Parts of Bantry Enterprise Centre will be demolished and not reopen to the public until late 2027, following a fire that wrecked three buildings.

Fire crews responded to an early morning blaze that ripped through the enterprise park at Seafield on September 19th.

The blaze caused extensive damage to the Community Enterprise Centre hub, owned by Cork County Council, and three other units.

The site now faces a long rebuild, expected to take almost two years due to insurance investigations and council planning procedures, with affected businesses continuing to deal with the aftermath of the fire.

Owen McCarthy, who has run Bee Clean Linen and Laundry Service at the site for the past 12 years, said: ‘We’re hoping that the council will get it back up and running as fast as possible, and that we can return to a unit at the enterprise centre.

‘At the moment, 18 to 20 staff are out of work. We haven’t moved to any other premises because there aren’t that many available in the area. We require quite a lot of space because of the industrial equipment we use. A lot of our customers are in the Bantry area and are also struggling with getting someone else to do their laundry and linen, especially the smaller B&s and guest houses. We are engaging with Cork County Council and are waiting to hear back from insurance investigators.’

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) recently submitted a motion to the West Cork Municipal District (WCMD), asking Cork County Council for a timeframe and detailed plan for the rebuild of the fire-damaged site.

At a meeting of the WCMD on Monday, Cllr Collins said: ‘The council hub has moved from the enterprise centre, but the laundry is being left in limbo. People who have B&Bs and guest houses use the laundry on a regular basis.

‘It was a very busy place and I would like to see some work starting there soon, and get the businesses up and running again.’

Cork County Council said the enterprise centre had long served as an important base for new and existing businesses, and confirmed its commitment to replacing the fire-damaged units 11, 12 and 13 as soon as possible.

The council also said that insurers, acting on behalf of the council and the three tenants, had appointed loss adjustors to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, evaluate the extent of the damage, confirm the validity of all claims and ensure that any settlement complied with the terms of the insurance policy. The council added that it was awaiting the outcome of the Insurers’ and Loss Adjustors’ assessment.

Council official Eileen Coleman said: ‘The council has procured a consultant to prepare a programme of works for the demolition of all three units. Once the proposed programme of works is approved by the loss adjustor, our consultant will procure a contractor to undertake the demolition and site clearance work.

‘It is anticipated that this work may be undertaken in January 2026. At that time, the council will then consider how the units are to be replaced. It is anticipated that following the design, obtaining all of the statutory approvals, procuring a contractor and the construction period, the new units may be available for occupation in late 2027.’