The Dursey Island cable car will reopen to the public in November following the replacement of the support towers.

Speaking at the recent meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Division, divisional manager Clodagh Henehan said that a contract was due to be signed for the replacement of the towers in the near future.

“We are moving as swiftly as possible on the replacement of the two towers. Briefings to me by the county engineer are that the council is on track to have the two towers taken down and replaced by early November. So the intention is that the cable car will be back in use by mid-November,” she said.

The temporary ferry service serving the island is also due to be extended according to executive officer Mac Dara O’Hici: “A temporary contract was put in place with a service provider at the request of the department. The service is being provided for not more than three days a week dependent on the weather.

“We have advertised a tender for a longer-term service that will operate until the cable car is back in action. That tender now is being assessed at the moment,” he said.

The Dursey cable car ceased operation at the end of March and initially there was no replacement ferry service put in place leaving the island’s two permanent residents, eight farmers and numerous holiday-home owners, part-time residents and visitors with no means of getting to the island.

Cork County Council owns and operates the cable car. It said it would close on February 7 but had been unable to come to an agreement with the Department of Rural Affairs on providing funding for a replacement ferry in the meantime.