Micheál Martin: Cork Event Centre sod-turning should never have happened

The infamous Cork Event Centre sod-turning, which took place 10 years ago at the former Beamish and Crawford site, should never have happened, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the launch, which was performed 16 days before the 2016 general election by then taoiseach Enda Kenny, tánaiste Joan Burton, agriculture minister Simon Coveney, and lord mayor Chris O’Leary.

“It shouldn’t have happened, that event, because it was nowhere near even starting when that happened,” Mr Martin has said.

Last month, The Echo revealed that Cork City Council has so far spent €2.2m on the event centre — mostly on consultancy and legal fees — without a single brick being laid.

The initial tender for the 6,000-seat multi-purpose centre was awarded in 2014 to Dutch construction firm BAM, which secured planning for a proposed €50.4m venue on the South Main St site, with €20m in State aid agreed.

The event centre was initially expected to be completed by 2018, but projected costs ballooned to about €150m, while the required State funding rose to €57m in 2021.

A further €40m was deemed necessary before the Cabinet decided in October 2024 that a new procurement process was necessary to satisfy EU rules.

A new project management delivery team for the centre, led by Cork City Council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney, was established in January 2025. 

The event centre is due to go to tender, for the second time, in the coming months.

On Friday, Mr Martin reminded reporters that after the sod-turning, when he was in opposition, he had “called it out for what it was”. In May 2017, he described the launch as “an opportunistic political stunt”.

The Taoiseach said progress was being made by the council’s delivery team, and Government awaited the outcome of its work.

“I can’t give a timeline to it… it has to be done properly, that’s the legal advice we’ve received, but I do accept the frustrations, not all on the side of the authorities in government either,” Mr Martin said.

The Taoiseach’s remarks came after Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice unveiled a plaque on South Main St on the 10th anniversary of the sod-turning, an event he described as one of Cork’s biggest white elephants.

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny did not respond when asked for a comment on Mr Martin’s remarks.

Three years ago, Mr Kenny spoke to The Echo about the ill-fated photo-opportunity that was the 2016 sod-turning, saying it had not been the reason the event centre was later delayed.

“The photograph was taken in very good faith that all of the elements that were remaining to have the matter concluded and the centre concluded were all done in good faith,” he said.