Glorious Glanworth
Glanworth Muintir na Tire Community Council is leading the
way in providing leadership for this beautiful North Cork village just outside
Fermoy. Set up in 1975 the Community
Council’s main function has been the operation and maintenance of the local
Community Centre. It also boasts many working groups and sub-committees
involved in almost every facet of community life.
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| Some of the spring planting that was done last year
by Glanworth Community Council with the help of the CE workers |
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The Community Centre
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The Glanworth Players |
Running a Community Centre is a major undertaking by many
Community Councils around County Cork and without a centre many villages would
struggle to provide services and facilities in their community. In Glanworth
the Community Centre is the hub of all Community activity and has been so for
over thirty-eight years. Take for instance the Farrelly School of Irish Dance
run by Maureen Monahan who has been passing on her skills for nearly forty
years to the schoolchildren of Glanworth and beyond. The 105
th
Glanworth Scouting group are another well-established user of the centre and
this year are celebrating 25 years in action. The local Glanworth Players
Dramatic Group established in 2000 have just ended their week long production
of
The Year of The Hiker by John B
Keane.
Local Piano Teacher Angela Casey also organises an annual Piano Recital
in the Centre
Schools make great use of the Community Centre for special
events Plays and fund-raising. Glanworth National School use the community
centre for their annual Nativity Play and the Parents association organise fund
raising, Cake Sales, Discos and catering for Communion and Confirmation days.
Not to be outdone there are two playschools in Glanworth. The School Around the Corner and Wee Wisdom perform their Christmas plays for all the family members
of these progressive playschools.
Both Adult and juvenile sections of Glanworth GAA and
Glanworth Ladies GAA also make use of the Community Centre for social events
and fund-raising. Many other voluntary and community groups including a Fishing
club, Young Priests Society, IFA, and local Fianna Fail. The Community Centre
is also used for voting in local and general elections.
Major improvements to the community centre have been carried
in the last few years and Glanworth can be proud of its achievements.
Meeting needs
Of course the Community Council not only provide the
Community Centre, which is a safe environment for young and old but also
organise a whole load of other services themselves in the Community Centre and the
village. Glanworth Community Council
have identified many issues and needs within their community and sub committees
are striving hard to ensure that these issues are resolved and the needs met. Glanworth
Active Retirement Group works very closely with Glanworth Community Council. Indeed
represenatives from both groups attending the recent Social satellite
meeting in Glanworth including Pauline Dwyer, Community Council Chairperson.
Pauline highlighted the tremendous work that has
taken place in their community premises with major upgrades to their meeting
rooms, main hall, kitchen and the exterior of the building. She thanked Avondhu
Blackwater, Cork County Council and HSE for their financial support.
The only piece of jigsaw remaining to be done is their
toilets but remedial works are in the offing after a grant of €12,000 amenity
grant from Cork County Council.
Glanworth Active Retirement Group is in the safe hands of
Chairperson Eric Mee who welcomed everyone to the meeting. He also
mentioned the group is 9 years on the go this week.
Glanworth Active Retirement Group meet every two
weeks. This consists of usually a speaker attending with
Bingo, music and refreshments. The group will be attending the AOSTA
conference on March 23rd in Mallow GAA Grounds and are really
looking forward to this day out.
Besides this the group embarks on numerous outings during
the year. The group are busy organising a major social on the 20
th March
and are inviting neighbouring groups to come along.
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Members of Glanworth Active Retirement Group Eric Mee , with local community Garda Vincent Guerin, Owen Mac Aulifffe
Maura o Neill , Breeda Mee and Catherine Williams
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The Community Council and the active Retiremant Group also
came together to provide chairs for the Community Centre, and erect a Christmas
tree and Christmas lights in the village.
A seniors Christmas Party is also organised each year for
the older members of Glanworth, Ballindangan and Currashall.
A Committee led by Barry O Farrell, Les Mahon and Donal
Hanrahan is making great progress with plans to provide the village with a
first class playground. The site donated by Cork County Council is ready and fund
raising is planned to get this much needed amenity finished and the committee
is hoping for one final effort by everyone to put the playground in place.
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The Site for the Playground |
A new Tidy Towns Group has been set up and all members of
the Community Council are working together to ensure that Glanworth does well
in the competition. The Community Council will also be entering Muintir na Tire’s
Pride In Our Community Competition with their plans for a 1916 remembrance
Garden. The garden will include the planting of seven trees to honour the seven
signatories of the Proclamation, a 1916 bench, a proclamation Plaque and a
flagpole for the tricolour.
A historical Society has also been formed which includes
Edel Sheehan, Mike Healy and Pauline O’ Dwyer. Glanworth is rich in heritage
and this committee have already discovered a 200 year old stained-glass window,
which they hope to frame and display in the community centre. If you are
interested in history and heritage then the village of Glanworth is certainly
worth a visit, and there are a number of great heritage sites nearby too like
the impressive Labbacallee Wedge Tomb.
Maintaining and Improving the village
The Community Council utilises the services of one Tús
Worker and six Community Employment workers on various projects around the
village. These workers do tremendous work cleaning signs, maintaining Community
Centre, the graveyard, mowing, strimming, planting bulbs etc
Community Alert /Text Alert
A recent initiative has seen the setting up of a community
alert / text alert in association with Muintir na Tire. This initiative is led by Joan O Neill,
Pauline O’Dwyer and Frank O Flynn. This group get great help from Fermoy Community
Garda Andrew Geary. The group were also helped greatly by neighbouring
Ballindangan Community Council members Marie Linnane and Pat Landers.
Help with fund raising.
Like so many community and voluntary organisations Glanworth
Community Council depend on fund raising to finance the running of the
Community Centre and other community projects. Glanworth are lucky to have a 45
Card Group led by Bridie O’Connell and Seamie Browne. The local Community Lotto
in aid of the Community Centre Development Fund is organised monthly by
Catherine Williams and Margaret Hennessy. A Catering Committee which helps with
parties and the afters of funerals is a crucial part of the community and vital
for events and celebrations. Glanworth
Community Council are very lucky also to have the services of that great stalwart
Mike Healy who has been the de facto Community Development worker for the
council for many years. Mike is an acknowledged expert in writing grant
applications a must for any community.
Help from outside
Cork County Council, Rockmills Group and Avondhu Blackwater
Development have all been of great help to Glanworth Community Council over the
last few years. Avondhu Blackwater Development were the main conduit for a
€100,000 grant towards the Community Centre redevelopment and in providing the
Tús worker. Cork County Council have been very helpful over the last few years.
Amenity grants helped to provide chairs for the Centre, heating controls in the
Centre, carpeted area backstage in the hall and the Rose garden fencing. The
County council also provided a €12,000 community Grant towards an upgrade for
the toilets in the community Centre. The
Rockmills group provide the six Community Employment workers who maintain the
village.
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Members of Glanworth Community Council with Avondhu Blackwater at opening of newly done up hall in 2014 (photo 8135) Sean hegarty Avondhu Blackwater , Mike Healy Development Officer GCC , Martin Roche building contractor ,
Valerie Murphy Avondhu , Cll Frank O Flynn , Pauline O Dwyer chairperson GCC , and Fr , Michael Corkery pp Glanworth
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Reaching out
Glanworth Community Council wishes to reach out to the ‘new
Irish’ and would welcome the input and experience they will bring to the
community. The Community Council meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every
month in the Community Centre at 8.30pm.
If you wish to get involved in any way with Glanworth
Community Council please contact
Pauline O Dwyer
Tel.0877999073