Community planning American Pier repairs

A COMMUNITY group in Cobh has launched plans to repair the American Pier at Whitepoint.

The pier is tucked away at the end of Whitepoint Strand on a quiet edge of Cobh.

It is a popular swim spot and it is also the last physical publicly accessible reminder of the US Navy’s presence in Cork Harbour.

The group is to tonight launch the American Pier Cobh Project in the Sirius Arts Centre Cobh, where they will unveil plans to protect the historic amenity and ensure the area remains safe for swimmers.

They say the pier, which over the last 50 years has deteriorated into a very poor condition, requires immediate attention.

The group, made up of residents from Whitepoint in association with Cobh Tidy Towns and other community groups, commissioned a consultant’s report on the repair of the pier.

The report by Southgate Associates, Heritage Conservation Specialists, outlines three possible repair options.

The group says the most sympathetic option is estimated to cost €110,000.

A spokesperson for the group said they are determined to see the pier repaired.

“Our group is determined that we can save it, for our community and for our young generation so they can grow up as many of us did, remembering its history, enjoying summer days on it, and as a focal point for the many visitors who join us here each year in Cobh.”

The American Pier was used by the United States forces in 1918 to land servicemen for treatment in the US Navy Base Hospital No 4 located in Whitepoint.

Since then, it has been used by generations of Cobh families for swimming.

To fund the project the committee has set up a GoFundMe page and associated social media platforms.

It is hoping to raise €120,000 for the works.

For more information see facebook.com/americanpier or search Save the American Pier, Cobh on GoFundMe.