Welcome for removal of old ‘eyesore’ phone boxes 

A recently elected Cork city councillor has welcomed the removal of old “eyesore” phone boxes from the city centre, calling for the remainder of them to be “removed without delay”.

Social Democrats councillor Pádraig Rice said it was particularly welcome to see the removal of the phone box on George’s Quay and at Paul Street.

“I’m delighted to see some of the disused phone boxes removed,” Mr Rice told The Echo.

“This is something I have been calling for. We now need to see the rest removed without delay.”

The South Central ward councillor described the old payphone kiosks in the city centre, many are which are covered in graffiti, as an “eyesore”.

“They also take up space on our narrow footpaths. With the phone boxes removed, it will be easier for people to get by, particularly people with disabilities. It also makes the place look a bit better.

“Given that most people have mobile phones now, there is probably only a need for one or two public phones in the city centre.

“If new phone boxes are installed, they have to be maintained.

“We can’t have a repeat of what happened with the current lot,” he said.

Mr Rice said that in addition to removing these phone boxes the city council needs to properly clean the streets.

“That must involve more power washing and removing street clutter — like signs that aren’t needed.

“We must give the city centre the care and attention it deserves,” he added.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “City council recognises that publicly accessible phone boxes may support safety and security of residents and visitors to the city.

“However, the council is aware that the majority of public telephone boxes in the city have been detracting from the urban fabric of the city.

“These existing public phone boxes and infrastructure underneath are in the ownership of Eir.

“Cork City Council has been engaging with Eir to remedy this issue and a proposal is currently being progressed and will include the removal of certain phone kiosks and potential replacement of others.”

The spokesperson added that the local authority will also be “removing some redundant signage and poles as the new wayfinding scheme is installed over the next number of months”.