‘It's a total disgrace' – crunch meeting in rural Cork town over poor state of historic courthouse

Irish Independent

04-05-2025

Kanturk's historical courthouse is a building with over 200 years of history and the bridewell contains rare graffiti that was etched on the walls by Republicans who were incarcerated there during the Revolutionary Period.
But the bridewell has been protected by a temporary tarpaulin covering after the roof became badly damaged, in what the Vice-Chairman of the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee Dan Dennehy has described as a 'total disgrace.'
'Over three years with a temporary tarpaulin covering, which is a total disgrace.
'It is probably only adding to the deterioration of the graffiti,' Mr Dennehy told The Corkman.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West Christopher O'Sullivan said there is so much 'passion and dedication' within the Kanturk community to see the courthouse returned to its former glory.
'I visited the courthouse with Deputy Michael Moynihan, the [Kanturk Courthouse Restoration] Committee who have been working for a couple of years to make a case for the state to renovate it and what I can say is there is so much passion and dedication with the community.
'I can see Michael's passion for the project shines through and he has so much knowledge and interest, which shone through on the day,' Mr O'Sullivan said.
Locals who formed the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee have advocated for the building to be urgently restored so that its artefacts are not further damaged by dampness caused by the bridewell's damaged roof.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North West Michael Moynihan said protecting the building is 'crucially important.'
'There's a lot of drawings on the courthouse building itself in terms of the battleships from the first World War that were drawn there by the people who were incarcerated during the War of Independence and the Civil War.
'We have evidence of people who are long since gone that have played a visible part in the War of independence who have since been forgotten,' Mr Moynihan said.
Minister O'Sullivan, Deputy Moynihan, members of the Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee and representatives from the Irish Court Services held a 'constructive meeting' about the restoration of the building.
'I was representing the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and from the Heritage point of view to explain that there are types of funds available for groups, for state bodies and local authorities to apply for funding for the protection and renovation of these incredible landmarks.
'The Court Service has a very important role to play because they are the owners of the building.
'We certainly identified a path forward that we are exploring at the moment, and that path would have to involve the court service and eventually the local authority,' Mr O'Sullivan added.
Mr Moynihan told The Corkman that further engagement with the Court Service is 'important.'
'There were routes to funding discussed by Minister O'Sullivan and the Court Services.
'We have to further engage with them because it is crucially, crucially important that we protect this structure,' he said.
Mr O'Sullivan continued to say:
'I would urge the Court Services, along with the OPW and the local authority to bang heads together and for them to avail of the funding mechanisms available.
'It certainly is as my state admission as Minister to where opportunities arise to protect, renovate and to increase access to these very important monuments, that is what we want to do.
'In the case of Kanturk where you have a really passionate community and you have local representatives who are very passionate, that is the basis to doing something very special,' he concluded.