Iconic Cork cathedral gets security to combat on-site drug abuse

One of Cork’s most important places of worship has been forced to beef up security to combat open drug dealing and drug abuse on its grounds.

The city’s iconic St Fin Barre’s Cathedral now has to find up to €30,000 to fund the security upgrades.

Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, called last night for an increased garda presence in the area following a surge in anti-social behaviour.

“We need more gardaí on the beat in key areas at key times,” he said. “They are under-resourced and they have told us to keep contacting them, but when they get here, the problem has often moved on.”

Dean Dunne said the cathedral grounds are being used “day and night” by drug dealers, with addicts shooting up in the shadow of the protected national monument.

“We do daily patrols and have had to train our staff, and supply them with specialist equipment and sharps disposal boxes, to safely collect used needles and swabs,” he said. “But we are concerned about the impact this behaviour is having on the whole area — not just the cathedral grounds.”

The landmark cathedral attracts up 25,000 visitors a year and this has been one of its busiest, but Dean Dunne said he is now concerned the rise in anti-social behaviour could affect it.

The cathedral grounds are also being used by street drinkers, and by an aggressive and intimidating group of parkour, or free runners, who use the building exterior, and monuments in the graveyard, for their form of acrobatic running.

“They are drinking and sitting on grave stones. People seem to treat it as a public park. But it’s not. It’s a graveyard,” Dean Dunne said.

Drunken students who have also caused disturbances in the area close to UCC, are also believed to have toppled a three-quarter tonne stone urn from one of the cathedral’s gate pillar. The repair bill topped €2,500.

Dean Dunne said the closure of Barrack Street Garda Station in 2013 marked the beginning of an upsurge in the anti-social behaviour in the area.

Fine Gael councillor John Buttimer, who raised the issue with senior gardaí at the Cork City Council Joint Policing Committee meeting this week, said a comprehensive garda response is needed and that the council and HSE must also do more to tackle the issues.