'Serious concern' after emergency services fight overnight blaze at former Cork city convent

Seven units of Cork City Fire Brigade, with at least 20 personnel, last night attended what was described as a serious fire at the former Good Shepherd convent in Sunday’s Well.

The blaze began before midnight in the former Magdalene laundry on the western extreme of the ruined building, and the alarm was raised by concerned neighbours.

Just after 1am, a spokesperson for Cork City Fire Brigade said seven units were in attendance at the derelict site on the city’s northside, with the building described as “well alight”.

The crews worked well into the early hours of Thursday morning to bring the fire under control.

It is understood that one unit of the city’s fire service was kept in reserve at the its headquarters on Anglesea St in case it was needed in another emergency.

Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, said Cork City Council needed to secure the former Good Shepherd site as a matter of urgency after what is only the latest in a semi-regular series of fires at the site.

“This latest fire shows how important it is that the site is made secure as soon as possible.

“We’ve seen multiple fires up there, and I would have a very serious concern that someone will be badly injured or worse there,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Local residents tell me that the fires have left the cellars open on the site, and it is a regular occurrence that children are seen on what’s left of the roof.

“The site needs to be secured urgently, before there is a tragedy there.” 

Kenneth Collins, Sinn Féin city councillor, said Cork City Council needed “to get serious” about the site.

“It’s getting too serious now, the council needs to the developers, and they need to tell them to secure the site, or the council will compulsorily purchase it,” he said.

The latest incident is the most serious blaze at the site since a major fire in 2022 gutted the eastern block of the convent, which had until then been largely intact.

The Good Shepherd site has been on Cork City Council’s derelict sites since February of 2019 and has an estimated current market value of €1,850,000.

Last year, several local councillors called on Cork City Council to compulsorily purchase the site, with a possible view to using it for some form of social housing.

The Echo has been unsuccessful in attempts to Moneda Developments, the last known owners of the site.

Only last week, local residents had called for clarity around the ownership of the former convent and Magdalene laundry which has been on the derelict sites for several years and has suffered multiple fires over the years.

At the time, Tom Coleman, chairman of the Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association, told The Echo that the former Good Shepherd was “a tragedy waiting to happen”.

Mr Coleman predicted that as the good weather continued, the risk of anti-social behaviour on the derelict site would increase.

The night after Mr Coleman made that prediction, a unit of the fire service had to attend a small fire at the site, the first such incident of 2025.

Cork City Council was asked for comment about the site's current ownership.