Council back plan to redevelop Keelbeg Pier

Cork County Council has given an undertaking to carry out a study, valued at €300,000, to upgrade the old pier at Union Hall.

That’s according to Aodh O’Donnell, the chairman of the Union Hall and Glandore Harbour Users Association, who spoke to The Southern Star after leaving a meeting in Dublin today which was attended by Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.

At the meeting, Mr O’Donovan said a senior Council representative for West Cork gave the undertaking to do a design, site investigation and statutory consent, which will be finished at a cost of €300,000 by the fourth-quarter of 2025.

Aodh O’Donnell and Martin Deasy, a local fisherman, said they were delighted with the meeting, describing it as ‘the first step in the process.’

He also confirmed that the local authority has estimated that phase one of the refurbishment of the old pier could cost €2.6m, which could be drawn as soon as 2026.

‘It would be our hope that the funding would allocated under the new Government and the work could be carried out by the second quarter in 2027,’ said the harbour users chairman.

‘There would also be a phase two, which would involve the extension of the fishing pier at Keelbeg, as well as phase three which would involve the dredging of the harbour.’

Cork South West Deputy Christopher O’Sullivan, who facilitated the meeting, also described today’s meeting as being ‘incredibly important’, one which would reflect positive change for the community in Union Hall and Glandore.