All About Cork: 10 properties in Carrigaline on the derelict sites register

Cork County Council has 10 properties within its Carrigaline municipal district (MD) on its derelict sites register, with a further 28 properties being considered for inclusion.

The figures were revealed at the November district meeting, following a motion by councillor Una McCarthy, who was seeking an update from the town regeneration office on the status of the former convent in Passage West, and also “details of any plans to secure and maintain the site in the interest of public safety”.

In response, a representative from the office wrote that the former convent is in private ownership, and the council is “engaging with the owners in the context of the Derelict Sites Act 1990”.

“It should be noted that Section 9 of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, places a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land in question does not become, or does not continue to be, a derelict site. This includes maintenance of the site,” wrote the council official.

The town regeneration office works in tandem with the various other council departments, including the vacant homes office, to implement the local authority’s vacancy and dereliction initiatives, in addition to related government policy initiatives and financial supports across the county.

“Commencing in Q4 of 2022, Cork County Council, in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, commenced a countywide survey of vacant residential properties to assess and address vacancy and dereliction in County Cork,” they wrote.

Since then, 2,860 reportedly vacant properties have been surveyed by the council for validation; the identification of, and engagement with, owners; progression under the 1990 act, and to identify which properties may be suitable for compulsory acquisition or negotiated purchase.

The council official wrote that the authority’s Property Activation programme was identifying the owners and then engaging with them through a number of avenues.

One of these is by way of the vacant property refurbishment grant.

To date, 1,352 applications have been approved by the council, 43 of them within the Carrigaline MD, bringing what had been vacant and derelict properties back in to use.

Other elements of the programme include: offering conservation/heritage advice and supports; assisting with the planning process; encouraging the owners to bring the properties to market, if they do not themselves have the means to refurbish them, and working with the council’s housing department to identify properties that can be purchased for social-housing provision.

“However, where collaborative efforts fail to produce positive results, where there are property title issues, or where owners remain unidentifiable despite the council’s best efforts, the council utilises its powers under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 in an effort to achieve activation of derelict and vacant properties,” wrote the official.

There are currently 133 properties on the council’s derelict sites register, 36 of which are in the southern division, with 10 of those in the Carrigaline MD.

“In addition to those properties listed on the derelict sites register, there are 28 properties in the Carrigaline MD currently being considered for addition to the register,” wrote the official.

“A full activity report on vacancy and dereliction in the Carrigaline MD will be presented to the elected members in December.”

The register for County Cork is available to view on the council’s website at www.corkcoco. ie.

The website also contains a link that allows members of the public to report a derelict site to the town regeneration office for assessment.

Snug and smiling at the Christmas Parade

Carrigaline Lions Club film awards a big success

The Carrigaline Lions Club film awards were held recently in the Carrigaline Court Hotel.

KC, from Red FM, was MC for both nights.

The Lions Club started organising the event earlier in the year, in conjunction with Kevin Rowe Events from Dublin, and more than 60 local amateur actors.

Casting and rehearsals were held over a number of months, and filming took place in suitable locations over two weekends, with editing the following week.

The finished seven films were spectacular and created great excitement at both awards nights, with capacity crowds in attendance. The films were Father Ted, Taken, Misery, Suffragettes, In the Name of the Father, The Devil Wears Prada, and Bad Sisters.

The welcome address was given by Lions Club president Anita Curtin, who outlined the purpose of running such a challenging event in aid of six deserving charities: Childhood Cancer Ireland, the Jack & Jill Foundation, Headway Ireland, Rebel Wheelers, Carrigaline First Responders, and Carrigaline Youth Centre.

College of FET courses

Carrigaline Active Retirement Association (CARA) had a big crowd at the community complex for a presentation by Anna McDermott, from the College of FET, Herons Wood, Carrigaline, telling them about the various courses coming up in the new year. The courses are all free of charge.

CARA will hold their Christmas lunch in
the Trident Hotel, Kinsale on Thursday, December, 11.

Arts funding schemes

An information session about Cork County Council arts funding for 2026 will take place at the Carrigaline Library from 1pm to 2pm on Thursday, December 4. The council’s Library and Arts Service is inviting proposals for arts projects, activities, and events in Cork County next year that may be eligible for funding under a range of grant assistance schemes that are now open for applications.

Funds include the Arts Grant Scheme, which will support arts organisations and the voluntary sector to deliver arts activity, support arts projects through the Irish language, and provide bursary and residency opportunities for professional artists in all disciplines.

Two new schemes were announced, including the Artist in the Community Scheme, which supports artists to work with communities, and a Small Capital Investment Scheme to support organisations in investing in equipment or improvements to their premises.

The Creative Communities Scheme supports large-scale community arts projects.

Applications can be made online until January 9. Guidelines are available on the arts section of Cork County Council’s website, www.corkcoco.ie. For queries on the schemes, email arts@corkcoco.ie or call 021 4346210.