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They’ve always wanted to be a breakaway republic and now they could be taking the first steps towards it – well, almost.
A Fine Gael councillor has proposed a ‘Cork passport’ to let people of Corkonian heritage show their pride in their rebel county background – and potentially raise some money for the county too.
“It’s for the diaspora of Cork who’ve had to leave. It doesn’t matter if they’re now in Dublin or Dubai but this is a way for them to celebrate their Cork heritage,” Cork City councillor Laura McGonigle told TheJournal.ie.
The document, called the Certificate of Corkness, would recognise the Cork roots of the county’s diaspora, similar to the Certificate of Irish Heritage scheme introduced by the government earlier this year.
The idea has provoked a mixed reaction, with some non-Corkonians voicing their disdain on Twitter. ”Cork people seem to love it – 99 per cent of the reaction I’ve gotten from Cork people has been very positive”, says McGonigle. “Some people from other counties don’t seem to get it though, so it’s been a mixed reaction. I’d say overall it’s 75 per cent positive”.
“I’m not proposing Checkpoint Charlie on the Cork borders – it’s just a quirky thing that could mean a lot to people and possibly raise some revenue. It’s not going to end to the recession, it wouldn’t bring in a huge amount of money, but it’s something to celebrate Cork and acknowledge the people who’ve had to leave”.
“It also builds on the Cork brand which is particularly strong at the moment, especially given the success of the Queen’s visit earlier this year”.
The cost for the ‘passport’ is not yet known but McGonigle suggests it could be similar to the price of the Certificate of Irish Heritage, which costs €40. Any money from the scheme could be ring-fenced for charitable causes, says McGonigle, rather than just going into a general pool of revenue.
People will be asked to produce an official document – such as a birth certificate proving they were born there or a marriage certificate to show their parents were married in the county – in order to get the ‘passport’. Anyone who cannot produce an official document would possibly be able to take a sworn affidavit to prove their link to the rebel county.
McGonigle will be bringing the motion to propose the scheme before Cork City Council on Monday night. A decision is expected in two – three weeks time.
The councillor is optimistic about the motion being passed by the Council – with one caveat. “One member of the Council has Dublin roots, so we may not be getting his vote for this one”.
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Well done,a great days labour…..a lot on here just think you go in past the 1.5million euro security hut, down past the 365 thousand euro bike shed,see the 190 thousand euro fitness instructor for an hour before going off to the heavily subsidised dail bar for a spot of lunch.
@Buster Lawless: haha buster your gas.
@james rowan: lol!( chuckle)
@james rowan: good evening sir, I have no malice whatsoever towards the lady in question and by the sounds of it you are a big fan and I respect that.
I just felt the way he put it altogether was if you like clever and I had a chuckle and hence gas.
Very well said Catherine
@Eoin O Flaherty: Too bad she isn’t as vocal about the urgent necessity to build the bypass and stop the city chocking. Nothing moves in the city most of every day. Everything going east – west and vice versa has to funnell through 3 effective bridges – 2 of which marshelled on both sides by traffic lights. 2 of the 3 bridges were built in the era of ass & carts.
@Ger Murphy: in fairness it was the Greens that put the kybosh on that.
They seem to think massive congestion is good for the environment…
One of the few politicians I admire
@Eddienowy Byrne: in fairness she’s very good.
If only we could have a 13b euro windfall……..
It’s not just Galway. The single biggest infrastructure problem in this country is our water provision and waste water systems. It’s sickening to think how much raw sewage is pumped into our rivers and the sea and the damage its doing to aquatic life and ultimately ourselves. But there’s no votes in water. Noone cares as long as water comes out the taps and they can flush the jacks.
Many of our super confident and knowledgeable politicians have missed operational careers in utilities and house building that would have our country flying
Another reason not to vote for independents who stay in opposition
She might as well howl at the moon
@James Gorman: Catherine Connolly is one of the few td’s of any integrity in the Dáil unlike many Independents who are FFG in all but name
@James Gorman: She’s a great advocate for the people Ireland. Done more with her time as a TD than most of the chancers in government ever did
@James Gorman: And yet this is a failure of government parties, not the independent TD.
If anything, this will be forced to a resolution.by the independent TD *despite* the uncaring government parties.
@James Gorman: Sorry don’t agree.. She is a good TD, has integrity and genuine desire to help her country. We need more like her.
@Hayagriva: just like your man donnelly who was elected as an independent and within a few weeks joined ff and got a job as a minister of some sort, I hope the people who voted for him remember that….
@Darth O’Leary:
She has the luxury of never having to make a decision.
@James Gorman: ah no. She’s a genuinely hard working decent politician.
@James Gorman: Catherine Connolly is one of if not the best politician in the Dail. Truthful, always polite, and honest.
I’m not in her area. Pity we don’t have more like her.
She is respectful of all yet gets her point across. She doesn’t stand at the gates for every photo op when there is something going on.
Ye can say a lot about most wasters in the dail. But she is a good one.
@James Gorman: If she howls at the moon, the moon would listen.
Probably most of the problem comes from vast amounts of rainwater going into the sewage system overwhelming the capacity to safely treat?
Imagine bragging that you completely failed to secure proper funding for your local council during 17 years and blaming the government.
@Alex: but the councils around the country have been charging development levies on new builds since 2006,to pay for all the infrastructure and the house tax since 2013 was another boost to the budgets. So what are they doing with all the money? Pi§§ING it up against a wall like the opw
@P. V. Aglue: not even a wall in the bike shed to piss up against.
Great spot for speech and waffle where no accountability ever happens,reminds me of match of the day were they just talked pure s#### for a while to pass time. Except in there it’s large salaries and expenses talking about problems and not solving them.
The bikes are getting pissed on now as we post.
Well spoken and highlighted but, this situation should also be voiced by and come from the Galway Councillors as it did originally. Unfortunately at the moment some of the Councillors are lost in mediocre or even lesser drum beating like shipwrecks on the shore, or the inconveniences of the Chamber moving to Mervue. Should the situation as outlined by you not be dealt with, then there will be more than Ships on the Shore !
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