€200k fund to help revitalise St Patrick's Street in Cork 

Two grants schemes will help property owners enhance their buildings on Cork city centre's main shopping thoroughfare

The two initiatives approved this month came through the city council’s City Centre Development and Operations Directorate. Stock picture

A new €200,000 fund has been greenlit to help revitalise Cork city’s main retail street and strengthen its visual appeal, providing grants to property owners on St Patrick’s Street to help enhance their buildings.

The City Centre Facade Improvement Grant 2026 was agreed at the city council’s December meeting on Monday night, which also adopted the City Centre Action Plan 2025-2030.

Both initiatives came through the council’s City Centre Development and Operations Directorate (CCDOD), which has been working on a number of initiatives.

These include the launch of the city centre wardens scheme and the introduction of an enhanced city centre street cleaning regime, since it was set up a year ago.

The Corkmas parade on St Patrick's Street marking the start of the city's busy festive season. See www.corkmas.ie. Picture: Darragh Kane

The plan and directorate are working separately from the Cork City taskforce proposed by the Government, similar to one in Dublin, which identified issues in the city, such as heightened antisocial behaviour.

The taskforce was promised in the programme for government, but has experienced several delays.

'Just give us the money' 

Fianna Fáil’s Terry Shannon said on Monday that he was not in favour of the idea of a government review of Cork City. He said: 

I never was a huge fan of the taskforce — just give us the money, we don’t need a taskforce telling us how to run our city. 

Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan introduced the new grant scheme alongside the wider action plan for the city centre at Monday’s council meeting, saying that it was “the first time such a scheme has been brought forward”, and that the plans, which were approved unanimously by councillors, would boost footfall in the city centre.

The new funding scheme will open for applications early in the new year, with the owners of properties located between St Augustine’s Church at the southern end of the street, and Lavitt’s Quay/Merchant’s Quay at the northern end, eligible to apply.

It will have two key funding elements.

Painting grant 

The first is a painting grant scheme is designed to help improve building facades through painting and minor external works. 

Grant supports of up to €5,000, or 25% of the costs of the work (excluding Vat), whichever is lower, will be made available.

Shopfront grant 

The second, a shopfront grant, is focused on helping to upgrade and restore shopfronts at street level and will encourage businesses to adopt traditional designs that enhance the historic streetscape. 

Grant support of up to €5,000, or 25% of costs (excluding Vat), whichever is lower, will be made available.

Social Democrat councillor Niamh O’Connor said she was “cautiously optimistic” about the plan, as “Cork City has needed love for a long time”, while Fine Gael’s Des Cahill added that his daughter always said that the city centre “was in need of a lick of paint”.

The initiative will encourage the use of traditional materials, the use of sensitive signage, and visually appealing facades that reflect Cork City’s unique identity.

Business owners may apply for funding under both funding elements for a single property, and applications will also be accepted where property owners are in receipt of other grant aid. The closing date for completed applications will be March 2026.

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