Glounthaune residents concerned village cannot support 1,000 extra homes

The junction at the church in Glounthaune has been described as dangerous because the cycleway runs across it. File Picture: Denis Minihane

Villagers living on the eastern outskirts of Cork City have warned their already creaking infrastructure cannot possibly cope with the development of a further 1,000 homes earmarked for the area.

Glounthaune has poor roads infrastructure, an already full national school, and two creches at capacity. It has also lost its post office and pharmacy, has no medical centre for an increasingly ageing population, and parts of it are being used as a day-long carpark for outsiders who get the train into Cork.

Members of the community association have warned that what they’re facing is unsustainable development as many of the roads in the area are dangerous.

Jill McNamara, a retired senior official with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), was elected chairwoman of Glounthaune Community Council 10 years ago. She fears for the future of the area as several thousand more people will move into it without the infrastructure and social supports they will need.

It was supposed to be a "model village" built in 1810 by a then sheriff of Cork and dubbed "New Glanmire".

Apart from the reopening of the railway connection to Midleton, little infrastructure changes have been added.

The only recent major piece of infrastructural development in the area has been the construction of a cycleway/walkway along the L3004.

Not so long ago, that was part of the N25 main road between Cork and Midleton. Little has been done to improve that road since.

There are no proper footpath linkages to a number of the housing estates, which are nearly all on hilly ground.

“We have no community pitches, basketball courts, or secondary school, no bank, no proper family resource centre, no cultural space or a library,” Ms McNamara said.

Clara Connolly, who managed the small community centre, has lived in the village for 25 years, and she has witnessed many accidents there in recent years. She is concerned the frequency and seriousness of them will get worse as the number of vehicles increases in line with new housing development.

Both she and Ms McNamara are particularly concerned about the junction at the church which, they say, is dangerous as it not only connects roads, but the cycleway runs across it. They said that many local car owners are taking detours to avoid this area.

The community centre, an old school, is a vital hub for villagers, but it has just two rooms and won’t be able to add any additional activities for an increasing population.

The nearest bank, post office, and the large retail units are in nearby Little Island.

“At peak time, it could take somebody more than an hour to drive the short distance there and back to Glounthaune. The traffic is mayhem there,” Ms McNamara said.