16 January 2023
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Piece of Heritage on Cork’s Main Street to receive TLC from City Hall
Cork City Council has commissioned Stokes Clock and Watches to carry out repair works to restore the St. Patrick’s Street (aka Pana) landmark Mangan’s Clock to working order by refurbishing the clock hands, repairing and replacing damaged parts and cleaning and painting the supporting pillar.
At a cost in the region of €7,500, the work will start at the end of this month, and is estimated to take about 3 months, when this special piece of street furniture will be back in full working order and continue its role as a silent witness to the life of Cork city.
Mangan’s Clock has been a landmark on Saint Patrick’s Street since the 1850s. Located near Merchants Quay it is a much-loved piece of heritage street furniture in Cork City. Mangan Jewellers was a family business of clock makers and jewellers in Cork City from 1817 to the late 1980s and were responsible for the installation of Mangan’s Clock as well as the iconic clock on St. Anne’s Church, Shandon. The clock is cast iron, comprising of a square-profile base, with a tapered shaft having square-profile capital, with two faces having decorative surrounds and surmounted by finial.
Cork City Council Heritage Officer Niamh Twomey said: “Cork City Council recognises the importance of Mangan’s Clock from both a social and technical heritage point of view. This clock has witnessed the ebb and flow of Cork city’s history, from narrowly escaping destruction during the Burning of Cork, to the construction of Merchant’s Quay shopping centre in the 1980s, to the refurbishment of the public realm on St Patrick Street in more recent times. On a more romantic note, it is said that many a happy marriage started with a couple meeting for their “first date” under the watchful eye of Mangan’s clock!”
Mangan’s was a famous watchmaker and jeweller located on Patricks Street. Their former premises was demolished to make way for the current redbrick Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre.
