“Kev for president.”

Fans are rallying behind a sharp new video from UCC Arts graduate, videographer, podcaster and YouTuber Kevin Collins, which neatly captures the long-simmering frustrations Cork residents just can’t shake — while offering some smart, pointed ideas for how things could be better.

In The Provincial City, Collins runs through the city’s greatest hits of disappointment: the lack of green spaces, public toilets and a dedicated dog park; the endlessly stalled Event Centre; and the much-touted €50 million Grand Parade redevelopment with its promised new library, announced back in 2021. It’s a roll call of plans that never quite materialised, leaving many Corkonians feeling, once again, let down.

“Citizens of Cork have no say in who runs the city. Put simply, the mechanics of the city are out of reach of the public.” says Collins.

“Nothing ever officially fails, projects just don’t get delivered.”

EDIT: Cork City Council says a preliminary business case for delivery of the Events Centre was submitted to the Department of Housing, Heritage & Local Government this week.

“No site is ‘off the table’ as has been suggested.” said Eoin English, Communications Officer

“If Cabinet approves the preliminary business case, which it is hoped will be done soon, it will allow the project move to the tender stage.”

What Cork *could* be

Aside from highlighting our many gripes, Kev uses the new video to do what he does best; breathe a little imagination and magic into the situation using AI and masterful storytelling.

Among his proposals is an idea to use the Beamish and Crawford site to deliver a substantial park… here’s how that might look:

Image: Kev Collins, The Provincial City /YouTube

Image: Kev Collins, The Provincial City /YouTube

He also highlighted the decision to build student accommodation on a riverside site, the former tax office on Sullivan’s Quay, previously earmarked for a hotel and offices, as a missed opportunity to open up those views to the public.

“Developers can come in and put in whatever they want, wherever they want and the city is powerless to control it.” he said.

Referencing the new City Centre Façade Improvement Grant 2026, which will provide financial assistance of up to €200,000 to brighten up buildings and upgrade historic shopfronts, Collins highlights that a similar project in North Main Street has not made a significant dent in the run-down look of the area.

With some modern preservation techniques, he points out, some of the beautiful old buildings could be better preserved, drastically improving the streetscape in this historic part of Cork:

He also lamented the Council’s expensive habit of renting instead of owning maintenance equipment and crowd control fencing.

Overall, Collins simply knows we can do better: “I want Cork to be a beacon, not just for Ireland, but for what a small European city can be.” he says.

“Press releases are easy, it’s follow-through that counts.”

Watch the full video now here: