The Family Shenanigans in Cork, part 4

The girls of the Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance on the Grand Parade, Cork at the end of the Family Shenanigans parade last Sunday. What fabulous performers they all are!


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Cork Stands with Gaza

The pro Palestinian rally on Grand Parade today was huge, with a larger than usual turnout from all over Cork. It was energising seeing people from all walks of life, and all ages gather to hear speakers talk about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and urge the Irish government to pass the occupied territories bill which would ban trade from illegally occupied Palestinian territories.

The Irish Examiner has a good article on the rally. (backup)


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Waiting for the Bus on Grand Parade

A young couple at the Grand Parade bus stop, with their phones out, caught my eye on a mild May afternoon in 2018. I couldn’t help but notice their shoes. Are they matching, or is it just the angle?


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The Grand Parade Preacher

This woman was screaming into a microphone on Grand Parade, Cork, for the last few years. This is a photo from 2022, but I remember seeing her in late 2024 too. I could never make out what she was saying as the sound was distorted so much by the volume on her speaker.

I hardly ever saw anyone talking to her. I wonder how effective this sort of preaching is?


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January 18th, 2025 Palestine Rally in Cork

There was a huge turnout for the pro-Palestine rally in Grand Parade yesterday afternoon. There’s huge support for Palestine in Ireland. Speakers welcomed the cease fire, but I don’t think anyone thinks it’ll hold.

Recently, I found photos of a similar rally through the streets of Cork in 2009. It’s the same issues. Nothing has changed, except to get worse, since then.


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The Car Park’s Secret Disco Portal

The big wheel on Grand Parade in Cork spins and makes a lovely shape when captured by a long exposure shot. Also missing from this are a few friends who thankfully kept walking back and forth so they wouldn’t be captured in the image!


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Where Cathedrals and Carnivals Collide

St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork can be seen in the background behind the big wheel on The Grand Parade, in Cork, tonight. I didn’t expect any sunset because there would be so much low cloud, but there was a tiny spec of colour on the horizon. At times, the underside of the cloud was faintly lit up in pink by the setting sun.

Thanks Finbarr for reporting from the car park that there was some light. I had written it off entirely, so it was nice to see!


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The Panoramic Wheel Spectacle

The ferris wheel, or big wheel, or Panoramic Wheel as it’s known to it’s owners, on Grand Parade. We had some fun photographing it from the car park across the street.

Henry has a photo of the wheel on his Instagram account too.


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The water under our feet

In this image, there are several construction vehicles, including an excavator, working on the site. The area is fenced off, and there are various pipes and construction materials scattered around. Traffic is visible in the background, with cars lined up along the street.

Some people were surprised to find there was a large covered over tunnel below Grand Parade when the Cork Main Drainage Scheme dug up the road near Daunt Square in 2005. The street used to be part of the river, so I guess the water had to go somewhere, but it also highlights just how vulnerable the city is to high tides and climate change.


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