Latest news with #CorkCountyCouncil
Irish Examiner
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
'Not fit for purpose': Cork's N25 slammed as unsafe with 5,000 homes now at risk
The head of Cork County Council's roads directorate has said it's one of his 'greatest disappointments' that the government has repeatedly refused to provide proper finance to upgrade the "unsafe" N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton. The situation has become so bad that the substandard state of the road could potentially stall the proposed creation of 5,000 new homes in the area. Mayor of County Cork Mary Linehan-Foley has vowed to use her office to seek an urgent meeting on the matter with minister for transport Darragh O'Brien. The road upgrade has been stalled since 2022 when then minister Eamon Ryan pulled funding for it. Padraig Barrett, head of the council's roads directorate, addressed the issue at a council meeting after a number of councillors warned the road has become dangerous and gridlocked. Mr Barrett said the council had only been allocated €45,000 for some minor safety works along it 'which wouldn't even cut the hedges for you". He said that it is a major priority for the council to get it significantly upgraded as "it's absolutely essential" to the safe travelling of thousands of motorists every day. Cork County Council was told that traffic conditions on the road in the past four years 'has changed dramatically'. File picture: Dan Linehan Mr Barrett said traffic conditions on the road in the past four years 'has changed dramatically'. It will likely be next year when the council finds out if any money will be forthcoming from the under the National Development Plan to upgrade the road. A joint motion from Fine Gael councillors Anthony Barry and Rory Cocking called on council management to liaise directly with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the Department of Transport on the issue. 'There has been a lot of accidents on the road recently and unfortunately some of them have been fatal,' Mr Cocking said. Mr Barry said there have been no meaningful improvements on the road since 1968. Up to 5,000 new houses proposed for the area could be put in jeopardy due to the absence of sustainable travel and development plans. Councillors are hopeful the IDA along with TII and Irish Rail would put pressure on government for proper investment in the N25, as one of the busiest roads in the country. Mr Barry said: We all know it's not fit for purpose. It's crazy from a health and safety perspective. The council's southern division chairperson, councillor Ann Marie Ahern, said the council must insist that minister O'Brien comes down to Cork to see it for himself. Ms Ahern and Independent councillor John Buckley said the Lakewiew Roundabout on the N25 at Midleton is now gridlocked to such an extent that at peak times it can take up to 30 minutes to get on or off the main road. Mr Cocking suggested that the only way to resolve that is to build a flyover connecting Midleton and the Whitegate road. 'We need to get a solution to this before the schools start or all hell will break loose,' Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Mulcahy said.
Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Abandoned boats causing damage to scenic West Cork pier, says councillor
A number of boats that have been abandoned at a scenic West Cork pier are causing structural damage as well as spoiling the area's natural beauty, according to a local councillor. The issue was raised at the recent meeting of Cork County Council's Western Division by Schull-based Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin. Ms Cronin said: 'Roaringwater Pier in Aughadown near Skibbereen is a beautiful area. It's a working pier and a popular spot for locals to swim at high tide but there are six abandoned boats sitting around that really spoil the area and they are in the way.' She added: 'One old, unseaworthy wooden boat is tied up there and blocking part of the public pier. Another boat arrived before Storm Ophelia and has just stayed there ever since.' Ms Cronin said significant damage had been caused to the pier as the bilge keel of one boat moves with the tide and has made a large hole in the pier wall. She said: 'You can only see it at low tide from the seabed. The hole was made worse when a big stone was dislodged.' Ms Cronin said significant damage had been caused to the pier as the bilge keel of one boat moves with the tide and has made a large hole in the pier wall. Photo: Caroline Cronin Ms Cronin said that other boats are 'just sitting on boat trailers blocking access and have been there for years. "Can we please ask the owners to remove these boats giving them a specific timeline to have them removed? This place is very special and far too nice to be turned into a dumping ground for old vessels.' Independent Ireland's Danny Collins said that a similar situation had arisen in Schull and warning signs were posted up around the harbour pier which had a positive effect and most of the boats were removed. Schull-based Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin said: 'One old, unseaworthy wooden boat is tied up there and blocking part of the public pier. Another boat arrived before Storm Ophelia and has just stayed there ever since.' Photo: Caroline Cronin Divisional manager Michael Lynch said he came from a coastal community himself and it was incumbent on boat owners to take responsibility for their property. He said: 'There is a bigger picture here and maybe people should not be dumping boats in the first place. People need to take responsibility for their own property.' Mr Lynch added that the council would look into the matter to see what could be done. This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Read More Skibbereen to host new West Cork Food Festival
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Call for empty buildings in Cork to be used for arts and business purposes to tackle dereliction
Empty buildings across West Cork should be put to use for arts, small business and community purposes in an effort to combat dereliction according to Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse. Ms Towse raised the issue in a motion proposed to the recent meeting of Cork County Council's Western Division that asked: 'That the Western Division of Cork County Council would develop a strategy to encourage and facilitate 'meanwhile-use' of vacant and derelict buildings in West Cork.' The motion was seconded by her party colleague Ann Bambury. Meanwhile use is the temporary use of empty buildings for various purposes while they await longer-term development or occupancy, said Ms Towse, and examples of uses include pop-up shops, street markets and exhibition spaces. Ms Towse said: 'I am appealing to the council to do everything within its power to facilitate and indeed encourage meanwhile use, in both public and private buildings where possible. The commercial vacancy rate in Cork county is 12.4%, much higher than our European counterparts. 'This has a negative impact on a town's economy and the health and wellbeing of the community. Meanwhile, artists are crying out for spaces to create and put on cultural activities; organisations and community groups need places to meet; and micro businesses would benefit from affordable retail spaces. "All of this would boost economic development and innovation, attract tourism, and improve the liveability of towns, and importantly, tackle problematic vacancy and dereliction.' Ms Towse said a good example was the case of the Clonakilty Community Arts Centre, which is facing eviction from its current location as the building was due to be sold. She said a short distance away, the former Clonakilty Fire Station building was currently unoccupied. She added: 'Overall I think we need to develop a model for meanwhile use that would respond to the unique needs of towns and villages in West Cork. We must remember that the most sustainable building is an existing one.' Keith Jones, director of asset management and land development at Cork County Council, said the council was committed to engaging with the owners of vacant and derelict buildings to bring them back into productive use for the social and economic benefit of communities. Divisional manger Michael Lynch said the new formed directorate of asset management and land development was conducting a strategic review of derelict and unoccupied buildings with the aim of developing a strategy to tackle dereliction, and meanwhile use would be part of the overall plan. This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Planning granted to upgrade key cycling and pedestrian route for Passage West
Planning permission has been granted to upgrade a key cycling and pedestrian route for Passage West, which the council has said will improve the health of residents and boost tourism in the area. Cork County Council applied to An Coimisiún Pleanála last November for permission for the 2km of upgrades which it said would boost the usage of the paths starting at the Cork city/county boundary and stretching into Passage West. 'This portion of the Cork Harbour Greenway is an important component of the strategic inter-urban cycleway connecting Carrigaline with Cork City,' it said. 'The proposed route shall offer a connection to the ferry terminal facilitating access to Carrigaloe, Rushbrook, and Cobh.' The proposals will see the extension along the road for pedestrians and cyclists from an average of 2.8m wide to 4m wide. It said this development is part of a larger programme of improvements along this route from Cork City to Crosshaven. 'The proposal to widen the pathway will improve shared usage of the pathway by pedestrian, runners and cyclists,' it said. Cycling routes The proposed route would also mean it could connect up with the EuroVelo network, a set of cycling routes linking countries across the continent. In Ireland, it extends from Larne in Antrim around the north, west and southern coasts via Kerry, Cork, and Waterford before ending in Rosslare. Cork County Council's planning documents noted that despite Passage West's past importance as a shipbuilding and railway terminus, the last few decades have seen the retail core of the area decline. It also said further population growth may be constrained by the town's hilly topography and limited transportation infrastructure. The application to An Coimisún Pleanála received 69 public submissions. An inspector for the planning board said that general support was expressed for the greenway development and investment in the community, but a 'significant number' of residents opposed the widening of the greenway from Haven Marine to the rowing club and playground in the town. These concerns centred around aspects such as the removal of a historic railway wall, a lack of public consultation and the serious traffic problems that would be caused in the town during its construction. Having analysed the concerns raised by locals and the documents submitted by the council, the An Coimisiún Pleanála inspector concluded that it would be appropriate to give the development a green light. Read More Community mourns as man found dead on rural road in Co Cork named locally
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Irish Times
Farmer found dead on Cork road lost his home in fire recently
A 77-year-old retired farmer who lost all of his possessions following a house fire two months ago was found dead on a road in Bandon, Co Cork on Saturday morning. Gardaí in the town are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Gus Dempsey. They were alerted after the pensioner was found unresponsive in the Kildarra area of Bandon shortly after 6.30am yesterday. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. The coroner has been notified and the deceased has since been removed to the mortuary at Cork University Hospital. A postmortem examination will determine the course of the garda investigation. However, foul play is not suspected. Mr Dempsey, who was a bachelor, lost his home in Horsehill, Ballinadee near Bandon on May 5th after a blaze broke out on-site. READ MORE He stayed with a neighbour following the fire and was also approved for emergency accommodation by Cork County Council. Mr Dempsey was featured in a recent edition of the Southern Star newspaper where he said that he farmed all his life and wanted to stay living in the countryside. He said he was fortunate not to have been home when the fire broke out at his rural property. 'Thank God I was out when the fire took hold but it has left me without anything. All the top floor went. There was smoke and water damage and everything downstairs was destroyed. It is gone. 'I was living there since early 1993 so it was a bit of a shock. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. I had little bits and pieces, mementos inside that were precious. They were lost which is an awful shame. I was very sad about it.' Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins recently raised his plight in the Dáil. While commenting on a housing motion he spoke of the absence of social housing in west Cork and said Mr Dempsey was keen to remain living in a rural community. Meanwhile, gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward over his death. In particular, they are seeking information regarding a male observed cycling on roads in the vicinity of Kildarra in the early hours of Saturday morning Additionally, any road users who may have camera footage (including dashcam) and were travelling in the area at the time asked to make it available to investigating officers. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Bandon Garda station on 023 885 2200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
