JJ Hurley     Civil Rights Activist Bernadette McAliskey emphasised the importance of education during a recent visit to Kinsale at the invitation of the Kinsale Peace Project. Caption Carrigdhoun correspondent JJ Hurley seen here with Bernadette McCaliskey at the Kinsale Peace Project, Speaking exclusively to the Carrigdhoun  before addressing a large audience at the Friary, Kinsale, the Tyrone native highlighted education as one of the most important levellers in society. “

(JJ Hurley) On Friday night in Gortnaglough, Ballinhassig face Fermoy in a top-of-the-table clash. With only three points separating the teams in the Senior Second Division, Fermoy come into the game with two games in hand. A victory for the home side would be significant in the race to take the title and continue their push for promotion. The game kicks off at 8pm. Also on the same night, Crosshaven face Douglas Hall in the Junior Fourth Division as the Seasiders chase pro

Imelda Lynch has been named as the December  recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . The award recognises individuals who make an exceptional and lasting contribution to their communities, Imelda has dedicated her time to teaching members of the community to swim and appreciate the benefits the sea has on our physical bodies and our mental health.  Tracton’s Imelda Lynch is set to once again h

Carrigaline Musical Society has been named the November recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . The award celebrates organisations that enrich community life, and since its foundation, Carrigaline Musical Society has played a vibrant and uplifting role in the cultural fabric of the town. The society was established in 2016, when local resident Jacinta McBride identified a need for something ne

The Robert’s Cove Vintage Festival has been named as the October recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . For nearly twenty years, Robert’s Cove Vintage Festival  has been a social highlight of the Tracton community, with taking care of community at the centre of the festival's mission, and since its creation, the festival   has supported a number of local and national charities. The Roberts Co

JJ Hurley Busy Weekend of Sport Outside of the Rebels travelling to face Limerick on Saturday night in the long-awaited clash in the Allianz Hurling League, locally there is a busy schedule of games. Top of the list is the meeting of old rivals Ballinhassig and Courcey Rovers in the Co-Op Superstore Hurling League in Ballinspittle on Sunday morning at 11.30 am. (Ballinhassig open their account as a senior team on Sunday as they take on Courceys ) Another attractive game on S

By Tara Maher and John Twomey   Following a trend that first gained popularity in Kerry, the amalgamation of GAA clubs to sustain rural participation in Gaelic games has successfully crossed county borders into Cork. While such mergers have inevitably faced criticism, the primary goal remains the crucial one: keeping players actively involved. Two local clubs, Crosshaven and Shamrock GAA have united to form “Diarmuid Ó Murchús ”, are already reaping the rewards of this collab

Before Christmas, Nicola Bohan Opticians celebrated 20 years helping Carrigaline see better.  Speaking to The Carrigdhoun , Nicola reflected on the town’s growth and the loyal community that has supported the practice since it first opened its doors in December 2005. Originally trained in London, the dispensing optician began her career working in a busy city-centre practice, where she gained years of hands-on experience fitting frames and lenses. After building her expertise

(JJ Hurley) A decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission last August for an ambitious AstroTurf facility for Kinsale AFC is now causing grave concern. Trina O'Neill seen here receiving the Community Spirit Award in October last year, also in the picture are many club members who are worried that a lack of an astroturf pitch is impacting negatively on the club's progress. In a bid to highlight the detrimental effect the decision is having on the future of the c

Kinsale 3-17 (3-0-17) Millstreet 1-6  (0-1-4)   Kevin Cahil reviewing Kinsale's performance with his charges following their victory over Millstreet on Saturday. (JJ Hurley)     Kinsale opened their McCarthy Insurance Group Division Five Football League account with a comprehensive victory over Millstreet at Dunderrow on Saturday. The Seasiders had amassed a grand total of 2-13 before the visitors replied with a point in the 29th minute. Missing at least half of their startin

Michael Pigott Auctioneer & Valuer is celebrating ten years in business, marking the milestone with a special anniversary gathering in Carrigaline. Family, friends, neighbours, clients and members of the wider community joined the celebrations on Main Street, where the agency has operated since opening its doors in 2016. Over the past decade, the firm has established a strong reputation across County Cork for its local knowledge, professional guidance and personal approach to

Passage West PACE Centre has been named the September recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . The award recognises outstanding contributions to community life, and the PACE Centre stands as a powerful example of how dedication, volunteerism and compassion can make a lasting difference to people of all ages, particularly the elderly, across the Passage West, Monkstown and Rochestown areas. At t

John Wade has been named as the August recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . The award recognises individuals who make an exceptional and lasting contribution to their communities, and few embody this spirit more fully than John Wade through his lifelong commitment to fundraising, volunteering and community care. John is best known as the founder and driving force behind the Walk for Life  f

Helen Noonan has been named the July recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper . After 30 years of dedicated service, Helen is stepping away from her role as Child Welfare Officer with the Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls Soccer League (CWSSL), leaving behind a remarkable legacy defined by care, commitment and an unwavering focus on young players. For three decades, Helen has been the quiet constant a

Haulbowline junior parkrun celebrated its second birthday this January. During that time, we’ve welcomed over 450 junior participants and 150 volunteers, who together have covered more than 5,000km around the park.Junior parkrun is a free, weekly, timed 2km running and walking event for children aged 4–14. It takes place every Sunday at 9.30am at locations all over Ireland. Children can take part with parents or grandparents, and the fully marshalled course ensures plenty of

As we celebrate 35 years of local journalism, we look back on some of the editions that shaped The Carrigdhoun Newspaper legacy and trust within the community.      Issues On Carrigaline’s ‘Southern Relief Route’ Carrigaline Municipal District (MD) unanimously supported a motion by Cllr Liam O’Connor (FG) urging Cork County Council to take charge of the main road section of Forest Hill estate to install urgent traffic calming measures. The road, part of a southern relief rout

(JJ Hurley) For those trying to get on the property ladder or indeed rent a property, this article outlines some of the options open to you As house prices continue to spiral, with the national average cost of a home heading towards €385,000, we look at the options available to renters and prospective homeowners. Traditionally, for many struggling to secure a mortgage the local authority and the provision of social housing to rent was always the first option. For anyone think

By Tara Maher   Aifric Deasy , a 5th-year student at Kinsale Community School, combined her interests in politics and computer science for her project. She set out to tackle the growing problem of bias in news media by using artificial intelligence, which earned her the Oracle Academy special award and 3rd place in the Senior Technology Individual category. “Bias in news is a bigger problem today than ever before, and I wanted to use my interest in computer science to help ad

Shane McAuliffe , who recently passed out as lifeboat boat crew with the Crosshaven RNLI, is undertaking a winter sea swimming challenge in February 2026 to mark the recent 200 year anniversary of the RNLI, and 25 year anniversary of the RNLI in Crosshaven. The challenge, titled Freezebury, involves swimming every day throughout February, gradually increasing time in the water, with a target of reaching a minimum total of 200 minutes over the course of the month. Shaped by Sh

JJ Hurley For Ballinhassig’s Conor Coughlan, it is seven consecutive titles in League Cups and National Cups as part of the Rebel Wheelers. Born with a condition that affects his bones and joints, medically referred to as Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita, it has not prevented him from pursuing his goals and dreams. At the age of 12, Conor had to abandon his dream of playing hurling, something he found difficult to accept at the time. However, he has remained very close

JJ Hurley Kinsale Boxing Club already has significant numbers in its corner, having only entered the ring as a competitive club last August. An initiative that owes much to Conan Dillion, Eoin Irwin, John O’Driscoll and Kylan O’Rourke, it’s found a home at the Saile Sports Centre in the town.     Already, the club has picked up a number of county titles, as Charlotte O’Driscoll, Rease Hickey, Jack Collins, William Collins and Kyran Connolly have all proved themselves in the r

As we celebrate 35 years of local journalism, we look back on some of the editions that shaped The Carrigdhoun Newspaper legacy and trust within the community.    # CarrigNeeds is the new trend! Local election candidate Padraic Valley interacted with young people on Twitter to find out what they believed Carrigaline needed. Valley said the discourse was “ not about votes … There was a very clear and obvious frustration among young people in Carrigaline and surrounding areas o

Writes Leo McMahon A major spruce up of Crosshaven by the county council leading up to Cork Week 2026 Regatta from July 6 th  to 10 th  being hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven this summer was urged by Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF)  at the recent meeting of Carrigaline Municipal District (MD). She suggested a review and programme of works for the relining of roads, repainting of crossings and repair, repainting or replacement of signage in Crosshaven and surroundin

Kinsale’s storied Desmond Castle is set to have a new chapter, with renovation works on the historic building set to begin later this year.  Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan  was last week briefed on plans for the renovations as he toured the iconic “French Prison” with OPW staff.  “This beautiful 15th century castle is one of the most important buildings in not just Kinsale, but all of County Cork,” Minister O’Sullivan said.  “I’m delight

A new Community First Responder (CFR) group has been established in Douglas in Cork and has responded to 25 incidents during their first four weeks in operation. A team of eight people are now volunteering with CRITICAL charity responding to cardiac arrests and other life-threatening emergencies.  The fully-trained volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds including healthcare, the emergency services, business, and retirees.  They went live on the 19th of December 2025

By Tara Maher Common Ground Run Club is Crosshaven’s first social running group, catering to complete beginners and seasoned runners. The club meets every Saturday morning at 9am, starting from the car park at the Crosshaven–Carrigaline Railway Walk, and has quickly become a positive and sociable way for locals to kick-start their weekends. Founded by Ben Donovan late last year, Common Ground was created to give people a reason to get outdoors, get moving, and connect with ot

( JJ Hurley) (Lillian Gash seen here preparing to visit Kinsale Hospital at Christmas ) Lillian Gash has provided an important sanctuary for many animals, with the latest addition making it to the inner sanctum of the Annual Horse Show at the prestigious RDS. Charlie was a pony that was rescued from Wexford and brought to the Cobh Horse Rescue Centre, where Lillian spotted him and he was subsequently adopted by her. Almost immediately, Charlie developed a bond with her daught

(JJ Hurley) Bernadette Walsh described her award as the Person of the Year at Kinsale’s Yacht Club as a shock, as her hard work with the Sailability project was acknowledged. The project, which was established by Donal Hickey, provides those with intellectual or physical challenges with the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of taking to the waters in Kinsale Harbour. Last year, the programme provided 76 people with the opportunity to take part in the activity on Saturdays fro

As we celebrate 35 years of local journalism, we look back on some of the editions that shaped The Carrigdhoun Newspaper legacy and trust within the community.      Try Sailing Programme Launched in Kinsale  County Local Sports Partnership funding, Kinsale Yacht Club, Irish Sailing, Sports Capital Partnership came together to launch a Try Sailing Programme to make sailing accessible for people of all abilities on May 2nd.    De Carrig Tour De Carrig Tour was in its fourth yea

Cork Arts Theatre is proud to open its landmark 50th anniversary year with Infinity, directed by Carrigaline’s Julie Kelleher, is the first production in the venue’s ambitious new Re:Directing season. The production, written by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch, will run from February 5th to 14th.    Infinity  is a witty, moving, and intellectually stimulating drama exploring romantic relationships and profound philosophical questions. At its core, the play follows three