'Headbangers' in Mallow create headache for town's officials 

People have injured themselves by banging their heads off an ‘archway’ over Norcott’s Lane in the town's centre

Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes standing in Norcott's Lane in Mallow where the pathway was raised during work to the plaza. Picture: Dan Linehan

It may seem like a very tall order, but the local authority is being asked to raise the height of an archway over a popular laneway in a Co Cork town to stop people from hitting their heads.

The rather unusual request comes amid reports of multiple 'headbangers' in Mallow — people who have injured themselves by accidentally banging their heads off the ‘archway’ over Norcott’s Lane in the town's centre.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council by Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes, who said he appreciates that finding a solution may cause a headache for officials.

Mr Hayes said the problem is due to the fact the height of the archway falls as people walk through it from the busy Thomas Davis Street side — and people have got progressively taller over the last two centuries.

Locals who are aware of this drop in height are less likely to injure themselves, according to Mr Hayes, but sometimes they forget, and visitors are particularly vulnerable because they don’t realise the problem.

There is a public right of way under the arch and through all of Norcott’s Lane but it is not a public roadway and therefore not owned by the county council.

The building is also in private ownership.

House beams

Council engineers told Mr Hayes that the house was built over the laneway and the first floor is supported by three beams, which get progressively lower as you enter the laneway from Thomas Davis Street side.

“As this is private property, Cork County Council has no authority to alter the height of archway in question. We would also note that this laneway is contained within an Architectural Conservation Area (Mallow Conservation Area) as per the Cork County Development Plan, 2022 and any works there by the property owner would potentially require planning permission and significant input from the Cork County Council’s conservation officer,” municipal district officer Claire Barr said.

However, Mr Hayes, continued to raise the issue, saying a solution should be reached, given that it posed a 'danger' to pedestrians.

He suggested that if nothing could be done to alter the 200-plus year-old building, then — at a stretch — a possible solution could be to dig down into the alleyway to provide greater height clearance between the street surface and the house.

However, council engineers said this proposal would, in all likelihood, prove problematic because it’s an area of historical conservation. In addition, dropping the level of the road could have a disastrous impact on the building and flooding.

Mr Hayes, together with his Fianna Fáil colleague Gearoid Murphy suggested that the council write to the owner of the property inviting them to engage in talks about making it safer.

Mr Murphy also suggested that the council’s conservation officer should be asked to examine the building and laneway and provide  a report.

Rising to the occasion, council engineers promised to examine the situation and report back on what measures could be taken.