Roughan & O'Donovan (ROD) is pleased to report that the Dursey Island cable car has reopened, following the completion of a €1.6 million upgrade project.
The reopening of Ireland’s only cab car system is a source of great relief to both Dursey Island residents and mainland-based farmers who use the cable car to access the island to tend to their livestock. Visitors touring the Wild Atlantic Way this summer will also be delighted with the news, as the 374m journey high above Dursey Sound is a major tourist attraction.
Set up by Cork County Council in 1969, the cable car system has carried tens of thousands of visitors to the remote Dursey Island, on the tip of the Beara peninsula in west Cork. It was forced to close in March 2022, however, as rough Atlantic weather and normal wear and tear had taken a toll on the system’s ageing infrastructure.
The council engaged ROD to redesign the cable car's towers and island anchor frame to enable it to maintain the highest level of safety for passengers and ensure compliance with current international standards. We were well placed to undertake the project, having worked closely with the council for over a decade to keep the cable car operational.
In 2010, we undertook a deterministic and probabilistic assessment of the structure, which involved a structural, mechanical and electrical check of the entire cableway system. Further multi-annual assessments were undertaken in 2013, 2016 and 2019 due to the particularly aggressive marine environment. Inspection and evacuation manuals were also prepared by our team.
Construction began in July 2022, with TLI Group Ltd, who are expert in building similar towers and tensioned cables, as contractor. Close cooperation between the council, ROD and TLI Group Ltd. allowed for effective communication and problem-solving throughout the project.
Given the historical and social importance of the cable car, the project team was delighted to safeguard the cable car for future generations.
