20 firefighters battle Cork blaze for 10 hours
More than 20 firefighters battled through the night to put out a blaze at an apartment development that was formerly part of Our Lady’s Hospital.
The fire broke out after 10.30pm in a building under construction beside the Atkin’s Hall apartment complex in Shanakiel.
There are plans to build 100 apartments in the development, located to the east of Atkin’s Hall.
Part of the building was destroyed by the fire.
Five units of Cork City Fire Brigade were called to the scene and it took more than 10 hours to put the fire out completely.
Nobody was in the building at the time and investigations are ongoing as to the cause of the fire.
The city council’s building control unit, which has responsibility for the safety of structures, was also called to the scene.
The area has been a target for anti-social behaviour and in June another part of the former hospital was gutted in a fire. The former rehab unit at St Kevin’s was considerably damaged in that blaze.
Local TD, Bernard Allen, said it was a pity to see part of such an historic building damaged in this way.
