The additions will be designed to last at least five years.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher has welcomed € 1.3 million in funding under Fáilte Ireland’s Weatherproofing & Dining Enhancement Scheme which will “bolster the city’s growing reputation as a destination for outdoor dining and hospitality and improve the vibrancy of the city centre experience for residents and tourists”.

New bespoke parasols, awnings, windbreaks, heaters, festoon lighting, and purpose-built planters are to be installed at Princes Street, Caroline Street, Pembroke St, Beasley Street, and Union Quay by early November, enabling winter and summer outdoor dining.

Here’s the plan:

Princes Street: Install heaters and lighting to the 17 parasols already placed on the street.

Beasley Street: Install larger awnings, festoon lighting along the centre of the street, giant umbrellas and parasols and resurface street parallel to the original cobblestone pathway

Union Quay: Install 16 parasols similar to those on Princes Street. Each premises to have a unique colour parasol and windbreaker. Festoon lighting above the parasols. Improved pedestrian access, inclusive of wheelchair access and improved resurfaced road surface.

Caroline Street: Awnings, parasols, festoon lighting, mature trees, bespoke windbreak/ planter units with age-friendly seating.

Pembroke St: Install awnings, parasols, and festoon lighting.

Cork-based Meitheal Architects and local architectural firm, Carr, Cotter and Naessens were engaged by Cork City Council to design the new streetscapes, providing a unique identity to each street.

In a boost for local business, some of the bespoke infrastructure is being locally fabricated by Cork-based companies.

The funding allocation of funds is part of a €9 million programme that will see 38 streets across Ireland develop their capacity for outdoor hospitality.