Future of Cork church damaged by fire must be secured, says Lord Mayor

THE Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, has said the future of the Unitarian Church on Princes St must be secured following a significant fire at the 18th-century structure.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the blaze after the alarm was raised at around 8am on Monday.

Five appliances from Cork City Fire Brigade’s station on Anglesea St attended the scene and it took approximately 30 minutes for the fire to be extinguished.

“I am very upset to hear the news about the severe damage of fire in the historic Unitarian Church,” the Lord Mayor commented in the wake of the incident.

“It has survived more or less intact for over 300 years.

“It is testament to the present day guardians under Rev Mike O’Sullivan that the building still has much relevance to the life of Cork and to the lives of citizens today.

“I await the outcome of the fire assessment.

“The space though is an oasis of community life within Cork’s city centre and it is important that this oasis and its story is helped to be restored and its future secured”.

In a statement on Monday, Cork Unitarian Church said while the roof remains intact and the building has been “saved”, the internal damage is significant.

“The roof remains intact. The interior damage is extensive.

“The historic building is saved but the usability of the interior for church services and all other activities has been severely compromised.

“Minister Reverend Mike O'Sullivan and the Church Committee were devastated and are assessing how to proceed going forward,” the statement said.

It added that the Minister wished to express, on behalf of the church community, his “deepest thanks and appreciation to the Cork City Fire Brigade and the Garda Síochána”.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, however, The Echo understands that it is not currently being treated as a malicious incident. No one was injured as a result of the fire.