'Totally unsuitable': Councillors hit out as toilets planned for Kinsale 'too small'

Marie O’Sullivan said on one day recently six tour buses, carrying around 50 passengers each arrived almost simultaneously in the town. She said a lot were 'advanced in age' and the first thing they started looking for were 'bathrooms'

Local councillors in Kinsale say the planned public toilets for the town are not suitable given the high number of visitors to the area. PFile picture Denis Minihane.

Cork County Council will have to go back to the drawing board on its planned new public toilets in Kinsale because they are too small to cater for locals and the large number of tourists who visit the town during the summer.

That’s the opinion of councillors who debated the matter at a meeting of the Bandon/Kinsale Municipal District Council.

Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy said the current plans are “totally unsuitable” as there are not enough toilet cubicles and urinals.

“It’s tiny, nowhere near what is needed. It needs to be extended,” he added.

Fine Gael councillor Marie O’Sullivan, who owns a café/restaurant in the town, said on one day recently six tour buses, carrying around 50 passengers each arrived almost simultaneously in the town. She said a lot were “advanced in age” and the first thing they started looking for were “bathrooms.”

She said more facilities are badly needed. The call was echoed by independent councillor Alan Coleman and Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan. 

Ms Coughlan pointed out that Kinsale is now attracting cruise ships and their passengers need to be facilitated when it comes to the public toilets.

Municipal district officer Brian Dunne said the toilet plans had gone out for public consultation with a closing date for submission on June 19. He said the submissions will be reviewed and considered at this stage before progressing the project.

Kinsale, Co. Cork. File picture Denis Minihane.

Mr Dunne said the council will take on board the comments made by councillors.

He said that the council had undertaken maintenance and upgrade works at the public toilets at Garrylucas and Garretstown beaches ahead of the peak tourist season. Unfortunately, he said, the buildings were defaced a few days later by vandals.

“We are preparing for the upcoming summer beach season where lifeguards will be employed working weekends in June, full-time in July and August, and the first two weekends of September,” he said.

Mr Dunne said the council is inviting applications for the public concession scheme near Archdeacon Duggan Bridge in Kinsale. The scheme will run from July 1 until February 28.

“We recently upgraded the area to clearly delineate it from the car parking area with roads markings and signage. The scheme is based on a bidding system,” he said.

Mr Dunne also said there will be no charge for street furniture put out by businesses for outdoor dining in the municipal district.

He said the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage had advised the council that the fees for 2024 have been waived.

“Those who have applied and paid a fee will be refunded,” Mr Dunne added.

The council has ringfenced €10,000 for the annual paint scheme which offers tenants or owners of buildings grant of up to 50% of the full cost of painting the facades of properties.

The deadline for receipt of applications is June 14. Application forms can be obtained from the Municipal Hall, Kinsale on 021-4772154, or [e-mail]

Meanwhile, Ms Coughlan asked the council to contact the NTA (National Transport Authority) to address the shortage of buses from Kinsale, Belgooly, Riverstick, and Ballinhassig serving MTU, CUH and UCC.

She said the NTA should consider extra local link services to cater for these routes or indeed, extending some of the city bus routes to cater for Ballinhassig, in particular.