'Shocking and extravagant': Bill for restored Cork 'Fireman's Rest' landmark will top €300k

THE restoration of a famous Cork landmark will top €300,000, Monday night’s meeting of Cork City Council has been told.

The Fireman’s Rest, the historic hut which stood on St Patrick’s Street for over a century, and which had been stored in a Fitzgerald’s Park depot for two decades, is in the process of being restored at its new home outside the Anglesea Street fire station.

That restoration has already cost over €200,000 and is on course to cost at least another €100,000.

Responding to a question from Independent councillor Kenneth O’Flynn, Cork City Council’s director of services Paul Moynihan confirmed that “in excess of €100,000 additional payments” will be needed to complete the restoration works, on top of “in excess of €200,000” which has been spent on the structure to date.

In a written response to Cllr O’Flynn, Mr Moynihan said the project as not yet complete, “and therefore a final clarification of costs is not possible at this stage”.

Phase one of the project has been completed, he said, with the structure and refurbishment secured at its new Anglesea Street location, and phase two will include the completion of finishing touches to the works.

€200K ALREADY SPENT

“To date in excess of €200,000 has been spent on the project with further payments due to be made,” he said.

Mr Moynihan said the costs quoted included professional fees and “the recording of the journey of the restoration” 

Replying to Mr O’Flynn in the council chamber, Mr Moynihan agreed that the structure was that “an iconic part of Cork’s history and it’s difficult to attach a monetary value to such an iconic structure” and he added “I would estimate that in excess of €100,000 additional payments [will need] to be made in respect of finish-out of the building itself”.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr O’Flynn described the costs as “shocking”.

“While preserving heritage is invaluable, it’s disheartening to see such extravagant spending,” Mr O’Flynn said.

“Proper planning, storage, and conservation could have prevented this waste of public funds. We must prioritise smarter allocation to protect our treasures without breaking the bank.” 

The Fireman’s Rest was originally assembled for the Cork Fire Brigade and consisted of a metal hut that was manned 24/7 by a firefighter with a ladder and hose nearby.

His task was to respond to any incidents until his colleagues backed him up from the city’s fire station, originally based at Sullivan’s Quay.

The structure was shared with staff of the old tram company (1898-1930) and later, exclusively used by CIE (1931- 2003).

However, following its long period in storage, Mr O’Flynn has raised issues with the historical authenticity of the structure now standing on Anglesea Street, likening it to a famous piece of equipment from the classic British comedy ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

“There’s a serious question of how much of it is original, if any of it is,” the Cork north-east councillor said.

“It’s a bit like Trigger’s brush, with 15 new handles and 16 new heads.”