Musicians ‘fobbed off’ as Cork City Council refuses gear van access to popular street

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

Musicians playing gigs in Cork city’s Oliver Plunkett Street venues will have to continue hauling their equipment from one or two kilometres away after the city council shot down a suggestion to give them barrier access fobs for the pedestrianised street, citing public safety concerns.

City Councillor Paudie Dineen had requested the change, saying a barrier fob could be set up on Parnell Place at the end of Oliver Plunkett Street to provide easier access to bands, musicians and roadies setting up for gigs in licenced premises in and around the popular city centre street. He said the current vehicular access on the street up to 11 am doesn’t help as bands arrive later than that to set up for their gigs.

Cllr Dineen said that bands “who bring large quantities of expensive, sensitive equipment to the venues are having extreme difficulties in transporting the equipment from other parts of the city centre. In some cases they drag the equipment up to one, one and a half, and two kilometres away from the venues.”

The independent councillor added that he had spoken to a licenced premises owner at the junction of Oliver Plunkett Street and Parnell Place and “he has confirmed to me that he is very willing to accept a fob, do his part and do it responsibly to address the issue to hand.”

In a written reply to Cllr Dineen’s request, Cork City Council officials said that vehicular access to Oliver Plunkett Street during pedestrianised hours “must be assessed in the broader context of how the space is used, with particular regard for the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.”

"Permitting vehicles to enter the pedestrianised zone at times when people are not expecting traffic increases the risk of conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. The request can be reviewed as part of the wider city centre strategy.”

Speaking at this week’s meeting of the city council, Cllr Dineen expressed his disappointment. “I thought it was a simple ask. What we're asking for was just responsible access to a street where bands can drop off their gear close to the gig. I didn't ask can we land an airplane on the street in fairness. I mean there was a time back in the day we used to have trains coming across the street and there was a man with a red flag letting people know there's a train coming. I mean people aren’t silly, they can see it.”

“So I'm very disappointed with the response. I think to bring it forward to another committee is only extending the problem. So my supplementary question would be if I was able to organise to have flashing yellow lights and a man with a red flag in front of them walking down the street, would that be acceptable as a safety measure to ensure they can drop off their gear instead of parking over in Union Quay?”

A city council official at the meeting responded that “we will review it and we are going to engage on that so we will try and work towards the solution but there are genuine concerns around pedestrian safety on the pedestrianised street.”