Taoiseach’s stance on old Cork Prison being put on protected structures list slammed by TD

A Cork TD has criticised the Taoiseach’s comments on the old Cork Prison, noting that Micheál Martin condemned the demolition of a historic building under similar circumstances in Dublin six years ago.

Last week, Cork City Council voted unanimously to place the old Cork Prison on its protected structures register, noting its heritage value.

Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan said that this will take six months.

There are plans by the Department of Justice and Irish Prison Service (IPS) for the old building to be demolished and a new prison to be constructed on the site, with the demolition currently going through the planning process.

A decision on this is expected before the end of the year, and both the IPS and the department refused to comment on if this will still go ahead in light of the building’s proposed protected status.

On Friday, the Taoiseach said that he had concerns about “politics putting something on a protected structures list because of political reasons and not because of architectural or historic reasons”, adding that more prison spaces were badly needed.

No guarantee

Asked if there could be no guarantee the building would not be demolished, Mr Martin replied: “No guarantee. I can’t. I’m not the minister of justice. I’m not the prison authorities.”

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said: “I absolutely and totally dispute the Taoiseach’s claim that this building is being protected for political purposes.

“It is a 1916 execution site that saw Ard Mhéara Terence MacSwiney commence his world-famous hunger strike. 14 men were executed on this site.”

He asked: “Would the Taoiseach prefer that the people of Cork just turn a blind eye to the demolition of their history?

“The Taoiseach must understand that a proposed protected structure has all of the protections of a protected structure. This was confirmed by the High Court when the O’Rahilly house was demolished in Dublin.”

The former home of 1916 leader Michael Joseph O’Rahilly was demolished overnight in 2020, two weeks after Dublin City Council voted to place it on its protected structures register.

Mr Martin said in the Dáil at the time: “First of all, this was wrong.

“This act was wrong in my view and I’m of the view such iconic historic buildings and locations should be preserved or at the minimum incorporated into whatever developments are taking place.”

Mr Gould said: “His own words couldn’t be more important now. He should reflect on these.

“This is not about party politics. This is about preserving our heritage and our history.”