Plans to reopen Crosshaven's Camden Fort for extended period  

Council officials said once roles are filled they will then draw up plans to source funding from various government departments

A total of 21 local volunteers have been trained to act as tour guides for Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven which will enable the extended opening hours. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Plans are in place to reopen a historic coastal fort in Cork Habour to visitors by the end of next month for an extended six-days-a-week entry. 

A total of 21 local volunteers have been trained to act as tour guides for Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven which will enable the extended opening hours.

The county council, which owns Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven, is also in discussion with two potential operators to take over the café there and expects to appoint a manager and assistant manager shortly to run the fort.

Council officials said once those appointments are filled they will then draw up plans to source funding from various government departments. 

The council is also to examine the possibility of the EU carrying out further restoration and enhancement works on the fort, parts of which date back to the mid-1500s.

Contractors brought onto the site to carry out safety works and some refurbishments have had to undertake more work than initially anticipated and are not expected to complete this until the middle of next month.

Officials said the cost of maintaining and restoring the historic site “is quite significant.” 

Contractors brought onto the site to carry out safety works and some refurbishments have had to undertake more work than initially anticipated Picture: Michael Paul Murtagh

They recently held a training day for volunteer guides which proved very successful and they hope to reopen the fort to visitors by the end of next month or the first week in April at the latest. The attraction will be open from Tuesdays to Sundays.

Access for people with disabilities will be free and the council is examining onsite initiatives to ensure the fort's made more accessible to people with mobility issues.

Officials told a meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council – which governs the Crosshaven area – that they will do everything possible to help open the café to a new operator.

Fine Gael councillor Jack White said he believes to make it a viable business the chosen operator should be allowed to open outside the fort opening hours as well, particularly as profit margins in the catering industry are getting tighter.

Officials told a meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council that they will do everything possible to help open the café to a new operator.

Officials said while they would examine that possibility there were certain challenges, including the fact that as the fort is a protected heritage site the council would have to be in control at all times.

However, they said they might look at operating some segregated access to the café only if a decision was taken to allow the operator longer opening hours than the fort.

Fianna Fail councillor Seamus McGrath said a word of thanks must go to the volunteer guides, several of whom had worked as volunteers previously on clean-up projects there.

“They kept it (the project) on the road for a long time,” he said

Fianna Fail councillor Audrey Buckley said extended opening times will attract a lot more people and the council must liaise with local clubs who have car parks to maximise the spaces available to visitors.