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SINN FÉIN TD Dessie Ellis, has called on the government to provide funding for repairs to houses in need of immediate works due to pyrite contamination.
He made his call during a debate in the Dáil last night following the deadline for stakeholders to submit possible resolutions to the on-going issue.
Ellis said apart from the residents, “there is not really any innocent party in this scandal”. “The state allowed regulations which failed to stop this contamination and failed to legislate to protect citizens from this.”
“The quarry failed to identify pyrite contamination as did the construction companies and finally Homebond who washed their hands of the whole situation and behaved incredibly badly,” he said.
A report published in July revealed as many as 10,000 homes could harbour unidentified pyrite problems.
It was recommended that 850 homes that have significant damage should have immediate repairs to stop further damage being done.
Ellis said the state must put in place an industry levy to pay for works and monitoring of other contaminated homes which are not in need of work at present.
“Immediate work is necessary and the state must put up the money for this on the basis that those identified as being liable will in the longer term pay back this debt,” he said.
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Great photos. Amazing how things change so much. Always amazed when I see the old trams and all the old railway lines that used to get anyone to anywhere they wanted to go anywhere in the country. To think we had an infinitely better rail service 150 years ago!
That was before the tarmac roads and mass transport were invented and people decided that their independence was much more preferable to rail travel,
Thanks to the English Tom.
Well I suppose yes your right. I presume half of the world must have had their railways built by the English while under the shadow of its then empire. We are the only tools that dug them up
They were dug up across much of the world. The “poor us” exceptionalism aside.
Matt: Not really, that’s a common misconception. Most rail services in pre-independence Ireland were private enterprises that lasted well into the 30′s when they were out stripped by road transport and became unprofitable before closing.
Cork is a great city full of History. Patrick Street is up there with the best of them.Cork has a lot to offer. A fine Harbor and one of the best cities in the world. Cobh down the river another great place to visit. There is a song if you remember BEAUTIFUL CITY.
Beautiful city, charming and pretty
Beautiful city, my home by the Lee.
Totally agree Francis, Cork is very much a Maritime City with the city centre in fact an island due to the river Lee splitting into two channels which often confuses visitors understandably as 99% of cities will have one river dividing north and south or east and west. Patrick street, the north Main Street and practically every street come to think about it within the centre of the city were actually river channels and used to have tall ships loading and unloading cargo. Tell tail signs of this still exist such as steps leading up to premises like seen at the Chateaux on Patrick Street or in allot of buildings on the south mall. There are some excellent paintings depicting old cork before they build the roads over the channels on stilts, this is why the city is so flood prone as the river channels are still there just beneath our feet. The jewel in the crown for me is Cork harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world snaking its way from Roches Point past Cobh, passage and up river beneath the hills of Montenotte and walkways by the Atlantic pond up into the city were the two river channels once again meet. I love how different all our cities in this country are. Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway are so different to each other but all very charming when we get summers like this one.
@tom Daly ……
Cork City has been named among the top 10 in the best cities to visit in the Lonely Planet guide’s ‘Best in Travel 2010′.
The guide praises the city saying ‘Cork is at the top of its game right now: sophisticated, vibrant and diverse, while still retaining its friendliness, relaxed charm and quick-fire wit.’
Ya langer
It’s called pride Tom. I’m sure you have it for we’re you live.
Good man Tom. I was wondering how long it would take for the Cork haters to make an appearance.
Where
cork was named ahead of Vancouver and a hundreds of beautiful cities, the guy must have been pissed in cork and was taken to a hotel by a cork lady.
@Tom Collins There are 7 cities in Ireland. 5 in the 26 counties. The most glaring omission being Irelands oldest city: Waterford
Sorry Robaird, Waterford is indeed a truly historic city. Was definitely unwise of me not to mention Waterford
I remember during the Emergency watching ships sail into Cork with a barrage ballonn above them. They were supposed to prevent attack by dive bombers which would hit the cable holding the balloon causing them to crash.
Some beautiful restaurants.
robaird, there are 10 cities in Ireland.
Dublin
Belfast
Derry
Limerick
cork
Galway
Waterford
Kilkenny
Newry
Armagh
Sure if ye’re gona let any oul Johnny come lately call emselves a city why not.
If you go back much further than these pictures, Cork city centre was a series of islands with bridges to go from one to the other. To go from one end of where Grand Parade is now to the Queen’s Old Castle you would have to cross over about 4 islands. If you go down below the current sewerage/drainage system you would find the old drainage system that was used to channel water around the islands and this is how Cork (Corcaigh) got its name meaning bog or marsh.
Kilkenny is a town … As is Newry , Armagh is a county, need to polish up on the auld geography there ya langer ! ;D
@ Tom… You’re some langer ! ;-p
The Black & Tans burnt half this street to the ground.
One thing that bothers me about Patrick Street today is the facades on the buildings. They looked prettier and more traditional in the old photo. They’re all plastered over now and the paint can get very grimy. The street would be much improved if they uncovered and restored the brick or stone materials underneath.
I’ve always thought the same. The city council should put regulations into place regarding the facades on the street, i.e. acceptable colours (e.g. Swamp, if it’s still open, is an eyesore with it’s cycadelic blue/green combination), and also suitable materials that can be used (like no plastic!). One awful example that springs to mind is building that Burger King is in. It’s been the same manky blue-grey mildewy colour all my life and it’s disgusting.
Other cities can do it, even in hard times, and the businesses follow it and the city looks infinitely better. Times are tough now, so give the businesses five years’ notice, that such regulations are to come in and the street would look even better.
It’s a travesty what they did to Woodford Bournes.
@ B, unfortunately most of those original facades were destroyed during the burning of Cork in 1920. About 2/3 of the buildings on Patrick Street had to be levelled and eventually rebuilt. The modern buildings you see in the photos are not the same buildings in the black & white photos.
Pretty much all of the building on Patrick street were designed and built to be plastered… But yeah a lot of the upstairs could do with a repaint
Everything looks better in black and white. Id say it was still a dump back then.
@Dennis, I think this was applied to businesses on Dublin’s O’Connell Street a few years ago. Rules regarding signage, design, repair, maintenance, etc. Made a big difference.
Also, those effing Whacky Hat Shops that pop up for two months at a time only to close down and pop up somewhere else for two months look like absolute rubbish and should be banned.
I love the photo of yer man running across the road. Glad to see the honourable tradition of Cork jaywalking was alive and well back then :-)
I love these kind of photos. Patrick st is even so different now than it was when I was a teenager “doin Pana” on a Saturday and checking out the girls:-) And that was only 20 years ago!
My mother(Galway) lived in Cork for 10yrs in the 40′s -50′s she loves looking at the old photos of ‘Pana’
Only Talking about this yesterday.grand parade and Washington street in serious need of an injection of new shops and refurbishment.the old capital cinema(what’s going on with this!!) and shops Both sides of it are empty and in bits,every shop on Patrick street Washington street,grand parade are in need of a lick of paint above eye level.thank god Golden discs moved into the old Hmv building on Patrick street.
Which is why the concert venue on the Beamish site is imperative. Would do wonders for South Main Street, Tuckey Street, Barracks Street and North Main Street
Beautiful city …#proudcorkonian
It’s no Grafton Street
Why? Is it supposed to be?
Less knackers !
Not on a Saturday afternoon.
Its a real tacky looking street with cheap concrete and cheap installations. Its a shame councillors don’t value our city centres.
`Haven’t been in Cork in a few years but i’m sure that Patrick St. hasn’t every 2nd building either a chipper, phone shop or Centra. Grafton street is no John F Kennedy.
St. Patrick’s Street underwent a major renewal prior to 2005, which extended to the Grand Parade at the beginning of 2006. This involved the provision of new granite and limestone paving, pedestrian plazas, new lighting, street furniture and landscaping. This renewal scheme is transforming the public realm of the city centre, making it both attractive and pedestrian friendly, of all the €196 million spent on this project.. not one cycle lane was put into patrick street or any other street like grand parade, it’s not really pedestrain friendy for cyclists is it?
Pedestrians are surely a different category of user than cyclists. To be honest, I would be reluctant to cycle down Patrick Street as the pedestrians have no fear about walking out in front of moving traffic so with a cyclist there would definitely be a collision
Cycle lanes could still be added to Patricks street but it might require a complete ban on through traffic,a north south flyover would be the best option but this proposal was shot down many years ago,maybe its time to revisit.
I’m reluctant to walk on the footpaths in Cork for fear of a cyclist colliding with me!
Cars are so ugly.
Does modern day Patrick st have parking on it? Terrible idea for the main shopping street.
There a few spots for parking but its mostly loading bays, bus stops and what seems is an endless amount of taxis
There’s quite a few multi storey carparks close by within a 5 minute walk of Patrick’s street
thank god i live in Dublin.
And stay there… We have enough langers in cork already
Well said Rehabmeerkat! Love it!
Dublin is the only city in Ireland worth a visit.
Back in your box Matt.
196 million euro? They were robbed.
I’m open to correction but I think that figure may include the massive overhaul of the Cork Main Drainage Scheme, which upgraded the ability of the city centre to handle flooding.
Cork is now a very colourful city compared to a decade ago and I won’t elaborate any further, than that.
Nice pictures esp number 6. Nice to see the Union Jack flying proudly over Cork. Some things never change…
well, it is the English rebel city.
Oh dear Tom, I see you’ve fallen for that fallacy too. Stupid comment!
its a fact not a fallacy
Tom Daly Clarke is a sad attention seeking troll. As they say is Cork: ‘sure God love him’.
‘sad attention seeking troll’
lmao,
I wrote the truth and only the truth.
I challenge any cork loyalist to prove otherwise.
You were spouting some shite the other day so what makes today different
Tom why don’t you and everyone on here have a game of bugger off? Right you go first
lol, not true.
God be with the days when the Royal Irish Constabulary picked women off the street when they got drunk at the weekend and raped them in the Bridewell. When soldiers shot people on Patrick St. for looking at them funny. Great days of the Empire in Cork indeed.
Well Tom Daly Clarke, could you point us to any literature which would clarify your so called “fact”? It’s no use throwing random comments around like that without something concrete to back it up.
In 1491 Cork played a part in the English Wars of the Roses when Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne, landed in the city and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow Henry VII of England. The mayor of Cork and several important citizens went with Warbeck to England but when the rebellion collapsed they were all captured and executed. Cork’s nickname of the ‘rebel city’ originates in these events
Tom is in fact correct about the first use of the term. Not something that his teachers said often but still he is. However for most Irish people it is in reference to the hero’s of the Cork IRA who took on the British forces/RIC collaborators in the black and tan war.
Nicknames in 1491? I don’t think so.
nicknames go back to the very dawn of history.
“Pana” had (has?) a long tradition of a promenade spot for boys and girls. If you “clicked” you might go for a “stall” up the Dyke or down the Marina.
There’s a very interesting collection of maps of Cork, showing the evolution of the city centre as land was reclaimed, new streets built etc You can see how far the boats used to come down the quays etc.
http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/mapsimages/corkcityinoldmaps/
They forgot to include in the night photo all the drunk people kicking off car side mirrors and puking on shop doors!
Welcome to much of the world.
Just out of shot in Pic 6 is the chugger running after him with a clipboard. Some things never change :)
I love Cork!
Is there any other streets in cork
Are there…
And yes.
Yes there is. Princes Street, Academy Street. North Main Street, To name but a few.
Where could I get my hands on some good digital copies for framing and putting up in my house?
Patrick street full of fast food restaurants junkies and beggers.
as opposed to o’Connell street or Grafton st.?
Those streets look good. Patrick street is a dump.
Your mothhaa!
Did the Cork us tour a while back and it is genuinely fascinating. Even if you are from and live in Dublin you shouldn’t be so naive as to think theres just Dublin and the countryside to Ireland, there’s much more out there to explore without going overseas!
*bus
It went downhill from there.
Cork knackers.
Cmon you boys in blue :p
Great article.
Here’s a piece I found from My Ireland Tour. It shows old photos of Cork alongside new photos taken from the exact location. Really interesting to see the difference over time. Some of the old photos are over 100 years old. In one photo of The Grand Parade (from 1948) you can see, where Bishop Lucey Park is now, a line of buildings. Strange to think that buildings made way for a green area, usually the other way around now a days.
the river channel that was Patrick Street still empties into the lee just on the east side of St Patrick’s bridge.
It would be great if these photos could be added to Chronoglimpse
http://www.chronoglimpse.com/
what a bunch of tits
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