Protesters slam Cork greenway route: 'It feels like they are trying to bulldoze my village'

Irish Examiner

5 days ago

A woman who lived in constant fear when she lived in an earthquake zone in the US says plans to route a major Cork greenway through her family's land have triggered the same deep-rooted anxiety.
'I lived on a fault-line in California, and the anxiety of that is equivalent to the anxiety we're feeling over this greenway plan and the impact it could have on our family's land,' Megan Sheehan said.
She was speaking as she joined a protest last night by several people impacted by the 300m-wide emerging preferred route corridor (EPRC) for the vast Cork to Kinsale greenway outside the last of three public information events on the scheme, which will accept online submissions until August 15 at corkkinsalegreenway.ie.
The preferred route runs through her father-in-law's dairy farm, and over a site where she and her husband have lodged a planning application for a home.
'This is my father-in-law's land. They are the third generation to put blood, sweat, and tears into this farm. If it splits the farm, it will affect their livelihood,' she said.
Local residents and school children protest against council plans to extend the greenway through Monkstown. Picture: Chani Anderson
'And we want to build our home here, but there has been no real consultation about the route — it's just awful.
"I am not opposed to a greenway, but they are going about this the wrong way. It feels like they are trying to bulldoze my village
They want to connect Cork and Kinsale, that's their goal, but the human cost of that isn't being weighted as heavily
'This route plan only makes sense on a map. If you actually walked it, no way in heck would you think it could work.'
She said the vast investment required for the greenway should be spent first repairing and maintaining roads in the area.
'I do believe in greenways, but we need roads that don't melt or wash away in floods,' she said.
Her neighbour, Rob Power, said seeing his house and garden fall within the preferred route 'didn't feel great'.
'I have two young daughters and this greenway could be 100m from our back garden, and I would have security concerns around that,' he said.
'This is being sold as a benefit to tourism but, if you look at what's there between Ballinhassig and Riverstick, there is very little of tourist value in it. It just looks like lazy design.
Plans were approved last year for a 400m stretch of greenway and public realm upgrades in Monkstown, which includes the removal of the village island and the creation of a new car access and boat trailer park between the greenway and the Sand Quay. Picture: Chani Anderson
'My brother-in-law's farm is next door to me, and there is potential that his farm could be split in half.
'The council can't give us costings either. To bring the 175-year-old viaduct up to standard, through surveying it, scaffolding, addressing the condition of the stone and steel — sure, that would swallow money.
'And they want to open Goggins Hill tunnel, that's an 820m-long curved tunnel. I'd have concerns about the safety of that too.'
Noreen Ring said aside from security, safety, and privacy concerns, people are worried about the disruption to nature and wildlife, to farmers' ability to farm effectively, and about potential compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).
'More worrying than anything is the lack of trust and transparency in this whole process,' she said.
'There is supposed to have been a landowner's consultation prior to this step in the process that they are currently in. However, landowners had nobody call to their door to be consulted with in any way.
'We are still finding out about impacted people who have received no letter. We have been doing everything we can to advise people of the greenway and about the final consultation, going door to door with flyers, putting them in shops, post offices etc.
Whilst we are not against greenways being built, our challenge is that it is predominantly being planned on private land, as opposed to on State land, and they can't tell us why they won't build it on State-owned land
A spokesman for Cork County Council said the non-statutory consultation underway on the preferred route at the moment is an attempt by the council to make people aware of their draft plans for the greenway.
'But we need people to respond. We need people to write in, to make submissions, and let us know what they're feeling. If they don't like it, to perhaps set out alternatives, and if there is something we are not aware of, please tell us — we will do our best to find a solution,' he said.
Deputy Michael Collins TD with Noreen and Patrick Ring, who are protesting against Cork County Council plans for the Cork to Kinsale greenway at the Viaduct in Cork. Picture: David Creedon
The council will seek to avoid severing farms but, where it may be unavoidable, it will look at accommodation works, he said.
'We need to do this right, and we want to bring the public with us. We are not trying to hide anything, but we do need people to engage with us, and to give us their reactions, solutions or alternatives.'
Monkstown
Meanwhile, in Cork Harbour, residents in Monkstown have vowed to fight to save their cherished "village island" which is slated for removal under contentious council plans for a stretch of greenway and active travel infrastructure.
Plans were approved last year for a 400m stretch of greenway and public realm upgrades in the village, which includes the removal of the village island and the creation of a new car access and boat trailer park between the greenway and the Sand Quay.
The scheme will form part of the larger Lee to Sea greenway route, but residents say the council hasn't listened to their concerns, or properly considered their compromise suggestion.
Among those to express concern about the plans was the acting principal of Scoil Barra Naofa, who said the village island is the only safe collection and drop-off point for buses for the school.
'It provides a safety refuge for parents and children waiting, dropping, and collecting. It is also a safe route for children to walk and cycle to and from school,' she said.
Monkstown's 'village island', where the proposed extension of the greenway is planned to run, prompting concern among local residents. Picture: Chani Anderson
'Moving the island would result in bringing a busy carriageway closer to our pupils while they walk and cycle to school and attend school tours and matches.
This would be quite concerning for us as a school, as we feel it would be a serious health and safety risk
The Monkstown TidyTowns committee says its alternative proposal would give the council all it requires, without removing the island.
'It also retains the current levels of safety for children and the community at large by separating the R610 from the village as it is,' spokesman Gary Duffy said.
The council spokesman said the scheme has secured planning and is on a funding pathway for delivery, but added that he would be willing to meet those who still have concerns.