Skibbereen plans to tap into its strong water heritage with ambitious blueprint 

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’Sullivan, and Cllr Joe Carroll, chairperson of the West Cork Municipal District. Picture: John Allen

The town which produced Ireland’s first Olympic rowing champions is set to embrace its river, develop its waterfront and tap into its water sports potential under an ambitious new blueprint.

The detail is contained in Cork County Council’s Town Centre First (TCF) Regeneration Plan for Skibbereen — home to rowing legends, Paul and Gary O’Donovan, and Fintan McCarthy — which was published on Monday.

The town is a designated initial ‘pathfinder’ town in the government’s TCF strategy designed to rejuvenate Ireland’s major county towns, which means funding will be fast-tracked for certain projects to demonstrate the TCF concept.

Skibbereen lived for years under the threat of flooding from the river Ilen until flood defences were built.

Its new TCF plan says the river was historically the town’s lifeblood, teeming with activity along its quays and moorings until the advent of the railway and improved roads, which redirected the town’s focus towards its central streets North Street, Main Street, and Bridge Street.

“Despite the river’s proximity to the town centre, it has since receded into obscurity,” the plan says.

“This presents an exciting opportunity to reestablish a tangible and conceptual connection between the river and the bustling heart of the town.

“It also opens up the potential for a range of revitalising initiatives along and near the river, with the aim of repositioning the River Ilen as an integral part of the Skibbereen experience.” The document sets out 36 specific projects to be pursued under headings including the river, architectural and cultural heritage, community, rowing, topography and landscape, the enhancement of its compact town centre, and its food heritage, to enhance the town. Among the key proposals are:

• promoting the town’s heritage and historical sites and exhibitions related to the Famine to boost visitor numbers;
• improving walking and cycling facilities, including safeways to schools, greenways, and new riverside walkways;
• public realm upgrades around Main Street, North Street, Bridge Street and Levis Quay;
• reimagining and reactivating the riverfront, and supporting riverfront commercial development;
• enhancing the town’s flood defences through strategic planting and greening initiatives, softening the existing concrete defence walls;
• developing The Rock amenity area which boasts panoramic views across the town;‘ and developing the northern space along the River Ilen, including the proposed Marsh Car Park, into the Skibbereen Marsh Ecology Park, with a flourishing ecosystem, walking trails, birdwatching areas, and educational zones.

There are also proposals to develop the town hall as a venue, to improve signage and wayfinding, and to address vacancy and dereliction.

Cllr Joe Carroll, chair of the West Cork Municipal District, welcomed the publication of the plan and said: “It strikes a balance between what is bravely ambitious and realistically achievable, and I would like to acknowledge the contributions of all who have participated in its development."

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Council chief executive Valerie O’ Sullivan said while Skibbereen is a ‘pathfinder’ town in the TCF initiative, the council is actively progressing a range of regeneration measures across other towns covering areas such as sustainable travel, property activation and public realm enhancements.

“The plan for Skibbereen will now be utilised as a resource for all stakeholders and to support funding applications for the projects and objectives that have been identified," she said.

Public consultation and surveys for the drafting of the TCF plan began in July 2023, with almost 1,000 submissions from the public informing the various projects and strategies.