Michael Moynihan: Cork city set for cool atmosphere as Culture Night comes around

Get yourself out and about tomorrow evening — the forecast is very good at the time of writing — and soak up some culture.

I got the drop on you, though, because I met up with Cónal Creedon a few days back to get his perspective on the big night on Leeside.

“It’s one night of the year, and I think it would be great if they could tie it in with National Heritage Week because there’s so much to see. At the moment, as we’re talking, there are about 80 events and there’s going to be a lot more because they aren’t all up yet so you’re talking about about 100 events or more.”

They range in time, but the trade descriptions act is fair enough for Culture Night — the bulk of the events are between 5-9pm, if not later, and that presents its own challenges.

“If there’s a tour or a presentation,” said Cónal, “or in my case a reading, then you’re looking at maybe three things you might get to in the course of the evening.

“Everybody seems to gravitate towards the English Market, maybe because a lot of people who are from the suburbs wouldn’t be in there that much usually, so it’s a popular place to go. So that’s always a big draw, but that’s half an hour gone if you head in.

“For example, there’s a great group, the Cork Light Orchestra, who are above in Cork City Gaol tomorrow, but it would obviously be a fair challenge to get from the Market up there to see them.

“Or if you want to get down the Marina to Benchspace, which does fabrication. I’d love to go and see what they do, everything from wood to metal.”

Hang on a second. What are you up to?

“I’m doing a reading with Molly Twomey the poet, who’s brilliant, between 5 and 6 in Waterstone’s. We did one earlier this year already in Callanan’s, where we were trying to reenact a photograph that was taken in 1954 when they won the rings contest.

“Back in the nineties I’d go in there after being in Turner’s Cross and the last fella from the photograph who was still alive would be in there sitting under the photograph. And then suddenly here it is, almost thirty years later, and an opportunity comes to reenact it.”

Culture: different strokes for different folks.

“There’s more than that going on,” Cónal said.

“Something else I’d like to see would be the Butter Exchange Band. They’re practicing down the road from me in CADA but I don’t want to see them because they’re neighbours, but because they’re brilliant — they’re playing from 7 to 8 in Dominic St.

“The Backwater Artists are another group I always have a very soft spot for, because they started in the building where CADA is now before moving over to Wandesford Quay; they’re open from 5 to 7.30.

“I always feel part of them because I was working in the launderette when they were starting, and I sort of started writing because I saw they were just doing what they were doing and seemed to be getting by. I thought I’d do the same.

“Then the Alliance Française de Cork has an exhibition by Michaela McCann over in Mary Street from 7 to 8.30: I’d be interested in seeing too, so it’s like an embarrassment of riches. There’s just too much going on, which is great in its own way.”

Culture Night isn’t happening in a vacuum. Cork is not in a good place at the moment by any metric; there’s a grim atmosphere in the city a lot of the time, and a benevolent night raid by the citizenry might be a positive.

“I think there could be an ability here to take back the city in a way,” said Cónal.

“I’m not saying the city is New York in the seventies or anything but I think there’s a really lovely feeling of wellbeing when you walk downtown at nine o’clock on a Friday night, and all the mammies and daddies and the kids and babies, are all going along and walking the streets, going in here and in there.

“You almost think ‘God wouldn’t be great if it was always this way, like, some European cities have that promenade culture at nighttime.’

“I don’t want to sound like the place is in crisis, but I like the fact that it’s a mammy and daddy night, and that it makes the city very friendly and there’s a good sense of wellbeing.”

Is there another possible dividend — does Culture Night encourage people to think, ‘God, we had a good night there, why don’t we get out to a gig or an event or something more often?’

Maybe, Cónal conceded, though he was a good deal more ambitious when it came to reaping what Culture Night might be able sow.

“Take O’Gorman’s hat factory, up by Shandon — if that was turned into a sports museum you could go back to Jack Doyle and on to Dr Pat O’Callaghan, you’d obviously have all the hurling and football, then the Sonia O’Sullivans, on to the story of Cork soccer.

“The exhibitions would be so easy. First, you can get the gear, the jerseys, the history of the hurley, then the songs, the images would all be in the Examiner.

“I think Cork could do that by just claiming it. Then, if you’re an American tourist who comes to Ireland and you know your great-grandfather played sport? You go up to Shandon and see the Sport Museum to find out about what he did.

“The weather isn’t always ideal and people like to have somewhere to go. There aren’t enough places where people can hang out for the day — granny, mammy and daddy go to exhibits, or the coffee shop, the older kids to the gift shop, the other kids go into the exhibition.

“A second one would be a Music Museum, going all the way back to Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill from Churchtown with Mo Ghile Mear, an epic song, to Seán Ó Riada and on to Rory Gallagher, all that interesting stuff with the Arcadia and the showbands, and up to the modern age.

“I think once you can present good enough things for people to look at, things that are interesting — that’s what makes a good exhibition. You can make the history fit.

“You could even have a section on the incredible bands that came to Cork to play various venues — like the Rolling Stones at the Savoy, Nirvana at Sir Henry’s, all of those. And Rory Gallagher’s guitar!

“That could all fit in one room, with film footage and so on. All I know is that I’d like to see it.”

Who wouldn’t? We’ll start tomorrow night and see where we go.

For more see:   https://culturenight.ie/location/cork-city/

https://culturenightcorkcounty.ie/