Spike’s tourism plan sails ahead
County manager Martin Riordan, who is personally driving the project, said he hoped the infrastructure would be in place for the summer and enable the local authority to boost visitor numbers to the island.
In response to a query from Cllr John Mulvihill (Lab), Mr Riordan said the council was “duty-bound” to improve the quality of access for visitors to the island in Cork harbour, and the development represented a significant investment.
He told a meeting in County Hall yesterday that the local authority was about to engage a team of consultants who would prepare a masterplan for the upgrade of facilities on the island, including the former Fort Mitchell prison.
Mr Riordan said that once the consultants had been appointed they would liaise with councillors about the project.
Mr Mulvihill, based in Cobh, said it was important that restaurant facilities were developed on the island.
“Having a restaurant there would make money for the council,” said Mr Mulvihill.
Mr Riordan said he would look at developing such facilities in the context of the overall plan for work on the island next year.
“If we can afford it we will set up appropriate facilities,” Mr Riordan said.
He confirmed that the council was currently in talks with Fáilte Ireland in the hope that it would provide grants for new walkways on the island.
It is anticipated Mr Riordan may issue more licences to ferry operators to service the island as visitor numbers increase.
County mayor Cllr Tim Lombard said it was a great initiative to open up Spike Island for tourism, and added that “great credit was due to those who had pushed the project forward”.
