Fermoy

What is Fermoy Forum?

Fermoy Forum is a voluntary organisation made up of local people that works in partnership with your local businesses, community groups and the municipal authority to develop and communicate opportunities and implement plans for the economic, social and environmental development of Fermoy town.

Why has it been established?

In order to facilitate those within the community to work together through partnership to enrich our town as a great place to work, live and do business.

What are our objectives?

Working in partnership with Fermoy Municipal Authority, the forum’s activities include strategic business planning, pro-active sectoral development, feasibility assessment and management of projects, area branding, promotion, marketing and networking, communications, and monitoring/evaluation of projects and activities.

Membership Benefits

Establishing a representative body for Fermoy’s many businesses and non-profit organisations has never been more important than at this moment. Fermoy Forum is stepping into this role and has already established a working relationship with the Cork County Council as well as our Municipal Town Council and local Councillors.

As a subscribed member of the Fermoy Forum, we will work hard to represent your views, issues, needs and aspirations as we work closely with these state agencies. By encouraging a strong, unified business community, we help to create a stable local economy that provides a high quality of life for those who live and work in Fermoy.

Recent reports indicate that Cork County Council will have a reduced budget in the coming years. What budget is left will have to be used effectively. Fermoy Forum as a collective will be in a better position to advocate for better services than individual businesses and non-profits. 

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Michael Lyons

Chairman

David Horan

Vice Chairman

Maevita deBarros

Administrator

Declan Clancy

Digital Marketing Lead

Everyone who's ever claimed that gardening is therapeutic — you had it right! A wide range of scientific studies conducted in recent years confirms the long-held intuition that gardening is good for your overall well being. Why? The reasons are complex, but encouraging, and have to do with how both our minds and bodies respond to the act. 

The findings of a 2016 study 'suggest that gardening can improve physical, psychological, and social health, which can, from a long-term perspective, alleviate and prevent various health issues facing today's society.' 

Researchers from Japan and the UK performed a meta-analysis (research that combines results from multiple different studies) on 22 case studies to uncover the effects of gardening on people from the USA, Iran, Norway, China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the Netherlands. The age of participants ranged from 80+ to under 10. Some of the groups were made up of people suffering from depression, others dementia, while there were also many regular gardeners and control groups included for comparison.

As many avid gardeners will know, gardening is a challenging yet highly rewarding hobby that can help improve your mood. 

The meta-analysis confirmed that, across the board, gardening improves one's mental and physical well being. It found 'a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety, and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community.'

One of the reasons why gardening has such a broad-spectrum impact on our health is because doing it encourages us to take up other physical activities. Being outdoors with your hands in the soil makes you more likely to spend time in nature elsewhere while walking, running, or cycling. According to the study, this in turn leads to a lower BMI. Thirty minutes of 'moderate intensity gardening' also helped elderly people achieve their recommended level of exercise for the day. 

The researchers gave three other reasons why they believed that the overall study reported such positive results:

People who garden feel more connected with nature, which has been proven to enhance mental well being.

Gardens — particularly community ones — provide a space for people to interact and socialise. This decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation and gives people a sense of community.

More indirectly, gardening makes people more likely to grow and eat their greens, which leads to a better diet and improved physical health. 

Nature is the theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week. With regard to mental health, much research goes to show that it's not just spending time in nature that counts, it's how we interact with it. Gardening is a great way to do both and there's no doubt that its popularity has soared over the past year due to restrictions that have kept us at home. It's also never too late to take up the hobby — with so many positive health benefits, there's plenty of reasons to give it a go!

Not sure where to start? Browse local Garden Centres in the 'Shopping' tab of the app or read our short Spring gardening guide for tips and ideas on what to plant.

Source: Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2016). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive medicine reports, 5, 92–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007. 

Everyone who's ever claimed that gardening is therapeutic — you had it right! A wide range of scientific studies conducted in recent years confirms the long-held intuition that gardening is good for your overall well being. Why? The reasons are complex, but encouraging, and have to do with how both our minds and bodies respond to the act.&nbsp;
The findings of a 2016 study 'suggest that gardening can improve physical, psychological, and social health, which can, from a long-term perspective, alleviate and prevent various health issues facing today's society.'&nbsp;
Researchers from Japan and the UK performed a meta-analysis (research that combines results from multiple different studies) on 22 case studies to uncover the effects of gardening on people from the USA, Iran, Norway, China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the Netherlands. The age of participants ranged from 80+ to under 10. Some of the groups were made up of people suffering from depression, others dementia, while there were also many regular gardeners and control groups included for comparison.

<img src="https://d2hz75cbudexsj.cloudfront.net/insideAppNews/images/82f3ee6c-f418-462f-97e4-f0bb7f090549.jpg" alt="undefined" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>
<h5>As many avid gardeners will know, gardening is a challenging yet highly rewarding hobby that can help improve your mood.&nbsp;</h5>
The meta-analysis confirmed that, across the board, gardening improves one's mental and physical well being. It found 'a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety, and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community.'
One of the reasons why gardening has such a broad-spectrum impact on our health is because doing it encourages us to take up other physical activities. Being outdoors with your hands in the soil makes you more likely to spend time in nature elsewhere while walking, running, or cycling. According to the study, this in turn leads to a lower BMI. Thirty minutes of 'moderate intensity gardening' also helped elderly people achieve their recommended level of exercise for the day.&nbsp;
The researchers gave three other reasons why they believed that the overall study reported such positive results:
<ol>
<li>People who garden feel more connected with nature, which has been proven to enhance mental well being.</li>
<li>Gardens — particularly community ones — provide a space for people to interact and socialise. This decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation and gives people a sense of community.</li>
<li>More indirectly, gardening makes people more likely to grow and eat their greens, which leads to a better diet and improved physical health.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Nature is the theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week. With regard to mental health, much research goes to show that it's not just spending time in nature that counts, it's how we interact with it. Gardening is a great way to do both and there's no doubt that its popularity has soared over the past year due to restrictions that have kept us at home. It's also never too late to take up the hobby — with so many positive health benefits, there's plenty of reasons to give it a go!
Not sure where to start? Browse local Garden Centres in the 'Shopping' tab of the app or read our short <a href="https://xploreapp.io/xplore/news/good-neighbours-guide-to-gardening-in-spring-pnowk" target="_self">Spring gardening guide</a> for tips and ideas on what to plant.
<h5>Source: Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., &amp; Yamaura, Y. (2016). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive medicine reports, 5, 92–99. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5153451/#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20the%20positive%20association%20with,activity%20levels%2C%20and%20cognitive%20function." target="_self">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007.</a>&nbsp;</h5>

Gardening Makes us Happier and Healthier, Research Suggests 

You can now explore prehistoric tombs and medieval castles, wander through medieval halls, enjoy the natural beauty of historic gardens and the magnificence of Ireland’s great estates ON THE HOUSE! 

Mr Patrick O’ Donovan T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), today announced that admission charges to all fee-paying open OPW heritage sites are being waived in line with the Government’s recovery and reopening plan outlined in The Path Ahead.

With inter-county travel back once again and museums and galleries allowed to reopen earlier this week, the Office of Public Works have announced that effective immediately -  admission charges to all fee-paying open OPW heritage sites are being waived in line with the Government’s recovery and reopening plan outlined in The Path Ahead.

Check out the many places to visit on the Heritage Ireland website here. 

A big bualadh bos to all involved in making this happen. Get out there and make the most of it and if you can, spend that little bit more with the local businesses that depend on you, the local visitor. 

You can now explore prehistoric tombs and medieval castles, wander through medieval halls, enjoy the natural beauty of historic gardens and the magnificence of Ireland’s great estates ON THE HOUSE! 
Mr Patrick O’ Donovan T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), today announced that admission charges to all fee-paying open OPW heritage sites are being waived in line with the Government’s recovery and reopening plan outlined in The Path Ahead.
With inter-county travel back once again and museums and galleries allowed to reopen earlier this week, the Office of Public Works have announced that effective immediately - admission charges to all fee-paying open OPW heritage sites are being waived in line with the Government’s recovery and reopening plan outlined in <a href="https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/" target="_blank">The Path Ahead</a>.
Check out the many places to visit on the Heritage Ireland website<a href="https://heritageireland.ie/" target="_blank"> here</a>.&nbsp;
A big bualadh bos to all involved in making this happen. Get out there and make the most of it and if you can, spend that little bit more with the local businesses that depend on you, the local visitor.&nbsp;

Shut the Front Door! - Admission Fees to Open OPW Heritage Sites Waived.

Summer 2021 is going to be all about outdoor dining and outdoor activities, and there's nothing better than heading for a shop in the town centre and seeing the streets full of summer colours: bright flowers spilling over windowsills, a freshly-painted shopfront, and a gloriously litter-free sidewalk.

Fermoy - a Cleaner Town 'was initiated by a group of Fermoy residents to improve the environment in which we live and to build upon the voluntary effort of organisations and individuals within our town who wish to make Fermoy a nicer place to live.' 

They're now encouraging businesses to brighten up their shopfronts with a fresh lick of paint or a basket full of summer blooms to welcome Fermoy locals back to the main streets.

Paint your Building – Grants available!

The Council are very amenable to outside seating and canopies.

Fermoy - A Cleaner Town have also secured a deal with some local gardening suppliers to help businesses display hanging baskets and window boxes at their premises.

A group business deal has been done with Cork Gardening to supply all types of floral displays on a 12-month contract, so ring: Maja 089 4470541. 

Rasa at Toss Bryan’s also will make up hanging baskets and window boxes to order – ring: 025 31408.

Carmel’s Garden Centre will also make up hanging baskets and window boxes to order – ring: 025 27276.

In other fantastic news for residents and business owners alike, the Tidy Towns group has introduced a compostable bin outside The Heron Café and Hanley’s. Both outlets use compostable cups and lids. 

Country Clean Recycling is collecting the bin for free, and now 'A Cleaner Town' are urging other businesses in the area to make the move to Compostable Cups, Lids and Food Packaging this summer.

They will assist by installing Compostable Bins – Go to ‘Fermoy A Cleaner Town' on Facebook or Text 085 2090838 and leave them a message.

Summer 2021 is going to be all about outdoor dining and outdoor activities, and there's nothing better than heading for a shop in the town centre and seeing the streets full of summer colours: bright flowers spilling over windowsills, a freshly-painted shopfront, and a gloriously litter-free sidewalk.
Fermoy - a Cleaner Town 'was initiated by a group of Fermoy residents to improve the environment in which we live and to build upon the voluntary effort of organisations and individuals within our town who wish to make Fermoy a nicer place to live.'&nbsp;
They're now encouraging businesses to brighten up their shopfronts with a fresh lick of paint or a basket full of summer blooms to welcome Fermoy locals back to the main streets.
<ul>
<li>Paint your Building – Grants available!</li>
<li>Paint or touch up your shopfront.</li>
<li>Make your shopfront display attractive.</li>
<li>The Council are very amenable to outside seating and canopies.</li>
</ul>
Fermoy - A Cleaner Town have also secured a deal with some local gardening suppliers to help businesses display hanging baskets and window boxes at their premises.
<ul>
<li>A group business deal has been done with Cork Gardening to supply all types of floral displays on a 12-month contract, so ring: Maja 089 4470541.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Rasa at Toss Bryan’s also will make up hanging baskets and window boxes to order – ring: 025 31408.</li>
<li>Carmel’s Garden Centre will also make up hanging baskets and window boxes to order – ring: 025 27276.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ireland's First Compostable Bin</h3>

<img src="https://d2hz75cbudexsj.cloudfront.net/insideAppNews/images/90fcf382-1ea3-4f7f-b799-4684e8fa1bb1.jpg" alt="undefined" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

In other fantastic news for residents and business owners alike, the Tidy Towns group has introduced a compostable bin outside The Heron Café and Hanley’s. Both outlets use compostable cups and lids.&nbsp;
Country Clean Recycling is collecting the bin for free, and now 'A Cleaner Town' are urging other businesses in the area to make the move to Compostable Cups, Lids and Food Packaging this summer.
They will assist by installing Compostable Bins – Go to ‘Fermoy A Cleaner Town' on Facebook or Text 085 2090838 and leave them a message.

'Fermoy - A Cleaner Town' Reveals Outdoors Summer Plan for Businesses

The highly-anticipated Xplore Gort App was launched today at Kilmacduagh, Irelands tallest surviving round tower, in the presence of Minister of State Anne Rabbitte,  Enterprise Development Manager Laura Tannian of The Forge Works, Elodie Golden CEO of Wild Geese, Jonathan Madden, COMWORKS and Maevita De Barros from Xplore Local.

Xplore is a digital infrastructure for towns developed by Galway based company, Booniverse Limited. The platform’s simplistic design allows users to interact with a variety of towns without having to download multiple apps or visit multiple websites. Users enable location services or select a region to stay local.

Laura Tannian & team have been working over the past number of months to get the Xplore Gort app and website ready for release. She says:

'This platform provides the people of Gort and visitors to the area with digital access to local businesses. As everything is going online nowadays, this clever solution will be of great benefit to locals, businesses and tourists. It provides users with a complete guide to everything that's happening in Gort, the services that are available and the hidden gems that are to be seen.'

Xplore Gort was also launched at a number of local businesses, highlighting the e-commerce aspects of the digital platform.

Speaking on how the app will be of benefit to the local economy, Minister of State Anne Rabbitte points out that even before the pandemic, small businesses based in rural areas were already having to change the way they marketed their product/service and appealed to new clientele.

For some small businesses and start-ups — such as artisan food-makers who may be working from their home kitchens — Rabbitte says the app allows them to harness ‘alternative ways of marketing...the app gives you directions to the middle of nowhere, the app gives you the (business) telephone number, the app brings you to their webpage, and it also lets you share this information with others.’ 

Anne remarked: ‘That’s the wonderful thing about the app: there’s something in it for everyone...from the local news to the locations to the hikes and trails, there’s something for all ages — and it’s simple to use.’

Download the Xplore Gort app here or select Gort on the xploreapp.io homepage to check out Gort businesses, news, tourist attractions, local hikes & trails, and much more...

The highly-anticipated Xplore Gort App was launched today at Kilmacduagh, Irelands tallest surviving round tower, in the presence of Minister of State Anne Rabbitte, Enterprise Development Manager Laura Tannian of The Forge Works, Elodie Golden CEO of Wild Geese, Jonathan Madden, COMWORKS and Maevita De Barros from Xplore Local.
Xplore is a digital infrastructure for towns developed by Galway based company, Booniverse Limited. The platform’s simplistic design allows users to interact with a variety of towns without having to download multiple apps or visit multiple websites. Users enable location services or select a region to stay local.
Laura Tannian &amp; team have been working over the past number of months to get the Xplore Gort app and website ready for release. She says:
'This platform provides the people of Gort and visitors to the area with digital access to local businesses. As everything is going online nowadays, this clever solution will be of great benefit to locals, businesses and tourists. It provides users with a complete guide to everything that's happening in Gort, the services that are available and the hidden gems that are to be seen.'

<img src="https://d2hz75cbudexsj.cloudfront.net/insideAppNews/images/32a2ecf5-9f93-42cc-8e06-73a37f14bdfd.jpg" alt="undefined" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>
<h5>Xplore Gort was also launched at a number of local businesses, highlighting the e-commerce aspects of the digital platform.</h5>
Speaking on how the app will be of benefit to the local economy, Minister of State Anne Rabbitte points out that even before the pandemic, small businesses based in rural areas were already having to change the way they marketed their product/service and appealed to new clientele.
For some small businesses and start-ups — such as artisan food-makers who may be working from their home kitchens — Rabbitte says the app allows them to harness ‘alternative ways of marketing...the app gives you directions to the middle of nowhere, the app gives you the (business) telephone number, the app brings you to their webpage, and it also lets you share this information with others.’&nbsp;
Anne remarked: ‘That’s the wonderful thing about the app: there’s something in it for everyone...from the local news to the locations to the hikes and trails, there’s something for all ages — and it’s simple to use.’
Download the Xplore Gort app <a href="http://onelink.to/933ka" target="_self">here</a> or select Gort on the <a href="https://xploreapp.io/" target="_self">xploreapp.io</a> homepage to check out Gort businesses, news, tourist attractions, local hikes &amp; trails, and much more...

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