Rochestown Community Development Group

23/12/2024

It looks like the development which has been approved by Planning is a long way off ? Why else would the owners spend so much money on improving the shell (including a new roof) which will surely need to be knocked down to make way for the new pub, shop and apartments ? Can anyone enlighten us as to the mysterious carry on ?

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27/04/2022

Hi Gang,

We had a fantastic day on Saturday last, the 23rd. Fourteen people! We had Ger McCarthy who is over 80, Peter Langford who was 80 about a month ago, Helen Hurley, Helen Fox, me, Pearse Riordan, Laura Scally, Conrad McGrath, our daughter Fiona and husband Paul along with their two children Oscar 12 and Lily 10, and Omar Mahfoud and his son Senan. There was fantastic work done and we had a wonderful break with Cinnamon Cottage Coffee and beautiful cookies baked by Laura, who has promised something equally delicious for next time. So get baking and show up on Saturday the 14th of May at 10:30 with your treats and gloves! See you then! John

30/03/2022

Hi Everyone, just a reminder that we are meeting on Rochestown Green Saturday April 2nd at 10:30. Please wear appropriate clothing and bring along any tools/gloves for your own use. If you have none, don't worry - we have a supply.

All days of course are subject to suitable weather conditions prevailing.

Looking forward to a great turnout!

Regards
Pauric

15/03/2022

12 March 2022
Dear Reader,
The Rochestown Community Development Group is currently a bit of a crisis situation. We started in January of 2017 with the aim of getting the derelict core of Rochestown brought back to something to be proud of. So far, our biggest achievements are to have cleared the overgrown riverbank and planted it with a diverse range of shrubs and flowers, secured five picnic tables with the generous help of Cinnamon Cottage and the owners of the Rochestown Inn and painted them in lively colours with a Cuprinol product kindly sponsored by Pat McDonnell Paints and kept the large planting tubs going. We have also attempted to establish a wildflower garden which so far has proved to be somewhat of a disappointment, spread large quantities of mulch on the planted riverbank, and kept that planted area free of unwanted growth as best we could.
We initially had a fair bit of help in clearing and planting the riverbank, but the ongoing maintenance of same has over the years dwindled to a few mostly geriatric volunteers who are facing developing geriatric challenges and are unable to do the needed maintenance.
The upshot of all this is that our lovely Rochestown Green that so many of you are enjoying on a regular basis will soon become derelict again if younger, more vibrant volunteers do not step up to keep it going. It is up to you the users of this space to do this if you want to continue to enjoy this lovely space.
So please contact our us through our chairman or myself (John) to offer your services to restructure and replenish our aging committee with a younger, more vibrant cohort of volunteers. Otherwise, the project will die.
Pauric Macklin
Chairman
[email protected]

John Fox
Founder Chairman retired
[email protected]

22/07/2020

Hi Gang, we have been down on Rochestown Green off and on as personal agenda's weather and tides permit, doing some weeding from the stream on the bank edges and other weeding clambering around the bank itself. We have decided to make Monday night at 7:30 a regular feature in the hopes that more people can make it a part of their week's activities and thus get more much needed help! So do try and fit that in for an hour each Monday night. Bring a trowel if you have one and any other gardening gear such as gloves. I will have a box of gloves available, but trowels are in short supply.

See you Monday!

Regards,

John, Chairman

05/07/2020

Hydrangea plants were looking lovely in Rochestown Green today

14/07/2019

If you look closely you will see John and Helen watering the plants on the Green yesterday while the rest of us were enjoying the lovely weather ! (thanks to S.D. for sending the photos to me)

19/06/2019

Hi Everyone,

The Rochestown Community Development Group was blessed with a Community Service Project last Friday, June 14th by Trend Micro, a Cyber Security firm with an office on the Model Farm Road. Trend Micro have a Community Service Day each summer where they undertake 10 - 12 projects for local Community Groups around the city. This is the second year they have chosen the Rochestown Community Development Group, and last Friday they provided plants, compost, tools and other materials as well as eight energetic and enthusiastic members of their staff to undertake three planting schemes at Rochestown Green. In addition, they cleaned unwanted vegetation from large areas of stone wall, weeded a 35m long and 3m wide, steeply sloping river embankment of unwanted vegetation from our plantation of hydrangeas and cotoneasters, and did a huge amount of clearance of accumulated winter debris from the area in general. The work they have done has made a huge improvement to the visual amenities of the Rochestown Green and we cannot thank them enough!

We also owe a huge vote of thanks to local businesses. We got very generous donations from Terry and Sieglinda Murphy of Rochestown Centra, from John and Josephine Sweeny of the Rochestown Inn, and from Rochestown Pharmacy. In addition, Cinnamon Cottage purchased three lovely picnic tables for the west side of Rochestown Green, which is fantastic for users of our lovely Green. John and Josephine Sweeney gave us two old picnic tables from the Rochestown Inn which we have on the east side of the Green under the trees, and we have strimmed and grass seeded around them and down to the riverbank, making a lovely and already popular place for the public to relax. So go down to the Green and have a look and a relaxing chat with your family and friends!

It is hoped work will commence soon on restoration and extension of the Rochestown Inn as per the planning permission granted in 2016. The current situation is that required fire and safety certificates must be issued by the Cork City Council before work can commence, and that is anticipated in early August.

McDonnell Paints have kindly offered to sponsor paint to paint the picnic tables. There are as yet no firm plans to do so, but many people think it would be a good idea. Accordingly we now invite you all to give some input about painting them and what colours you think are appropriate.

Kind regards,

John Fox, Chairman
086 826 2818

18/06/2019

Rochestown is beginning to get its heart back ! Look at the latest pics of further improvements. The 2 picnic tables in these pics were kindly donated by the new owners of The Rochestown Inn. The area was cleared and flowers planted to make this a lovely picnic area just beside the river. Our two committee members John and Helen Fox in particular have planned and organised and supplied tools etc and liaised with The Council and TrendMicro and local businesses and have been seen working outside meeting hours themselves on many occasions to bring the green back to life for all of us to enjoy. Well done John and Helen !

17/06/2019

Improvements to Rochestown Green being carried out by TrendMicro employees plus some of our own volunteers on Friday 14th June. Big improvements were made ! Thanks TrendMicro, your work was much appreciated.

22/12/2018

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone, from all the team in the Rochestown Community Development Group!