An expansion of the country's only cable car service is urgently required to meet the growing demand by tourists wishing to visit an island off the west Cork coast, public representatives and local people said this week.
According to Adrigole-based Fianna Fáil Cllr Danny Crowley, tourism on the Beara peninsula has expanded dramatically over the past few years to the point that the cable car service to Dursey Island can no longer cater for those wishing to visit the place.
"It's the only cable car in the country and it's become a tourist attraction in its own right for people visiting the area," he said. "The cable car can carry six passengers at a time but with up to 300 people wanting to visit the island some days, the service just can't cope."
The service is operated by Cork County Council, which currently employs one cable car operator, and runs seven days a week throughout the year, except in force eight weather conditions when it is too dangerous to run the cable car.
The 200-metre-long trip in the cable car takes about 10 minutes.
It is also used to transport livestock and provisions to the island, travelling some 25 metres above the water of Dursey Sound between Ballaghboy on the mainland and the island.
The electric cable car service was officially opened on December 5th, 1969, by then taoiseach Jack Lynch to ensure that the island would not become cut off during the winter months, as frequently happened when Dursey Sound became too treacherous to cross by boat.
Cllr Crowley said: "The cable car operator is doing his best but he's having to work seven days a week to provide this service.
"What we need is a second operator to help out and allow for the expansion of the hours of service during the summer months," he said.
There are currently eight people living on the island, compared to 200 or so people in the 1920s.
During the summer months the 6.5km x 1.5km island proves a popular destination for tourists, in particular bird-watchers, because of the many rare birds who visit there.
A Cork County Council spokesman said that a motion calling for the extension of the hours of service during the summer months had recently been discussed by councillors and the matter is currently under consideration by council management.