Islanders angry over failure to replace ill cable car operator

PEOPLE living on Dursey Island and tourists trying to visit it are experiencing great difficulty because of reduced operating hours on the country’s only cable car.

Thu, 17 Aug, 2006 - 01:00

Sean O’Riordan

The permanent operator has been out on sick leave and a replacement is only able to operate the cable car for much shorter periods.

Cork County Council, which operates the facility, and the minister with responsibility for the islands, Eamonn Ó Cuiv, were criticised yesterday for allowing the situation to continue for the past few weeks.

Rosarie O’Neill, whose mother Kathleen, at 85, is the oldest inhabitant of the island, said the reduced service was making life very awkward.

She said the cable car now only operates from 9pm to 10.30pm, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and from 7pm to 8pm.

“I have written to the council about this. I can only visit my mother at certain times. This kind of thing has to change in this day and age. From April to October it should run from 9am to 8pm. It’s awkward for the island’s eight inhabitants and for the tourists who want to visit it. There are also holiday homes on it,” Ms O’Neill said.

Cllr Danny Crowley said he would speak to Minister Ó Cuiv. At a recent council meeting he received unanimous backing for the cable car to have extended hours, but now finds that they have been reduced.

“I don’t know what the contingency plans are if there’s an emergency when it’s out of hours and I’m going to take that up with the council as well.

“This is totally unforgivable. The cable car, which is the only one in Ireland, was opened in December 1969 at a cost of £18,000. It is a tourist attraction in its own right but it’s also vitally important for the islanders. It has to open in the summer from at least 9am to 7pm and in the winter it should be 9am right through to 5pm,” Cllr Crowley said.

He added that he was aware from businesses in the region that a number of tourists had complained they had arrived at the cable car unaware that it wasn’t operating throughout the day.