THE repair of Kinsale Municipal Hall needs to be a Council priority so it can be opened once again to the general public, a councillor has urged.

The issue of the municipal hall on St John’s Hill, which has been partly closed since 2019 due to safety concerns, was raised at last week’s meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District.

The hall has in the past hosted the municipal district meetings but they have since been moved to Bandon Library.

Council staff work on the ground floor but the main hall and stage is closed off.

Councillors had adopted the Local Property Tax Discretionary Capital Programme, where a possible €125,000 is to be earmarked for improvement works to the hall especially the roof.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said it’s very disappointing that the hall isn’t opened to the people of Kinsale, while Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) said Kinsale is the jewel in the crown in the county and that it’s a pity that this small hall with exceptional history is closed.

‘It should be a prime priority to have his local Council hall preserved. We do need to make a plan and strategy for this public building,’ said Cllr Coughlan.

Municipal district manager Padraig Barrett said there is no easy solution to this situation.

‘We all want to retain the building into public use but it will require a lot of funding to bring it to that level,’ he said.

Municipal district officer Brian Dunne also said that funding totalling €170,361.75 has already been secured for the refurbishment of Kinsale Museum from the Historic Structures Fund (HSF).

‘In addition, a further application to the Heritage Council under the Historic Towns Initiative was successful and we secured €200,000,’ he said.

Project planning is currently underway and they hope to progress internal and external works in August and September.

He also said that St Multose Church, which isn’t Council owned, received funding of €30,0000 for the development of a Conservation Management Plan.

A total of €925,000 has been ringfenced for numerous projects across the municipal district including €110,00 for marketing and promotion of tourism in the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District, as well as monies to upgrade drainage and footpath at Darrara cemetery and the upgrade of toilets and disability access at Garrettstown Beach.