Repeated Call for Off-Street Car Parking in Passage West

Writes Leo McMahon

‘These don’t have be huge so long as we can get cars off the main street’, said Cllr Eoghan Fahy (SF) at the monthly meeting of Carrigaline Municipal District (MD) when again calling on the county council to provide sites for off-street parking for Passage West.

A year ago he requested a survey of the town centre to see if a site or sites could be identified for designated car park when funding became available.

In reply, senior executive officer Maurice Murphy said: ‘Since the previous motion was submitted, the MD contacted the Property Section. The council does not own any suitable land for parking in Passage West nor are there any lands zoned for parking there in the County Development Plan (CDP). The MD recommends this issue be looked at in more detail in discussions for the upcoming CDP.’

Cllr Fahy said it was over to the councillors to take the matter on board for the next CDP.  However, there had been several plans for Passage West and currently, traffic on the relatively narrow main street (R610) from the butcher’s shop by the Centre Block to beyond the dockyard, which was regularly used by heavy goods vehicles for the working dockyard as well as buses etc, needed alleviating.  He argued that there were potential vacant and or derelict sites which could get cars off the main thoroughfare.  An cathaoirleach Cllr Ben Dalton-O’Sullivan (Ind) seconded.

Cllr Eoghan Fahy in Passage West where he is calling on the county council to provide off street parking areas close to the Centre Block, the quay and other vacant town centre sites - photo Leo McMahon 

Old Cemetery

Cllr Fahy also had a motion asking the council to carry out repairs and examine the wall in Kilmurry Old Graveyard, Passage West.

‘We have seen several incidents of sections collapsing and trees growing through the wall resulting in one part falling on to a loved one’s graves. The wall in question also bounds a private residence and there is also problem near the gate,’ said Cllr Fahy who acknowledged the work done already by the area office including repair to a wall at the back of the burial ground.

Cllr Dalton-O’Sullivan seconded saying it was very important to look after burial grounds.

Acting senior executive engineer Alan Cogan replied that the council undertook substantial repair works earlier this year following previous requests. Any additional repairs, which were substantial, were subject to available funding which he would try to pursue.

Cllr Fahy asked that flag poles be erected by Glenbrook cross river ferry terminal similar to that at Carrigaloe. Residents, he added, were carrying out good work there.

MD officer Denise Kidney said she would follow up who provided the flag poles at Carrigaloe with Cobh MD but understood it was a local community group that looked after these. In support of Cllr Fahy, Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF) said Crosshaven Development Committee paid for and maintained flags in their village.

Cllr Fahy thanked the engineer and council staff for storm damage repairs to the road near Monkstown Golf Club and repairs to sunken sections of the R610 main road.