Carrigtwohill's C2H2040: A special place plans its own future
Creating an interpretative Centre at Barryscourt Castle is a highlight of the plan, and which will promote Carrigtwohill’s regional historical importance.
Often the best plans in life are born from the casual conversations of a few friends. Such was the case a few years ago when the early glimmers of Carrigtwohill C2H2040: A Vision & Plan to 2040 were conceived.
“Three of us were having a pint in Guilders Pub and talking about all of the issues that were happening in our area at the time, the huge growth in housing and what felt like many things around us were spinning out of control,” Frank Hannigan recalled of a period when local concerns around the future of Carrigtwohill morphed into a viable plan to guide the town and its hinterland into a prosperous and sustainable future.
Along with his friends Ollie Sheehan and Councillor Anthony Barry, Frank decided to seek solutions to those growing problems.
“One of the concerns was that Carrigtwohill would become little more than a dormitory town, with no sense of itself and would disappear into being just another suburb. You need places where the greatness of the area is reflected back — a reminder to people that they are living in a really special place.”
As the founding partner of Strategy Crowd consultancy, Frank admits his instinct was to bring the directives and imperatives that guide his day job to the streets and businesses of the town he’s proud to call home.
“When clients tell us that things are happening to them, typically it’s because they don’t have a profound enough plan. If you don’t have a plan, you’re part of somebody else’s plan. We looked at places like Ballincollig which had really pulled itself into a fabulous place to live with all the facilities and infrastructure that go with its size.”
Posing the question the the community — ‘How do we end up being Ballincollig or better?’ — the ideas began to emerge of what really makes a place that people are proud to live in. Building the plan with their own methodology, it began with small groups of people meeting to come up with ideas.
“It was not about giving out, and if somebody was being negative we simply told them: ‘this is not a giving out meeting, this is a make it better meeting. Have you ideas to make it better?’ We built from the ideas through to a meitheal of 60 writers, and discovered that Carrigtwohill is full of people with amazing skills.”
Six had relevant PhD’s in economics or social sciences, ten were planners, as well as a number of architects and senior Gardai — all combined to bring a completely different mindset to imagining Carrigtwohill in 2040.
"We broke them into ten strands, each of which included writers who researched best practice, who came back with images and evidence of how other people had solved these problems. In the end, we had a 200-page report which was a recipe for what Carrigtwohill could be.”
Located 11km east of Cork City and on the commuter rail corridor, Carrigtwohill has seen its population grow rapidly over the last two decades, from just over 1,200 in 1996 to over 5,600 in 2022.
If national policy targets are met, its population could reach 15,000 by 2031 — an increase of 1,180% in just 25 years. Once a largely agricultural and mono-cultural community, today it boasts over 50 different nationalities, with more than 40% of the population aged between 25 and 44.
While the plan was written by 60, it captures the ambitions and creativity of an even bigger group, Frank says of the C2H 2040 project.
“The more people who read it and engage with it, the more powerful a plan it becomes. We are very proud of where we live. We know that what got us here will not be enough to ensure that a 15,000-population town maintains its quality of life, community, and integrity. So, this is the plan to define what’s next.”
The C2H 2040 document sets out a wide range of aims, goals, and strategies for areas such as planning, transport and development, industry, retail and business development, social integration, inclusion and social infrastructure, parks and green spaces, the environment, culture, tourism, and folklore.
Among the flagship projects are: the launch of a decade of festivals, building to a major celebration in 2034 to mark the 800th anniversary of Carrigtwohill Fair; the promotion of the restored Barryscourt Castle as a new tourism destination, and the development of an interpretative centre; and the development of a campervan park, given the town’s location midway between Rosslare and Ringaskiddy ferry ports, and its proximity to tourist attractions including Fota Wildlife Park and Midleton Distillery.
“Despite the challenges it faces, Carrigtwohill has retained its unique community spirit and highly motivated, energetic, and enthusiastic voluntary sector,” the plan says.
It adds that the winning of the national Pride of Place title in 2017 demonstrated that the sense of community still burns strongly in Carrigtwohill.
“The retention and extension of that community spirit and the passing on of that spirit to a new and diverse population is a major challenge — but it is possible. We are at a pivotal point in the development of our village-turned-town.”
Creating an interpretative Centre at Barryscourt Castle is a highlight of the plan, and which will promote Carrigtwohill’s regional historical importance, emphasising its restoration as a symbol of the town’s rich heritage going back to the influential Cambro-Norman Barry family, enduring tumultuous periods, including conflicts during the 16th and 17th centuries.
“Creating an interpretive centre would engage our diverse community, conserve cultural legacy, stimulate economic growth, foster education, and environmental stewardship, and enrich recreational pursuits.”
The overall objective of the plan is that Carrigtwohill will, in 2040, be an attractive, vibrant “living” town with a mix of housing types and associated infrastructure, excellent public transport options, a large public park accessible by walking and biking from all over the town, while still retaining its unique community spirit.
“The development of a workable and meaningful, properly funded plan and a sincerity in relation to the implementation and delivery of that plan backed by meaningful proposals and a coordinated approach to delivery of the necessary infrastructure is critical to the success of our community.”
