By Arnold Horner

Gordon Davies, otherwise Gordon Leslie Herries Davies (he favoured the latter form from the late 1970s), who died on 22 February 2019 was one of the most significant figures ‘doing Geography’ in Ireland during the second half of the last century. A graduate of the University of Manchester, Gordon became an assistant lecturer at Trinity College Dublin in  1954.
His association with the college as lecturer and later professor, extended over five decades. Gordon’s teaching remit initially centred on physical geography, particularly geomorphology, but his other offerings included courses on the history and philosophy of geography, and his research interests eventually combined and expanded on these areas.

Those who took his courses will remember him as a much-respected, distinctive and original teacher, who was accessible to, and respectful of, his students – a person who was on occasion truly inspirational. Gordon was the author of numerous articles, and several major books, among them The earth in decay (1969, a history of geomorphological studies), Sheets of many colours (1983, on Irish geological mapping), North from the Hook (1995, on the Geological Survey of Ireland), and Whatever is under the Earth (2007, on the Geological Society of London).

He also edited several major volumes, including a series of essays on Richard Griffith (1980) and the Golden Jubilee volume of Irish Geography (1984). From 1968 to 1978 he was editor of Irish Geography, and later he was an editor of the Annals of Science. Gordon initiated and was active in a wide range of intellectual projects in Ireland and abroad. His original opinions, his wide-ranging knowledge and his innate curiosity about the past and about studying the physical world helped make him a true scholar. At the same time, he cultivated a distinctive writing style that consciously sought to make his work accessible and readable, as well as rigorous, for the widest audience. As well as editing Irish Geography, Gordon served the Geographical Society of Ireland as president from 1962 to 1964. He was a committed and enthusiastic supporter of the Society and of Geography in general over a much longer period. He was also very much committed to Trinity College
Dublin and to such organisations as the Royal Irish Academy. In recent decades, he lived in Tipperary and on North Uist, Outer Hebrides, a place that he first visited in the 1950s.

Gordon will be remembered with respect and affection by those who had the good fortune to learn from, and interact with, him as a geographer.

Place-hacking, or urban exploration, is the exploration of buildings and structures, usually abandoned ruins or not normally seen places in the human-made environment. The cultural geographer, Dr Bradley Garrett (http://www.placehacking.co.uk/), highlighted the rich sub-culture of urban exploration and the insights it granted to parts of cities and buildings most people never experience. There is a small community of place-hackers in Cork, among them is the @abandoned_westcork Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/abandoned_westcork/) that explores abandoned places across the county.
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The photos are a fascinating, and sometimes upsetting, insight into the geographies and histories of Ireland. Images of the Allihies copper mines or a former tuberculosis sanatorium present ages gone by, with once incredibly important places fading away.  Family portraits, religious statues, and furniture slowly rotting are found in abandoned homes, each one telling a story of a family gone. While, other images show the waste of amazing buildings or potential housing lying idle and falling into disrepair. The account is a powerful and evocate examination of Cork and Irish society.

Explaining their desire to enter these parallel worlds, the explorer explained that “I think I started it to give myself a distraction while trying to come to terms with a personal trauma. I must admit on a different level, as a child I was always more interested in what was behind the barriers than following all the tourist around the marked out path, needless to say I got in trouble on numerous occasions.” This curiosity and sense of purpose drives their action.
This call to examine sites and places outside of the ordinary has brought both pleasant and unpleasant encounters. They describe their favourite find as the spiral staircase in the Good Shepherd Convent (Photo 1). While, they also mention that the “most upsetting place I have explored has to have been walking through the tunnel from St Kevin's asylum to the church in Cork city, it's the only place I have really been affected by its energy and I have to admit I cried.” (Photo 2) 

They also emphasised that: “I have a strict code of conduct while exploring. I only enter buildings that are open, I never break in. The only thing I take are photos and the only thing I leave are footprints and needless to say I hate vandalism.”

The Abandonded West Cork account uses the potential of social media to show people places in the landscape and in urban areas that otherwise go unnoticed. They reveal a slice of cultural and social life, but also raises questions about how these buildings are treated and the different types of good they could do.

To fully understand Cork, one must cycle Cork. You learn fast. You learn that the city centre is at the bottom of a bowl, so you almost always roll into the city. The hard bit is getting home. You learn the weather. That the prevailing wind is usually a south westerly. That frost is rarer than you think. That it does rain, but hardly ever in the morning and the evening on the same day. You learn the names of the rivers and streams of Cork: Lee, Twopot, Bride, Tramore. They may not take a direct route, but they avoid hills and slowly meander towards the harbour.  You learn the history of the city, you learn that there was once a railway to Crosshaven. That Bishopstown is called so because a Bishop’s demesne was once there. You learn about the seasons and the planets.
​Give a bike commuter in Cork any time and date on the calendar and they’ll tell you whether it’s lighting up time or not. To know Cork takes time; days and days of cycling to and fro.

In the 1980s, 7% of trips taken in Cork city were on bicycles. By 2015, that had fallen to less than 3%; almost negligible. Hard to believe when half the car trips taken in Cork are less than 5km. A mere 20-minute cycle. Many regional European cities are striving to have 70% of people not drive to work through a combination of active and public transport. Sadly, in Cork 7 in 10 drive.  But the humble bike is on the brink of revival. 12,000 bike share users have given life back to utility cycling in Cork.  Over 5,000 new jobs are due to come on stream in the city centre in the next 2 years. Car parking spaces are at a premium so there is a hope that at least 10% of these workers will cycle to work. 500 doesn’t sound like a lot until you put 500 cars in a row on a road and send them all home at the same time.

To cycle in Cork is not only to understand Cork, but also life itself. To understand the risks posed by climate breakdown. To understand the challenges we face at the societal level by the obesity epidemic and physical inactivity. To understand that pollutants from internal combustion engines causes damage to our health.
To cycle in Cork is to know. To understand. To take action. 

Castletownbere is the main town on the Beara Peninsula and is 122 kilometres from Cork city. This picturesque fishing port is located on the edge of West Cork and is the country’s largest whitefish port. The town is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by Bere Island which is situated two kilometres to the south and by the mountainous Beara Peninsula to the north. The harbour of Castletownbere is defined by the town pier and Dinish Island – which connects to the mainland by a bridge; it is managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

As visitors arrive to Castletownbere from the east, they pass the bridge to Dinish Island on the left. The material culture reveals itself through road signage that advertises the various local businesses attached to the fishing sector. Approaching the town centre, the presence of the Lifeboat Station and, thereafter, the many restaurants promoting local fish and seafood shows that Castletownbere is an active fishing place.

A stroll through the pier reveals its significance to Castletownbere. It symbolises many things for members of the fishing community. Like many fishing ports, it is a meeting place, a workplace, a point of departure and a point of return. At times busy, at times still, it is a focal point for the entire community. The pier and fishing boats signal the importance of fishing to the local economy to locals and visitors alike. It is a complex place with both practical and symbolic significance. While the pier remains very deeply anchored in the everyday lives of Castletownbere, it is also a place of ritual, heritage and tourism. It is
a place that can be full of life when the boats return from fishing, but also a quiet place for the wider community when boats have gone to sea. When the weather permits it is a busy place where fishing practices are performed and boats ‘come in’ and ‘go out’ to the rhythm of catches. For fishers the pier is a place of constant movement and activity where work and encounters intermingle. During periods of adverse weather conditions it becomes a meeting place for fishers. During the summer months the pier is the backdrop for festivals and events.

Festivals form an essential part of fishing communities; and in turn, places like Castletownbere, are shaped by events such as the Fishermen’s Mass and Blessing of the Boats. These rituals are ways to celebrate a living practice, yet, these customs also provide a specific place for people to commemorate and give meanings to a vernacular practice that connects local places to the wider world. The pier is a relevant place for transmitting such local traditions to subsequent generations. Festivals and rituals, linked to fishing as a way of life can be observed in coastal places worldwide. Local customs are not unique to particular places and similar customs and ‘ways of doing’ can be shared across borders.

Fishing is not merely about facts and figures, quotas and regulations. It is an industry steeped in culture; it is a way of life that is constantly evolving, yet, remains anchored to its many traditions. The willingness to explore new and different futures speaks to the resilience of the fishing community and a willingness to adapt to a changing world. For fishers and their
communities, the pier is a significant place that is the equivalent to the square in a market town. It is an in-between place where the worlds of fishers and their families, locals and visitors converge. The fishers are not quite at home, not at sea. It is a distinctive place that embodies social and cultural interaction. Fishing practice does not only consist of fishers going to sea, but encompasses a way of life that connects the fishing home, the fishing boat and the wider fishing community. The pier is a place where all members of the community, whether directly involved in fishing or not, gather and meet. For tourists and visitors, the pier is where the shore meets the sea, a place where they can create their own stories. The pier is at the heart of all fishing communities and Castletownbere is no different.

According to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), there are over 11,000 people with disabilities living in Cork South West. Evie Nevin is the Social Democrat candidate for Clonakilty-Skibbereen area. She has praised her hometown of Clonakilty for being more inclusive for families affected by Autism but is calling for further inclusivity throughout West Cork.

The mother of two lives with a disability, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. The condition is a rare disease, which affects the connective tissue. Her two children, Alex (9) and Olivia (3) are also affected. “I wasn’t always mobility impaired and like so many people, I never thought I would be. Disability or impairments can happen so quickly through illness or an accident. Disability does not discriminate.

We are an aging population. We are living longer, so it is imperative that we put things in place for older people as well as those with disabilities. “ Of the 11,000 living with disabilities in west Cork, almost 5,000 have difficulty with activities such as climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying. 

“One of my main goals should I be elected to Cork County Council is to develop a plan to make West Cork age and disability friendly. I would do this while working closely with local community groups such as the Clonakilty Access Group which has been working tirelessly to improve accessibility since 1999,” says Evie who is a part-time wheelchair user.

The local election candidate suggests that one of the first steps in making west Cork more inclusive is by making the bus routes accessible. “I have been in touch with Bus Éireann and Cork County Council about this issue.  Bus Éireann tells me they cannot provide accessible buses until the bus stops are in the right condition. The 236 and 237 are the main bus routes for West Cork. There are accessible stops in Skibbereen but they are of no use unless the actual vehicle is accessible. It also makes many travel cards obsolete if a person with a disability can’t access public transport.

“West Cork is a beautiful place with a lot to offer and it should be accessible to all residents. We also must remember that West Cork is a popular tourist destination and we are not allowing a pretty substantial portion of society to come and visit.

Ms Nevin believes West Cork can become more age and disability friendly by introducing a number of very achievable initiatives such as installing more automatic doors, ramps, levelling and decluttering of footpaths, crossings for the blind, local interpreters, looping systems and disabled bathrooms that have hoists for older children. “It is not just a disease or a disorder that disables people. Society disables us,” concludes Ms Nevin.