Cork Docklands development goes to planning stage

Earlier this week it was annouced that the Cork Docklands development was going to the planning authorities within the next week. The proposed development is nothing new - it has been on the drawing board for the last six or seven years - but it is now one step nearer to becoming a reality.

The plan will cost in the region of €2 Billion (that's €2,000,000,000) and will include a 30 storey high appartment block and an "iconic building" which will house a restaurant run by a "world renowed chef" and some 600,000 square feet of office space. It will also involve moving the existing city dock business and the oil terminals on the Marina downstream.


Now I would be the first to acknowledge the need to do something drastic with the existing docks. I grew up only a few hundred yards from them and I have strong memories of the smell of fertilizers and chemicals coming from the docks and the nearby Goulding's factory. There were days on which you simply could not open a window, no matter how warm it was, because of the sulphrous air which caught in your throat.

However it strikes me that a lot in this plan is taken straight from the Dublin Docklands development which is itself based on the London Docklands developed under Maggie Thatcher. The term Yuppieland comes to mind.

Part of the proposal is a metro line through the centre of the development. Now excuse me but the last time I went along the Marina it was a pleasant walk on completely flat ground. There are parts of Cork in far greater need of a proper public transport system.

I'm not against the development of this area but I feel it should be a more mixed development - without the high-rise and that the area present east of the Marina ESB power station (the start of the Marina where the old "20 to 1 gun" is located and the area near Pairc Ui Chaoimh stadium) should not be included in the plan - they are part of the Marina, not docklands.

Ferry debacle rumbles on

I'm back from the hols and find that the debacle over the Cork to South Wales ferry is still rumbling on with conflicting news from different camps. Minister Micheál Martin says there is hope for a new service - but it needs public money. Nothing about the hundreds of thousands pumped into Swansea-Cork Ferries to start it up and no accountability. No way! The best thing that could be done now is for the local authorities to establish a new ferry company and this time that it should remain with a majority of shares in public hands. Let the business interests put their money where their mouths are.

Huge crowds in Cobh for Festivals and Liner Visit

Tens of thousands of people flocked to Cobh last weekend for one of the biggest events the harbour town held since the Tall Ships Race visited Cork back in 1991. The main attraction was the visit of the huge luxury cruise liner Navigator of the Seas with her 3,800 passengers and 1,200 crew.

The Brunomart French market was on the Pier Head this year with lots of stalls selling a wide variety of goods including leather goods, traditional French / Breton sausages, pates, cheeses, sweets and cakes, crepes, etc. while the local Farmer's Market was also present at the Promenade. Other highlights of the weekend were the Maritime Song Festival with events in the Sirius Art Centre, in the Promenade and in some local hostelries like the Roaring Donkey and Pegs Pub in Carrigaloe. The gardaí did a great job in controlling traffic and

Cobh Town Council deserve special mention for having a team of people out very early on Sunday morning to clear up the litter and empty the wastebins for another day.

Cobh Maritime Song Festival 1 - 7th June 2007

The Cobh Maritime Song Festival is back again this year and will run from Friday 1st to Thursday 7th June 2007 in the Cork Harbour town. There will be musical acts from Ireland, Poland, the United States, France and England and among the guests will be Sharon Shannon and Declan O'Rourke from Ireland, Banana Boat from Poland and Dan Miller & Bob Conroy from the USA.

The festival will also coincide with the South of Ireland Pipe Band Festival also being held in Cobh and the annual visit to the Cobh Farmers Market of Breton and other continental stalls selling their exotic produce.

for further details go to the Cobh Maritime Song Festival's homepage
at http://www.cobhmaritimesongfestival.com

Argentinian tall ship to drop Cork visit

I was disappointed to hear (via Tom McSweeney's Seascapes on RTE Radio 1) that the Argentinian tall ship Libertad (liberty) is not now to visit Cork next month as planned because of the low ESB cables near the Cross-River Ferry at Carrigaloe-Glenbrook. The same reason was given for Cork's failure to land the prestigious Tall Ships Race which we hosted so memorably and successfully in 1991.

The Libertad is visiting Ireland to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral William Brown, founder of the Argentinian Navy who was born in Foxford, Co. Mayo in 1777 and died in Argentina on 3rd Marcy 1857.

So while Cork has one of the best ports in Europe for hosting such sailing vessels pure bad planning and lack of foresight means that ships with very high masts can't safely get beyond the lower harbour. Isn't about time that this problem was sorted out?