JANUARY

THE people of Kilworth vowed to fight "tooth and nail" a controversial decision by An Post not to retain a postal service in the north Cork village.

The chairman of the local Community Council, Jim Nash, told The Corkman that two local businesses had expressed interest in taking over the franchise.

"Hope's were high that the post office would reopen in one of these two premises and An Post had indicated that they would be putting the franchise up for tender," said Mr Nash.

However, it emerged that An Post does not intend to retain a service in the village, instead recommending that customers travel to Fermoy to avail of services.

"AN important step in the right direction."

That was how the chairman of Fermoy Tidy Towns, Cllr Noel Mccarthy, described the town's standing on the final 2009 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) table.

Having won the league in 2006, finished third in 2007 and second in 2008, the town plummeted to 27th place in 2009 – its lowest ever position on the annual league table.

The final table for 2010 was released this week showing that Fermoy had moved up a creditable seven places to 20th position, much to the relief of Cllr Mccarthy.

The Irish pig industry will cease to exist within 12-months unless the price paid to farmers for pig meat dramatically increases.

That was the stark warning from pig farmer Rory O'brien after it was revealed that he was to clear out the 2,300-sow herd on his Mitchelstown farm.

Mr O'brien, who in terms of scale was one of the top five pig farmers in the country, said the falling returns from the industry had left him with no option but to close down his operation at Killicane, Mitchelstown.

An 80-year-old man appeared before Fermoy District Court charged with two counts of sexual assault.

The pensioner was accused of carrying out the assaults against two adult members of the same family in the north Cork region last year.

What many punters might have seen as perhaps one of the most readable constituencies in Cork ahead of the general election was thrown wide open by the shock decision by Ned O'keeffe to retire from politics.

At the Cork East Fianna Fail convention the colourful TD confirmed speculation that he would not be seeking re election, after 28 years in the Dail.

Addressing delegates, many of whom were clearly surprised at his decision, Deputy O'keeffe said that it was time for him to stand down "and let younger people take over".

FEBRUARY

JEWELLERY believed to be worth in excess of €50,000 was stolen from Barber's jewellers in Fermoy in what gardai described as a "well planned and executed" robbery.

More than 300 items of jewellery including rings, bracelets and watches were premises by the thieves who made their escape through a skylight.

"This was a well planned crime, clinically executed by perpetrators who knew exactly what they were doing. It may well be the case that this was a professional gang who may well be responsible for a number of similar raids across the country," said a garda spokesman.

Colourful District Court Judge Michael Pattwell questioned the screening process for foreign nationals entering Ireland during a sitting of the court in Fermoy.

"I am convinced that the majority of foreign nationals living in Ireland are decent, law abiding people. But we are gathering in this state a number of people who find it tough going in their own country and are turning up here. We have enough trouble in Ireland without importing it from other countries," he said.

Fermoy was dealt a devastating jobs blow following the news that its largest employer, Sanmina SCI, was to make another 70 workers redundant.

The announcement, which followed on from the loss of another 40 jobs at the of 2010, meant that the company had made more than a quarter of its total workforce redundant over a three month period.

A spokesman for the Shipton Group said that work on the development of the former Cork Mart's site in Fermoy could get underway this year - providing that work phase two of the town's flood plan also starts in 2011.

Former Corkman photographer Mark Condron scooped a stunning double – winning the prestiprestigious AIB Photojournalist of the Year for the second year in succession.

The 32-year-old Castletownroche native also won the 2011 News Photographer of the Year award for his moving image taken at the Dublin funeral of 15-year-old stab victim Toyosi Shittabey.

Labour's Sean Sherlock topped the poll in the Cork East constituency in the General Election with Fine Gael's David Stanton and Tom Barry and Sinn Fein's Sandra Mclellan claiming the remaining three seats.

MARCH

AN appeal against the granting a controversial application to build more houses in the village of Ballyhooley was rejected by An Bord Pleanala.

Brompton Homes had been granted permission by Cork County Council to build 19 more houses on the site of the unfinished Lois Ard Estate – despite the fact that the village featured on a high-profile TV programme about ghost estates.

Fermoy and Mallow were dealt a twin blow following the news that the World of Wonder Shops in both towns have closed their doors for business.

The Mallow based parent company Monument House, was placed into voluntary liquidation, resulting in the closure of the shops in Mallow and Fermoy in addition to the two other World of Wonder stores in Blackpool and Midleton.

The battle to get a new National School in Rathcormac took another significant step closer to success after Cork County Council finally granted planning permission for the construction of a new 12-classrooom school building on a 3.9-acre site in Ballymore, close to the existing school.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in stunned disbelief at St Joseph's Church in Kilbehenney to pay their respects to tragic teenage crash victim Ruth Gorey.

The popular local girl, who had recently celebrated her 18th birthday, died after the Land Rover she was driving struck a ditch and overturned on St Patrick's Day.

Six passengers, including her younger brother Andrew, escaped without serious injury from the crash, which happened on the old Cork Road about two miles outside of Kilbehenny.

It emerged that the two sisters who died in what was believed to have been a tragic accident in Co Clare once ran a popular boutique in Fermoy.

The bodies of Pamela and Denise Moore, who originally hailed from Birmingham in England, were discovered at White Strand near Milton Mowbray.

The trial of a Fermoy woman accused of murdering a man whose body was later discovered in a slurry pit in West Cork got underway this week at the Central Criminal Court in Cork.

Una Geaney (45) of Mullinagleamig, Dingle, Co Kerry but originally from Fermoy denied the murder 37-year-old new age traveller Gary Bull at Shanlaragh, Dunmanway in September. 2007.

The Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service (CDYS) lodged an application with Cork County Council for a Youth Café at the former fire station in Fermoy.

APRIL

THE owner of the hugely successful Dino's chain of restaurants confirmed he was seeking to open new outlets in Fermoy and Mallow.

Cork city councillor Denis 'Dino' Cregan said he had viewed sites in both towns as part of the company's plans to expand into the North Cork region.

"This is not just a whim. I have no time for messing about and when I say that we will be moving to Fermoy and Mallow, I mean it," said Mr Cregan.

Fermoy rowing club came to the rescue of ice-bound Scandinavian based students who had been unable to get their boats in the water for more than six-months.

Members of rowing teams from the Grenna International School in southern Sweden visited the north Cork town following an invitation from the local club to avail of its facilities.

Plans were unveiled for a summer festival in Fermoy following the success of the hugely successful Winter Wonderland event.

The Fermoy Business Action Group was one of the principal backers of Faile na Abhainn, which was planned to take place over three separate weekends in June, July and August.

The Araglin farmer who lost his life following a freak accident on his home was described as a "great neighbour and a thorough gentleman."

Maurice Foley died after being kicked in the head by a suckler cow as he tended to cattle on his farm at Gortnaskehy.

Mr Foley, who was in his early 50 and married with three grown up children, was rushed to hospital following the accident but died at the CUH as a result of his injuries.

It was a case of Whiskey Galore for the village of Castlelyons after Midleton based was granted permission to build 40 new maturation houses on an 85-acre site near the north Cork village – part of a €100 million investment by the company to satiate worldwide thirst for Jameson whiskey.

Tickets for a unique concert amid the magical splendour of Mitchelstown Caves sold out within 12-munutes of going on sale.

Aptly entitled 'The Cave', the intimate gig featured sets by Lisa Hannigan, James Vincent Mcmorrow and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh in front of 250 concertgoers.

MAY

A motorcyclist lost his life following a tragic road traffic accident near Rathcormac.

The 25-year-old man, named by gardai as Simon Mansfield from Grange in Waterford, was travelling along the N8 road in the direction of Cork city when the accident occurred.

The stately Fermoy mansion once owned by the controversial UK politician and founder of the British Union of Fascists, Sir Oswald Mosley, went under the hammer.

Set amid 12-acres of land overlooking the River Blackwater, Ileclash House is a stunning property once famously described as "one of the jewels of the Blackwater Valley".

Built in the mid-18th century it was restored and later purchased by the Blackshirt leader, who lived there for a time with his second wife society beauty Diana Mitford.

Plans for a civic amenity site the Fermoy/ Mitchesltown area were permanently put on hold after a senior county council official admitted they did not have the money to build one.

Director of services, Tom Stritch, said there was "no question" but that one was needed for the area but "we do not have the money to develop an amenity site to cover Fermoy and Mitchelstown.

A Mitchelstown shop owner who pulled down his protected shop pledged to "return the premises to its former glory".

Builders had removed the frontage of WJ Ryan's shop, which dated back to the late 1800s and had been designated a protected structure, much to the anger of the local Heritage Society.

Gardai In Fermoy launched an investigation into a blaze that gutted Fermoy Manor.

A garda spokesman said that a passer-by had contacted emergency services to say that trees in the vicinity of the house were on fire.

"When they arrived at the scene they found that the house itself was ablaze. Fire service personnel fought the blaze for a number of house before bringing it under control," said the spokesman.

"Thankfully there was no one injured in the incident," he added.

JUNE

LEVIES charged to potential developers in Fermoy were set to be dramatically slashed by more than 50% under proposals set to come before the local town council.

Fermoy town clerk Ray Owens confirmed that the council was undertaking a comprehensive review of its levy charges, aimed at bring them in line with those charged by other authorities including Cork County Council.

Doubts surrounded the future of the St Francis home for the elderly in Fermoy amid increased speculation that the facility on the Rathealy Road was to close.

When it opened in 1976 the St Francis had 40 full-time elderly residents, a number that had dwindled to just 11 in recent years.

A further 12 patients who had been accommodated at St Patrick's Community Hospital had been living there for the past two-years while the hospital was renovated.

Those patients are set to move back in to the hospital, with speculation rife that the remaining full-time residents will also be relocated to St Patrick's.

Tributes were paid to retiring District Court judge Michael Pattwell at his final sitting in Fermoy.

Asked how he would like to be remembered, the oftencontroversial 66-year-old judge used just one word "fair".

"I don't care what else people will say. They can say he was tough, they can say he was this that or the other. I really do not care," said the retiring district court judge.

"But if they say the word fair, then I will die a happy man." JULY

CUTS to Cork County Council's road maintenance budget will result in many remote roads across north Cork being neglected if there was a repeat of last winter's severe weather.

The frank admission was made by a senior council official during a meeting of the Fermoy/mallow area committee.

After months of speculation the long awaited Cloyne report was finally released – and as expected pulled few punches in its criticism of the way complaints of abuse against priests within the diocese were handled.

The report found that the former Bishop of Cloyne, Dr John Magee took "little or no interest" in the management of clerical abuse cases until 2008.

It also found that the primary responsibility for the failure to implement agreed childe sexual abuse procedures lay with Bishop Magee. "A town in crisis". That was how the mayor of Fermoy described the town following the news that two more local businesses have closed their doors for good.

Both Donatellos and the Deerpark Florist on Brian Boru Square had ceased trading, joining the list of more than a dozen local businesses that have gone to the wall over the previous year.

"Trade has been hammered, it is on its knees," Cllr Michael Hanley told The Corkman.

"It most certainly a town in crisis - as is every other town in Ireland," he added.

AUGUST

THE proposed prison for Kilworth appeared to take a step closer to becoming a reality after a high-level body recommended the existing Cork Prison be closed down "at the earliest possible opportunity".

The Thronton Hall Review Group report has recommended that a 200-cell facility with a capacity for 300 prisoners, be built in Kilworth to replace the existing outdated prison in Cork City.

Two teenagers who rescued two men from a burning building in Fermoy are to be afforded the highest accolade the town can give.

Cillian Mahon from Fermoy and Ryane Twomey from Kilworth are to be afforded a civic reception by Fermoy Town Council for outstanding bravery after they saved the two foreign nationals from the building in the town.

The revamped Fermoy.ie website has the potential to be an important tool in helping the town become one of North Cork's key business hubs.that was one of the key messages to emerge at the relaunch of the website, which has undergone a major facelift funded by the Fermoy Enterprise Board.

A Fermoy based councillor with the Accord marriage guidance service has said he has seen a massive increase in the number of couples seeking their help.

Michael Dunne's comments came as the service released its annual report for 2010, which revealed the number of couples seeking help had risen by more than 20% over the past two years.

SEPTEMBER

IT emerged that Bus Eireann axed a vital bus service for pupils at the Adair Church of Ireland national school in Fermoy - despite the school maintaining that it does fit the criteria needed to maintain the route.

Speculation mounted over the future of the former Coop store in Fermoy with two parties believed to be interested in taking over the property. A spokesman for Reox Holdings confirmed to The Corkman that the 17,400 sq ft premises is being "actively marketed" for sale or letting.

Fermoy Credit Union had the third largest judgement in Ireland made in its favour so far this year.

The judgement of €365,870 was made in July as credit unions ramped up the pressure on customers who are not repaying their outstanding debts.

Coolagown has once again made national headlines – winning gold for an unprecedented fourth year in succession in the annual Tidy Towns competition.

The future of the annual Liam Lynch Commemoration was called into question by a Fianna Fail county councillor in light of the contentious speech by former Senator Eoghan Harris at Kilcrumper Cemetery.

Controversial political commentator Harris pulled few punches in his speech, describing most Republicans as "moral cowards".

The chairman of the organising committee, Fianna Fail's Frank O'flynn, was urged to "consider his position," by party colleague Cllr Kevin O'keeffe.

Cork County Council announced it was to restore the 100kph speed limit along the N8 road between Watergrashill and Fermoy.

OCTOBER

FIGURES obtained by The Corkman revealed that Fermoy Town Council was forced to write off tens of thousands of euros in unpaid commercial rates between 2007 and 2009.

In 2007 Fermoy Town Council had to write off €102,313 in bad debts from unpaid commercial rates a figure that increased to €138,402 in 2008. In 2009 the council wrote off €204,826 – more than double the amount in 2007.

Management at the Fermoy Youth Centre unveiled details of plan to spent €140,000 installing a digital projection system at the premises.

It will see the return of the silver screen to the town in 2012 after an absence of twoyears.

The new system, which will be installed in the existing 273 –seat auditorium at the centre, will also incorporate a digital sound system and an 18 ft x 12ft 3-D screen.

Fermoy Town Council moved to soothe fears over future of the Knockananig Reservoir amid fears it was to be closed down and drained.

Two men were arrested by gardai following the seizure of cocaine with an estimated value of €5million at Ballinakilla, Bartlemy.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny led tributes to Fermoy town councillor Aileen Pyne who passed away suddenly.

The news that Cllr Pyne had passed away was greeted with widespread shock within the local community and among the many politicians she had worked with during her long and successful career in politics.

NOVEMBER

"AFTER 33-years of putting up with the likes of us you deserve a long and happy retirement".

Those were the words of Cork County Councillor John Paul O'shea to Fermoy area engineer Flann Groarke who retired from Cork County Council after more than three decades of service.

Warm tributes were paid to Fermoy based garda Chief Superintendent Kieran Mcgann who retired from the force after more than four decades of service.

The National Roads Authority revealed it was considering pulling funding for realignment work on a dangerous stretch of the N72 Mallow to Fermoy road at Carrig. It emerged that the authority was unable to meet the asking price for land adjacent to the road. The NRA subsequently reversed the decision after an agreement was reached with the landowner.

Services will have to be cut if Fermoy Town Council is to stay in business.

That was the stark message to emerge from the December meeting of the local authority as town clerk Ray Owens revealed that the amount of unpaid rates is set to rise again this year.

Mr Owens said that at the moment the council has collected just over 50% of rates owed to it for the year 2011.

DECEMBER

Fermoy Credit Union reveal it had written off debts of €5.6 million as a result of "poorly performing" loans sanctioned over the past four years.

However, the credit union has insisted that it is "fully solvent" and that the reserves it has built up in recent years has been adequate to cover the level the written off loans.

Treasurer Pat Culloty said the recession was having a key impact on the credit union's balance sheet. "Unfortunately the credit union is reporting a debt for the financial year and we are therefore not in a position to pay a dividend to our members. This is primarily due to the value of the write off reported of €5.6 million," said Mr Culloty.

A garda who rescued a woman from the River Blackwater in Fermoy was rewarded with one of the country's highest accolades for bravery.

Fermoy native Linda O'donnell was presented with a silver medal and certificate at the National Bravery Awards ceremony in Farmleigh House.

The second annual Fermoy Winter Wonderland proved to be a huge success, attracting more than 22,000 people to the town over the second weekend of December.

On the back of the event, which set tills ringing in shops around the town, Fermoy was voted the best medium sized Christmas town in Ireland by the George Lee television show The Business.

There was good news for Rathcormac after Education Minister Ruirai Quinn gave the green plight for a new national school in the village.

The announcement signalled the end of a more than decade long campaign for the new school. Work is scheduled to begin on the site of the new school at Ballymore in the New Year with principal Margaret Howard saying she was hopeful it would open its doors in January 2013.

Cork county engineer Noel O'keeffe confirmed the appointment of a contractor for the long-awaited second phase of the multi-million euro Fermoy flood relief scheme.

"The money for phase two of the project, which will cost between €15 - €18 million has been released. We would expect that work will commence on the scheme by March of 2012 at the latest," said Mr O'keeffe.

It is estimated that the work will take approximately two years to complete.