WHILE Clonakilty Arts Community Centre (CCAC) in Asna Square has until the end of February now to vacate, they are hoping that Cork County Council will approve ‘meanwhile use’ of its buildings on Kent Street as a temporary home until a permanent solution is sought for this important community cultural hub.
They had been due to vacate the building which they have rented for the past 12 years at the end of this month but this has now been pushed back to the end of February 2026.
Director of CCAC, James Waller has welcomed the reprieve but added that they still need to find a new home for themselves.
‘We understand that Cork County Council is putting together a process for ‘meanwhile use’ of their empty buildings on Kent Street. There is hope then that we could apply for this and be successful.’
‘All the buildings on Kent Street are fantastic and we would love to move into one of them and if some of them need a bit of work we would be willing to do that work. It would mean all those groups would have spaces to meet and gather.’
Meanwhile use is the temporary use of empty or derelict building for different purposes while they await longer-term development or occupancy.
James added that any other available commercial premises in the town would be far too expensive to rent so he and his team are hoping for another solution.
‘If we are lucky to get meanwhile use of one of those buildings it could be a bridge towards a cultural centre in the town.’
Over the past few months Cork County Council has been developing a UIS (Urban Integrated Strategy) for its buildings on Kent Street which included several public meetings. But James is calling for a Towns Team to be set up to tie in with this.
‘It would mean that we could actually have ongoing dialogue with a steering group within the Council. There is no information channel between the community and the Council and in that situation it’s inevitable that there will be both an information as well as a feedback vacuum.’
