Moneylenders return to the temple

Why did the bankers cross the road? Because Mammon has moved back closer to God.

Once upon a time, what banks such as AIB decided was considered gospel. Now, after a spectacular fall from grace, Cork’s bankers are moving to offices above the city’s 100-member strong Gospel Hall — sort of a return of the moneylenders to the temple.

The epicentre of Cork City’s commercial life, the AIB bank branch at 66 South Mall, took a shift on its axis yesterday afternoon as the branch’s business banking staff were decanted from the AIB mothership branch to a new office building across the mall. They moved to offices built three years ago on Fr Mathew St, in a building that houses a new gospel hall as well as a deep baptismal immersion tank on its ground floor.