Plea to Coillte to restore historic cross overlooking Fermoy

Coillte is to be asked for financial help to restore a historic cross on a hill on the outskirts of a North Cork town, amid claims it is in danger of falling down.

The cross at Corrin Hill, which was erected in 1933 on the southern side of Fermoy, is deteriorating badly, according to councillors representing the local municipal district.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn received unanimous cross-party support from members of Fermoy Municipal District Council for the local authority to write to Coillte seeking financial help to restore the 30ft-high structure, which stands on Coillte-owned land within the hill’s forest.

Mr O’Flynn said some voluntary groups had previously maintained the area and had received funding from the county council.

He said one group in particular, under the guidance of the late army sergeant Paddy Butler, had done “Trojan” work there over the years.

However, he added that the structure has deteriorated so badly that “if something isn’t done soon, it could fall down”.

Mr O’Flynn said the cross is part of the area’s heritage and that on a clear day it can be seen from as far away as parts of Co Tipperary.

Prayer meetings

He said different parishes in the region often organise prayer meetings there, especially around Christmas and Easter, and that the current unstable state of the structure has become “a big concern for a lot of people”.

Aontú councillor Peter O’Donoghue said a new voluntary committee had been set up recently and is hoping to play a part in maintaining the structure and the area surrounding it, which runs along popular Coillte-owned forest walks.

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien said that while the council might be able to provide some grant aid, Coillte could surely provide money as well.

Meanwhile, following a previous motion by Ms O’Brien, the council wrote to the Office of Public Works (OPW) asking it to light up another, but far older, historic structure in the nearby village of Glanworth.

However, the OPW responded negatively to the request to illuminate the 13th-century Anglo-Norman castle, which is a designated national monument under its guardianship.

OPW minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran’s private secretary, Martina Kiernan, said it is outside its remit.

She wrote: “I should also advise that for a number of operational, conservation, and environmental reasons, the OPW does not have plans to install lighting at Glanworth Castle.”