Masterplan aims to boost tourism numbers at Camden Fort Meagher

A masterplan is to be prepared to boost tourism to one of the finest remaining examples of a classical coastal artillery fort in the world.

Cork County Council, which is in charge of Camden Fort Meagher, near Crosshaven, is seeking to appoint a consultancy team to draw up the plan for the fort which was originally constructed in the 17th century.

The council and local volunteers have already put a considerable amount of work into restoring the fort as a visitor centre housing a number of military exhibits.

The successful candidates will be asked to draw up a blueprint to restore and exploit the facility including future use, conservation and restoration of military buildings on the 45-acre site.

The same will apply to the labyrinth of underground tunnels, which form 65% of the entire structures at the fort, which during its lengthy history protected the entrance to Cork harbour.

A conservation and restoration plan will also have to be drawn up for the fort’s piers, quays and pier house.

Currently Camden Fort Meagher is only open to the public on weekends and Bank Holiday Mondays between May and September, but the council wants to identify potential to develop all-year round opening.

Ideally, the local authority wants to utilise the fort as a tourist destination, community facility, heritage centre, arts and culture centre, and a place to host conferences.

It is also intended to tie it into other sites in the harbour which are being developed as tourist destinations, not least Spike Island which has benefitted from considerable investment in recent years.

Council bosses see the two sites being linked by small ferries which will carry visitors between them. In particular, they are anxious to tap into the huge number of foreign visitors now arriving on cruise ships every year at the deep water quay in Cobh.

Improved road access, car parking and cycle lanes will also form part of the fort masterplan.

The consultants are expected to be appointed in mid-May and to meet with the council’s project management team shortly afterwards to discuss their methodology for the masterplan.

The project management team includes representatives from the local authority’s heritage, economic development, engineering and architecture departments.

They in turn liaise with a steering group which includes the likes of Fáilte Ireland, the Naval Service, Port of Cork, Crosshaven Community Association, the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), Spike Island Development Company, Department of Marine and the Heritage Council. It’s hoped the plan will be completed by October.

The installation was originally named Fort Camden by the British in honour of the Earl of Camden, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between 1795 and 1798.