Tom MacSweeney: Communication is key to local heritage planning

Sun, 19 Apr, 2026 - 17:30

Culture and history are essential aspects that build community pride.

Cork County Council encourages communities to actively participate in local heritage development.

In partnership with Fáilte Ireland, a public consultation process to shape the ‘Youghal Orientation Strategy’ has been announced. This is intended to “guide how visitors understand, navigate, and experience the town, creating clearer and more connected routes between the historic centre, waterfront, beaches, and town attractions”.

Youghal has “a stunning coastal setting and a spirit that makes it truly special”, according to Mayor of County Cork, Mary Linehan Foley, a native of the town.

“Guiding Youghal’s future,” was how she described the strategy.

Progressive for a coastal community, although ‘public consultation’ as at present used, puts communities in the reactive position of responding to policies already constructed by authorities.

Thus it is a flawed and out-dated approach whereas a ‘town hall meeting’ process, actually talking with local communities about a plan impacting them could produce better results.

The Cork County Council approach at Youghal is different to how it has treated two outstanding issues of community concern in Cork Harbour.

One is at Monkstown, where the council’s declared intention will destroy what the community sees as a piece of iconic cultural heritage to facilitate traffic. The other is in the nearby town park of Passage West, cutting down riverside trees to facilitate car parking. In Monkstown there is no objection to a greenway being developed, but there is to removing the central green space island.

In both issues communication and discussion with local community stakeholders, as residents are, has been lacking. Getting engineers and planners to discuss these is not easy. For nearly a year Cork County Council’s communications press office has declined my request for an interview about Monkstown. The planners have declared the ‘village centre’ to be in a different location to where residents say it is.

Monkstown Heritage Group said there was no meaningful public consultation process with the community.

“The project was suspended in 2017 for re-design. Six years later in October 2023 a public notice was placed which did not include removing the island,” according to the group.

Communication, talking to and meeting with local people to discuss and come to agreement about decisions impacting their community, should be a priority.

Cork maritime museum

My recent reference about Cork city having a maritime museum drew quite a bit of supportive comment, including this from Evelyn Fenton, drawing on her experience of living in Amsterdam:

“I have often thought while passing the old bonded warehouses on the pier in Cork city that that whole pier could be turned into a fabulous maritime museum with the warehouses repaired and restored and a nice cafe/bistro and activity area for kids. Maybe even a large scale model showing how the streets used to look with water running through and ships moored, before the water was diverted,” she said.

“I lived in Amsterdam for nine years when my boys were little. The maritime museum there had a pier alongside into which they had installed a (presumably newly-built) three or four masted sailing ship from probably around 1800. Every weekend, kids could sign up for activities in the ship, including a brilliant ‘rescue the captain from the pirates’ game which took place over the entire ship — the captain being in full naval uniform in a cage in the hold.

“Why oh why can we not pull together enough imagination to do this in Cork, instead of giving someone planning permission to build yet another hotel on that pier site?”

Cruise ships

The cruise ship season in Cork Harbour started on Monday with the arrival of AIDAluna, the first of 93 ships expected between now and November. On Sunday, April 26, the first ship is scheduled into Bantry Bay, where there will be 10 more during the season.

“Ireland’s busiest cruise port and, with Bantry, highlighting Cork’s continued appeal as a leading destination for cruise tourism internationally. We are laser-focused at showcasing our facilities to cruise lines,” said Cork Port Company CEO and chair of Cruise Ireland, Ann Doherty.

Salmon angling

Thirty-two rivers are open for salmon and sea trout angling this year, with a further 40 available for ‘catch and release’ fishing.

Marine minister Timmy Dooley, when signing the ‘Tagging Scheme Regulations’, said this was in line with scientific advice.

The Blackwater, River Lee (lower), and River Coomhola are included in Cork. The full list of open rivers is at www.gov.ie on the tagging scheme regulations.

Islands AGM

The annual meeting of Comhdháil Oileán na hÉireann, the offshore islands representative body, is to be held on Cape Clear on Sunday.