THE closure of Ireland’s only cable car for maintenance at the height of the summer season has been criticised by Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind).

Last Thursday, Cork County Council issued a notice confirming that the cable car would be closed on Saturday for ESB works and it apologised for any inconvenience caused.

‘After months of poor weather, we are finally enjoying some beautiful summer conditions, and this is exactly when the tourist season is becoming busy,’ Cllr Harrington stated.

‘Visitors have been looking forward to experiencing one of West Cork’s most unique attractions, only to find it unavailable. It is hard to understand why this maintenance could not have been carried out during the quieter months of the year, when visitor numbers were much lower.

‘There has been ample opportunity over several months to complete these works with far less disruption. Closing the cable car at the height of the summer season seems like poor timing and is frustrating for both tourists and local businesses that depend on visitor numbers.’

Cllr Harrington added: ‘Better planning would help avoid unnecessary disruption for visitors and the local community. Everyone knows that the Dursey Island cable car is a major attraction and an important part of the local tourism industry.

‘Having it out of service during such a busy period is a real disappointment. Hopefully, in the future, essential maintenance can be scheduled outside the peak tourist season to minimise the impact.’

An ESB Networks spokesperson confirmed that a planned outage took place ‘affecting approximately 122 customers in the Dursey area.

The outage was required to facilitate the replacement of a transformer pole.

All affected customers were notified in advance. ESB Networks apologises for any inconvenience caused.’