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'We wanted to mind it; now we're watching it burn' - Fire has gutted one of Cork city's best-known buildings

A massive fire broke out at St Kevin’s Asylum near the Lee Fields at about 6pm this evening.

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A FIRE HAS broken out at an iconic building in Cork City this evening.

Five units of Cork City Fire Services are in attendance at the blaze at the building formerly known as St Kevin’s Asylum, one of the city’s best-known properties.

It’s believed that the blaze broke out at around 6pm.

st annes Twitter / Cork City Fire Brigade Twitter / Cork City Fire Brigade / Cork City Fire Brigade

“As of now, it looks like about two-thirds of the building has been burnt out,” local councillor Kieran McCarthy told TheJournal.ie at 10pm this evening.

The building, a large red-brick dating from the late 19th century situated just north of the Lee in the west of the city centre, has been closed and out of use since 2002.

dandra Sandra Murphy Sandra Murphy

“We’re calling for these buildings to be minded for years,” says McCarthy, adding that “ironically” the building was felt to be one of the most secure in the area.

It’s come as a real shock, it’s a fine summer’s evening, people are enjoying themselves, now we’re looking at this. It’s just really disappointing.
We were only talking about minding it, now we’re watching it burn.

It’s understood that there have been no reported injuries as a result of the fire.

In McCarthy’s opinion, “there’s little chance that this is accidental”. “The building is too difficult to get into for that to be the case”.

“Look, it’s a very said night, people are just standing in shock looking at a beautiful building burning. The roof is collapsing now in front of us,” Lord Mayor of Cork Tony Fitzgerald told TheJournal.ie.

It has a dark enough history, but it’s still a beautiful building. It’s just a very sad night for the city.

Read: ‘I wasn’t prepared to let her drown’ – Woman who saved 10-year-old girl on Cork beach

Read: A massive organic farm in Donegal has sold for €17.4 million

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51 Comments
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    Mute melanie hilton
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:32 PM

    Women should already know not to drink alcohol during pregnancy. .

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    Mute Adam Power
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:36 PM

    Yet they still do it…

    55
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    Mute Charles O'Dowd
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:39 PM

    If someone is stupid/selfish enough to drink alcohol during pregnancy a label isn’t going to deter them.

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    Mute melanie hilton
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:42 PM

    Yes Adam they do..it’s sad really..9 months out of their lives and they risk birth defects and fetal alcohol syndrome..

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    Mute Fíona Barrett-Palfrey
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:08 PM

    that and smoking! too many times you see women smoking, even worse when they are in their pj’s/dressing gown outside a hospital while they are in to have a baby! unreal! I’d give anything to have a baby & people who drink & smoke while pregnant sicken me!

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    Mute Dave Dson
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:20 PM

    Warning!: Avoid alcohol, that’s why you got pregnant in the first place. Remember now?

    66
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    Mute Rísteard Ó Muineacháin
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:39 PM

    Cant walk past the smoking area outside the rotunda…

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    Mute Eighties BlackGuy
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:46 PM

    Pitchforks and misinformation abound this evening!

    Drinking alcohol in moderation during pregnancy is not in any way harmful to the unborn baby. Here is one of many articles from this year:

    http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/18/drinking-moderation-pregnancy-baby-development

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    Mute Doey Walsh
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:52 PM

    Some people listen to gossip
    I listen to doctors,
    not like these girls are getting dressed up to the nines and going to a nightclub
    An odd glass of wine ain’t going to hurt anyone :)

    54
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    Mute Michele Savage
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    Aug 28th 2013, 12:04 AM

    That article is cannot be rated as a definitive declaration of the presence or otherwise of the full range of possible outcomes from prenatal alcohol exposure. It was not a FASD-specific comprehensive assessment, but it is a reflection of the general widespread lack of understanding and of diagnostic services.

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    Mute Bronagh Butler
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:38 PM

    “An alcohol lobby group wants to waste funding pointing out what women already know” should be the sub-heading.

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    Mute Tokidoll
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:49 PM

    Bit confused by this article. They are calling for the labels on foot of a MARKED REDUCTION in pregnant drinkers, not an increase. Seems odd.

    Every bottle of wine or beer I pick up seems to have a picture of a pregnant woman on it with a strike- through line as a warning. Seems like the job is already done.

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    Mute Fíona Barrett-Palfrey
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:09 PM

    I noticed those pictures on drinks already too, but I suppose they want it to be clearer, like on a pack of cigarettes! Not that those images or messages put smokers off smoking!

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    Mute Mark
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:45 PM

    Thought that too. Two things seems odd:
    1. It’s already decreasing
    2. The “alcohol lobby”, are the ones that produce the labels. If they want warnings on them why don’t they just put them there?

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    Mute Dave Dson
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:41 PM

    Warning: Eight of these and you are like a bicycle. Everybody will want a go.

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:23 PM

    And if your kidnapped they’ll kidnap you right back when left outside a church

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    Mute Mel Finn
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:41 PM

    Ha That picture represents the sillouette of all the chaps drinking in my local, should there be a beer gut warning…..( including moobs)

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Aug 28th 2013, 12:12 AM

    Haha! That reminds me of going swimming when 7 months pregnant (had sciatica and couldn’t walk much). I was shy going into the pool area for the first time in my swim suit but I needn’t have worried. Most of the men had bigger bellies than I had!

    22
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    Mute Joe Kelly
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:58 PM

    Opportunism on the part of the drinks lobby. They get to pretend they’re concerned when sales to pregnant women are pretty much non existent anyway. Let’s see how they would react if warnings re. excessive use, including recommended weekly limits, are proposed for all alcoholic beverages.

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    Mute Noel Hogan
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:05 PM

    I’ve seen kids with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, not a pretty sight. Really has opened my eyes to the awfulness of alcoholism. If it even leads to a 1% reduction in this it’ll be worth it.

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    Mute Mary Cullinane
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:39 PM

    I agree with u Melanie, it’s well known that drinking & smoking should be totally avoided during pregnancy but I suppose there’s always the couple that will say they didn’t know so if warnings will make any difference it can only be a good thing.

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    Mute Bronagh Butler
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:43 PM

    If parents are stupid enough to claim ignorance like that then there’d little hope for their child already!

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    Mute Bronagh Butler
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:44 PM

    There’d be*

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    Mute Stephanie Fleming
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:07 PM

    It’s actually not well known. It’s well known that a glass of wine a day is acceptable. It’s also well known that a glass a week is acceptable. It’s also well known that small amours are good for development.

    What I’m saying is that we don’t know for sure.

    51
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    Mute Michele Savage
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:55 PM

    All alcohol consumed reaches the fetus. How can that be o.k.?

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    Mute Stephanie Fleming
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    Aug 28th 2013, 12:11 AM

    Alcohol can be processed by the body. It’s toxic in certain amounts, not any amount, just like many many other things we consume daily.

    17
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Aug 28th 2013, 5:46 AM

    Warning signs…..about as useful as chocolate teapots these days , I bought a bag of peanuts in Tesco and noticed there was a helpful Warning Sign in red type no less…saying it contained nuts….I mean it’s a bag of peanuts what type of idiot needs a warning that a bag if peanuts contains nuts ….this my friends is us entering the new world of warning signs…proceed with caution..

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    Mute mr_bean_007
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:56 PM

    This is already in place in the UK.
    Doesn’t stop pregnant chavs drinking…

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    Mute Joanne Cussen
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    Aug 27th 2013, 11:55 PM

    Doctors need to be clearer on the effects alcohol can have on unborn baby … its not spoken about often enough’ I think its just one of these things that people presume you won’t do while pregnant but in fact a lot of people either have a glass of wine week , a day some even go on benders and not know the consequence’ alcohol was not mentioned n my first hospital visit when I was pregnant’ I never did drink while pregnant and never would but the dangers ard not spoken about .

    11
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    Mute Mary Mcmahon
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    Aug 28th 2013, 1:22 AM

    Why are there no health warnings on alcohol ,it causes more health problems and violence then smoking ,the drinks industry must have more clout then the tobacco industry.

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    Mute AlanH -AFC
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    Aug 27th 2013, 10:42 PM

    Iv a bottle of moet and it has a pic of pregnant silhouette with the warning under it. Not that hard to include on other drinks. Although I certainly agree they shouldn’t need to be warned about the dangers of drinking.

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    Mute Michele Savage
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    Aug 28th 2013, 12:22 AM

    # FASD
    #ARND
    #Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
    #Warning labels
    #drinks industry
    #Alcoholic Beverage Federation of Ireland

    Neither a minute pictogram nor the message required by the U.S., which warns only of birth defects, go anywhere near warning about the lifelong CNS damage often manifesting in ADHD and/or Autistic Spectrum characteristics, learning, behavioural and ultimately psychiatric difficulties, including a propensity for addiction, even where infants seem ‘perfect’ at birth.

    The alcoholic beverage industry has repeatedly failed to universally warn its customers of the dangers which that drug can cause even in our earliest stages of formation, so their turning all the blame for delay in labelling back on a government can only be viewed with cynicism.

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    Mute Tommy Crotty
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    Aug 28th 2013, 4:48 PM

    I only have one with a fag!!

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