Cobh Restoration Project Exhibition

To mark National Heritage Week, a photographic exhibition outlining the restoration of the Promenade railings in Cobh will be staged by the Tidy Towns committee. The cast iron railings to “The Promenade” in Cobh were manufactured in London and installed as part of the works to transform the Columbine Quay into a park and recreational area over a century ago.

By 2008, the entire length of the railings was severely affected by rust, had many missing elements and appeared very unsightly. The Tidy Towns committee applied to the Heritage Council for a grant to restore the railings to their former glory. Between 2008 and 2010 the Heritage Council sanctioned grants totalling €22000 and later this year a large missing section of railing will be installed that will complete the project. The Tidy Towns secretary Ursula Duffy stated that “Cobh has a distinctly Victorian Architecture which has remained largely intact to the present day. We feel that restoring these railings is sending a powerful message to property owners in Cobh that restoration of original features is preferable to their replacement”.

The repainting of the railings was a mammoth task that was only possible with the support of many volunteers and took several months in 2009. “Without the support of the Heritage Council I shudder to think of how the
railings would look today” commented Tidy Towns treasurer Jim O’Rourke. The exhibition will be mounted on the restored railings on Sunday 29thAugust from 2 pm to 5 pm. This will coincide with the visit of the magnificent Cruise Liner Independence of the Seas to the harbour town.

Further information from Hendrick Verwey: Tel 087 2593850