CORK County Council has confirmed that of the €670,000 spent on a new signage scheme in Bantry town, the portal on Wolfe Tone Square cost €95,000.
The cost of including Bantry in the Destination Towns Programme has prompted a strong response among locals and some believe that the €670,000 of taxpayers’ money could have been better spent on filling potholes, providing additional school buses, housing for those in need, or repairs to the town’s culvert system.
A group calling itself Bantry Public Money Action was formed last week and plans are afoot to have a public meeting to discuss the programme of works, which includes 22 other smaller signs around the town.
The Council confirmed that €500,000 in funding was allocated by Fáilte Ireland and that the local authority provided 25% in matching funding as part of the Destination Towns Programme, which had a nationwide spend of €15.5m.
The Council has also rejected criticism that the project was carried out without consultation.
A spokesperson said they consulted with Bantry Historical Society, Bantry Tourism and Development Association and the Bantry Bay Port Authority.
Cork County Council this week provided The Southern Star with a partial breakdown of what the €670,000 was spent on.
They said the spend included the removal of 20 existing heritage trail interpretive panels from various locations around the town, stretching from Abbey Cemetery to St Finbarr’s Church.
The spokesperson said money was also spent on ‘decluttering and the rearrangement’ of seating and street furniture on Wolfe Tone Square to create ‘a more structured and aesthetically pleasing space’.
The new ‘portal’ in Bantry. (Photo: Facebook)
A total of 23 new stainless steel signs were put in place, including one large gateway structure located on Wolfe Tone Square.
This structure – which they call ‘The Sign’ and ‘The Portal’ – was described by the Council as ‘modern and classic in design.’
‘It provides an uninterrupted and spectacular view out onto the harbour,’ the spokesperson added.
The Council said the sign is intended to act as a gathering and information point for all locals and visitors to the town.
It contains three storyboards, providing a snapshot into Bantry’s heritage and it replaces an existing shelter.
On Wednesday, before going to press, the Council confirmed that the total cost of the 5m wide, 2.4m deep, and 3m sign, or portal, was €95,000 ex-vat.
The spokesperson said the structure is made from grade 316 stainless steel consisting of two upright sections linked with a splayed roof section.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the town, are six totem signs and eight lectern structures, stretching from Abbey Cemetery to St Finbarr’s Church.
The spokesperson said these ‘concentrate on how Bantry has developed over the years, its relationship with the sea, key information on Wolfe Tone and some famous Bantry people.’
Meanwhile, included in the €670,000 spend are eight directional fingerpost signs, positioned at key locations throughout the town to complement the new storyboard structures, leading the visitor to key points of interest.
The controversy over the amount of money spent on this project continues to rage online.
‘Ohhhh what ‘we’ could have done with that!’ Femke Peterse said.
‘What we could have done for schools, local activities, housing, you name it.’ Laura MacCarthy posted that a WhatsApp group has been set up to get to the bottom of this ‘impractical and financial waste of public funding.’
Thomas McEnroe called on The Southern Star to establish the exact breakdown of how the €670,000 was used instead of dramatising the situation.
‘There are always people who will be critical of how money is spent,’ he said, but also wondered why the original shelter was removed.
