Cork councillor calls for Whiddy Island oil terminal to be reopened

An oil terminal on an island in Bantry Bay should be developed by the Government in the wake of the recent blockade of Ireland’s only operating refinery at Whitegate in East Cork, a county councillor has said.

Beara county councillor Finbarr Harrington made the assertions when standing orders were suspended at a county council meeting to discuss the Government handling of nationwide fuel protests.

US company Sunoco bought the Whiddy terminal from Canadian firm Zenith in 2024, and has storage capacity for over 1m cubic metres of crude oil, petrol, diesel, and kerosene.

The independent councillor said some of the biggest tankers in the world are able to dock at Whiddy’s deepwater quay and unload fuel there. However, he said the products currently must be sent for refining to other EU countries and Britain and shipped back again.

“This is completely reckless, considering the current state of the world. Whitegate hasn’t got the capacity to handle all this fuel,” the councillor said, adding it makes complete sense to open a refinery at Whiddy.

“The State should take it over, put in a refinery and build up storage capacity there.”

Tragedy occurred on January 8, 1979, at the Whiddy Island terminal, when the crude oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded at a jetty. It resulted in the deaths of 42 French nationals, seven Irish, and one British man.

Explosion

Such was the intensity of the explosion, the bodies of just 27 of the 50 dead were recovered. Another fatality occurred when a Dutch diver lost his life during the salvage operation.

Mr Harrington believes the Whiddy Island oil depot can be developed safely as an oil refining facility, which could bring significant economic and strategic benefits to the region and to Ireland as a whole.

“It would create a substantial number of direct and indirect jobs, boosting local employment and supporting surrounding communities through increased demand for services and infrastructure,” Mr Harrington said.

He added that enhancing domestic refining capacity would also strengthen Ireland’s energy security by reducing reliance on imported refined fuels, helping to stabilise supply during global disruptions.

“Overall, such a development could stimulate regional growth, increase national resilience in energy supply, and contribute to long-term economic stability,” Mr Harrington told council colleagues.

Critisism

During the suspension of standing orders debate on the fuel crisis, which was sought by Independent councillor Alan Coleman, the Government came in for stinging criticism from some councillors for its handling of the situation.

The blockade of the Whitegate oil refinery was highlighted, as was the impact of soaring fuel prices.

However, similar to the Dáil vote, the Government parties on the council had the numbers to fend off a no confidence motion in it.

Mr Harrington also called for development at the Barryroe oil and gas fields off the south coast to make Ireland wholly fuel-sufficient and insulated from international upheavals.