Livinginthepast,
1) Airbridges are essential in the New terminal, though not necessary in an opened Old Terminal. In most sensible airports, arrivals are on the ground floor and don't force people to climb 3 flights of stairs to get to arrivals. The Old terminal is fine on that score.
2) Re Cat III, if Cork had any pretensions towards t/a flights, this is a must. Within a European context it is less necessary.