while we’re frying them for breakfast back home.
Clonakilty Blackpudding introduced the breakfast staple to Australians this week following the phenomenal success of its black pudding which hit stores and foodhalls in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth more than two years ago.

Colette Twomey, Clonakilty Black Pudding Company
Picture: John Sheehan Photography

Owner of Clonakilty Blackpudding, Colette Twomey said she is delighted to see the business expanding so rapidly abroad. She revealed how the company initially started out down under.
“We were getting so many calls from mothers enquiring about how they could get the black pudding to Australia,” she said.
“They were constantly asking if there was any way to send it in a package or bring it in their cases. We did make inquiries about acquiring a license to send out the puddings but it just wasn’t allowed. Our foods can be brought through so many countries around the world but there seems to be the greatest demand for it in Australia. Melborune is a real foodie city so we decided to start there first. Cheryl Walsh from Cork has now taken charge of the business in Australia.”
Colette continues to identify creative ways to keep her secret recipe under wraps.
“We make the spices in Ireland before sending them over to Australia. I’m the guardian of a closely kept secret that’s more than 100 years old. That means I can’t disclose the ingredients to anyone. I’m very protective over the recipe and it’s something we have good craic about. When people try to get it out of me I always joke ‘give me enough gin and tonics and I might reveal the secret’,” she laughed.
The sausages will be distributed in selected food halls and stores in major cities.
Colette hopes the sausages will be equally as successful around the world as their famous black pudding.
“My friend brought over some black pudding to Vietnam for her son who was getting married. At the end of the wedding night the groom auctioned off the last piece and it fetched €60. We hear a lot of funny stories like that. There is a lot of blackpudding sold abroad to resemble what we have but it’s never really the same.”

As the new Cork Prison gets ready to open, Liz Dunphy examines the impact a prison sentence can have on the family and what measures can be taken to keep families connected.

CORK Prison is to officially open its new facility on February 12, and Governor Patrick Dawson aims to match the modern environment with a modern approach to governance.Good behaviour will grant additional privileges to prisoners, and families of prisoners will be facilitated to foster good relationships and, ultimately, divert people from crime.

Prison Governor Patrick Dawson pictured in the new Cork Prison, Cork city.
Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

“Families have not done anything wrong, so they do not deserve to be penalised. It’s important to foster and facilitate good relationships between prisoners and their families. Prison should be treated as a facility for intervention, from which prisoners can be released to live better lives,” he said.
“Six out of 10 male children of male prisoners will go on to offend. We’re here to do something about it and break that cycle. Enhancing the level of interaction between families and prisoners can help that.
“The idea is to normalise prison life as much as possible, so that prisoners can integrate into normal life post-release,” said Mr Dawson.
A new, three-tiered visiting system will be introduced. Prisoners who behave well will be permitted a relaxed, but supervised, ‘café-style’ visit.
Prisoners and their visitors will be allowed some physical contact, sitting in a bright room around coffee tables.
But if any security or behavioural problems are identified, the prisoners will be moved to another area for visits conducted across high tables, or through a screen, which will completely separate prisoner from visitors.
Mr Dawson said that visiting rights will be based on the security needs of individual prisoners.
“If a prisoner subverts the code of conduct, they will be moved to a more secure visiting area. We need to challenge prisoners, and their families, not to subvert that opportunity,” said Mr Dawson. He hopes to make Cork prison “more of a community” in which the skills and behaviour necessary to function successfully outside prison gates can be fostered, to reduce recidivism, increase social cohesion, and save the State the significant costs of incarceration.
Mr Dawson hopes to facilitate families by introducing evening visits, so that children can visit after school.
He also hopes to extend visiting hours to Sundays.

Prison govenor Pat Dawson in one of the cells in the new Cork prison
Picture: Eddie O’Hare

Access to visits will depend on good behaviour, as will access to phone calls.
“The prison environment needs to be normalised, so that prisoners have a better chance of assimilating back into society,” he said.
“Loss of liberty is the key thing in prison. You have lost ready contact with your family, but by facilitating relationships, we can try to give prisoners something to go back out to,” he said.

________________

CHILDREN and families of prisoners can be the hidden victims of the penal system, enduring a sentence despite having committed no crime, according to the Irish Penal Reform Trust.

They can face instability, disruption of the parent-child bond, violence, feelings of guilt, fear, shame, and stigmatisation.
However, according to NGO Children of Prisoners in Europe, a child’s life does not have to be negatively impacted by having a parent in prison, and certain policies can reduce risk.
A paradigm shift is slowly but steadily permeating the prison service; new approaches are being adopted in a bid to reduce both recidivism and negative impacts on children and families of prisoners, the effects of which can further fragment society.
Dr Fiona Donson is a law lecturer at UCC, she is currently researching the rights of children affected by parental imprisonment.
Research indicates that children whose parents have been in prison are more likely to follow them behind locked gates.
Figures quoted in the UK and the US indicate that 60-65% of children whose parents have been in prison will also offend.
Dr Donson said that it is not clear why that is, but what is clear is that children are likely to have poorer outcomes generally regarding education, health, mental health, social status, and social justice. Having a parent in prison tends to produce poorer situations and options for children.
Children can also be exposed to criminal dealings, so that criminal behaviour and prison life are normalised.
“Prison affects families on multiple levels,” said Dr Donson.
“The child can experience bullying and the stigmatisation of having a parent in prison can be huge. They can experience high stress levels and increased likelihood of mental health problems. Currently, schools are not geared up to deal with these children’s increased needs. It can affect their health, push them into poverty, and disconnect them emotionally,” said Dr Donson.
Research indicates that openness and honesty with children can reduce prison’s negative impacts.
“Children can be very fearful, imagining that their parent is locked up in a scary, dark dungeon; their imagination can be much worse than the reality, so bringing them to visit their parent is generally positive,” said Dr Donson.
If the child is not told directly about their parent’s whereabouts they will often find out in the playground through peers. Dr Donson has heard of cases where the child has Googled their parent’s case after being told about it by peers and uncovered details online which have traumatised them.
Dr Donson identifies prison visits in austere environments where conversations must be condensed into short, contrived meetings across a divide as an environment unconducive to fostering healthy relationships.
“If a parent needs to be in prison, that is one thing, but that prisoner’s family has needs which must be taken into account.
“They did not break the law, and do not deserve to be punished.”
She said that visiting areas that are more family friendly can have a huge impact in keeping families connected, which benefits families, the prisoner, and wider society.
Research indicates that if family bonds are maintained, the offender is less likely to re-offend and will be more easily re-assimilated into society on release, and efforts will be made in Cork Prison to support this.
Dr Donson said that prisons must facilitate the needs of families. “Parents and their children should be allowed to touch, and be given more time, including one-on-one time.” Family-friendly visits have already saved a girl’s life in Scotland. The girl, whose mother was in prison reported that these visits saved her life, connecting her to her mother when she needed that support to pull through a difficult time.
“Families need support, and there are wider benefits for society when a prison model provides that. Prisoners are less likely to re-offend because they’ve been strengthening family bonds while in prison, and children are more likely to grow up feeling supported.”
Prisoners in the new Cork Prison will get extra and enhanced visiting rights, and a greater phone call allowance for good behaviour.
Although Dr Donson is very supportive of many of the family-centred changes due to be implemented in Cork Prison, she does not believe that the quality of parent-child contact should depend on that parent’s behaviour.
“The reality is that children should be allowed access to their parents. It’s about establishing who the visits belong to,” said Dr Donson. “The management of the prison service have been open to engaging with these ideas, but it takes time and it requires a cultural shift,” she said.
“And it’s not only the parent’s absence in prison which can be detrimental to family life. Transitioning back to home life after prison can also be difficult.
“Both families and prisoners can be ‘frozen in time’, kids may be angry, and both children and parents can feel estranged after the separation and have difficulty re-connecting,” she said.
“Everyday families are being wrenched apart by a member being imprisoned, and the conflicting emotions of love/hate that they can experience. And the danger is that children end up being cared for people who they shouldn’t be.”
Dr Donson said that at any given time, approximately 5,000 children in Ireland have parents in prison.
She advocates an integrated national system for dealing with families of prisoners that engages all relevant agencies, including the probation service, TUSLA, the courts, the HSE, and social services.
And because these agencies are often already working with these children and vulnerable offenders, she believes that it would be readily achievable and would significantly improve outcomes for these families.

A 63-YEAR-OLD man died after being struck by a 4×4 in Durrus early today.
The incident occurred at 1.55am on the Kilcrohane Road when a pedestrian was struck in a single-vehicle accident. He was treated by emergency services at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.

His body was removed to Cork University Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The identity of the victim has not been released, but gardaí said he was a local man.
The Bantry and Schull fire brigades were at the scene just before 2am, and remained there until after 4am. Gardaí in Bantry are investigating the incident. The road was closed between Durrus and Ahakista this morning as gardaí examined the scene.
This is the 14th fatal road accident in Ireland in 2016, and the first in Cork this year. A total of 165 people died on Irish roads last year.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Bantry Garda Station on (027) 20860 or the Garda Confidential Line, 1800 666 111.

I FIRST met Sharon O’Reilly Coates in 2000. It seemed fitting that when I started my new job with the Evening Echo on Valentine’s Day, I started a beautiful friendship too.
She leapt into the newsroom like a cuckoo popping out of a clock.
“Coffee first, then I’ll show you how to work the computer,” she said.

Sharon O’Reilly Coates

Sharon always got her priorities right. She had a way of making you believe that the impossible was possible and she made you believe in yourself. She had the uncanny knack of summing up a person in a heartbeat and she had their number within seconds.
During those heady, giddy days, we drank lots of coffee, rummaged through charity shops in our lunch-hour for gems that Sharon insisted were at the bottom of the heap.
“This is perfect for you Miss Chrissy,” she’d say, holding up the most garish blouse that I ever saw. I still have it. She had great powers of persuasion too.
Sharon was born in Australia on November 3, 1962. Even as a small girl she courted drama. Drama on the high seas was only the start of it.
“There was a fire on the ship when we were on our way back to Ireland in 1969,” says her dad, Barry. “The liner went on fire. We had to be towed into Panama where we spent four days before we were flown to Ireland.
As a young school-girl attending Crosshaven convent, Sharon dreamed of becoming a journalist. Already her natural way with words was making waves. When she travelled to the UK to follow her dream, her natural curiosity and genuine interest in other people served her well.
“I remember at her interview, when the editor of the catering and hotel magazine read her CV and her portfolio; there was a long pause,” says her former colleague, Brenda.
“He looked up from the pages and declared: now I know why I wanted to become a journalist.” She had a wonderful way with words.
Sharon’s enthusiasm was infectious and so was her giggle. Anybody who met her was infected. She exuded fun and good cheer.
And as her son Liam says: “She could make a snoozing librarian seem interesting.”
The first meal she cooked for her husband, Graeme, consisted of banana and chicken. No matter. He was smitten with the bubbly girl with the cheeky grin and the sparkly eyes.
They married in Tunbridge Wells in 1992.
“She loved London life,” says Sharon’s sister Ann. “And she was quite at home in Tunbridge Wells.”
Many adventures later, Carrigaline was to become home for the Coates. Their daughter, Enya, had arrived and her brother, Liam, made his appearance two years later.
Sharon continued to write even though now she had another passion: her children.
Enya has cerebral palsy. When she was nine, her parents travelled to Budapest where Enya attended the Peto clinic with fantastic effects, making it possible for her to study art in Cork.
It was a proud day indeed when Enya sold her first piece of ceramic artwork. It was a proud day for her granddad too when his portrait was unveiled at her first exhibition.
There were many proud days. When Sharon achieved her MA in Journalism in 2012; her family celebrated her brilliant achievement.
It wasn’t all work and no play. Enya was a willing ally when Sharon decided to ditch the study and head for a well-deserved latte.
“The spontaneous visits to the coffee shops were great fun,” says Enya.
Like hundreds, if not thousands of other readers, I was in Budapest with Sharon. She had this gift of transporting the reader with her on her journeys. I floated with her in the mineral-rich water at Szechenyi Furdo, pushing our feet down to the massage points. I heard her shout with glee at the tickle. I sat with her in the tram as we encountered the poe-faced ticket inspector dressed in blue. Did Sharon elicit a smile from him? You bet she did.She loved Zsimplakert; the old Jewish quarter where you could drink beer in an old bath and where none of the seats matched. That was so Sharon.
And it was so Sharon to take other parents under her wing in Budapest, parents who had the same concerns that she and Graeme had.
Budapest became a home-from-home for the family and they made a colony of life-long friends there.
Sharon loved to walk. And she loved the sea. Her visits to Crosshaven and to Garryvoe always included a beach walk. She cited the advantages of practising yoga and eating healthily.
Our last tryst was to the Listowel Writer’s Week in June of last year. We were reduced to giggling schoolgirls again. Sitting down the back, we plotted and planned how to get into a gig later that night which was invitation only.
Sharon had the know-how.
Once, when the family were on holidays in France, she came upon a film festival. She was desperate to view one of the films. But how was she to gain admission?
By pretending to be a French journalist who was sent there to write a piece on that very film of course.
She got so far until her French gave her away. And she was escorted from the site.
“That was just my mum,” says Liam.
But Sharon wasn’t just his mum.
Sharon was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a godmother and a precious friend.
She was a one-off.
“Did we do her proud?” Graeme asked when we were celebrating her life and the generous gift of friendship that she gave us.
“Would she have liked this?” he asked as he looked around at the droves of people who came to say goodbye to Sharon.
She would have loved it. Our world will be a shade dimmer now that Sharon is gone. Her star will continue to shine though. Look out for it. It will be the one that sparkles.

– Chris Dunne

THE chairman of the Port of Cork has expressed alarm for the future of the Whitegate oil refinery and urged the next Government to make a strong commitment to its future.
John Mullins said the future of the refinery, which is Ireland’s only oil refinery, was shrouded in uncertainty.
Whitegate’s US owners, Phillips 66, have an obligation to operate the facility until July, but have already put it up for sale.

Oil refinery, Whitegate, Co. Cork.
Picture: Denis Minihane.

The refinery is small by European standards and it’s thought that a buyer will be difficult to find, raising concerns that it could ultimately be closed down.
Around 300 workers are employed at the refinery and €100m is spent in the local economy in the Cork region.
Whitegate accounts for 55% of freight of the Port of Cork.
Mr Mullins said:“Quite clearly, it’s a concern.
“It’s a concern for the workers. Our thoughts are with them at the moment.” Mr Mullins said the refinery was important from a national energy security perspective.
He said:“Geopolitically, God knows what will happen in the future if there are issues getting oil products to the country.
“From our point of view, as a Port, we believe it is of strategic energy importance to the totality of Ireland.
“It will be up to the new Government to decide. So far, all you’ve got (from the current Government) is ‘it is of strategic importance’.
“That’s not saying it is of strategic necessity. Other countries in Europe would have a deep concern about security of supply.
If this refinery closes we would be one of two countries in Europe without a refinery. The other is Luxembourg.”
Mr Mullins said changes in oil prices in recent months could help make a sale more attractive to potential buyers.
He also pointed out that an entire oil distribution network was already established to service Cork and the wider munster region.
“There are now margins getting back into refining so we might be at the right time for a sale. Having said that, we can’t avoid the fact it is a small refinery,” he added.
“You will still have to distribute all of this oil product to west Waterford, Tipperary, even into Limerick and into Kerry.
“East Cork Oil, the FloGas, all of these guys, they are all set up, the infrastructure and transport is set up to feed that market. Dublin couldn’t do it. You couldn’t import from Dublin. The logistics costs would be too high.
“You need to think about the transport companies and the employment in that sector too, they would be concerned about an absolute closure of Whitegate.”

BLARNEY Community First Responder co-founder Deborah Lynch was named Blarney Person of the Year at a reception on Saturday.
Just last Wednesday Ms Lynch was called to the scene of a medical emergency to resuscitate a woman in Blarney.
While the woman sadly passed away a day later, it was in Cork University Hospital surrounded by loved ones.
Ms Lynch said that this case showed the importance of having first responders close by.

Blarney Person of the Year 2015 reception, at the Blarney Castle Hotel, Blarney.
Deborah Lynch (Winner of Blarney Person of the Year 2015) with John Foley and Jeremy Downey.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.

“I was on call that evening and I was on the scene in less than a minute and began resuscitation,” she said.
The lady was then brought to CUH where her family were able to spend her last hours with her. She passed away with dignity in a hospital bed,” said Ms Lynch.
Before last summer, several families did not have the same comfort, with cardiac arrest claiming the lives of three people in the village.
Ms Lynch, a critical care nurse in CUH, decided to set up a group of volunteers to become first responders. With the help of local businesses, they were able to purchase and install two defibrillators in the village, and train enough volunteers to provide a 24-hour on-call service.

Blarney Person of the Year 2015 reception, at the Blarney Castle Hotel, Blarney.
Theresa Cronin, Caroline Foley and Niamh Ahern, all Blarney.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Ms Lynch said the award was for everyone involved in the service, singling out team leaders John Foley, Barry Hoare, and Jeremy Downey.
“It’s not an award for me, it’s an award for all of us. This is all voluntary, and an awful lot of time that goes into it.”
All the Blarney Person of the Month winners were honoured on the night, including youth activist Lauren Lehane, Cystic Fibrosis fundraisers Niamh and Peter Ahern, and scout leader Marie Murphy. Kay Dennehy, photographer, writer of the Blarney Blog, and crochet and knitting instructor was given the Blarney Hall of Fame Award for her commitment to so many groups in the area.
“We consider ourselves extremely lucky to live in a village where charitable and altruistic work is the rule and not the exception,” said organiser Kate Durrant.

A FURTHER 130 jobs were announced today by Cork-based customer service company Abtran.
The announcement comes just 24 hours before the expected dissolution of the Dáil to kick-start General Election 2016, which will be fought by Government parties on the theme of economic recovery and falling unemployment.

Caption:L-R Abtran creates 130 new jobs with Sky contract: JD Buckley, Managing Director, Sky Ireland; Minister Simon Coveney, T.D., Michael Fitzgerald, CEOAbtran.
Minister Simon Coveney was at the Abtran headquarters at Blackrock Business Park today to make the announcement of a new deal between Abtran and Sky Ireland.
Abtran has secured an expanded agreement to deliver customer service for Sky and the recruitment of new staff will begin immediately.
The company already employs 60 staff to cover a section of Sky Ireland’s business, but today’s announcement will see this grow to 190.
Abtran employs 2,000 people in total in Ireland, with the majority based at its Cork operation in Blackrock and Bishopstown. Minister Simon Coveney said today’s announcement continued the solid employment growth in Cork in recent times.
He said: “There are 16,000 more people in work in Cork than there were five years ago. The number of people unemployed has fallen by 34% in Cork in that period.
“Ninety-five percent of them are in full-time jobs now. There are obviously some people on back-to-work schemes, but it’s a tiny fraction.”
Minister Coveney said he would be “surprised” if a General Election wasn’t called tomorrow, but added that Taoiseach Enda Kenny hadn’t informed Cabinet ministers of an exact timeframe.

“I would be surprised if it wasn’t called tomorrow, but the Taoiseach may decide to wait until Wednesday,” said Mr Coveney.
Fine Gael will fight the election on the back of economic growth and improving employment, according to Mr Coveney.
“Difficult decisions created the conditions to allow quite exciting economic growth.
“Our message is clear: keep the recovery going. Nobody is suggesting we have finished this job.”

A Cork bartender is in the final three of a national cocktail competition.
Kenny Hyland, a bartender at the Cornstore on Cormarket Street, has made it to the final of the Bacardi Legacy Ireland 2016 competition.

Kenny Hyland

In September 2015, Irish bartenders were invited to create a cocktail that would stand the test of time and become a ‘legacy cocktail.’ The final three will battle it out to represent Ireland in San Francisco this summer at the final of the global competition.
The competition tests bartender’s technical skills and presentation flair, their balance of aroma, flavours and character, and their innovation and inspiration when it comes to making a signature drink.
The Daquiri Battle, one of a number of local campaigns organised by the finalists to show off their talents, takes place in the Metropole Hotel on February 9. Local bartenders are invited to come together, shake some drinks and showcase the best of the cocktail scene in Cork.
Bacardi Legacy is one of the world’s biggest cocktail competitions and Kenny plans to put Cork on the map with his signature mix: ‘El Clasico’.
The drink marries the rich flavours of the daiquiri with the aromatic flavours of vermouth, inspired by the Prohibition era.
Kenny said, “There’s no hiding behind flamboyant ingredients and it’s really all about balance and flavour. It is a broad twist on a classic daiquiri with just three ingredients: white rum, lime and sugar.”
It is the latest success for Cork bartenders, who are at the very forefront of Ireland’s cocktail resurgence.
Barrack Street bar Pigalle won the prestigious honour of Munster’s Best Cocktail Bar in December, the honour recognising their unique flavours and ingredients, which include Tanora, Barry’s Tea and coffee beans.
Meanwhile, Cobh woman Anna Walsh represented Ireland in South Africa last September, competing as one of the 50 best bartenders in the world. She learned her trade in Cork’s Long Island before taking her skills to the world stage.

ONE of the most popular county councillors in Cork in recent decades is poised for a sensational return to County Hall in 2019. He has missed the “buzz of local politics”, he says.
Senator John Gilroy told the Evening Echo at the Labour Party annual conference, in Mullingar, that he would not seek re-election to Seanad Éireann, following the general election, and that he had, in hindsight, made a mistake in leaving County Hall for Leinster House.

Senator John Gilroy

A psychiatric nurse by profession, Mr Gilroy said he planned to take a year out of politics following the election, to regroup, and that he would make a bid to return to Cork County Council in the local elections of 2019.
Mr Gilroy, who received one of the highest votes in the country in the 2009 local elections, with more than 4,500 first-preference votes, ran alongside Kathleen Lynch, in Cork North Central, in 2011, but just missed out on a seat. He was then elected to the Seanad.
“It was a huge privilege to be nominated to Seanad Eireann and, in all honesty, I was seduced by that lure after the general election. I love the policy element of being a senator, that’s very satisfying. I feel I have contributed to areas such as mental health, which is very important to me, and sport.
“However, I missed the cut-and-thrust of local politics. When you can actually help one of your neighbours on an issue they have had locally, it is a great feeling.”

On Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness day Sarah Horgan speaks to sufferers of the condition who don’t let it hold them back

A TEEN who dreamed of playing sport at a semi-professional level has turned her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis around to become a highly regarded coach with Cork City Women’s Football Academy.
Áine O’Donovan from Bandon was just 13-years-old when she learned of the devastating news that threatened her ambitions to progress in the sporting world.

Aine O’Donovan, from Bandon, prior to the Cork City W.F.C. game, at Mayfield Community School, Mayfield, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

In the last number of years the now support liaison officer with Cork City Women’s Football Club is making a name for herself after taking up coaching at the age of just 15 years old.
She recalled her experiences in the context of Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day which takes place today.
“I started experiencing extreme swelling around my thumb and wrist but just put it down to what I suspected was a sports injury. At the time I was playing golf, soccer, camogie, hockey and Gaelic football.
“My physiotherapist suspected it was arthritis but referred me to a doctor for an official diagnosis.”
The news came as a huge setback for the teenager.
“I was only young so at that point had never even heard of arthritis. My diagnosis came as a huge shock. It was and still is the lowest point in my sporting life. However, while the condition made me weaker physically, it has strengthened me in another sense.”
She put her decision to pursue coaching down to the positive influence of City Women’s FC manager Niall O’Regan.
The college student, who trains players between the ages of 15 and 18 years old at Cork City Women’s Academy, said: “Niall was club trainer with Bandon Soccer Club when I was playing in goals. I knew I couldn’t play for the club anymore. He told me to take a year out to rest but then suggested I get into coaching. Niall had acquired a sports injury that prevented him from playing football and this was what led him to consider the coaching route.
“If it wasn’t for Niall, coaching would never even have crossed my mind as I hadn’t known there would be other doors open to me.
“In the early years I shadowed coaches a lot and Niall passed as much of his experience on to me as he possibly could. It was a huge opportunity and something I really wanted to do.
“I’m also really grateful to former Cork City Women’s FC manager Charlie Lynch for getting me involved with the club a few years later.”
She revealed how the condition has changed her outlook.
“With arthritis you have good and bad days. This means you appreciate the good days more and build on them as best you can.”
The support throughout her life has eased the difficulties experienced by Áine as a result of the condition.
“I initially felt this huge sense of sadness after the diagnosis. I really thought I’d be on my own but that wasn’t the case. People couldn’t have been nicer.
“While in school my classmates insisted on carrying my books around during classes and my locker was moved to make it easier for me to access my books.
“Even to this day people, including my teachers at college, are shocked to hear that I suffer from the condition, mainly because it is normally not associated with young people.
“I had to explain to them that because of my arthritis I can only really manage around a half page of writing a day, but luckily they are very understanding. In many ways college work is actually more manageable because there are more handouts so I don’t need to write as much.”
The 19-year-old is feeling positive about the future: “I plan to keep working with my coaching badges and will take any coaching job in a heartbeat as long as I know I can meet the demands of the team.”
Áine is now availing of the support of iCan — a parent-run support network spread across Ireland for children and teenagers suffering with arthritis. “I came across leaflets with information about iCan while in hospital in Crumlin,” she said. “After contacting them I found out about their teen group which has been invaluable to me. Myself and other members of iCan often get involved in group chats that gives us a chance to discuss the issues we have with the condition. You can put out a question and get a response back in a matter of minutes.”
On Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day, Sarah Horgan speaks to sufferers of the condition who don’t let it hold them back.

________

A MOTHER-of-four revealed the pain of watching her child battle through an aggressive form of juvenile arthritis, emphasising the urgency for a paediatric rheumatologist in Cork.

Donna Clare from Farranree spoke of the initial warning signs that led to her now 10-year-old daughter’s diagnosis of polyarthritis which affects five or more joints simultaneously.

“It was July of 2014 and we were on holiday abroad,” she said. “When Hollie was limping we thought it was just from a minor injury she got in the swimming pool.”However, when it persisted, we took her to the accident and emergency department in the Mercy where she was advised to rest for a week.”
She explained how a doctor later made the diagnosis.

However, after their return home, a doctor made the diagnosis. An agonising period on the waiting list for rheumatology services at Crumlin Hospital followed.
“Hollie was confined to a chair for the evening every day she arrived home from school as the condition had become so severe.
“It reached a point where I had to carry her to bed each night because she was unable to walk the distance to her bedroom.
“The condition became so severe that Hollie wasn’t able to play in the yard at break time. Her school were great and gave her activities to do like colouring during lunch time. Nonetheless, not being able to play with the other children made her feel different.”
She highlighted the frustration of securing a date for an appointment in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.
“The doctor told us that it would be about six weeks until we got any confirmation of an appointment. I was counting those weeks every day only to find out that there was a mix up with the paper work andthe process had to begin all over again. I can remember just crying down the phone to the receptionist.
“I later visited Minister Kathleen Lynch in the hope that she might help us. She was really good to us and on New Year’s Day of 2015 we received notification of Hollie’s appointment in a letter.”
Hollie later endured a stint in hospital.
“On February 3, we went for the appointment and a bed was made available for her in the hospital.
“The treatment worked wonders and she continues to do really well. The treatment suppresses the immune system which makes her more susceptible to colds and flus than other children but overall we are so happy with how things are going. Our hope is that with the type of arthritis Hollie has, she will be able to grow out of it.”
Donna praised Hollie’s school for helping her deal with the social impact that often comes with arthritis. “On one occasion a child made a comment that she wished she had arthritis too. This was after she learned that Hollie didn’t have to do as much handwriting due to the constraints of the condition. She immediately corrected her and explained that arthritis presents huge difficulties to overcome on a daily basis.
“She has lots of friends and they are all very good to her.”
The children’s arthritis charity iCAN has also been a huge support to Hollie and her mum.
“The organisation focuses on what a child can do, as its name suggests. That’s why we try to encourage Hollie to concentrate on the things she still can do rather than what she can’t. For example, she absolutely adores swimming.”

ALL the pieces are falling into place for Dublin Pike resident Gerald Ahern who could be Cork’s answer to Niall Horan.
The 16-year-old, Coláiste an Chroí Naofa student, was recently invited to become a member of Scottish-based boyband Rewind after his performances were spotted on YouTube.
Rewind are expected to make waves later this year, with record companies from London and Los Angeles queuing up to hear their singles.

On February 11, Warner Music will meet the five-piece with the hopes of releasing their debut single later in the year. Song, Capitol and BMG are among the others who have expressed an interest.
To date, they have supported Little Mix and X Factor band, Studio Kicks, and have been writing with popstar Jess Glynne.
Gerald said they have a multi album deal signed with London-based management company Roar Global, who count Pixie Lott, Katherine Jenkins and Tulisa amongst their clients. Once a production company comes on board, Rewind hope to fill a recent gap in the boyband market.
Gerald said:“One Direction have taken a bit of a step back so there is a niche there. We hope to be as big as they were.”
For the Cork musician, writing music is important. He considers Ed Sheeran a hero.
“He can entertain so many people with just his guitar and a loop pedal. When I play, it’s just me, my guitar and my pedal too.”
Music is in his blood –— Gerald’s grandfather is a member of the Cork Men’s Choir — and he has been performing in public for years. He even performed in boyband the Wee Amigos on the Late Late Show in 2011, but feels his new project is better suited to his musical tastes.
“They were more into country, whereas I’m more into pop. This is a great opportunity because we don’t do any covers – it’s all our own songs. I do a lot of writing.” He credits his families support for having gotten him this far. His parents, Gerald Snr and Cheryl, and his sisters, Chloe and Sophie, are ‘100% behind him’ he said.
“I am lucky to have such supportive parents. They have no problem letting me do what I want and they call me every day when I am away to see how I’m getting on.
“My school have also been supportive, too. They understand what I am interested in.”
” A familiar face to music fans in Cork, Gerald has performed in his native city’s Opera House and supported Ryan Sheridan in the Savoy last year.
The Monaghan musician had some important advice for Gerald.
Gerald said: “We stayed backstage until 4am – he told me to just keep writing.
“The gig was great. It went down so well – it was an amazing experience.”

A charity event raising funds for research into spinal injuries has captured the heart of Cork camogie captain Ashling Thompson.

The All-Ireland winning, All-Star player, who hails from Newtownshandrum, has teamed up with fellow sport stars such as former Munster and Ireland rugby player Felix Jones, Galway hurler Joe Canning, and boxing champion Michael Conlan to put their collective weight behind this year’s Wings for Life run.
The foursome joined model Roz Purcell and radio host Eoghan McDermott in launching the event.
“It’s a fantastic event. The mission is to try and raise money to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. We’re
essentially running for those who can’t,” said Ashling.
“There’s no finish line so anyone can enter and can run as far as they’re able and they will still finish the race. It’s a great concept.” The athlete encouraged runners from across the country to sign up for the event taking place in Dublin this summer.
It is to be the third year of the global race which sees more than 100,000 run at the same time in 34 locations worldwide.
The Irish leg will start at the seafront in Dun Laoghaire on May 8 at 12pm with the track winding south towards Bray and Greystones. Runners will start the race together then, after 30 minutes, a special Volkswagen Catcher Car will set off to steadily catch up on the field.
As the car passes each person, that runner has
finished the race. Eventually, as cars worldwide simultaneously bear down on the leaders in each location, only one person will still be ahead of the pack and will be crowned overall winner.
“I’ve heard about the race over the past few years but I never got the chance to do it. I saw it all over social media and that, and heard friends talking about it and always wanted to do it, so it’s great that I’m getting the chance now,” said Ashling.
Last year the Wings for Life event saw 101,280 participants in 33 countries across 12 timezones raising
€4.2m.
Japan’s Yuuko Watanabe was crowned 2015 Wings for Life World Run Female Global Champion with 56.33km, while Lemawork Ketema of Ethiopia repeated as men’s Global Champion in running to a distance of 79.9km.
Entry costs €30. All proceeds will go towards
researching spinal cord injuries. Registration is open via www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.

A WAR of words has erupted in Cork South Central after Minister Simon Coveney said Sinn Fein’s only policy was to “divide people and make them angry”.
Mr Coveney delivered a withering assessment of Sinn Fein ahead of an announcement to dissolve the Dáil and begin General Election 2016.
He said: “Sinn Fein’s message is designed to divide people, make them angry. It’s a desperate message.
“Internationally, Ireland is seen as a miracle story. We don’t seem to recognise that at home.”

Sinn Fein’s Cork South Central candidate Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire hit back at the Defence Minister, describing Mr Coveney as “naive” and “out of touch”.

Cllr. Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire.
Picture: Denis Minihane.

He said: “It’s naive to imagine that the anger is somehow created by any political party. The idea that it’s manufactured shows how out of touch the Minister is.”
“The anger is a result of Government policy. People are frustrated at hearing this constant message about a recovery when they don’t see it in their lives. There is no recovery for people on trolleys. There is no recovery for people in overcrowded housing, who can’t get a home. People at the bottom and in the middle don’t see a recovery.”
Minister Coveney said Fine Gael had created the space for future investments in health, education and social services by restoring public finances and creating a growing economy.
He said: “You need to have the finances to invest in these things. The other parties don’t get that. It’s all negative messaging.”
However, Mr Ó Laoghaire, who is in contention to become Sinn Fein’s first ever TD for Cork South Central, said the Fine Gael philosophy would never deliver top quality public services.
“You can’t restore public services and have high class health and education while you continue to narrow the tax base. Fine Gael wants a US-style taxation system and that will deliver US-style public services. It won’t be a high class public service.”