Full steam ahead for Bantry Harbour

The decision by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, to provide a £1.5 million grant for Bantry Harbour should help jump-start an ambitious £7.8 million development there. Building is likely to begin next year.

According to the Bantry Harbour Commissioner, Fianna Fail councillor Mr Vivian O'Callaghan, Mr Fahey's approval of the grant is the first step towards regenerating the harbour and making it one of the most commercially successful ports in the south-west.

"Although the overall development is likely to cost £7.8 million, this £1.5 million is crucial in that it will kick-start the project, and the harbour commissioners are confident they can source the remainder through their own funds and EU schemes," Mr O'Callaghan said.

The redevelopment plan for the harbour is based on a report by consultants Fitzgibbon & Co, commissioned by the harbour commissioners in 1998, which identified three major phases of regeneration.

"The first phase would be a major extension to the railway pier - basically, to construct a sizeable pier at a right angle to the railway pier - while the second phase would be to extend the existing town pier and extend parking and wharfage there," Mr O'Callaghan said.

Bantry is the biggest centre of mariculture in the country, with the industry generating approximately £30 million a year, but there is an urgent need for more landing facilities, according to Mr O'Callaghan.

"There's a lot of pressure on the existing pier, both in terms of the mariculture industry and also in terms of boats coming in from Whiddy Island, as well as fishing craft . . . and tourist yachts," he said.

"By constructing a new railway pier, we would hope to generate a good deal of commercial traffic. Bantry could import grain and coal, while it could also serve as an export port for timber." Mr O'Callaghan is also hopeful that the US oil refining giant, Tosco, which is to take over Whiddy oil refinery from the Irish National Petroleum Corporation as part of a $100 million deal, will also support the redevelopment of Bantry.

"The arrival of Tosco on the scene should be a huge boost for Whiddy and we would be hoping that they would see their way towards making a contribution to the onshore development of the harbour," he said. A new railway pier would also allow Naval Service boats to come alongside and berth. Currently, a Naval Service ship comes into Bantry every second weekend, but it has to moor offshore and the crew have to come ashore in rigid inflatables, he said.

The final phase of the proposed harbour redevelopment will involve building a yachting marina inside the railway pier.

"A marina would be of considerable assistance to tourism interests," Mr O'Callaghan said.

"Bantry was one of the finest ports in the south. Unfortunately, the infrastructure was allowed go into decline over the years. But we're confident that, with this funding and our development plan, we can set about regenerating Bantry as a commercial port."