EDITOR - On 25th April 2025, a casual scroll through Facebook turned into a moment of concern.
A post by former councillor Seán O’Donovan revealed a planning application to convert the former Stables Bar in Bandon into a gambling arcade.
Curious and uneasy, I walked down to the site and saw a Cork County Council notice confirming the application to change the use of the ground floor from a public house to a gaming arcade.
As a local resident and teacher, I felt compelled to act.
I messaged Seán O’Donovan to ask how I could help.
He suggested a petition and soon took to local radio to raise awareness.
A public meeting was organised by Bandon Connects, which was well attended, with a strong turnout from the community.
Among the speakers was Adrian Linehan from the Recovery Coach Addiction Service, and apologies for absence were read from several public representatives, including Gillian Coughlan, Noel O’Donovan, Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, Michael Collins, Holly Cairns, and Christopher O’Sullivan.
Local councillors Ann Bambury, John Michael Foley, John Collins, and Alan Coleman all spoke in support of the objections.
The atmosphere was one of unity and determination, and proof that community spirit is alive and well in Bandon.
However, in the days that followed, a troubling silence emerged.
Despite their presence and support at the meeting, none of the councillors or TDs used their social media platforms to highlight the issue or encourage others to object.
This lack of visible advocacy raises questions about representation and accountability.
It also prompts a broader reflection: has the amalgamation of Bandon, Clonakilty, and Kinsale left Bandon at the bottom of the priority list? Would the reinstatement of a dedicated town council better serve the interests of Bandon’s residents?
This issue is about more than just one building. It’s about the kind of town we want Bandon to be. And if this experience has shown anything, it’s that the people of Bandon are ready to stand up for their community.
Ronan McMahon,
Bandon.
It is time to halt the ‘war machine’
EDITOR – In Palestine no one and nowhere is safe. Right now, Israel is ramping up its genocide with a full-scale invasion and massacres of starved Palestinians seeking aid.
This comes after a three-month blockade that has almost entirely stopped essential humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. According to the UN, 2.2 million Palestinians - Gaza’s entire population - face catastrophic food insecurity and famine. Recently, nine of Dr Alaa al-Najjar’s 10 children were killed in a targeted bombing of her home while she was at work in the paediatric unit of Al Nasser hospital. Later, four-year-old Mohammed Yassine starved to death while Zionist forces held food trucks at border crossings. Hospitals, houses, tent shelters, whole towns and villages are being obliterated, many of them by target drones.
Aid workers, journalists, medical staff and community groups are regular prey to the terrorist Israeli army.
It is past time to call ‘halt’. The ‘war machine’ must be stopped. Stopping it involves putting pressure on all of its components. For Ireland, this means demanding that the National Bank of Ireland stops selling Israeli war bonds, and that our government severs all ties with organisations and companies that support apartheid Israel.
The vast majority of the electorate want our government to prevent US weapons for Israeli genocide from landing at Shannon also they must enact the Occupied Territories Bill immediately.
The ‘free’ world has become de-sensitised to the Israeli-US genocide. This is all the more reason why those of us who have a voice must shout from the roof tops of the world in condemnation of the obliteration of the Palestinian nation.
Daniel Teegan,
Listarkin, Union Hall.
A tribute to the work of Catherine Corless
EDITOR – I welcome the beginning of the excavation at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home in County Galway. This excavation comes 11 years after local historian Catherine Corless uncovered records showing that 796 children died at the institution, which was run by the Bon Secours order between 1925 and 1961.
I would like to pay tribute to Catherine Corless for her tireless work in bringing these facts to light. Catherine’s dedication, courage and tireless work was vital in getting us to this point.
Today I’m thinking about the victims, the innocent children and mothers who suffered so greatly in these homes. The immense pain is carried by survivors and their families to this day.
As a long-time advocate for survivors of Mother and Baby Homes, I want to reaffirm my commitment to supporting those affected.
I worked closely on this issue when I was a TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Disability, Integration and Equality. I will continue to be their voice in Europe and stand side by side with them.
Kathleen Funchion.,
Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South.
