• What we started as a Facebook page about road damage has evolved into Cork’s most trusted source for real-time local news, reaching over 280,000 followers across social media platforms and delivering 12.5 million monthly impressions.

From reporting dangerous potholes to covering everything from GAA victories to weather warnings, we have quietly transformed into something far beyond our original safety-focused mission. While our name might suggest otherwise, our volunteer-run service has become Cork’s comprehensive digital news hub, proving that community-driven journalism can thrive in the modern age.

Our story begins in early 2013 when our founder, Patrick, a Cork tech professional with experience as a Lead Fire Marshall and First Aid personnel, launched “Cork Potholes” on Facebook. Our simple premise was to highlight dangerous road conditions across the county.

In early reports and news articles, Patrick explained our mission:

“the aim of the page is to make people aware of the potholes so that they can avoid them, but also with the hope that maybe someone from Cork city and county councils will come across the page, and take note of the potholes… and get them filled”.

The page’s early success proved there was an appetite for hyperlocal information. By late 2013, during severe winter storms that battered Cork, we pivoted to broader safety coverage, first rebranding as “Cork Road Safety” before settling on “Cork Safety Alerts” in 2014. Our timing couldn’t have been better, as the devastating floods of 2013-2014 created an urgent need for real-time community updates that traditional media struggled to provide.

During those storms, we became one of the largest groups on Facebook for traffic and flooding updates in both Cork City and County. We filled a critical information gap by posting community-sourced updates on impassable roads, downed power lines, and safety advisories when traditional communication channels struggled to keep pace with rapidly changing conditions.

Today, our service bears little resemblance to our pothole-reporting origins. We cover traffic incidents across major routes like the N40 and M8, weather warnings from Met Éireann, community events, GAA news, airport updates, crime alerts from An Garda Síochána, and even local business announcements. Our recent posts have included everything from flooding alerts in Carrigaline to updates on Cork’s All-Ireland preparations.

We position ourselves as “your go-to digital news source for all things Cork”, providing real-time updates on traffic, travel, weather, and other local news that matters to residents.

The numbers tell the story of our remarkable growth. With 167,527 Facebook followers, 55,391 on Instagram, and 43,526 on Twitter/X, we sometimes reach more people than many traditional media outlets. In the last 28 days alone, our Facebook posts generated 9.3 million impressions, while our Instagram content reached 2.4 million people. Our mobile apps, available on both iOS and Android platforms, serve 15,000 active users who receive our push notifications for urgent alerts.

Operating with just volunteer administrators, we have maintained our community-driven ethos. We encourage public participation through multiple channels, including our social media, our website, and our freephone number (1800 938 106). This crowdsourced approach often means we report incidents faster than official channels.

Our credibility has earned us recognition from both the public and media professionals. We have been cited by RTÉ, the Irish Examiner, and numerous local outlets as a trusted source during major incidents. During Storm Betty in August 2023, our real-time flood reporting was directly cited by RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, demonstrating our evolution into a primary source for emergency information.

We received three consecutive nominations for Cork Chamber’s Digital Marketing Awards between 2018 and 2020 in the “Best Use of Digital Marketing for the Greater Good” category. Both Cork City Council and Cork County Council regularly amplify our messages through official channels, representing an informal but crucial institutional endorsement of our work.

Despite our success, we face the challenge of public perception. Some followers still comment “this is not a safety alert” on our posts about local news, entertainment, or community events. It’s a misconception that reflects how we have expanded beyond our original remit while retaining our familiar name, with some followers expecting only emergency-related content.

We maintain a strict non-editorialised approach to reporting, focusing on facts rather than commentary. This approach, combined with our volunteer status, has created a unique credibility that traditional media outlets often struggle to match. Our emphasis on accuracy and timeliness has built trust across Cork’s diverse communities.

Our technology infrastructure reflects this evolution. Our website serves as a central news hub, while our social media automation ensures rapid cross-platform distribution. Our mobile applications feature location-based incident reporting and customisable alert feeds, representing sophisticated technology for a volunteer-run service.

Our recent coverage highlights the breadth of our mission. In July 2025, alongside traditional safety alerts about N40 collisions and weather warnings, we’ve covered the Cork GAA Fanzone at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, new route announcements from Cork Airport, and updates on local festivals. Each post maintains our signature factual approach: timely, accurate, and relevant to Cork life.

Our influence extends beyond emergency situations. Local businesses adjust operations based on our traffic alerts, families modify travel plans using our weather advisories, and emergency services benefit from our crowdsourced incident reports. We’ve created an informal but highly effective parallel information system that complements official channels.

As Cork continues to grow and face new challenges, from increased traffic congestion to climate-related weather events, we have positioned ourselves as an essential piece of the county’s information infrastructure. Our success demonstrates how volunteer initiative can create vital public services when communities are willing to engage.

From a simple Facebook page about road damage to a multi-platform news service reaching hundreds of thousands, we have proven that community-driven journalism can not only survive but thrive in the digital age.

While our name might suggest a narrow focus, the reality is far broader: we’ve become Cork’s digital pulse, keeping the county informed one post at a time.