Archives: Squandering public money by demolishing sound buildings for the expensive sport of rebuilding them

One hundred years ago, the Cork Examiner published a series of opinion pieces by a contributor known as 'Periscope', highlighting a range of social and political issues, some of which are as relevant today as they were back then

The cattle market at the Cornmarket, adjacent to Cork City Hall, pictured on September 12, 1929.

The very vexed question of a cattle market for this city is still being discussed, and so far nothing definite has been done. 

There can be little question that the Local Government Board was quite right when they turned down the Cornmarket site. The deplorable decision of the Cork Corporation to go to the double expense of taking down and re-erecting the wretched make-shift Town Hall which never ought to have been used for such a purpose shows but little concern for the credit of the city. 

The desire to cram a cattle market into the same space is only another instance of the readiness of some people to subordinate public interests.

There is an opinion in some quarters that we do not need a cattle market in Cork at all, that it is not much use, and not worth keeping up.

The gradual failure of the old cattle market is pointed to as indicating want of justification. Most people do not agree with that view. 

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My own feeling about the matter is that a properly managed market in the right place would be a great boon to farmers and whoever else wished to dispose of cattle at a right price. 

The old market was so badly placed and so unsuitable in every way to the requirements of modern trading that it is no wonder everyone got tired of, and shunted, it. It was centuries behind the times, and worse than that could hardly be said of it.

There is still a portion of the old Cork park available for the purpose of a cattle market, and the cost of preparing a place there suitable for the traffic need not be great. 

No cattle market of any sort ought to be established in districts where it would be surrounded by dwelling places when there is an alternative of such a place as I have pointed out.

There need be no lavish outlay. It has always been considered desirable to let cattle markets develop themselves out of small beginnings, enlarging the buildings, etc by degrees as the demand for such becomes fixed beyond doubt. 

Markets have appeared and disappeared in Cork before our time. In a directory of Cork for 1810 I read: "The public market, nearly in the centre of the town, is very neat and convenient. The meat market consists of three rows, on each side of which the butchers have stalls. The whole is well flagged, covered in and lighted from above. 

"Adjoining are the fish, poultry, and root markets. These markets are open and supplied on every day, except Sunday; but on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which are reckoned market days, the supply is abundant and of the best quality. There are some inferior markets, but they do not deserve notice."

It is, I am bound to say, apparently a useless task to make suggestions involving any outlay whatever to a body whose finances appear to be regulated upon some outlandish principle which refuses legitimate expenditure, and on the other hand encourages the grossest waste.

What, I ask, can anyone do with a corporation which professes inability to build a proper Town Hall and yet squanders the ratepayers' money in throwing down sound, costly buildings for the expensive sport of rebuilding them, and increases the salaries of an already far too expensive staff of officials? It is all, of course, sad evidence that the mad atmosphere prevailing at present has certainly made its way into our public departments.

It would, I dare say, be considered by the corporation, with its one-sided poor mouth, high treason for anyone to suggest that there should be public abattoirs established either in connection with the new cattle market or otherwise. 

The system of private abattoirs is hopelessly bad. Many of the existing private abattoirs are no doubt carefully conducted and the method of slaughter humane; but the public has no assurance that all are conducted in that fashion, or that the meat and its products are dealt with in a manner conforming to the demands of modern sanitation. 

The smouldering ruins of Cork's Carnegie Library following its destruction by fire in December 1920.

The setting-up of public abattoirs would place any such consideration beyond doubt. In nearly all progressive cities the public abattoirs are worked in connection with the cattle markets, but that of course would be a matter of arrangement.

When the corporation finishes its delightful job of demolishing the perfectly sound and costly walls of the Carnegie Library and the so-called Town Hall, perhaps the matter of the cattle market may come in for a share of attention. 

It may be that when the City Fathers have raised the screws of each and all of their employees they will turn to the public and say "We have nothing left!"