A SPOKESPERSON for Cork County Council said it is continuing to engage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to secure funding for the redevelopment of the old Keelbeg Pier in Union Hall.
A year ago, the local authority set out a phased plan for the redevelopment, which involved a commitment, a €300,000 budget, and a timeframe for the restoration of the old pier.
At that time, the Council said the initial sum of €300,000, promised for the end of 2025, would be used to cover the cost of applying for foreshore licenses, statutory consents, design and site investigations.
This was described as being ‘the first step in the process’ with phase two, scheduled for the second quarter of 2027, expected to cost €2.6m.
That announcement came after months of protests by local residents, who highlighted the communal and amenity value of the old pier and staged a protest outside County Hall.
In a recent statement to The Southern Star, the Council said that overall, the facility needs to be ‘masterplanned to identify the best way to accommodate the growing needs of the commercial fishing pier, lifeboat etc. together with the potential smaller craft and recreational use of the old pier.
‘Previous assessments have advised that the main pier does not have adequate berthing for its level of usage, while the old pier requires significant remedial works.’
‘Cork County Council has set out a phased plan for the redevelopment of the pier and continues to engage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to ensure that the necessary funding to deliver this project is put in place and available to the Council.’
The chairperson of the Union Hall and Glandore Harbour Users Association Aodh O’Donnell said they had not been contacted directly.
‘We have yet to receive any communication in this regard from Cork County Council, but we are delighted to see some movement, and we are looking forward to engaging with local authority about the development of the old pier in the near future.’
