One of Cork's most historic buildings is to be given a £3 million facelift. Cork's courthouse, a defining landmark since 1836, has weathered badly. Specialist skills in stone masonry and other crafts will be needed to ensure that it may once again take its place rightfully as one of the most important Cork buildings.
The work is ongoing and has been the subject of negotiation between the Department of Justice and the Cork city architect, Mr Neil Hegarty, for whom this has become a special project.
When approval for the restoration was granted two years ago, this is what the then Lord Mayor of Cork, Alderman Jim Corr, had to say: "This building is inextricably linked to our history, to events great and momentous, sad and tragic.
"It still functions as an extremely busy courthouse and the refurbishment work now being undertaken will ensure not only that a historic building is preserved but that the important work carried out here can continue in safe and appropriate conditions."
The original courthouse was designed in 1836 by George Richard Pain and his brother James. After a disastrous fire, it was rebuilt between 1892 and 1895 to the design of Cork architect William Henry Hill. I am informed that a condition of the competition for the replacement building was that the original portico and facade would have to be preserved. Modern planners take note.
I'm sure that the prices then were outlandish. Nevertheless, those overseeing the project were vigilant enough to agree a tender price of £26,455, with the proviso that £1,500 should be deducted because materials from the old building were available to the construction company. Those, it seems, were the innocent days.
This history is being resurrected once again only because Cork Corporation has just recently been recognised for its approach to the restoration of the courthouse.
This came in the form of a Millennium Construction Excellence Award organised by the Construction Industry Federation and Irish Building magazine, which recognised the corporation last week.
In addition to the courthouse award, the corporation, under the same scheme, won two further awards - for the recently opened Jack Lynch Tunnel and the Bloomfield interchange on the south side of Cork.
It might be said that the corporation has been rewarded for having an eye to the old as well as the new.