Visitor 'exceptionally positive': High visitor numbers reported at Camden Fort Meagher

One of Cork’s most popular tourist attractions has witnessed a steady increase in visitor numbers in the months since it reopened earlier this year.

Camden Fort Meagher reopened in April, following an extensive, €750,000 revitalisation and enhancement programme, and since that date, more than 9,000 people have visited the attraction.

The figure was included in a reply given to a question from Crosshaven Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley at the July meeting of Cork County Council’s Carrigaline municipal district.

The reply, from Cork County Council senior executive Maurice Murphy, shows that since the fort reopened in April, it has had 9,107 visitors up to the date of the response, July 15, with the vast majority of those visitors, 7,604, having bought daily tickets.

In April, 654 people visited the fort, while in May, 3,215 visited, in June, 3,112 visited and, to date in July, 2,126 visited.

“The total of 2,126 to date in July includes a total of 1,383 who availed of free entry for your ‘council day’ on July 5,” Mr Murphy said.

“It is important to note that outside of ‘your council day’, daily visitor numbers range from zero to 406, with May and June having an average of 130 per day.”

He said that weather is a significant factor affecting daily visitor numbers, making them unpredictable, something which he said presented a challenge to the fort’s café operator.

“The tenfold increase in footfall based on the average for ‘your council day’ could not have been predicted and caused difficulty on the day for the café operator,” he said.

“As can be regularly seen in the media the hospitality sector is facing significant challenges, and given the nature of the site at Camden, striking a correct balance is even more challenging.”

Mr Murphy said that visitor had been “exceptionally positive”.

Mr Murphy advised the meeting that a letter of acceptance had issued to the preferred candidate for the post of manager of the site, and their formal appointment would follow soon.

“The assistant manager post attracted 51 applications which are currently going through a shortlisting process, and the council hopes to hold interviews in the coming two weeks,” he said.

Open from April to October, Fort Camden Meagher is internationally recognised as one of the finest remaining examples of a classical coastal artillery fort in the world.