Nineteenth century to present day

Trams in St Patricks Street

Photograph from the 1920's showing electric trams in St Patrick's Street

Copyright Cork City Libaries

Trams in St Patricks Street
Copyright Cork City Libaries

Trams in St Patricks Street

Photograph from the 1920's showing electric trams in St Patrick's Street

Copyright Cork City Libaries

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NINETEENTH CENTURY


During the nineteenth century department stores, food shops, coffee shops, and other kinds of businesses opened in the street which became the busiest street in Cork and the heart of the city.


Advertisements from old trade directories give lots of information about these businesses and often show illustrations of the buildings.
 

The best-known landmark on the street, the statue of Father Mathew, was unveiled on 10 October 1864. Later the area near the statue became the centre of the Cork Electric Tramway System which existed from 1898 to 1931 when the trams were replaced by buses.

Burning of Cork

A map from 'Who burnt Cork City ?' showing the buildings destroyed and damaged in Cork on 11 December 1920

Copyright Cork City Libraries

Burning of Cork
Copyright Cork City Libraries

Burning of Cork

A map from 'Who burnt Cork City ?' showing the buildings destroyed and damaged in Cork on 11 December 1920

Copyright Cork City Libraries

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Pavilion Cinema

Photograph of the old Pavilion Cinema which is presently the HMV music story. (courtesy Irish Examiner)

Copyright Irish Examiner

Pavilion Cinema
Copyright Irish Examiner

Pavilion Cinema

Photograph of the old Pavilion Cinema which is presently the HMV music story. (courtesy Irish Examiner)

Copyright Irish Examiner

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BURNING OF CORK

The worst night in the history of the street happened on 11 December 1920, during the War of Independence, when British forces set fire to many of the buildings on the street. Some of them were completely destroyed while others were badly damaged. Photographs taken at the time show the damage done.


On that same night the old City Hall on Albert Quay and the old Carnegie Library on Anglesey Street were also destroyed.

 

REBUILDING AND CINEMAS

After the end of the War of Independence the damaged and destroyed buildings on the street were rebuilt. Roches Stores, Cash's, now called Brown Thomas, and other buildings on the northern side of the street were among those rebuilt.
 

The Pavilion cinema, now the HMV music store, opened on 10 March 1921. The first 'talking' film seen in Cork was shown there on 5 August 1929. The Savoy cinema, now the Savoy shopping centre, opened on 12 May 1932. It was the biggest and most luxurious cinema in Cork. It had over 2000 seats. Every Sunday night an organist named Fred Bridgeman would play popular songs while the crowd sang along. The words of the songs were shown on the screen.
 

In early 1975 the Savoy cinema closed and the Savoy shopping centre opened in 1977. The Pavilion cinema closed in August 1989.

Wooden paving

Photgraph showing people removing the wooden paving from St Patrick's Street in 1932. (courtesy Irish Examiner)

Copyright Irish Examiner

Wooden paving
Copyright Irish Examiner

Wooden paving

Photgraph showing people removing the wooden paving from St Patrick's Street in 1932. (courtesy Irish Examiner)

Copyright Irish Examiner

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St Patricks Street

Photograph showing the recently developed St Patrick's Street

Copyright Cork City Libaries

St Patricks Street
Copyright Cork City Libaries

St Patricks Street

Photograph showing the recently developed St Patrick's Street

Copyright Cork City Libaries

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'DOING PANA'

One of the most popular pastimes in Cork was walking along St Patrick's Street, window shopping, stopping to talk to friends or to have a drink. To Corkonians the pastime was known as 'doing Pana'. 'Pana' is the nickname of the street.
 

In 1932 the wooden paving blocks on the street were replaced by paving stones. The wooden paving was known as 'the blocky' and the discarded blocks were used as firewood.
 

REDEVELOPMENT

In the 1990s Cork Corporation, now Cork City Council, was concerned about the amount of traffic using the city centre. It seemed that the centre was more friendly to cars than to people. The Corporation decided to change this. It built a number of bypass roads around the city to reduce the traffic in the centre and asked architects to design plans for the city centre making it more attractive for pedestrians.
 

The design of the Spanish architect Beth Gali was chosen to redevelop St Patrick's Street and work on the street began in 2002. It was finished in September 2004 and the newly-redeveloped street was officially opened on 22 September 2004 by Lord Mayor Seán Martin.
 

The street has been repaved with granite and limestone in different colours. The pavements have been widened. Traffic can now use only four lanes. Two of these are for general traffic and two for buses and taxis. Special lamps, designed to resemble ships' masts, have been placed along the street.
 

On 15 November 2004 the newly-renovated street won an award as the Best City Street in Ireland. It has come a long way from the desolate marshes shown in the map of 1545.

See the latest development plans for Cork City on the county council website.