Councillors vote to protect old Cork Prison

The historic old Cork Prison has been granted protected status following a unanimous council vote, despite ongoing plans for a replacement prison to be developed there

Fianna Fáil’s Colm Kelleher, the only councillor from his party to sign the letter calling for the meeting, told Tuesday's meeting that his own great-grand-uncle spent time in the old Cork Prison in 1920. File picture

Cork City councillors have voted to add the old Cork Prison to the register of protected structures in a setback for plans to demolish the building and construct a new prison on the site.

The measure was unanimously approved at a special meeting of Cork City Council on Tuesday, with Fianna Fáil councillors backing the proposal despite plans for a replacement prison being advanced by justice minister and Fianna Fáil TD Jim O'Callaghan.

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) said a tender process due to be launched later this year will inform a decision on whether the building should be demolished. 

That decision is expected before the end of the year.

Long-term plans envisage a new prison on the site with capacity for 230 male prisoners and 100 female prisoners. 

However, the decision expected before the end of the year relates only to the proposed demolition works.

Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan confirmed that adding buildings to the register is a function of council, but the process will take six months as the Government must be notified and a public consultation held.

Ms O'Sullivan added that in 2012, the then heritage minister wrote to the city council recommending 752 structures around the city be included in the record of protected structures, as part of a national inventory of architectural heritage. 

They included the former prison.

Fianna Fáil’s Colm Kelleher, the only councillor from his party to sign the letter calling for the meeting, told Tuesday's meeting that his own great-grand-uncle spent time in the old Cork Prison in 1920.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran welcomed the motion, but criticised that plans had been made to demolish the site without stating what will replace it.

He also questioned why tendering preparations were already under way before a final decision had been made. 

“I don’t know what effect this [vote] will have, as the way the department is operating in this proposal is particularly disappointing,” he said. 

Lord Mayor Damian Boylan said a presentation by podcaster and historian Eolan Ryng on the prison as part of Heritage Week had "really struck home".

“I wear that chain, the chain of MacSwiney and Mac Curtain,” he said, referring to former lord mayors and revolutionaries who were imprisoned at the site.

Sinn Féin’s Kenneth Collins said the unanimous approval of his motion was "a win for Cork City, a win for heritage, and a win for the Glen — hopefully the minister will listen now to what the people of Cork City are saying and decide to put a museum there".