Famous Cork landmark to return to city centre after restoration works
The Religious Fireman's A Rest Patrick's In Street, Cork, On Procession St Passes 1915
A famous structure that survived the burning of Cork over a century ago is set to become a feature of the city’s landscape again.
The 120-year-old Fireman’s Rest hut that once stood on St Patrick’s Street, and which was removed during the street revamp over 20 years ago and left to rot in a council storage yard, is being restored for reinstatement outside the city’s main fire station.
The confirmation came at this month's meeting of Cork City Council in response to a question from former Lord Mayor, Cllr Mick Finn.
He was told the council was currently completing a full restoration of the Fireman’s Rest.
“The refurbished 'rest' will be sited on the forecourt of the fire station on Anglesea Street, where accommodation works [for it] are ongoing,” Paul Moynihan, director of services, corporate affairs and iInternational relations, said in his written response.
“The substantial refurbishment work is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023. A ceremony to unveil the rest will take place before the end of December.”
The Fireman’s Rest was commissioned in early 1892 by the then Cork Corporation and was 120 years old last year.
It was originally assembled for the Cork Fire Brigade and was shared by them with the staff of the old tram company between 1898 and 1930.
Located near the Fr Mathew Statue, it consisted of a metal hut that was manned 24/7 by a firefighter with a ladder and hose nearby.
It served initially as a central 'fire station' at a time when the city's fire brigade had positioned wheeled escapes and ladders at strategic locations around the city for use in emergencies.
As the city fire brigade modernised, the hut was later used exclusively by CIE from 1931 to 2003.
But it was removed to facilitate the revamp of St Patrick’s Street and was left in a council storage yard in Fitzgerald’s Park, where its condition deteriorated significantly.
There have been several calls over the years for its restoration.
Mr Finn said he was delighted and thrilled that this important part of Cork’s heritage and history will see the light of day again, 100 years after surviving the Black and Tans’ burning of Cork.
“It is something I asked for during my term as lord mayor, on foot of many requests from interested members of the public, and it will be a nice culmination to the Decade of Commemorations,” he said.
“It is fitting that the current Lord Mayor, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, will unveil this, given his passion for and dedication to local history.”
Another historic landmark on St Patrick's Street, Mangan's Clock, was refurbished earlier this year.
Mr Finn said: “With the city modernising, which is a good thing, it's important too that we preserve heritage infrastructure that is within the council's remit... we need to keep telling Cork's stories.”