THE owner of Piper’s Funfair has refuted a Cork County Council claim that he hasn’t a ‘genuine interest or commitment in resuming operations’ in Kinsale this summer.
The Council had sought a €60,000 bond from Brendan Piper before allowing him back into the resurfaced carpark on Pier Road, but he said this was excessive and difficult to secure.
Brendan said he is ‘100% committed’ to returning to the Pier Road carpark, despite correspondence seen by The Southern Star, which states that one Council official questioned if Mr Piper really wanted to return to Kinsale and resume operations.
‘I’m really hurt by that comment. I’m not doing this for show. This is my heritage and that is very distressing to hear,’ he said.
‘I’m ready to go here, the rides are ready and I have my insurance in place. I wouldn’t be protesting and doing interviews if I wasn’t committed to going back into Kinsale,’ he added.
In the correspondence, the Council says it made a ‘significant gesture’ by agreeing to accept Brendan’s offer of a reduced bond of €30,000, from the previous €60,000. However, it said that he responded by stating that he couldn’t afford a €30,000 bond.
The meeting ended without an overall agreement ‘despite the Council’s best efforts in moving to reach a resolution to the matter’ with an official alleging that no matter what the Council would have offered to resolve the impasse, Mr Piper wouldn’t have accepted it.
The bond is being sought to safeguard the Council’s recent investment in resurfacing the carpark.
Meanwhile, hundreds gathered at Short Quay last Sunday afternoon for the ‘Ban the Bond’ protest in support of Piper’s.
Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said the bond is something new and that it’s a very unfair, and another hurdle for Brendan to get over.
‘I’m sad to say that our officials are losing touch with what is really important to the people of Kinsale. Piper’s has been here for 90 years and I want to see them continue here,’ said Cllr Coleman.
Cork West Independent TD Michael Collins said the ‘goalposts’ seem to be changing all the time. ‘Now there’s another obstacle to make sure this doesn’t happen. To be honest I’m deeply suspicious that there is something else going on behind the scenes here,’ said Deputy Collins.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan pointed out that the town park was gifted to the people of Kinsale and it should be their decision what to do with it, as their amenity.
‘All we are looking for here is fairness and there is a disconnect between the Council and the people on the ground. They need to listen to the people,’ said Deputy O’Sullivan.
• A video of last weekend’s protest can be seen at southernstar.ie
