Cork Event Centre – Enda Kenny – Simon Coveney – Sod Turning – Exactly 10 years ago on – 12th February, 2016 – “It was an absolute example of corruption” says Diarmaid Ó Cadhla, in Cork Tonight, 12th February, 2026.

10th Anniversary 12th, February, 2026

Exactly 10 years ago—on 12th, February, 2016 — then Taoiseach Enda Kenny participated in the ceremonial sod-turning for the proposed Cork Events Centre. One of only a few sods that were ever turned at the site since.

This took place at the site of the former Beamish & Crawford brewery on South Main Street in Cork city centre. The event was a high-profile photo opportunity, attended by several prominent figures including:

https://www.bamireland.ie/2016/02/12/an-taoiseach-turns-sod-on-cork-event-centre

• An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D.
• Tánaiste Joan Burton
• Minister Simon Coveney (then Minister for Agriculture, Food, the Marine and Defence)
• Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Chris O’Leary
• CEO of Live Nation Ireland Mike Adamson
• BAM Ireland CEO Theo Cullinane
  

The project was announced as a €50 million (later estimates rose to €80–100 million) multi-purpose venue with a capacity of around 6,000 seats, intended for concerts, events, and cultural activities. It was expected to be completed by 2018, with BAM Ireland as the contractor following their acquisition of the historic site.

The famous photograph from the day shows Enda Kenny and others symbolically turning/lifting the sod with shovels, often depicted with smiles and a sense of progress—Simon Coveney is notably shown “horsing” a sod into the air in some images.

However, as of today (February 12, 2026), nothing has been built on the site despite the decade that has passed. The location remains largely undeveloped—an “eyesore” or “bridge to nowhere” in local parlance—with no construction having started. This has led to widespread criticism, especially today on the 10th anniversary:

• Protests and public frustration have marked the anniversary, with some accusing it of being an election stunt.

The project has faced repeated delays due to funding issues, planning complications, cost escalations, contractor changes, and tendering problems (it went back to tender as recently as 2025). While governments have repeatedly reaffirmed commitment (e.g., “substantial progress” expected in 2026 per some reports), no shovels have hit the ground for actual building work.

Diarmaid Ó Cadhla – Political Activist
“an absolute example of corruption”

The video marks the 10th anniversary of February 12, 2016, when then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny (with Simon Coveney involved) performed a ceremonial sod-turning for the proposed Cork Event Centre.

Diarmaid Ó Cadhla (an Irish political activist known for his anti-corruption stance and past activism) calls it “an absolute example of corruption” — a media/political stunt with no real progress: the site remains undeveloped a decade later.

In the clip (filmed by Sean Treacy from “onlinenews.ie”), Ó Cadhla launches a broader critique of Irish political corruption and mismanagement, including:

• Massive budget overruns on public projects (e.g., Cork Event Centre ballooning from ~€50M to over €150M estimates, National Children’s Hospital tripling to €2.5B+, National Broadband Plan from €500M to €2.6B+)
  
• Unequal accountability: elites and politicians avoiding consequences for issues he’d been jailed over (e.g., Standards in Public Office Commission filings)
  
• Underfunding of health, housing, emergency services vs. large scrutinized spending (e.g., €150M to Belarus)
  
• Ireland’s resource wealth (fishing, agriculture, high GDP per capita) being mismanaged under EU influence, disadvantaging farmers/fishers
  
• Lack of real democracy: state-funded political parties (€20M/year), whip systems controlling TDs, failed privatisation pushes (like water charges defeated by protests)
  

He urges public organization, unity, and “people power” to challenge the elite system, citing past protest successes.