Keelbeg Pier restoration plans awarded €300k kickstart

A COMMITMENT of an initial €300,000 budget and a timeframe have been given by Cork County Council for the restoration of Keelbeg Pier in Union Hall.

The news has been welcomed by locals who had repeatedly protested over plans to barricade a portion of the pier due to health and safety concerns.

These concerns were flagged by a firm of consultants, which recommended that access to the head of the pier be blocked off, which would prevent locals accessing it.

The funding and study commitment were made after a delegation from Cork County Council and pier users in Union Hall met with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.

Aodh O’Donnell, chairman of the Union Hall and Glandore Harbour Users Association, and Cork South West TD Christopher O’Sullivan (FF) said the initial €300,000 – promised for the fourth quarter of 2025 – is expected to cover the cost of applying for foreshore licences, statutory consents, design and site investigations.

The association chairman described the announcement as ‘the first step in the process’ and said he was looking forward to phase two, which could cost €2.6m. ‘It would be our hope that the new government would allocate the funding and that the work could be carried out by the second quarter of 2027,’ he added.

‘Phase two of the project is expected to involve the extension of the fishing pier at Keelbeg, while phase three would involve the dredging of the harbour,’ said the chairman.

Deputy O’Sullivan, party spokesperson on coastal communities, said that with initial consents – such as the foreshore licence – in place, the potential for further funding from the Department of Marine can be unlocked.

The TD said the minister informed the delegation that his department can only fund capital works that are ‘shovel ready’ and have all necessary licences, plans, and permissions in place.

‘The old pier in Union Hall is an incredibly important facility for the community because locals don’t have access to the commercial fishing pier as it is for commercial purposes only. ‘Keelbeg Pier is the community’s only access to the water. It’s used for a range of leisure activities, including small inshore boats, fishing boats, whale-watching vessels and other recreational uses,’ he added.

‘Last Wednesday’s announcement is a boost because it means there is light at the end of the tunnel for development of this key piece of infrastructure.’

He described as ‘significant’ the fact that the pier has also been included in the national development plan.

Deputy O’Sullivan said it means it could be prioritised when it comes to securing funding for major capital works.