Removal of hoarding will reveal views of Bantry Bay

THE waterfront in Bantry should be upgraded and preserved.

That’s according to Cllr Danny Collins (Ind), who said he was delighted that the area – directly in front of The Maritime Hotel and the town’s cinema – had moved ‘one step closer’ to becoming a public amenity, after a local company began removing unsightly timber hoarding on Monday.

Cllr Collins paid tribute to Murnane & O’Shea, who own the property, for putting in a lot of work over the last few months to clear the rubble behind the hoarding and create a level surface, which hopefully will become an amenity area.

He said: ‘It is good too to see the hoarding – which had been an eyesore for years – start to come down on Monday.

‘It will be fantastic when the job is finished because that area offers uninterrupted views of the bay and it will greatly enhance the approach road to the town,’ said Cllr Collins, 

Previously, at a meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Committee, Cllr Collins tabled a motion calling for a nearby cobblestone quayside to be taken over by Cork County Council and turned into an outdoor maritime museum and amenity.

‘With all the good that is taking place in the town right now,’ he said, ‘I believe that time is right to make the final push on this and preserve the cobbled quay for future generations.’