Community in Cork makes appeal to save iconic landmark damaged in Storm Franklin 

Amid windy conditions on Sunday afternoon, the famous cross on the Church of the Ascension in Gurranabraher started to tilt

The Cross on the Church of the Ascension which has been damaged in recent storms. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The local community in Gurranabraher, Cork, have commenced efforts to save one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks after it was damaged during Storm Franklin.

Amid the windy conditions on Sunday afternoon, the people of Gurranabraher noticed the famous cross on the Church of the Ascension was starting to tilt.

The cross, which is 15ft tall, has been in place since the early 1960s. It looks down on Cork city centre and its light is visible from most parts of the city come dark.

Following assessments, the cross is still intact and the church has reopened but will require restoration as soon as possible.

Parish priest Fr Tomás Walsh described it as a “familiar” and “important landmark” for the people of Cork.

We were sent this video of the Church in Gurranabraher this evening. Looks like the Cross has been damaged by #StormFranklin. Fire brigade are on scene. Vid: Darren O. pic.twitter.com/6OcJ8TXp12

— Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) February 20, 2022

Now, locals have set up an online fundraiser in the hopes of restoring the cross to its former glory.

“We’ve had so many problems really with lockdowns and with replacing roofs and things, so I said, ‘another problem’, but there’s great support here at the parish. There has been huge support, people ringing up,” Fr Walsh said.

The fundraiser is appealing to the community, and the people of Cork to help raise funds to repair and restore the cross.

Speaking on the events of Sunday afternoon, Fr Walsh said he received calls from neighbours warning him that the cross had begun to tilt as Storm Franklin continued to bring strong gusts. 

After the fire brigade arrived on the scene, engineers concluded it wasn’t in “imminent danger” of falling so the church could open again for Mass, but the cross will need to be replaced.

The Church of the Ascension in Gurranbraher, Cork looks over the city. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“From this morning, we’ve resumed Mass but you’re restricted using the compound so there could be problems for funerals, for parking and things,” Fr Walsh explained.

The light of the cross, which is visible from the city centre at night, was recently repaired and as Fr Walsh said, “it has been lit up every night since then”.

“The church was built in 1955 and there was a smaller cross, but this bigger cross was put up in 1962 and it’s been lighting really since then except when it was off then for a couple of years,” he added.

The aim is to get the cross back up and lighting “as soon as possible” and so far, more than €1,000 has been raised for the cause.