BY JACKIE KEOGH

DESPITE there being many 'false dawns' regarding the restoration of the old pier at Keelbeg in Union Hall, there is room for renewed optimism following a visit by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Marine Timmy Dooley. A meeting with public representatives, Oireachtas members, and representatives of the community movement Save Our Pier, was convened by the Minister of State during a visit last week. 'The fact that the minister arranged the meeting is a positive sign,' said Cllr Brendan McCarthy, 'but at the meeting there was another reason to be optimistic because the minister outlined a proposal to create a new inter-departmental, inter-agency, superfund for maritime projects – the kind that have amenity rather than commercial value.’ Cllr McCarthy explained that the old pier serves as a breakwater for the nearby, large-scale fishing pier at Keelbeg, but the condition of the old pier is deteriorating and consultants deemed part of it unsafe for public use. He said the Department of Marine invests large amounts in the development of commercial piers, but a vastly-reduced fund, the mere pittance that is given to and administered by Cork County Council, is expected to cover all the other piers in West Cork. Cllr McCarthy said Cork County Council would need to make the old pier a priority if it is to secure that level of funding, which could be similar in scale to the rural regeneration programme. But with the Government's 2026 budget already in the bag, it might only receive design and planning funding of around €200,000 in the 2027 budget, he said.

He suggested it is probably best to take the long-term view that the old pier at Keelbeg has the potential to be chosen as the pilot project for the new scheme, and that could result in a €5.5 million investment. However, others were less optimistic about the significance of the minister’s visit, which came just days after criticism over a lack of progress on the project. Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins, who recently raised the issue in the Dáil, said despite repeated visits by politicians and promises of action there had been no works carried out on the pier. ‘Even the Taoiseach visited the pier recently,’ he said in his Dáil address. ‘They all made promises to the local people but not a shovel has been turned in the many years that I have been involved.’ During his tour Minister Dooley agreed that the structure was in poor condition. ‘Certainly, here at Union Hall there is a significant requirement to find a way to invest in what is a great piece of infrastructure,’ he said. ‘But it’s in really bad shape and I think… [we] have to get together to try to find a funding stream to address it once and for all.’ The need for an upgrade at the pier has been the subject of discussion for many years with locals and public representatives repeatedly calling for investment. A sum of €300,000 was promised in 2024 for the following year to cover the cost of applying for foreshore licences, statutory consents, design and site investigations. The announcement was made after locals had repeatedly protested over plans to barricade a portion of the old pier due to health and safety concerns.