Plans for a bigger harbour on Inis Oírr advanced this week after Galway County Council sought to appoint a team of consultants to supervise its planned 90-metre extension of the pier.

The local authority has advertised for an engineering consultancy to supervise the proposed €17 million pier development on the smallest Aran Island.

It plans to award a construction contract for the project in winter of this year, with the majority of works to take place on site at the harbour during the first nine months of 2025.

Completion works will then be carried out in the first six months of 2026, according to County Council documents.

The Council wants to appoint a Senior Resident Engineer, a Resident Engineer, and a Clerk of Works to be employed from January 2025 through to August 2027.

They should be resident on the island for the duration of the contract. They will be responsible for the onsite supervision of the construction stages of the contract, to ensure that the work was carried out as per the contract.

It will involve regular meetings on site in Inis Oírr with the building contractor and County Council staff.

The construction works to extend the pier by 90 metres include a 20-metre inner breakwater and 160-metre out breakwater.

It will also involve dredging of about 2,500 cubic metres of rock, and all associated ancillary works.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys approved the next phase of the development in July of last year.

She said the project was a “key priority” for her Department and was listed as one of the Government’s infrastructure commitments in the Project Ireland 2040 plan.

“The pier project on Inis Oírr is absolutely vital for the future of the island and the safety of harbour users and tourists alike,” Minister Humphreys said.

“The development of the pier at Inis Oírr is an extremely important project and one that I know the community is anxious to see completed,” she said at the time.

Pictured: Inis Oirr pier…plans advance for extension.