Village upgrade planned to facilitate greater visitor numbers to Doneraile

Almost 500,000 visitors flock to the North Cork village every year to see it's stately home and parklands

Cork County Council is to undertake village centre public realm improvements in Doneraile to make the village even more attractive for visitors, many of whom are drawn by the impressive Doneraile Court. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Plans to make a village, fast becoming a tourist mecca, even more attractive and safer for visitors have been drawn up by Cork County Council.

Almost 500,000 visitors flock to Doneraile in North Cork every year to see Doneraile Court and its adjoining parklands, which is one of the country's most visited free-entry attractions.

The OPW intends to secure more funding to continue the restoration of the stately home, and has ambitious targets to almost double visitor numbers to the park over the next seven years.

In parallel with this process, the local authority is to undertake village centre public realm improvements in order to widen the appeal of the village, thereby encouraging increased footfall and providing a platform for new businesses to open through the provision of an attractive streetscape.

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A meeting of the Fermoy Municipal District Council has approved plans drawn up by council engineers for the village upgrade.

This includes traffic calming, new planters and bespoke seating, the addition of new granite paving footpaths, and public lighting. A new pedestrian crossing will be built just south of Turnpike Cross, where the road carriageway will be narrowed and the verges landscaped and include the planting of a meadow and the addition of seating.

A new area will be designated for outdoor dining on the main street where there will be new parking spaces for coaches.

Doneraile, Co Cork, is fast becoming a tourist mecca. Almost 500,000 visitors flock to Doneraile in North Cork every year to see Doneraile CourtPicture: Denis Minihane

Senior council engineer for the area, Brendan O'Gorman, said they'd consulted with local businesses on the plans.

He said the main bone of contention was the loss of parking spaces in the main street and they'd asked if the OPW would provide additional free spaces within Doneraile Court, which Mr O'Gorman said they seemed quite receptive to.

The municipal district's most senior official, Mary Hayes, said they would work with the villagers to address any concerns they had on the plans going forward.

Municipal chairwoman, Fine Gael councillor Kay Dawson, said they were very exciting plans which would hopefully bring more visitors and increase footfall into local businesses.