Revamped main strip handed back to the citizens

AFTER three years of disruption and a €13 million facelift, Cork’s main street was officially handed back to its citizens yesterday.

Spanish architect Beth Gali, who won the international competition to redesign St Patrick’s Street three years ago, said people could now reclaim their city centre.

“I wanted to find a balance between the car and pedestrians. Cities should belong to the citizens. And citizens go to the streets,” she said.

“The great thing for an architect is to see something that was a drawing on paper, complete. It really is a miracle. It’s amazing. It’s great for the people of Cork,” she said.

She also defended the design of her controversial Flannery and Pitmit lamps, describing them as the city’s new monuments. “For the lights, I tried to bring the spirit of the harbour into the city. We have to find new monuments for our cities. They can be lights, street furniture or whatever,” she said.

Lord Mayor Seán Martin and business leaders pleaded with the people of Cork to respect their new main street.

Hundreds of people then gathered at one of the street’s many enlarged public spaces for a party with the Hot House Flowers.

Reaction to the new-look St Patrick’s Street was mixed yesterday. John McCarthy from Ballyphehane said he thought it was “brutal”.

“They should have waited until it was finished. Sure they’re still digging it up,” he said.

Scoil Mhuire students Maeve Bradley and Julia Brown said they loved the new street.

“It’s way better than Dublin. The lights are very modern,” they said.

Maureen McCarthy from Peter Street said she didn’t like the new design initially. “But I think it has a really unusual atmosphere now,” she said.

Disability rights campaigner, Deirdre Joyce, from John Street, said more work needed to be done in the city centre to improve access.

Kathy Synott, MEP, said access for disabled in the city centre had improved following the project, but that more work needed to be done.

Socialist Party Cllr Mick Barry welcomed the completion of the project but said workers who had spilled sweat on the project should have led the parade.

Another local said: “Patrick’s Street’s not as clean as it should be, but we’re getting there.”

Cork City Council €and the Government jointly funded the St Patrick’s street renewal, committing €6.5m each.

Work began in July 2002 and finished a few weeks ago and the rest of Ms Gali’s masterplan on part of the Grand Parade is due to start next week.

Work on the pedestrianisation of Oliver Plunkett Street is due to be complete by late March, 2005.