Residents still fear over asbestos at north Cork former piggery

Residents of a Cork village remain concerned about the site of a piggery which contained asbestos, over nine months after the structure was demolished.

The piggery was knocked down on April 12 and 13, 2025.

Immediately after the demolition, concerns about the presence of asbestos at the site led to the cancellation of GAA games on a neighbouring pitch while the local playground was also empty in the immediate aftermath.

While some clean-up of the site has been carried out, it has not been completed and residents remain concerned.

ASBESTOS

Asbestos has been linked to the development of diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.

It is now illegal to place asbestos or asbestos-containing products on the market, though it is often present in buildings constructed before the millennium.

Subsequent testing of materials at the Grenagh site proved residents' fears there was asbestos in the building.

As a result, material at the site is being dampened on a daily basis.

A number of meetings have been held with local residents by representatives of Cork County Council, including one in early January.

It is understood that while some work was carried out last August, the site has remained untouched since.

David Manning of the Grenagh Residents Sub-Committee said: 

“The community is now living with constant uncertainty around the future of this site.” 

He said the locals feel let down by the progress in clearing the site.

In a letter to the council last year, the group said: “The children of this community now face years—perhaps even decades—before they will know whether these reckless actions have had serious, life-altering consequences.” The letter also asked that “the community need to be given written information on planned dates, times, hours of work, extent of supervision of work by Cork County Council, HSE and HSA".

"We will also need to know who will be allowed on site during the clean-up and how this will be supervised and managed," it said.

A spokesman for Cork County Council said: “The council continues to engage with representatives of the local community and elected representatives and met with the group earlier this month. Further updates will be provided to this group shortly in relation to the lands in question.”