Campaigners to fight plans to build on historic cemetery
Cork restaurateur John Murphy is again seeking planning permission to build on the tiny, derelict cemetery to the side of his former Table 8 restaurant on Carey’s Lane.
But the recorded monument contains the remains of at least one former Lord Mayor of Cork. Mr Murphy’s application proposes “alterations to an existing yard for use as a coffee shop come exhibition area”.
But Petra Coffey, a founder member of the Friends of the Huguenot Cemetery, said the “yard” is the Huguenot cemetery and contains the remains of dozens of Huguenot families. It is an invaluable piece of Cork history, she said.
“I have no idea of how many people are buried there but it is full of bones,” she said.
The Friends will object to the plans, she said.
“It’s consecrated ground. He should not be allowed build there.”
Europe’s only other Huguenot cemetery is in St Stephen’s Green in Dublin and is in perfect condition.
The Huguenots settled in Cork from the mid-16th century.
The French Protestants were followers of Jean Calvin who fled their country to escape religious persecution. The first Huguenots were living in a small colony in Cork by 1569.
They had a temple, a pastor’s house, schoolhouse, an alms house and this burial ground between Carey’s Lane and French Church street.
The 8 metre by 10 metre cemetery was built in 1720. It was subsequently sold to the Methodist Church and was in constant use until the church trustees sold it to two brothers in 1901.
It is understood Mr Murphy owns the site now.
Over the years, the Huguenots produced five or six lords mayor of Cork, including Vesien Pique, Lord Mayor in 1796, whose remains are buried in the cemetery.
Ms Coffey said there is a good chance that the remains of Joseph Lavitte, who was Lord Mayor in 1720 and after whom Lavitt’s Quay is named, could also be buried there.
Members of the Goble family, the famous Cork goldsmiths, and members of the Perrier, Robinette, De La Maziere, De La Garde and Malet families are buried there.
The remains of Richard Brash, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a well-known archaeologist and historian, who died in 1895, are also buried there.
Johnathon Le Grand was the last recorded burial in 1901.
Ms Coffey said she expected a lot of other objections.
Mr Murphy was unavailable for comment.
It is understood this is the third application he has lodged for the site in 15 years. Two previous applications were turned down.
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