26 February 2020
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
File photo of Spike Island General Manager John Crotty
Spike Island has been allocated a total of €150,214 for the development of its coastal walkway route according to David Stanton, Fine Gael TD for Cork East and Minister of State at the Department of Justice & Equality. The funding has been awarded under the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.
“I am pleased that Cork County Council are receiving this funding to extend and upgrade the existing coastal walkway which runs around Spike Island Fortress. I understand that the €150,214 will also be used to install additional benches along the route and for signage. These improvements will further enhance the visitor experience at this hugely successful tourist attraction.”
“The funding for this project has been allocated under the Outdoor Recreation Scheme which is a collaborative initiative between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Fáilte Ireland to develop new outdoor recreational infrastructure and also to support the maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas. It has been very effective to date with a total of €45 million allocated to worthwhile projects since its inception in 2017,” said Minister Stanton,
The Spike Island application was successful under Measure 2 of the Outdoor Recreation Scheme which is aimed at medium-sized projects. The maximum grant available under Measure 2 is limited to €200,000. Measure 1 of the scheme relates to small projects with a maximum value of €20,000 and Measure 3 provides funding of up to €500,000 and is reserved for large strategic projects.
“I would like to congratulation Cork County Council for their successful application for this important project for Spike Island. I am confident that these improvements will serve to attract even more visitors to Spike Island in the coming years,” concluded David Stanton.
