Revamp does justice to landmark courthouse

Liam Heylin and Eoin English

Hoarding was removed from the front of the landmark Washington Street building for the first time in five-and-a-half years as court business got underway just after 8am.

Solicitors, barristers, gardaí, court staff, and other court professionals looked around approvingly at their new workplace.

But for many others it was the last place they wanted to be.

During a brief round of opening remarks Judge Patrick J Moran, Cork’s most senior judge, acknowledged the fact that many in attendance were unlikely to feel like celebrating.

“It’s nice to be back. A lot of you here do not wish to be here but that is part of our business. We will get on with it,” Judge Moran said.

And with that, registrar Martin O’Donovan set about calling more than 85 cases on the city’s list for criminal business.

Circuit court staff such as Helen Lenihan and Clare Donegan said the building was a huge improvement on the temporary courthouse on Camden Quay.

“The conditions down there weren’t great, to be honest,” Ms Lenihan said.

The Washington Street courthouse closed in June 1999. Staff thought the revamp would take two years.

A temporary courthouse was established in a warehouse on Camden Quay, which cost 760,000 a year in rent.

Staff frequently complained about its poor lighting and heating.

Members of the Southern Law Society also expressed their frustration at the delays in the revamp.

The Law Society Gazette once referred to the temporary courthouse as “Cork’s black hole of Calcutta”.

“But the new building is a huge improvement ,” Ms Donegan, who worked in the old Washington Street courthouse, said.

“The old building was very old fashioned. But this is lovely now,” she said.

On behalf of the Cork Bar, barrister Donal McCarthy said it had taken far too long to get back to Washington Street.

President of the Southern Law Association, Jerome O’Sullivan, said much credit was due to Judge Moran and his colleagues for soldiering on with legal business at Camden Quay for so long.

The courthouse features video link-up facilities, h as seven fully revamped courtrooms, jury and consultation rooms and has an underground tunnel allowing for the safe transfer of prisoners.

The building will be officially opened on February 26 by Justice Minister Michael McDowell.