'Golden opportunity': Demolition of dilapidated Cork City Council flats early next year

Demolition of the dilapidated Noonan’s Rd council flats will start early in 2026, beginning “a golden opportunity” for regeneration in the city, a former lord mayor has said.

In July, Cork City Council advertised its intention to demolish Blocks Two and Four of the Noonan’s Rd flats.

The two blocks each have 16 flats, with Block Two completely empty since early this summer, while the last tenant in Block Four yesterday told The Echo she expects to be rehomed in the coming weeks.

The council will vote during next Monday night’s meeting on plans to put out to tender demolition works on the two blocks.

Those works will consist of two parts, with the demolition preceded by a health and safety procedure, including an asbestos check.

Fianna Fáil councillor Seán Martin said he hoped the city council could “get the two blocks done and dusted by early in the new year”.

“We really don’t want this to drag on for 12 months,” said Mr Martin.

“The last thing we want is a situation with those two areas behind hoarding for a long period, with all the problems that would bring,” he said.

“We need the first two blocks demolished, and then the remaining two. It’s imperative that we move as quickly as possible with bringing forward plans for the reimagining of the area.”

Mr Martin rejected out of hand local rumours that the council might be planning to demolish the flats and then sell the site for student flats.

“The initial motion I put down way back was that we would redevelop the site and people would have the opportunity to go back to the redeveloped homes if they wanted, and that we needed the right mix of social and affordable homes and accommodation for people with disabilities,” he said.

“The council isn’t going to sell the site. Councillors simply wouldn’t stand for it.

“We have a golden opportunity here, because if we can get this right, the Noonan’s Rd area regeneration can become a flagship project for Cork City Council,” he said.

The 60 Noonan’s Rd flats were built 60 years ago by the then Cork Corporation, as were the adjacent 24 on St Finbarr’s Rd. Many of the flats have had issues with crumbling masonry, damp, mould, and rodents for years.

Two years ago, The Echo highlighted a campaign led by tenants and housing activist William O’Brien over conditions in council flats in the Noonan’s Rd area.

In September 2023, tenants were told the council favoured rehousing them, demolishing the dilapidated flats, and redeveloping the sites.

Now, all but a dozen of the Noonan’s Rd and St Finbarr’s Rd flats are vacant.