Over €200k spent restoring fireman's hut
North of €200,000 has been spent restoring the historic fireman’s hut that once stood on Patrick’s Street beside the statue of Fr Mathew.
This came to light during a Cork City Council meeting on Monday when Independent Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn ask management in City Hall to provide clarity on the restoration cost associated with the hut.
“Could you please confirm the price and provide a detailed breakdown of the expenses incurred during the restoration process?” asked the northside councillor.
Paul Moynihan, Director of Services, Corporate Affairs and International Relations Directorate, told Cllr O’Flynn that the project to restore the fireman’s hut is not yet complete and therefore a final clarification of costs was not possible.
He added: “Phase one of the project is complete, which has resulted in a reconstruction and refurbishment that has secured a closed-in building. Phase 2 will include the installation of the decorative elements of fascia gutters, lettering and finials etc. as well as drainage and further landscape/groundworks. To date in excess of €200,000 has been spent on the project with further payments due to be made.”
Responding, Cllr O’Flynn described it as “shocking news” while adding “nearly €300,000 slated for the refurbishment of a historic fireman that languished for 22 years in a Cork City Council yard. While preserving heritage is invaluable, it's disheartening to witness such extravagant spending.”
Cllr O’Flynn said proper planning, storage, and conservation could've prevented this waste of public funds.
“We must prioritise smarter allocation to protect our treasures without breaking the bank,” he said.
The hut, which was restored in recent months, is now located outside the fire station on Anglesea Street. It was also known as the Fireman's Rest and was used from about 1930 until the early 2000s by CIÉ workers. The hut was then removed when a revamp of St Patrick’s Street began and was moved to a council storage yard.
Brief history from Corkcity.ie
In 1891 Captain Hutson was appointed chief of the fire service and in 1893 the newly-formed brigade acquired Cork's first purpose built fire station which was opened in Sullivan's Quay. A second fire station was later built at the rear of the courthouse in Grattan Street to serve the city centre.
Later again a third station was built at the top of Shandon Street to serve the northside of the city.
Wheeled escapes or ladders were positioned strategically around the city for use as needed and on St Patrick's Street a central street station, or Fireman’s Rest, was located near Father Mathew Statue. It consisted of a metal hut which was manned 24/7 by a firefighter with a ladder and hose nearby. His job, with the aid of passers-by, was to use this rescue equipment and any at the scene of a fire or the immediate environs and make rescues until his colleagues backed him up from Sullivan's Quay.
The brigade at that time consisted of six regular men and two turncocks living in the station with six auxiliary firemen, all corporation employees, and with local volunteers. In all a force of 30 men could be mustered in a few minutes. A report from the chief at the time suggested that a night response took about 2.5 minutes with men fully dressed and horses out.