Council Should Purchase Old Rochestown Railway Station
Writes Leo McMahon
A call by Cllr Marcia D’Alton (Ind) on Cork County Council to buy the former Rochestown Railway Station house was fully supported at the recent meeting of Carrigaline-Ballincollig Municipal District (MD).
‘It’s a God-given opportunity for the local authority to step in and acquire what could become a much-needed public amenity in a very beautiful building on a waterside site which is currently on sale for €250,000’.
Rochestown, said Cllr D’Alton, was a massively built up conurbation that badly needed public amenities and a meeting place, adding she was disappointed the council hadn’t listed it as a protected building.
Referring to the city boundary expansion in 2019 that will take in Rochestown, MD officer Kevin O’Regan said he couldn’t imagine the county council being interested in purchasing it and then landing it on the city council to deal with. There was also need to spell out what specific uses the building would have.
Chairperson Mary Rose Desmond (FF), in support of Cllr D’Alton, said that regardless of what local authority was in charge, it was about looking after the Rochestown area with its adjoining railway line walkway. It was an opportunity that presented good value.
‘It’s not fair that the residents should suffer because we’ve got a boundary change,’ commented Cllr D’Alton, who suggested working with the city council on this.
Mr O’Regan said that if more specific details about possible use for the building were submitted, he would pass on same to the director of services. Cllrs D’Alton and Desmond undertook to draft more details to the MD officer.
* The former station along the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway opened as Douglas on June 8th, 1850. On April 1st, 1856 it was renamed Rochestown. Passenger services were withdrawn on September 12th, 1932. The nearby platform is well preserved along what is now a popular and mainly shoreline Greenway route between the city and Monkstown.
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