Camden Fort Meagher to reopen within weeks

CORK’S Camden Fort Meagher is to re-open within weeks.

The fort is closed to the public to facilitate extensive restoration of the casemate block, which houses the fort’s primary exhibitions.

As work continues, elected members at the Carrigaline Municipal District Council monthly meeting were told this week that a March opening is envisaged for the tourist attraction.

The councillors heard that the work, which involves council employees as well as volunteers, has been focusing on structural repairs.

“There’s been a lot of roof works done, there’s more in train now, and we’ve just appointed a contractor to do another roof repair, in there, to preserve the structure, as there’s a lot of damp in areas in the complex,” said council senior executive officer, Maurice Murphy.

“We need to get them weather-tight and air-tight and then get on with plans to develop the site further.”

He said the council was recruiting guides on the site and that the authority would shortly be advertising for a manager and assistant manager. Mr Murphy also told the councillors that the tender process to appoint a company to run the café had closed last Friday and added that there had been no expressions of interest.

“I’m looking to approach that from a different method, procurement-wise.”

He said the long-term vision was to make the café area more attractive, with a view to it being accessible to people without having to do a tour of the site, but added that this would be subject to securing ‘very significant funding to make that happen’.

Council chairperson Audrey Buckley said that people living locally wouldn’t be able to access the café without doing a full tour of the facility.

Ms Buckley also asked if the council had plans to develop a park for recreation vehicles and other facilities.

Mr Murphy responded that the short-term plans were getting the works at the fort completed and ironing out legal issues.