The Mayor of the County of Cork has cut the ribbon on three new developments in Crosshaven. Cllr. Gillian Coughlan officially opened the tourist kiosk, the redeveloped Point Garden and unveiled a new sculpture at a special event on Tuesday, December 21st.
The new custom-built Tourist Information Office is located in the public car park on Lower Road overlooking the water. It replaces the portacabin that was started by local man Denis Collins in 1994 and was in operation for 25 years. Denis’ visitor books are well worth a browse.
Planning permission was granted in 2016 and Cork County Council provided the majority of the funding for the project. Credit is due to local architect Aoife Roche and fellow local Ray Connolly of Fire Risk Solutions for their voluntary work in design and securing planning permission. The Centra Challenge also contributed €5,000 in the early stages of the project to get the ball rolling.
Crosshaven Development Committee fundraised and commissioned local sculptor Mike Wilkins to design an iconic piece for the village. His creation, which features two fishermen holding a full net above a boat, is located on the Greenway on the approach to Crosshaven. Additional funding was provided through the Council’s Village Enhancement Scheme.
Cork County Council carried out significant public realm improvement works at the Point Garden to make it more accessible adding new seating, picnic benches and improving the landscaping. The garden was first started by a group of locals 30 years ago who protected the area from storms and installed seating. This group included Michael Lake, Billy Bermingham with then newcomers to the area, Kathleen and Eddie Sheehan.
It has been widely used ever since and the community was very lucky as Kathleen and Eddie did a great job on maintaining it over the years. Unfortunately Eddie is no longer with us, but since then Dominick Meade and more recently Anne Bradfield and Aidan Bermingham have kept the garden in pristine condition.
Mayor Coughlan said it was a pleasure to cut the ribbon on three fantastic developments,
“These projects were the brainchild of the local community, and Cork County Council was delighted to provide funding and assistance in bringing them to fruition. They are sure to energise the community and to attract more visitors to Crosshaven. The public realm works carried out at the Point Garden have enhanced and transformed the area. The sculpture reflects the sea faring aspect of the village and will become an iconic landmark. The Tourist Kiosk is a modern and attractive building that will provide information and friendly assistance to all visitors. I know that it will become a focal point and will encourage visitors to explore everything that is on offer nearby.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added, “Crosshaven was allocated €68,000 under the Village Enhancement Scheme at the end of last year. The scheme provides support for rural settlements and to improve the infrastructure, aesthetics and facilities in villages across the County of Cork. It is great to see the improvements that have been made in Crosshaven as a result of this and other funding. We want our towns and villages to be hubs of economic and social activity and Crosshaven is a wonderful example of what can be achieved with everyone working together.”
As well as the attendance of Mayor Coughlan, fellow councillors Audrey Buckley, Marcia D’Alton, Seamus McGrath and Jack White were also present at the unveiling along with local volunteers and representatives from various community organisations.