Ice rink planned for Cork

Eoin English

Developer Owen O’Callaghan applied yesterday for planning permission to build a rink in the North Main Street Shopping Centre.

It is hoped the facility, estimated to be about 5,000 sq ft in size and which could cost several hundred thousand euro to build, will be in place by Christmas.

Mr O’Callaghan plans to reduce the size of the Table Top Restaurant on the first floor of the centre and build the rink there. Once installed, it will be leased to an operator.

Unlike other rinks like the Fota on Ice event which have operated in Cork in recent years, he new rink will operate year-round.

A planning decision is expected within three months. Barring objections, construction is scheduled to begin in November. The restaurant will continue to operate.

It will take about one month to build the rink, a spokesperson for Mr O’Callaghan said yesterday.

“The technology for freezing rinks has been modernised in recent years,” he said.

“The actual freezing units have become much more compact allowing for this very quick construction period,” he said.