Save Cork City propose a tidal barrier and a navigation gate that can be closed as necessary to protect the city from tidal surge for generations. A tidal barrier can be built for less than a third of the cost of the Walls scheme protecting up to 16,000 additional homes in the dockland area. The Wall scheme doesn’t protect the Dockland area, Blackrock or Mahon. A tidal barrier allows for the protection of and development of the historic city and docklands together. A tidal barrier causes no disturbance to the current river landscape in the city or to the city economy during construction. The benefits of choosing a tidal barrier would start now, and would grow in time. A tidal barrier creates new economic opportunity for Cork protecting far more people and property than the OPW flood walls scheme. It removes the serious concerns relating to OPW flood walls that they would damage the city economy and tamper with groundwater causing serious structural damage to buildings in the city centre or that the city would flood regardless of the walls based on experience in other towns and cities in Ireland and worldwide.

Our proposal includes the repair of all quay walls and landscapes of the historic river channels of the city, giving particular attention to national and international guidelines for design in historic places. We propose to reveal the historic diversity of the landscape through conservation, restoration and restrained design intervention, leading to an upgraded civic experience and improved river access.

We recognise the value of the historic city. We wish to protect our identity as a city and promote the protection of existing investments and new opportunities for Cork. We wish to create an authentic living historic city that may then support a wider, sustainable expansion of Cork to the east. We do not wish to look back at any further losses or to experience further dereliction. We value the significant nature of the asset that is a 16^th, 17^th, 18^th and 19^th Century merchant city. We seek a return to values that support the benefits of the city for the benefit of all.

The existing infrastructure of the upstream Dams can protect Cork from flooding if managed in conjunction with a Tidal Barrier. Management of the entire River Lee catchment could include water storage and reuse of flood plains, tree planting, wetland restoration, water diversion, attenuation, reinstatement of ditches and alteration of land drainage methods in cooperation with landowners who may have a vital role to play. The primary protection of optimal dam management is supported by world experts as providing full protection for Cork from upstream flooding.