Taoiseach Micheal Martin has defended his home county after a CNN journalist said that it looked “tired”.
He also said that such comments from visitors need to be taken on board when it comes to Cork and beyond.
Editor-at-large at CNN Business, Richard Quest, visited Ireland recently for two shows - one looking at business here and the other looking at tourism.
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Following the trip, the Liverpool man did an interview with the Sunday Independent, in which he was complimentary about Ireland’s food and said it was just as good as London and New York. However, he did say it was a bit pricey “by local standards”.
In relation to Cork, he said: “Some of the places look tatty. I thought that in Cork. I loved the [English] market, but the buildings look tired downtown."
Micheal Martin took credit for Quest’s trip to Cork, citing his recommendation to the journalist during an interview.
He told The Echo: “I’ll have to talk to Richard again. I did an interview with him, and I told him he had to go into the English Market.”
The Taoiseach said that these criticisms need to be considered, as well as looking at the initiatives put in place to improve the city.
“We have to take on board what people coming to visit say, and there is no doubt the city’s going through a transformative period in terms of the city centres of the future.
“I think the city council’s decision to pedestrianise about 18 streets during Covid was very imaginative,” he said.
The Echo also reports that Martin said that the active travel agenda set out by the Government and council was crucial in improving Cork city. Developments like the Marina Park on the city’s Docklands and the connecting greenway from Rochestown were crucial in this.
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