Welcome for ‘milestone’ new Garda HQ in Cork town

Works on the Garda divisional headquarters for Cork county, which will be based in Macroom, have now commenced. Construction company JJ Rhatigan & Company has been appointed as the contractor to deliver the long-awaited facility.

Located on a new site at Gurteenroe in Macroom, the station will comprise a 4,338sq m building on a site of circa 0.68 hectares and consists of a building up to four storeys in height, with standalone single-storey buildings and related existing demolitions, site and boundary works.

The accommodation will include a public office, staff offices, conference facilities, staff support facilities, custody areas, plant and associated ancillary spaces.

Cork North West Fianna Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan said the news is welcome for the town of Macroom and surrounding area.

“It’s great to achieve this significant milestone in the development of Macroom’s new Garda station. Having a garda HQ in Macroom will bring additional Garda services, and personnel, as well as to strengthen the Garda presence locally.”

He said he also wanted to acknowledge the patience of gardaí and locals over the years. The current Macroom station dates to approximately 1850 having been constructed during the Victorian era for the former Royal Irish Constabulary.

Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea said this latest development marks a major milestone for policing infrastructure in the region and a step forward for Macroom and the wider Cork north west division.

“The appointment of JJ Rhatigan & Company and the commencement of works on site is tangible progress on a project that has been badly needed for many years,” said Mr O’Shea

“Our gardaí deserve modern, safe and functional facilities, and this new station and divisional headquarters will deliver exactly that.”

He said the minister for justice, Jim O’Callaghan, and the minister of state at the office of public works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran will visit Macroom this month to officially turn the sod on the project.

Local Fine Gael Cork county councillor Ted Lucey added: “It is great to see this project finally becoming a reality for Macroom.”

Gardaí have long campaigned for a new garda station for the town, citing poor working conditions in the nineteenth century barracks.