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New Market after fire

Monday, 09 March 2009 04:30 administrator
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Restoration after Fire

The following article appeared in The Cork Examiner on Wednesday October 29th 1980, for the new restoration plans of the Princes Street market. CORK'S famous city centre Princes Street market, destroyed by fire last June, is to be restored to its former glory and re-opened to the public next July.Tenders for the restoration work go out today to five of the nine contractors who expressed an interest in the project and work is due to start early next year.




The "new" market, which will be as near as possible in design to the original building, will have five stalls on the balcony as well as a restaurant/coffee shop. There will be twelve stalls on the ground floor.
At last night's meeting of Cork Corporation, a model of the new building (see picture right) was on display and councillors were given an up-to-date report of the planned restoration.
A new lighting system will make the most of the fountain which is to be raised on a plinth and put back Into working order.


A ceramic tile floor is to be laid and, according to the project architects, Jack Healy and D. Berkeley, this will greatly add to the visual Impact of the fountain which will be spotlit.
In selecting contractors to be invited to tender, consideration was given to the fact that the preparation of the detailed roof trusses and other high-class Joinery would require that the contractor would have access to a

good Joinery workshop where the trusses could be fabricated under supervision by the architects.
More natural light will be let into the building through scotch tint glass in the roof, and a canopy will be erected over the ground floor stalls.
One of the significant changes in the new building will be the restaurant and new sales units on the balcony.
Meetings have been held with the traders who were affected as a result of last Jane's fire and agreement has been reached with them on the proposed lay-out The City Manager, R r. T. J. McHugh, said last night that he hoped to set the restoration work starting as soon as possible after Christmas.

The brief if the Council had been, he said, to put the building back as it was, with some improvements such as tiled floor, modern hygienic conditions, toilets, etc.


Cllr. Paud Black, Chairman of the Mrrkets Sob Committee, outlined the plans for the balcony stalls.
The City Architect's Department is responsible for the design of the reconstruction of the project, under Mr. Pat Kesnan, Assistant City Manager, and Mr. T. F. McNamari, City Architect.

Orginal report By Denis Reading
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 April 2009 06:22 )  

Past & Present

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New Entrance
New entrance New entrance to Prince's-Street Market....


The entrance to the new Prince's-street market... will henceforth rank amongst the principal buildings in our city. It is certainly as handsome a structure as exists in the three kingdoms having the same object, and reflects the greatest credit on our city Architect who designed it, and superintended its construction, and on Mr Walsh, the builder, who carried out the design. The only fault that can be suggested, not in the immediate work itself, but in connection with it, is the difficulty of getting a good view of the front in its position, in a narrow street, which is also one of the busiest thoroughfares in Cork....

The front is a well-designed and graceful structure which under any disadvantages of position must look well. In the centre is a lofty entrance or gateway, twenty feet high and ten feet broad. This being the main purpose of the erection is of course the part to which everything else is subservient. Use and profit, however, are not neglected in the accessories, which consist of two exceedingly handsome houses, especially designed for shops, one at either side of this entrance, the whole forming a large building designed artistically, and erected in a workmanlike manner. There is no particular style adhered to in the design, but in it a general resemblance to buildings built in brickwork after the Lombardo-Italian school, prevails. The front is chiefly constructed of red brick, tastefully varied however in several parts by other colours. For instance, the large arch over the entrance is in black and white brickwork, and the mouldings are of the limestone of this district. The whole building stands on a base of two feet and a half of handsomely cut limestone. The houses on each side are divided vertically on the lower storey into three divisions by two pillars, one division acting as a doorway, and the other two serving as windows. The second storey of each house is in four divisions created by three handsome pillars, and the top storey in five divided by pillars. Over the central arch is a large semi-circular light very ornamentally finished, and a little above this is a circular space for a clock, should it ever be deemed advisable to put one there. The whole is surmounted by a capping of limestone, consisted of a series of corbals, each carrying a semi-circular arch over it, the spaces under the arches being deeply cut, so as to throw a deep and effective shadow - an arrangement that must be noticed and admired by anyone looking at the front from Princes-street. The keystone of the large arch is of limestone. On the whole the front is one of striking beauty.

Passing in through the archway, the visitor stands in a corridor thirty feet deep, the shape of the arch, at each end of which there will be exceedingly handsome gates; inside the outer one will be an entrance from this long archway or corridor into the houses at either side. Inside the corridor lies the market. As is well known, the orginal object of the change in the market was to provide protection for the dealers carrying on their sales there of vegetables, fowl, fruit, fish, etc. That this object has been realised with the utmost regard to utility, and yet in the most perfect compliance with the rules of good taste and effect, will be evidenced to the most casual visitor to the market.

1986 Fire
1986 FireAnother Fire struck the market on Monday night the following is from The Cork Examiner on Tuesday January 7th 1986. The price of the paper was 0.45p
New Market after fire
Restoration after Fire
1980 Fire
1980 Fire
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