Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has said that that the recent EU funded project for Elizabeth Fort will help develop a European heritage site of high calibre. In November 2016, Cork City Council made an application for funding under the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme for the recovery and enhancement of the appreciation of maritime, military and industrial heritage of Atlantic Coast Areas. The project is committed to the value enhancement of the urban coastal edge of the Atlantic Area through the recovery of disused assets associated with military, maritime and industrial heritage of coastal cities, facilitating their social use and generating value added activities in order to promote cultural tourism as a factor of economic sustainability.

   In July 2017, Cork City Council was advised of its successful bid under this programme with the following partnership cities – Ferrol, Plymouth City Council, Pole Metropolitain Caen Mormandie, Camara Municipal de lllhavo, Ayuntamiento De Cadiz, Limerick City and County Council, Ville De La Rochelle, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. The overall financing costs associated with the project is e2.4m, of which e 307,500 (over a three year period), is assigned to Cork City Council (representing a co-financing rate of 75% of the total project costs).

   Cllr McCarthy noted: “it is great to see the seventeenth century fort becoming more and more of a focal point for tourists and locals. The Interreg project will encompass the chance to workshop ideas with other European cities. This project represents Cork City Council’s continued commitment to the development of Elizabeth Fort and to the promotion of the maritime tourism proposition for Cork”.

  It is anticipated that the first project meeting of the Interreg group will take place in September/October 2017.