A Feminist Walk of Cork

Visit the website here: www.feministwalkcork.ie

The walk was created in discussion with MA Women's Studies, MA Anthropology, BA Sociology & Criminology students and Dr Naomi Masheti, Cork Migrant Centre; Danielle O’Donovan, Nano Nagle Place; Mary Crilly, Sexual Violence Centre Cork; Eileen O’Shea, Traveller Visibility Group; John Barimo, Mother Jones Plaque and James Cronin, Honan Chapel. The thematic focus is on celebrating the contribution of women to art, culture, society and the city; exploring the role of women in addressing sexual and social inequalities, and building fairer, safer communities. The walk, which is the first in a series of walks, facilitated by Maggie O’Neill, writes women into the spaces and topography of the city.

There are, at present, no monuments to women in Cork city. Representations of women can be found in the apple seller (Fitzgerald park), the onion seller (Coal Quay/Cornmarket), and the school children (near Shandon Bells) and in the street names, named after queens and Saints. If we look closely, there is evidence of women’s great work embedded in the topography of the city, and also their resistance to inequalities and oppression and their work individually and collectively to build fairer, safer and more equal communities.

The route begins at the Honan Chapel with women artists' contributions to Irish Arts & Crafts, and then on to Nano Nagle Centre/Cork Migrant Centre, to honour Nano Nagle and Naomi Masheti. We then walk along Oliver Plunket Street, taking in the #AskConsent banners, to Mary Elmes Bridge. Across the bridge, we walk to the Traveller Visibility Group and honour Katie O’Donghue and the women who set up TVG. We then walk up to the Firkin Crane Centre, where we stop to reflect on Denise Joan Moriarty’s contribution to Irish Dance. Mother Jones Plaque is next, and we then walk down to Camden Place and end the first phase of the feminist walk of Cork at the Sexual Violence Centre, Cork and honour the work of Mary Crilly.

The walk will take around two hours. The terrain is mostly flat, with an upward incline on the walk to Nano Nagle from College Road and on John Redmond Road in Shandon.

This is the first of a series of walks to be developed with students, staff and community partners. Thanks to MA Women’s Studies students Liz Hales, Leen Jamal Maarouf, Beatriz Dantas Vieira; BA Sociology student Olan Hodnett; MA Anthropology student Conach Gibson-Feinblum; partners and collaborators - Naomi Masheti, Danielle O’Donovan, Mary Crilly, Eileen O’Shea, Amin Sharifi Isaloo, John Barimo, James Cronin, Andrea Stapleton, Kate Kirk. Many Thanks to Fr Gerard Dunne for Honan hospitality,Dr Tom Spalding for sharing knowledge and expertise,Victoria Kingston for her interpretive writing on the children's map and artist Maia Thomas for creating the beautiful map. Conach Gibson-Feinblum worked with Maggie to develop and complete the project. Ellie Mahony worked with us to design the map and design and develop the website.