Dominick Donnelly

29^th April 2009 

The car park at Gobby Beach in Ringaskiddy has been put on the market by the liquidator for Irish Ispat, through auctioneers Lisney at their Cork office.  Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, the Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council for the Douglas area, has asked Cork County Council to check out the ownership of this car park, as local residents always thought it belonged to the county council, and the county council have maintained the car park, and have put bottle banks on it.

Cllr. Donnelly said:  “I have asked Declan Daly, the Divisional Manager for the South Cork area, to check into the ownership of this car park.  The local understanding is that this car park is already owned by Cork County Council, but it has recently been put up for sale by the liquidator of Irish Ispat through Lisney’s auctioneers.  If it transpires that Cork County Council do not own the car park, then I urge them to acquire it as an essential piece of local infrastructure.”

“It is essential that this car park stays in public ownership, as it is well used by the general public, and is the only access to Gobby Beach, one of very few beaches in Cork Harbour.  The auctioneer has informed me that a sale of this car park was negotiated with the Office of Public Works a few years ago, but it did not proceed.  Really the only logical owner for this car park is the local authority, and they must investigate this as a matter of urgency,”  continued Cllr. Donnelly.

Additional Information:  The Gobby Beach car park is at the end of the Ringaskiddy peninsula, near the bridge to Haulbowline and adjacent to Indaver’s site, where they are currently applying to build two incinerators.