21-05-2025
Carrigaline 'must be included in Cork's Luas plans', say councillors
The largest town in Co Cork must be included in the proposed €1bn Luas light rail plan for the city, councillors representing the area have said.
They are planning to submit a formal application requesting that the Luas, whose proposed route runs 18km from Ballincollig in the west to Mahon Point in the east, with 25 stops along the way, be extended to Carrigaline.
With a population of more than 20,000, which is continuing to grow, councillors say Carrigaline's inclusion is a "must" as it is already one of the largest commuter towns in the country. They also want the industrial hub in Ringaskiddy, which employs thousands in pharmachem industries, to be linked to the new transport system.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council by Sinn Féin councillor Eoghan Fahy. Mr Fahy said he was 'very disappointed' with the plan which was unveiled last month by Taoiseach Micheál Martin who hailed it as a significant step that will be transformational for Cork City.
'We know this (plan) won't happen overnight, so we have to start bringing it to the table now and have it include Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy,' Mr Fahy said.
Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan said the bus service to and from city is 'creaking' and a Luas connection is vital for both areas.
'We're told there should be a bus in Carrigaline every 15 minutes but that doesn't happen. It is my understanding that there is land zoned at the Shannonpark roundabout for transportation needs and this could be used as a park and ride connection to the Luas,' he said.
Mr Donovan said this would come in useful even if the Luas was only extended to Douglas. He said that the M28 motorway project will not solve all transport problems in the Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy areas and a Luas connection is vital 'to get people out of their cars' and onto public transport.
'Carrigaline should be front and centre of this project and the airport also has a compelling argument for its inclusion,' Fine Gael councillor Jack White added.
He suggested that once the motorway is opened the current main road could then be utilised for the Luas route and such a link to the commuter town will be the environmentally sustainable option going forward.
Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley said she had already made a personal submission to have Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy included and had asked her friends via Facebook to do the same thing. 'We should have joined-up thinking on this, it just boggles the mind (that they haven't been included),' she added.
Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy said it 'was a no-brainer' especially as 'Carrigaline is one of biggest commuter towns in Ireland'.
Municipal district council chairman Ben Dalton-O'Sullivan agreed with his colleagues. 'This is everything we should be aiming for,' he said.
Council officials said they had put together a formal request to those overseeing the Luas project public submissions.
