I think a lot has been overlooked, Cork, itself, has what could be termed a "Taj Mahal" terminal building, car park, etc. It is a truly fantastic facility from a customer & passenger perspective. Compare it to the likes of EMA, LBA, etc there is absolutely no comparison. Whatever Cork's problems the Terminal and T2 at Dublin are not really part of it.
In an ideal world the provision of catering and retail facilities would be reviewed and an enlarged security queue area would not go amiss, but its only really necessary at peak times, the number of scanners seems adequate. Personally I think most of the resturant area should be airside, getting people through the airport more quickly and increasing revenue in terms of spend. It works well in many UK airports.
Speaking of refreshement facilities. I note with interest that the HMS run "Cork Coffee Roasters" sells machine coffee (dont know where the beans are from) at Starbucks prices. The stuff is truly dreadful swill. Both organisations should be ashamed of themselves, especially CCR who have worked very hard to gain a deserved reputation as "the best coffee in Cork".
The biggest issue is clearly marketing. ORK needs to work with Failte Ireland, the Airlines and at trade events really drumming up a lot of noise on the continent. Most Corkonians know where the airport is, personally I think advertising on 96FM is a bit of a waste.