Developments in Cork

you’d have to puzzle also over a report in last weeks Examiner which saw Owen O Callaghan being the leading front runner to buy Cork Con and relocate them, particularly when City Manager J Gavin publicly stated that he wants to keep the Cork Con site for recreation / amenity. J Gavin said the conference centre should be within 2km of the city centre and cork con is a mere trip down ballintemple hill to the docklands.

I worry as well about the CPO which stated the minimal involvement City Council wanted to have with Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment.

To be honest, we don’t need the entire city covered in 4 or 5 storey apartment blocks. The population is not going to increase by enough for that to be the solution. We will need some and it’s better that the city council identifies areas that can take them in terms of traffic flow, public transport, infrastructure and amenities instead of just throwing them up anywhere.

It actually strikes me that what the city could do with at the moment is more terraced housing, particularly three storey terraces (with decent floor area), which are feasible as family homes. The best examples all seem to be over 100 years old. The fixation seems to be with apartments and semis.

Given that the members have apparently voted in favour of moving, is the development a fait accompli or, God forbid, is there any chance it won’t be zoned? It seems amazing they are so confident of changing the zoning in the first place……

I should express an “interest” in this regard as I live on Maryborough Hill but really and truly that road can’t take however many thousand of houses are planned. Equally, whatever happened to the concept of a green belt?

From tis morning’s letter page of the olim Cork Examiner:

22 March 2007

Cork failed to match Shannon’s free zone

THOMAS WHELAN (Irish Examiner letters, March 15) uses emotive language in responding to my fears for the future of Shannon airport (Letters, March 10).

‘Notorious’ is a debased word to use to describe the Shannon stopover. After all, the stopover was State policy offering regional development support for thousands of jobs in the Shannon industrial free zone. Shannon airport and its industrial zone was the magnet that attracted the first overseas industrial development to the State in the 1960s.

Shannon fully deserved to be the international gateway to Ireland primarily because most tourists visited the west coast. There was nothing to prevent Cork pioneering the free zone concept, but it did not do so — a serious failure on its part.

There is nothing to stop Cork having international air links. In fact, they were proposed two years ago, but the essential support was not forthcoming. While the outgoing aircraft could be filled with cash-rich Corkonians, the return leg from New York failed to attract new passengers. It proves that one international gateway in Munster is adequate.

However, those of us who support Shannon may also feel somewhat aggrieved by other aspects of national development policy in that Cork has a toll-free Lee tunnel while we in Limerick are expected to pay to drive under the Shannon. What is that about swings and roundabouts?

Des Long
52 Shannon Banks
Corbally
Limerick

@browser wrote:

It seems amazing they are so confident of changing the zoning in the first place……

I should express an “interest” in this regard as I live on Maryborough Hill but really and truly that road can’t take however many thousand of houses are planned. Equally, whatever happened to the concept of a green belt?

I agree browser, I’m in carrigaline and a local politician advised me of a proposal for 800 houses which would materially contravene the local development plan. There was no opinion from him of course on the fact that they seem happy to materially contravene it whenever they want to which begs the question on where the greenbelts put into the plan are going.

THe N28 that connects Carrigaline is the road that will pass the new Carrigaline (formerly Douglas) Golf Club. That road is going to be widened with flyovers at Shannon Park and the Bloofield Interchange. From what I hear, Castlelands will tie in that road development, co incidentally of course, to their golf club redevelopment and have an exit off it into the Golf Club.

I’d be stunned if Castlelands cant get zoning, they may get done in terms of density of houses that they can get put in , but there is a market for large luxury houses up there with yourself on Maryborough Hill – then again, with the price they are paying, you’d imagine they would try and pack in the houses

@THE_Chris wrote:

That road is still on the long finger though, think post-2010 before construction begins if recent trends continue.

and castlelands expect to hand over the golf courses complete in 2012

funny timing that….

@jungle wrote:

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned here is that the city council are considering handing over Christ Church (former city records office) to the Triskel for use as a perfromance space.

I don’t know if this would be in addition to their current premises or would involve them moving out of there with that location coming onto the market.

Christ Church, South Main St

Background:
There has been a church on the site of Christ Church (also called Holy Trinity) since the 12th century though the present building dates from 1725. It was one of two principal churches in the city, during that time, the other being Saint Peter’s on North Main St (now the Cork Vision Centre). It was closely associated with the Corporation of the city and regular civic functions were held there. There were chapels attached to both Churches where chantry priests said masses for the repose of the souls of the dead. It is believed that the poet Edmund Spenser married Elizabeth Boyle in Christ Church in 1594.

After the Siege of Cork (1690) many of the medieval parish churches were rebuilt and modernised. The current building at Christ Church was built c 1725 and Its design is tentatively ascribed to John Coltsman a master stonemason who also is believed to have built the present South Gate Bridge. It was estimated that the church cost £5,328 and was said at the time by antiquarian Charles Smith that the “The body of this church is capable of containing 3000 people, with good pews and galleries, and is all built of hewn stone”. It was remodelled in c1828 and again in 1878. This church contains a vaulted crypt of archaeological importance, parts of which are believed to date back to medieval times. The graveyard associated with the church has some 16th and 17th century cross slabs and gravemarkers.

The Church is adjacent to Christ Church Lane is one of the oldest lanes in Cork and is clearly visible on the oldest-known map of Cork dating from 1545. This was the location of Christ Church national school (originally build in 1742) which stood opposite the burial grounds.

Designations:
Christ Church, South Main Street (including surrounding graveyard) is a Protected structure and is listed on the Record of Protected Structures (PS329). It is also highlighted on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (Reg. No. 20514004). This NIAH survey describes Christ Church as “significant in its own right for the quality and design of the structure, for the attached graveyard to the rear of the building, and also for the importance of the site in the development of Cork city.

Christ Church and its associated graveyard are also Recorded Monuments (RMP CO 074:3408 & CO074:3409, Inventory No 5805& 5813)

Architectural Features:
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) survey describes Christ Church as an imposing ashlar faced church in a classical style. Interesting architectural features include the ionic portico to the west facade. The windows have round headed openings with cills to the upper floor (six over six panes) and square headed window openings with cills to the ground floor (nine over six panes). The three rounded headed entrance openings have timber paneled doors. The south elevation has limestone ashlar to the lower half of the wall with oval windows with stained glass and metal grilles above.
Current Status
Christ Church was one of the principal Anglican centers of worship in the inner city. However dwindling numbers of parishioners forced its closure and the building became the home of the Cork City and County Archives Dept. The Archives Dept moved to a purpose built new building in 2006 and the building is currently not in use.

@Paddyboy wrote:

Hi folks!
dont know for how long ive been browsing your comments & love to hear whats happening around da city. For the first time im in a position to buy a property that i LOVE. Not sure if im mad or not but ive put in a bit for the chapel for sale on the lee road /our ladys hospital.
It consists of the 900sq ft chapel on 0.8ac with full planning for a bistro/rest designed by coughlan de kyser etc…Suppose guys, ide love your help /views /advice with regard to what i can do with the chapel. What i want to do is live in it after doing a renovation job similar to those ive seen on grand designs on the tv….but ive no interest in building a bar/bistro thingy….and i dont have that kind of money…..What ide love to do is build some kind of contemp apartments which i could rent out….but yet wont ruin the appearence/character of the church…. Maybe im half mad but I have the money to raise enought the purchase & restoration of the chapel as my residence…..If i could do something with the remaining grounds….I may be able to live in this fab building with a reasonable mortgage………..Ide love if you can give me some ideas Thanks, Patrick

That Church is a beautiful building and would make a fine single or multi residence.
Before putting money into sub dividing the property into multi units I would suggest taking advice from a property expert as apartments to the rear of the Church are still plentiful after years on the market (see link below), The selling agent should be able to steer you in the right direction.
Best of luck whichever path you take.

https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=5077&page=33 post 821

Re: Christ church/Triskel arts centre

Will the triskel be using the church as a performance venue or converting it into a space like the vision centre?

It would be an uncomfortable place for a concert with those pews.

@daniel_7 wrote:

@daniel_7 wrote:

owen o callaghan has said recently that he has plans for two towers at mahon point one of which will be 32 storys and theres also plans for taller buildings else where in the city and in the docklands!maybe if dublins planners hade found taller buildings a few years ago it might not have become europes finest case of urban sprawl!

😮 Political journalist, Mary Smithwick’s Opinion page in tonight’s Evening Echo has a right rant against Apartment living to equal anything the Communities for Sustainable Development or their main supporter Cllr. David McCarthy could ever come up with.

The best before date for apartment blocks looms:
“WHY are we continuing to buy apartments as quickly as builders can throw them up?
A recent survey showed that three-quarters of apartment dwellers don’t want to live in such buildings in the future.
The findings are from Dublin, but could just as easily apply to Cork.
Those living in apartments complain about inadequate storage space, insulation and the size of their kitchens. They also worry about security, and don’t like the views from their concrete boxes.
Now, if only one out of every four apartment dwellers intends staying put, and all the rest intend migrating to some mythical suburb of three-bedroom semis, what’s going to happen all the blocks of apartments currently dotted around our cities?
No one really wants to live in them, and they’re destined to become the ghettos of the future the very bottom rung on the accommodation ladder for the desperate and broke”.