Fury over location of cable car meeting

By Helen Riddell 

COMMUNITY representatives in Beara have voiced their concerns that a workshop to discuss the €7m development of the Dursey Island cable car is being held in Glengarriff, over 50km – or a two-hour round trip – from where the work is to take place.  

The proposed development will see the construction of a new visitor centre featuring a café and interpretive exhibition spaces, with new parking facilities, including 100 car  spaces and a coach bay.

Localised road improvements between Bealbarnish Gap and the cable car, in order to accommodate two-way traffic at suitably-spaced passing points, are also proposed.

Paul O’Shea, chairman of Lehanmore Community Cooperative said: ‘Local stakeholders are the ones who will be most affected from any proposed road works so this workshop needs to be held locally.’

He added: ‘The proposal presents the best and most sustainable employment opportunity that we have ever had for the local area, and every effort should be made available to include all local stakeholders. Certainly bringing this to Glengarriff will dilute this.’

 Beara resident and chair of West Cork Local Community Development, Finbarr Harrington, agreed the workshop should be held locally.

However, Cork County Council said: ‘This workshop follows on from a very successful workshop which was held in the Lehanmore Community Centre on October 2nd 2018. Cork County Council will be holding community workshop number three in the Lehanmore Community Centre in late 2019 to present a more detailed design to the local community.’

The workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 27th at 6pm in the Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff.