The applicant’s planned ‘gaming arcade’ at the location was not permitted
12:02, 26 Jul 2026Updated 12:03, 26 Jul 2026
The area of the planned development – No.54 Main Street
A casino company have gotten to go ahead for a new expansion in a major East Cork town.
Applicant Coalquay Leisure Limited – which operates a number of casinos in the city centre – have been given conditional permission for a mixed-use development in Midleton. Their original plans looked to add a café, a five-bedroom apartment unit and a “gaming/amusement arcade” at a late 18th-century building on the town’s Main Street.
Cork County Council gave 12 conditions as they granted approval to the casino company this week. This included that the “change of use of the ground floor premises as a gaming/ amusement arcade was not permitted”, in order to “protect the amenities of the area to protect the retail character of the Main Street.”
The company’s plans also included a one-story add-on to the rear of the building to form part of the arcade, but Cork Beo understands that this type of amenity is also not permitted in the extension.
The Council made no requests regarding the planned apartment or café.
Other conditions included strict restrictions for noise levels from the proposed development and requirements so that the building’s lighting would “not to interfere with passing traffic” or cause “glare or light spill” for homes nearby. The developer was also asked to pay €210 to support local infrastructure and €870 towards the Cobh/Midleton-Blarney Suburban Rail Project before starting the development.
Another casino company – Wonderboy Amusements Ltd, which shares owners with Coalquay Leisure Limited – got a green light for an expansion in Cobh late last year, but these plans are currently subject to an appeal. Their planned 4-storey development would include a gaming/amusement arcade on the ground floor, two 1-bed apartments on the first floor and two 2-bed duplex apartments on the second and third floor levels.
Coalquay Leisure Limited also received planning permission for what it described as a ‘gaming/amusement arcade’ in Ballincollig in October. The development was initially refused by the council but that decision has since been overturned on appeal. A protest was held in the suburb about the development in November 2025.
Cork City Council later wrote to the company to casion company to highlight their concern over the development, and urged Coalquay Leisure not to proceed with it.