Piper's funfair 'unlikely to return to Kinsale this year'

The traditional merries may not reopen in the Cork town due to the €30,000 bond demanded by Cork County Council

Brendan Piper at his traditional showman's wagon which is now unlikely to return to Kinsale Co Cork this year. File picture: David Forsythe

The owner of Kinsale’s traditional funfair that has been a summer fixture in the town since the 1930s has said that the historic attraction is now unlikely to return this year. 

Brendan Piper said that conditions imposed by Cork County Council after the covid pandemic mean that setting up the funfair for 2023 is not possible and the council have so far not accepted his offer of compromise proposals.

The fair has traditionally been located in the Town Park on the Pier Rd, which that was recently resurfaced for car parking. The council had requested a bond of €60,000 from Mr Piper to allow him to set up the fair which they said would cover any potential damage caused to the new surface. After further discussions the council reduced the bond demand to €30,000. Despite this, Mr Piper was unable to secure insurance cover for such a bond as no such product is available in the Irish market.

Mr Piper said he has managed to raise €15,000 in cash which he is willing to offer as a bond to the council and has also enlisted the help of a local contractor who would put right any damage at the end of the summer. Mr Piper said he has not had any response from council officials on the compromise offer to date.

The Irish Showman's Guild was joined by residents for the rally last year in support of the return of Piper's merries to Kinsale. File picture: Darragh Bermingham

Local Green Party representative Marc Ó Riain who has supported the campaign to have Piper’s funfair restored said: “The Town Park was gifted to the people of Kinsale as an amenity space. The park acted as a home to the funfair since 1939 and they clearly have trading rights. 

"The county council have converted part of the park into a temporary and very recently a permanent car parking area without any public consultation or Part 8 planning application. Such an application would have afforded the Piper’s a say in the future use of the Park.” 

A spokesperson for Cork County council said: “Cork County Council’s position remains unchanged from comments we made three to four weeks ago. Mr Piper’s correspondence of 25th April was responded to in detail by the Council on 27th April. There is no further comment.” 

Mr Piper said he had not received a response on April 27 from the council and has requested the response to be forwarded to him again.

Marc O’Riain added: “It is a crying shame that we are now in a situation where the local council having forced the showman’s wagon out of Short Quay, looks likely to force the funfair out of the town park and out of business forever."

“We are losing part of our intangible cultural heritage, local history, a public amenity, and a closely loved core part of what makes Kinsale special.

"So many people have come out to show that they want both the showman's wagon and the funfair back in the Town Park and Short Quay, and ultimately the council have not listened. “They have thrown barrier after barrier in front of the Piper family. 

"At each step, there was a promise broken and a new issue, a new reason to stop the return of the funfair and showman's wagon. 

"It's a crying shame. I ask the council, the Dáil, and Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin to solve this impasse before it’s too late.”