Fort Meagher delays are concern for development

By Sean O’Riordan

Concerns have been raised about a delay in publishing a masterplan for the future development of a fort in Cork harbour.

Cork County Council owns the site and plans to turn it into a major tourist attraction, as it has done with a highly successful project at Spike Island.

However, the masterplan for Camden Fort Meagher, in Crosshaven, was supposed to have been made public more than three months ago and the delay was criticised by some councillors from the Bandon/Kinsale municipal district, when they held a meeting at the fort.

The county council has not commented on why there is a delay.

Municipal district chairman Aidan Lombard, a Fine Gael councillor, said the project had “stagnated” and the taxpayer had paid €100,000 for a report that was still not available.

“It needs to be published now, so we can get some clarity,” said Mr Lombard.

He praised the volunteers, who were helping to keep the historic facility open to the public.

The fort is steeped in history. It was built in the 16th century, but much of what can be seen today dates from when the British carried out a major upgrade in the 1860s.

Originally named Fort Camden, by the British, it was renamed Fort Meagher, when the Irish took over the Treaty ports.

It was named in honour of Thomas Francis Meagher, the Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the rebellion of 1848.

Currently, the fort is only open to the public on weekends and bank holiday Mondays between May and September,

Noel Condon, chairman of the volunteer group that runs the fort, said they had 12,500 visitors last year.

This year, they hope to at least equal that, if not surpass it.

“There’s a lot of commitment from the volunteers, who basically give up their summers to see people around.

“Every Wednesday throughout the year, they meet to tidy up the site and, in the winters, we refurbish the exhibition areas,” said Mr Condon.

“We’re very anxious that this masterplan is published as soon as possible, because it is the way forward for the fort.”

Publication of masterplan for tourism project postponed for months