The site of the former Mallow Sugar Factory near Mallow went on the market this week with two pieces of land on offer for a combined guide price of €2.2 million. The sugar factory at Newberry, the last left in Ireland at the time, closed in 2006, following which the plant was dismantled, and the site has lain idle ever since.
There are two plots of land for sale, the largest just over 133 acres, adjacent to Cork Racecourse Mallow, while the second is just over 12 acres and on the southern side of the R619, bordered by the railway line.
Local TD Seán Sherlock, whose father Joe (RIP) worked in the sugar factory in years past, said this week that the site should be purchased by the State for industrial and residential use. “For decades this site was owned by the people. It was owned by the State, and it produced sugar,” he said, adding that “I believe that this site will be perfect to feed into energy production. Whoever buys this site must have the goals of environmental and social good adhered to it. The State ideally would be the purchaser of the site. We can hopefully create jobs on this site and, if possible, some residential houses as well. And that has to be the future of the Greencore site.”