Ringaskiddy

Places of interest

Barnahely Castle, later known as Warren's Castle, is located near Ringaskiddy. Originally the site of an Anglo-Norman castle, a new fortification was built here during the 15th or 16th century. In 1796, the site was bought and a mansion house (incorporating the remnants of the earlier castle) was built by the Warren family. The remaining ruins of the castle include a rectangular bawn.

A Martello tower sits on a hilltop at Ringaskiddy, and is one of several other forts and towers designed to protect Cork Harbour. It is accessed via the Loughbeg road and overlooks the harbour.

There are two beaches near Ringaskiddy: Lough beach (also known locally as Luc beach) and Gobby beach. Lough beach, a sandy beach with shallow water, is served by an access path and seasonal toilet facilities. Gobby beach is a rocky beach with direct views over Spike Island.

In mid-2020, a Ringaskiddy Tidy Towns group was set up.

Economy

Industry

Ringaskiddy is an important industrial centre, particularly for pharmaceutical companies such as Centocor, GlaxoSmithKline, Hovione, Novartis, Pfizer, and Recordati. Most of the world's supply of the erection-treatment drug Viagra is manufactured there. As of 2021, more than 3,800 people were reportedly employed in the Ringaskiddy area.

The Port of Cork facilities at Ringaskiddy handle much of the vehicle imports for the southern part of Ireland, with 34,000 trade vehicles imported through Cork in 2017.

Incinerator proposal

An application to build a domestic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy was rejected by An Bord Pleanála in 2011. The incinerator's proposed owners, Indaver Ireland, said the facility would relieve pressure on landfill, while locals and environmentalists feared the incinerator would impact on public health and the environment in the area. Indaver Ireland said that they had not abandoned their plans, and in 2018 were granted planning permission for the plant. However, this decision was subject to a legal challenge and, as of 2021, the High Court was due to rule on whether An Bord Pleanála could reconsider its permission decision, or if the entire planning process had to be restarted.

Amenities

Amenities in Ringaskiddy, and nearby Shanbally, include a church, primary school, shop, preschool and community centre. The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Shanbally GAA. Ringaskiddy also has a bar/restaurant (the Ferry Boat Inn).

The National Maritime College of Ireland was officially opened in Ringaskiddy in 2006 and has drawn a student population to the village. The college provides the only training in Ireland of Merchant Navy personnel, and the Irish Naval Service also carry out their non-military training there. The Irish Naval Service base at Haulbowline is 3 kilometres (2 miles) from Ringaskiddy on the L2545 local road.

References

References

1. (2016). "Small Area Population Statistics (SAPMAP Area) - Settlements - Ringaskiddy-Loughbeg". Central Statistics Office.
2. "Ringaskiddy / Rinn an Scidígh". Placenames Database of Ireland.
3. "About - Cork to Roscoff ferries".
4. (2 February 2010). "Ferry prepares for Irish Sea link". BBC News.
5. (2 February 2012). "Swansea-Cork ferry: Fastnet Line to close service with loss of 78 jobs". BBC News.
6. (25 September 2018). "Cork is playing a major role in the pharma industry". Evening Echo.
7. (29 March 2021). "M28 project: 'While needed, this motorway will have a very, very live and real impact on people’s homes'". The Echo.
8. "Barnahely, Near Ringaskiddy". Castles in County Cork (Vol. 03, no. 05).
9. "Castle Warren".
10. "Ringaskiddy Martello Tower, Ringaskiddy, County Cork". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
11. (22 June 2013). "The rise and rise of Generation Viagra". Irish Independent.
12. (2021). "Draft Cork County Development Plan 2021 - Volume Four - South Cork". Cork County Council.
13. (22 January 2018). "Port Of Cork Company & Bantry Bay Port Trade Traffic Up 8.6% In 2017". Afloat Magazine.
14. (10 June 2011). "Permission refused for Cork incinerator". RTÉ News.
15. (22 January 2010). "Ringaskiddy set to get waste incinerator". RTÉ News.
16. (31 May 2018). "Ringaskiddy incinerator: Coveney disappointed at decision". Irish Times.
17. (30 July 2018). "Challenge to €160m Ringaskiddy incinerator will not be heard until 2019". Irish Times.
18. (18 June 2021). "Judge to rule soon on Cork harbour incinerator permission". Irish Times DAC.
19. "NMCI Student Accommodation". National Maritime College of Ireland.
20. "Irish Naval Service Course Details". National Maritime College of Ireland.