€1m Spike makeover to include music event

A three-day early summer concert and the planned construction of a pedestrian causeway across a harbour will form part of Cork County Council’s €1m plans to turn Spike Island into a tourist mecca.

With the Oxegen music festival postponed this summer, the county council is hoping to cash in on a major event of its own towards the end of June, which will form part of the centenary commemoration of the Titanic sinking.

County manager Martin Riordan said plans were well advanced for the event and the local authority was considering providing camping sites on the island for those attending. Bands and other performers have been booked but details will not be released until a later date.

Scott Tallon Walker consultancy firm, which has been employed to develop a masterplan for the development of the island, is also looking at the possibility of building a pedestrian causeway which will link Haulbowline with the island.

Mr Riordan said plans are advanced to develop a 1.6km walking trail around the perimeter of Fort Mitchel which lies in the centre of the island.

“This will cost in the region of €200,000 to develop and will be co-funded by Fáilte Ireland,” he said. “We will also develop seating along the walkway and display panels which will deal with the history of Cobh and the harbour. It will be a nice Sunday walk when it’s finished.”

The council has already acquired planning approval to put an €85,000 pontoon on the shoreline to enable easier passenger access to boats but approval from the Department of the Marine for a foreshore licence is being awaited.

“If we get early approval on that we could go to tender shortly and get the readymade pontoon installed in the next few months,” the county manager said.

In the meantime, the council is also considering converting old houses around the fort into arts and crafts centres and will be shortly installing toilets in the area.

The consultants will hold a public open forum at the Commodore Hotel, Cobh, from 5pm to 9pm today to discuss some of the ideas they have for enhancing Spike island.

Mr Riordan said he is hoping the public will use the event to offer their own ideas.

He said he expects the consultants’ masterplan to be finalised by April at which time it will go before councillors for approval.

“We will need to spend up to €1m minimum on the project,” the county manager added.