View Full Version : Free Parking in the town centre?
Ned Kelly
26-03-2007, 11:58
What I have read recently there seems a lot of business people in the town want free parking for their patrons. Is this a valid point that they are making?
Looking from the outside in, it does seem to make a lot of sense? Rather than lose custom to the likes of Midleton and Cork! The council should come to the party and maybe add 1 half of one per cent per cent on to the business rates for each profitable business during that financial year and for those businesses that are not profitable during that particular year, give one quarter of that years half per cent to them!
Sounds simplistic. But i'm sure there are ways to protect it from being abused.
Ned Kelly
28-03-2007, 11:15
No replies? ah well?
Its all up in the air at the moment Ned. I actually wrote a piece in the mag about it this week. Its not black & White but definately needs sorting. Try tell the business people you are going to up their rates again and they will run you out of town. Some buisinesses (the thriving ones) wanted to do that to pay for the xmas lights but the others wouldnt have it. The parking problem isnt down to payment, its due to lack of available spaces along our town front. Secondly, the big 'Tescos' Lidol's and 'Aldi's' are drawing Cobh people to shop cheaply in Midleton, Mahon and Blackpool. Its a simple fact of life that after paying for the petrol journey, they will still make a big saving by shopping outside of Cobh. Get one of those multi Nationals into the town centre of Cobh, then they will keep the locals on the main street to do their business!
Ned Kelly
29-03-2007, 11:32
Yeah fair nuff about getting one of the big stores in town, but that won't solve the parking problem mo chara!
No it wont, but in terms of protecting their investment, it might free up the mega cash thats needed by such a company to build a serious muti story car park in the town.
charlie_boswell
29-03-2007, 16:14
Get one of those multi Nationals into the town centre of Cobh, then they will keep the locals on the main street to do their business!
Cobh is over shopped as it is in terms of convience shops, all you have to do is look from the top of the hill Curleys, Spar, Costcutter, Londis, and Now Centra in the Links. All these in the space of a mile.
Cobh doesn't need a multiple, this will only put more pressure on existing local businesses. What Cobh needs is to reinvent itself as a foodservice destination, a Kinsale of the East. More Restaurants of all flavors. Throw in as many good festivals as you can think of (Kinsale has an Arts Festival and Food Festival, plus the Kinsale 7s ) We've got the hotels and B&Bs to cater for this, A rail link with the city and enough tourists sailing past the doorstep to fill demand..
Sounds easy doesn't it:(
Charlie.
:) Charlie......every thing you said is right, if Cobh wants economy boosted.....its visitors from other parts of Ireland and across the world.....who will spend money......cheers Katy:)
Ned Kelly
30-03-2007, 11:53
Yep have to agree with Charlie on this one, theres enough shops already in the town, Cobh was never built with the car in mind as I experienced the last time i was home when I tried to get around rings corner and had to back up to near the old town hall. Possibly the way to go is a bit a more public transport into the town itself from the outlying areas but then again that is easier said then done!
What I would like to know, is what happened to the large reply to Colms points that I made this morning. Are the gremlins back again?
No Irish town was designed for the car Ned, but your right Cobh is unique in that it was built on a hill with a reclaimed front street. Tourists could be forgiven for thinking they built the Cathedral up on the hill, and later built the streets around that. Theres two issues here, lack of parking spaces because of the current layout of the town centre, and why people are shopping out of town. I take it from Colms argument that we should ignore the latter problem and leave people head off the island to spend their money. This then should be countered by getting people from outside of Cobh to come in and spend their money to prop up local businesses instead. Question? Why hasnt any of the cute restaurant whiz kids from Kinsale and elsewhere spotted the potential thats waiting to be exploited in Cobh? Some will no doubt argue that the rates are too high in Cobh, buts that a catch 22. The fewer businesses the greater the rates. Kinsale must have started from a low base at some point also. I remember hearing the slogan at a tourist meeting years ago-Youghal was, Kinsale is and Cobh will be. Wishful thinking I believe. Cobh Town Council is currently debating which tourist organisations to fund. Failte Ireland, East Cork or Cobh Tourism. The former is a joke in terms of promoting Cobh. Last year they printed a half page picture of the Cathedral in its brochure. Nothing about Cobh and it was lumped in with the rest of west cork and kerry. Tourists might aswell head to Dingle to look for it. Not bad for €15,000 I suppose. Cobh simply is not on the agenda of those who controll tourism in this country, and the answer to my earlier question regarding those in Kinsale is that they too recognise this and will therefore shy aware from investing here. Sorry for the negativity, but reality hurts, and what this really means, is that we have to come up with other ways of getting around this. Meanwhile, Cobh has a serious parking problem lads, and people are leaving the great island in their droves to shop!
www.eastcorkonline.com (http://www.eastcorkonline.com) in conjunction with other site should be launched this weekend and there will be plenty of opportunity to bring all these issues, including the litter problems to the attantion of the Councillors. The site has a main emphasis on litter and the enviornment in the East Cork region.
Tourists in Cobh.....I don,t drive, I walk slow (ops on knees) yet I got round Cobh okay....you have a train service that is good..and brings visitors from Cork....(I have complained about Cork station....have you seen it....yuk a disgrace.....it needs a good cleaning....this is the station that brings your tourists to Cobh....)
As for promoting Cobh, as my Nan would say..too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.....alot of talk but action is slow......as a visitor who has promoted Cobh, Kinsale, Skibbereen, Clonakilty more times than you can imagine....I ask who is responsible for co-ordinating,,,,Cobh as a Tourist place to visit..are they being paid lots of euros for a few hours work....!!
Katy
Cobh Tourism is a totally voluntary body and the only one of the three above that I mentioned which truly has the interests of Cobh at heart. No euros, pounds or dollors, just local pride. Unforunately they are very small fish in a big pond. The big fisheys with the vested interests, seem determined to swim past Cobh all the time. I know this might sound like constant negative whining, but if we are to move forward from where we are now, we must first accept the real facts before us, and cut our clothe to measure!
Ned Kelly
31-03-2007, 12:51
Number one priority , Cobh needs to lasso all those tourists coming in on the liners before they are quickly bussed off to other areas, A bit of guerilla warfare might come in handy here, start by slitting the tyres of the buses and if the message does'nt get thru a few spuds up the exhausts or a bit of sugar in the petrol tanks. Just Jokin folks but something really needs to be done to get those tourists into the town before they spend their cash elsewhere! How about a tariff for the buses outside the railway station before they leave the town, no tariff if they go into the town before they whisk them all away to the other attractions?
Those Buses park on the quayside. Who owns the Quayside?- A - The Harbour Authority. Who brings in all the International Liners? -The same vested interests in the Harbour authority and Failte Ireland. Do you really think they are going to hand over their monopoly or even share it with Cobh? Not on your Nanny mo chara! We'll have to start thinking outside the box. Spike might prove to be the longterm answer, but for now we'll have to come up with something unique to draw them in, like Pecham Spring Water - 'Holy Ground Brew'
They came from wide and far in their droves. Angela, myself and the kids managed to squeez a small space for ourselves near the high Road,to get a decent view of the specatale as it slowly drifted in the harbour past Spike Island. Angela, as usual was busy snapping away with her camera. "This is definately going to be one for the Grand Kids" she loudly proclaimed. It didnt take long before the gardai appeared to direct traffic as every car in the country seemed to be turning up in Cobh to view this inexplainable vision. Things were now getting a bit dangerous as bodies were vertually climbing over each other on the higher Road to view the huge Ice Burg as it drifted up the Channel infront of the town. Angela and I decided it was getting too dangerous for the kids, so we decided to move closer to the town centre. As we fought our way past the masses along Westbourne Place, people were looking up in mesmerised gazes at the towering Ice burg that now protruded over the roof of the Titanic Bar/ GPO and seemed to be slowly docking itself at the old wooden jetty alongside. Then suddengly, the bells of Saint Colmans started beating out 'Nearer my God to Thy'. Meanwhile, a loud voice in the distance was shouting something but it was too distant for us to make out with any clarity. It seemed to get closer though and eventually in became clear what the person was proclaiming "April the 1st you Fools" ! Would this attract tourists to Cobh?
Ned Kelly
02-04-2007, 11:20
Jasus K yer a poet and ya don't know it!
Funny thing is with global warming ya might not be far off the mark!
I remember about a year before Vincie's place closed down, he was planning to have a big fake Ice burg float in the harbour. A big pipedream of course, but if it could be bought off, wouldnt it do something for tourism. I had a look of the back of the Titanic yesterday from the prominade and it was depressing. Weeds growing up through patio bricks and the timber decking starting to rot. Thats a bigger disaster than the actual ship going down!
Ned Kelly
03-04-2007, 11:46
Why the hell did the Titanic bar go belly up?(scuse the pun)
Infighting between the two partners - Vincies weird and pie in the sky ways of doing business, and his serious businessman partner. The latter kept it afloat longer than most expected. The courts are now sorting it!
Ned Kelly
04-04-2007, 11:18
And in the meantime It can't be run as a successful business?
It should be a goldmine!
How can it if the two disputed owners are each claiming ownership in the courts? the only winners are the legal egles!
Ned Kelly
05-04-2007, 11:20
Sounds like bollocks to me, they can't put a manager in, even a liquidator could do that!
The ice burg has melted, enough liquidation from that!
Ned Kelly
06-04-2007, 11:31
Good idea K, how about the spring water from the pump ya nicked from newtown?
Ned Kelly
07-04-2007, 11:04
Russell Heights Springwater! yez seen the rest now try the best!
Near to the heart of Springfield Park!
SpringField, isnt that where Homer hangs out?
Ned Kelly
10-04-2007, 11:47
Duh!
As a newcomer to Cobh - 5 years in October - I find some reasons to go into Cobh, even though I do all my major shopping in Midleton.
1. Sirius Arts Centre. Has some great gigs in a lovely setting. Is it only people from Midleton who go? (Besides me).
2. The new fish shop.
3. What used to be Clippers.
4. The new cafe with decent coffee and ice-cream.
5. The five foot walk (after the ice-cream)
And if there were more small specialist shops, I would spend a Sat. morning or afternoon browsing around.
There is a big market of single people and our friends and we like to treat ourselves. Cobh needs more restaurants.
Louise
As Del-Boy would say Louise, "you cant whack the Sirius Arts Centre, or the five foot way for that matter". Where is that new fish shop you mentioned? I thought Peter Kidney's fish stall outside the farmers market was the only one. You are spot on about the need for more restaurants, but we dont seem to be able to get any takers!
The fish shop is near the TSB, it's called Hannah Looneys. Best seafood chowder.
I don't really like Kinsale and I think Cobh could be better than Kinsale. How come the Bosun in Monkstown is doing such a roaring trade and isn't far from here? Is it possible to get a branch of Waterstones to open up? I'm serious. People like to hang around in book shops. Unfortunately, independent bookshops don't survive. The reason I mention the singles market is that more and more people are single and buying houses in Cobh and have disposable income and don't have to get out of bed until 12 midday on a Saturday morning (unless you're doing overtime to pay the mortgage) and can buy ridiculously expensive jars of pasta sauce and posh jam because we don't have small mouths to feed. Not that I suspect that expensive pasta sauce is the answer to Cobh's woes and yuppification is not the answer (aka Kinsale), but all I'm saying is look at who could be attracted to hanging around Cobh of an afternoon. They won't go into town to get the washing up liquid, but they'll go in for a wander and a read of the paper (or book from Waterstones).
Just some ideas. They may have been tried and failed. Will give it more thought.
Louise
Ned Kelly
14-04-2007, 11:47
Well said Louise!
But I think the yuppies need to make more puppies! Before they all get old and grey and regret not having a few kids to look after them in their auld age.
Methinks selfishness is ripe in Todays Ireland, a me me me society. 50 years down the track Ireland will be just another cosmopolitan wasteland like the states and no true identity within!
Well Ned, selfishness is not the perrogative of single people or people who don't have kids. Is it not selfish to expect one's children to look after them in their old age?
I'm sure people thought the country had gone to pot 50 years ago, just as others say today. The Tailor and Ansty is a prime example of this thinking, a great book. Pity about the outcome of its publication, but that's another topic.
Ireland today is a damn sight better than Ireland of the 80s.
It might be for the young yuppie Class Louise, but I'm not sure many older people would agree with you. If having more money in the pocket amounts to being happier then we should all be estatic, but apparently not. As a product of the 60's myself, I can already see us paying a very high price for our new affluence. I must also agree with Ned about the longterm downside to not having kids and the me me me culture of modern societity. My own adult and teenage kids are testimony to this!
As for the Bosun doing well Louise, could that have something to do with it being situated in Monkstown and the sailing fraternity, as opposed to Passage West a half mile away with plain pubs and a chipper? I agree with you about Cobh being better than Kinsale in terms of potential but we still need the investors to come in. I recall visiting Kinsale in 1981, and seeing notices on the shop windows 'We do not support the Hunger Strikers'. They were in some perverse way trying to attract English visitors to the area. The English came alright, including their retired military personel and bought the place up. Is that the answer for Cobh?
:) Hello Louise.....((Hugs)) and welcome on board...truly we need more female members, to voice good views like yours.....
With respect to the guys....enough talk about footy and more talk about promoting Cobh, to the far and wide corners of the Globe.
When will the powers to be, including local Councillors, Mayors, Council Officers, Managers etc.....see what I (as a visitor 4th time) and other tourist can see in that Cobh, has a History and Heritage to be proud of.....Saint Colmans Cathedral....is wow!! and the views of the town magic......and the Citizens of the Town are brilliant and truly give a warm welcome...
Also when was the last time Town Councillors,and Officials got on the train at Cobh Station (clean) and get off at Cork Kent Station (filthy)....Cork Station is the window into Cobh.......I often wonder how many tourist are put off (what does it cost in Cork, for Domestos, and cleaning equipment) Kent Station (yuk!) Toilets...Ahh!! Health and Safety need to take a look...........ahh!!
I have complained via contacts in Cork, on the state of the 'MAIN' Station, being a disgrace.......
I have also sent a number of emails to Cobh, Council Offices..all I got in reply was one automated message saying someone would get back to me....ahh!! that was last year......
Mike, webmaster truly you have done a great job with this site, but we need to get more locals on board..and past visitors.....
And before the guys say Ahhh!! is our Katy having a bad day.....my answer is 'NO'....just less footy talk and more promoting Cobh talk....sooner rather than later.........phew! cheers Katy:) :cool:
Ned Kelly
16-04-2007, 11:34
Geez, Louise!
You mean Geez, Katy! No footie today Katy. The Titanic commemoration on Saturday was great, with a bigger turn out than ever and plenty of visitors to the town. The weather made it of course. Ned's former would-be assasin Gunner Mick Keating, acted as deputy mayor for the day. Our regular Mayor, was in Southamptom for a similar commemoration. I can see big potential here for Cobh to cash in on the Titanic theme. 5 years to go for the big centenary! Message for Katy, if the managers of Irish Rail in Cork wont meet with Cobh Town Council about their poor services, they will hardly take on board the concerns of ordinary punters!
Ned Kelly
17-04-2007, 10:35
Nice Wan, K! Did ya ever mention that to gunner Keating? About how close he came to gettin rid of the town idiot? Shit I just realised that the introduction to this message coulda have been taken wrong hence , lol!
I did Ned and he just laughed. Mind you I witnessed many such near misses over in Spike. I really remember the time Stevie Mellerick flipped and lost it with a young orderly Officer -Joe Buckly. The two lads had earlier clashed on the football pitch during a friendly soccer match. Then while later on duty, there was drink involved. Stevie cocked the rifle, took aim and the rest of us had to jump him and take the gun from him. A doc was called to sedate him, and the usual sweep under the carpet job. Anyway that fecking place was an assylum!
Ned Kelly
21-04-2007, 11:25
Drink involved, Holy Shit I never even got a sniff of a beer when I was on duty on Spike!Most of the time there was a guy called SGT. Keilly in charge when I got duty there, Nice enough fella but he always tried to scare the crap out of me with his ghost stories and definitely no spirits produced when yours truly was on duty. I did like the cash tho I used to get 12 pound 50 for a 24 hour duty and no tax!
Ya, the money was definately good and attractive to us young fellas. Was that sergeant Kiely or Kelly? I remember peter Kiely, he was full time with us and later joined the Guards i think. Then there was a regular Sergeant named Mick Kelly. He was good Gymnest I think. I later met him years later in Mallow while I was electioneering and he had a street stall. As for the drink, there was more drink problems walking around that barracks then you would find at an Iternational AA convention!
Ned Kelly
23-04-2007, 11:32
Yeah I remember both now, Peter Kiley was the guy who used to scare the crap out of me with the ghost stories and Mick Kelly was a guy that served in the Congo if my memory serves me right he used to have all these nerve holds he used to show us, behind the ear and another one in the jaw, as soon as he got ya with one of those holds you were paralyised/ Jesus a chara yer bringing up some old memories, its funny the memories are gone till someone touches on something and they all come floodin back!
The reason why I remember Mick Kelly was that he was the only ex-soldier I knew from Spike that didnt look down on me or regard me as some kind of traitor when he learned I had become a republican. He actually came into the Election Caravan that we had in Mallow and had a cup of tea with us. I met a few ex soldiers from Cork, Limerick and Kildare who like me joined the republican army, but none from Spike. The Spike crowd were a breed apart. If they had only bothered to learn their history and open their minds?
Ned Kelly
24-04-2007, 11:13
Probably a hangover from the british garrison?
The fish shop is near the TSB, it's called Hannah Looneys. Best seafood chowder.
I don't really like Kinsale and I think Cobh could be better than Kinsale. How come the Bosun in Monkstown is doing such a roaring trade and isn't far from here? Is it possible to get a branch of Waterstones to open up? I'm serious. People like to hang around in book shops. Unfortunately, independent bookshops don't survive. The reason I mention the singles market is that more and more people are single and buying houses in Cobh and have disposable income and don't have to get out of bed until 12 midday on a Saturday morning (unless you're doing overtime to pay the mortgage) and can buy ridiculously expensive jars of pasta sauce and posh jam because we don't have small mouths to feed. Not that I suspect that expensive pasta sauce is the answer to Cobh's woes and yuppification is not the answer (aka Kinsale), but all I'm saying is look at who could be attracted to hanging around Cobh of an afternoon. They won't go into town to get the washing up liquid, but they'll go in for a wander and a read of the paper (or book from Waterstones).
Just some ideas. They may have been tried and failed. Will give it more thought.
Louise
Hi Everyone.....Katy forgot to mention this one.....all that talk on site about Hannah Looneys Fish Shop......ahh!!last time in Cobh Katy thought ahh!! a bag of fish and chips watching the boats come in......lol......then I found out she only has lovely fresh fish....not the deep fry......ahh!! lol....cheers Katy:) :)
Sad to say, that shop is also about to close if it havnt already!
Hi Kieran.....thats a shame as it looked like it was a busy place each time we passed...ahh!!
By the way has the crane gone?.....I remember years ago parts of Newcastle City Centre, the fronts of the buildings were kept standing as the rear was removed....ahh!!
I gather also that a large number of Sunderland Football Supporters are over in Cork for the match thats advertised....(they are over for a few days).......chances be your Hero will be with them....and word on the grapevine is that while they are going to tour around Cork and visit Kinsale one Cllr Kelly in Cork is doing some sort of presentation while the Sunderland organisers are in Town
You being a good friend with Cobh Mayor...will the Sunderland Fans be in Cobh??:) cheers Katy
Ned Kelly
19-07-2007, 11:30
ya coulda had Sushi katy !
As far as I know Cobh Ramblers will be travelling to Cork to play Sunderland. That was a big mistake, they could have got 4 or 5,000 in to St Colmans park, even with the renovations going on. Ya, that big crane is still there and probably will be for years. No one is in a hurry to do things here. Having said that, it is an English company building the new stand at Colman's park and a Welsh company installing the seating and they are about 8 months behind time already!
ya coulda had Sushi katy !
Sushi !!!!! is that Raw Fish, Ned.....ooooooohhhhhh!!! Katy likes hers in sauce, or baked in oven, even with batter....oohh!! but not raw.....lol:eek: cheers Katy:)
Ned Kelly
20-07-2007, 11:42
Nothin like a bit o raw fish! katy, with plenty of vinegar!
Ned Kelly
20-07-2007, 11:43
Shit talkin bout sendin coal to newcastle, ramblers could'nt find a local builder to do the work????
That crossed my mind too. I know young Stevie Conway is the sponsor of the under 21 Ramblers team. He employs all locals, including a couple of the new-irish who live, work and spend in Cobh. I have a sneaking feeling there might have been strings attached to the government grants they got, that it had to go out to public tender and jobs for the friends of certain political parties. Thats my cynical side talking!
Ned Kelly
21-07-2007, 11:25
He a rellie of tony conway?
Nephew -Jimmy's son. A nice lad who deserves a bit of credit and support!
As far as I know Cobh Ramblers will be travelling to Cork to play Sunderland. That was a big mistake, they could have got 4 or 5,000 in to St Colmans park, even with the renovations going on. Ya, that big crane is still there and probably will be for years. No one is in a hurry to do things here. Having said that, it is an English company building the new stand at Colman's park and a Welsh company installing the seating and they are about 8 months behind time already!
Ramblers are not playing Sunderland lads. Soory for the bad news. Jeez Kieran............that news is months old. Even with all my travelling I knew that :eek:
Below is the Sunderland Tour (All on TV too)
Saturday, 28th July - Dalymount Park - kick off: 7:45pm
TV coverage: 7:15pm
Bohemians v Sunderland
Monday, 30th July - Turner's Cross - kick off: 7:45pm
TV coverage: 7:30pm
Cork City v Sunderland
Wednesday, 1st August - Terryland Park - kick off: 8:00pm
TV coverage: 7:30pm
Galway United v Sunderland
The story behind the new stand is that the price of iron rose dramatically and the builders ran out of cash to complete the job. That's official. 50,000 was needed to complete the job and I believe that Barry Walsh has secured those funds.
You need to go to my other site for all the Eircom League latest. www.onefootballforum.com (http://www.onefootballforum.com) and then into the news site or into the forums. There's a might big shortage of Ramblers supporters there though
I guessed from the recent Niall Quinn adverts that the Ramblers are off the agenda, but they were keeping a secret locally. By the way Mike, its so rare to hear from you on the site lately, that you'l soon need to be producing your passport to get on!
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