AFTER a lengthy wait, residents in the vicinity of Skibbereen’s New Bridge and Abbeystrewry have welcomed public lighting repairs, writes Jackie Keogh.

Early in 2025, when Cork County Council was contacted about the lack of light on what is a popular walking route, a spokesperson confirmed that the electric lighting at New Bridge and Abbeystrewry had become faulty, and was decommissioned for safety reasons.

At that time, a local authority spokesperson said the matter would be examined and an appropriate solution would be identified.

In the event that the lighting had reached its end of life, the council said it would identify the associated costs and secure the necessary funding.

Locals and walkers, who do the loop route over the New Bridge, have welcomed the new, improved public lighting, at Schull Road.

They said it is a positive development considering that a recent report showed there were 826 faults reported in Skibbereen in 2025, with four taking longer than 100 days to fix.