Bridge in Cork city centre to be repaired by October

Reinstatement works to Parliament Bridge are to be completed by early October, Cork City Council have announced.

Works commenced in April, a year after the structure was damaged by a vehicle.

In May of 2024, the vehicle collided with the bridge at the junction on Sullivan’s Quay, damaging an 8m-long stone parapet, which had to be removed. In a post shared on social media this week, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said that missing or damaged elements of the parapet have been “carefully repaired or restored, in accordance with established conservation best practice methods”, under the supervision of a conservation architect.

The reinstatement works to the southwestern section of the Parliament Bridge parapet are under way, utilising elements of the original parapet, which had to be retrieved from the bed of the River Lee.

The stonework repairs are being undertaken by Gebel and Helling Conservation Ltd, who repaired St Patrick’s Bridge in 2018.

“The four lighting columns are in the process of being recast using original moulds by the original manufacturer, Sugg & Co Ltd, [who are] based in the UK,” the spokesperson added.

“Works to the eastern footpath and parapet are now substantially complete, [and] it is anticipated that overall works will be completed by early October 2025.”

Independent councillor for the Cork City South East ward, Kieran McCarthy, said that the bridge “badly needed” work.

“It is great to see movement on the repairing of Parliament Bridge,” said Mr McCarthy.

“It is well overdue, the bridge has been in a poor state for quite a while now, even before the more recent accident.

“The stonework badly needed a TLC cleaning, [and] the repair of the bridge’s lamp posts is to be welcomed.

“Parliament Bridge is also one of the set of the oldest bridges in the city,” he added.

“It dates back to 1806 and still, today, provides a really important function of access to the city centre island, but, also, its setting and architecture create very striking views to admire close up and from a distance, making it a core piece of municipal history.”