Shandon crisis should sound alarm bells in government over how we fund heritage buildings

The much-needed repairs for Shandon bells are a symptom of deeper issues affecting the heritage building and reflect the problems affecting some of the country's other heritage structures, writes Eoin English

The Shandon area of Cork City in 1967. In the foreground is the old North Infirmary hospital. Known officially as St Anne’s Church, the landmark Shandon steeple was built in the late 1770s.

The time has come for an overhaul of the State's heritage funding schemes, a former lord mayor of Cork has said following confirmation that the city has to go cap in hand to Dublin for the second time in five years for significant funding to save one of its great heritage buildings — the famous Shandon bells.

The latest Shandon repairs could top €400,000, city councillors were told this week as another city landmark, the imposing St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, sprung new leaks after heavy rain mid-week — the third significant ingress of water into the building this year.