Cork City's St Fin Barre’s Cathedral undergoes major facelift to reverse ravages of time

Cathedral authorities say due to climate change and the greater frequency of storms, the iconic Cork landmark has suffered

Michael Byrne of Redmond Building and Restoration uses an 85ft mobile platform to perform pointing work to waterproof the exterior of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

An iconic Cork city landmark is undergoing a specialist facelift to tackle the ravages of time and weather in the latest phase of a mammoth conservation programme.

Expert contractors have been steam-cleaning the stonework and distinctive gargoyles on the front of the landmark 19th-century St Fin Barre’s Cathedral to remove dark stains that have been caused by organic growth in the ashlar limestone over the years. Carbon deposits caused by decades of traffic are also being removed.