Councillors' bid to make Cork Prison a protected structure

Cork City Council confirmed that the motion to add the old Cork Prison to the Register of Protected Structures will take place on Tuesday at 6pm.

The move would stop the prison from being demolished — a decision on proposals to do so, so that another prison can be built on the site, is due before the end of this year.

The meeting follows a request submitted by 22 of the 31 councillors including Lord Mayor Damian Boylan and deputy Gary O’Brien, both Fine Gael, and their party colleagues Shane O’Callaghan and Joe Kavanagh.

Fine Gael’s Des Cahill did not sign the letter, and neither did Fianna Fáil’s Terry Shannon, Seán Martin, Tony Fitzgerald, Dr John Sheehan, Mary Rose Desmond, Fergal Dennehy, Margaret McDonnell or Terry Coleman.

Colm Kelleher was the only Fianna Fáil councillor who did put his name on the submission.

It was also signed by all the other councillors — Sinn Féin, Green, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit — Solidarity, Worker’s Party, Independent Ireland and the independents.

Sinn Féin’s Kenneth Collins noted that Terence MacSwiney had spent time in three Cork buildings in his last days in Cork city, including the old Cork prison, as well as the original City Hall building which was burnt during the burning of Cork, and the county gaol, which has since been demolished.

“This building is the last physical connection to those days that saw the start of a hunger strike that would echo around the globe and throughout time,” he said.

His party colleague, TD Thomas Gould, added: “There is a time for politics and there is a time for unity.

“This meeting shows that when Cork city’s history is under threat, our councillors can come together to save it. I look forward to watching the meeting and I hope that this will bring awareness to the stories this site can tell.”