McDowell opens Cork Courthouse

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell will formally open the restored Cork Courthouse this morning.

The building has undergone a €26m refurbishment in the biggest court project since the Four Courts in Dublin were rebuilt after the civil war.

The seven courtroom facility on Washington Street, which has taken 18 months to complete, is the first courthouse in Ireland enabled as a wireless internet hotspot.

Three of courtrooms are enabled with video conferencing technology, and there is a tunnel to allow for the more secure transfer of prisoners.