Relics of a bygone era: Eircom public payphones removed from Cork city
According to Eir, there were only nine payphones in the Republic at the start of 2020 which generated enough usage to meet the threshold.
Patrick Street’s unused public payphones were removed Monday by Cork City Council.
A total of four were removed; two of the Eircom phone boxes formally stood outside the company’s rebranded Eir store, with another two across the street from what is now JD Sports.
The four phonebooths had been closed off since October 16, awaiting the removal by the Council, which arrived just in time for Jazz weekend.
The relics had long been an eyesore in the city’s main street, inviting graffiti and public urination from late night party goers.
The number of public payphones has been reduced greatly since December of 2020, where 90% of the country’s phone boxes were removed.
In Eir’s 2020 report, Cork had the highest level of remaining phonebooths in the country, with 13 remaining.
According to Eir, there were only nine payphones in the Republic at the start of 2020 which generated enough usage to meet the threshold.
Cork City Council were contacted by The Echo and have yet to comment on what will replace the removed structures on Patrick Street.
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