A bit of Cork history and a bit of a rant

[Dragonheart]

One of my interests, and prob one of the reasons I work at what I do, is old buildings and derelict ruins. If I can I like to take a walk through them cause it gives a feeling of what things were like back in the day so to speak, especially if you come across one that everyone just left and all the old documents, etc all still lying around. One building I was always interested in, was what is now called Atkin's Hall in Cork, its the really long building on the opposite side of the Lee as you drive on the Carrigrohane Road. It used to be a lunatic asylum, (it was actually called Eglinton Lunatic Asylum) and I always thought that due to the condition it was closed down in the 70's or even earlier.
The reason I write this is that we, the tax payer, are paying E6,000 a week for security for the building behind this, which is St. Kevin's, also an abandoned asylum. Yet I went up there yesterday and today, and got into Eglinton and if I wanted I could very easily have gotten into St. Kevin's and the church alongside, (all abandoned buildings). Not a sniff of security or anything, a couple of signs saying 'CCTV in operation' but thats it. And no cameras anywhere I might add! I found pics from previous people who had gone in there, and they are excellent shots, if you look at the pics, you would think, as I did that this place was closed for about 50 years, I was shocked when I found out that St.Kevin's only closed in 2002. Its amazing to look in the broken windows and see everything as it was, especially in the church, the organ is still intact, the priests clothes are hanging on a seat, a couple of the pews are overturned but thats it. The hospital itself is more eerie, confidential papers are lying on a stool in an office, broken plates are on the floor in the kitchen, a pool table lies abandoned in a room. Its spooky stuff to be honest.
There are places like this all over the country, which could be made into museums, or something could be done with them, Eglinton is partially done up as apartments, granted I wouldnt live in one cause of the history of the place, but some people dont care about that. Walking around these places reminds me a bit of what it must be to walk around the buildings in Chernobyl, everything abandoned, time just stood still and got left behind. Anyway, some interesting pics in the links below, and maybe you'll see what I mean then.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055292694
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=31801
http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1430
http://www.cosmicarchive.com/2008/06/st-kevins-asylum-kitchen-tuck-shop.html

I've walked a lot of derelict buildings and got mixed feelings but this one was a very eerie sad feeling, especially when you think that a lot of the people who went there would have had nothing wrong with them and were prob our own ages.

[Myfeckin FTO]

I know exactly what you mean MJ.
Part of my job entails dealing with these type of relics from a "Care System" of the past - but the confidential nature of my role means I can't talk or comment on them. Enough said I think.

[TopCat]

Those are some amazing powerfully images MJ. You get a eerie sense just looking at them, the hairs on the back of your neck must have been on end walking round there?
The bars around the stairs just gives a glimpse into what it must have been like in the asylum, but its the garments and documents just left there are very creepy.
The buildings themselves look amazing though, can't believe they're abandoned!

[Muad_dib77]

wow those are amazing shots..


somebody should defo do something to preserve those buildings..it's out rageous that they're just left to decay and rot away..

[Dragonheart]

The feeling you get walking around most abandoned places is eerie, even though I didnt go into St. Kevin's or the church, (getting in would have been simple but it was getting out quick in case there was any 'residents' ie. not friendly squatters, there was my concern), there was a feeling as if it would be open tmw and was just untidy inside, until you saw the birdsh1t everywhere and the paint peeling and the general rot and decay.
There is another one I've been meaning to do but not sure if I will, the Magdalene laundries in cork, the same fella who supplied those pics shown did it and taking the history of those places into account I reckon it would be a lot worse than the places I did at the weekend.
An excellent website for stuff like that is www.abandonedireland.com, you have no idea of the amount of places like this that could have something done with them and are just being left to fall apart. England has even more, check out www.urbexforums.co.uk, these guys do it as their weekend hobby! Amazing pics, and a real frightening view of 'what they dont want you to know'.

[Bernard]

We have a few abandoned buildings in Askeaton, a creamery and several small houses.

It's a shame to see these public buildings going to waste but what really annoys me is the privately owned ones.
Someone buys them for a song and just sits on them waiting for the right time to sell.

[fatboyfat7]

I know these buildings well being from Cork. Am I mistaken in saying it was the longest building in Europe for quite some time? Either way, i fully agree. Buildings like this this cant be built these days and its a disgrace how we treat them. I just cant get over the stuff left inside, in particular the confidential documents. I'd say Prendeville would have a field day!

[Dragonheart]

They used claim it was a mile long at one stage. While it is long, its not a mile long, the whole site is astronomical, for some reason 60 acres is popping into my head but that could just be St.Kevin's and the church. The project I worked on down home was refurbing something like this, and if you saw the work and detail to cast even the windows alone, not ot mind do them in solid stone as they are in this place, there was time put into this and now its being left rot away. Its a shame. And its one of the landmarks of the city! Imagine how they treat the crap buildings??

[TopCat]

I know. Being an engineer myself I do think about this, and the fact that everything today is built with a design life of about 50years, you have to wonder will we ever build the likes of these again?
The time and skill that went into these structure is sorely lacking from a lot of our modern 'efficient' designs.

[Masa]

I don't know St. Kevin's but I'll find out !

Your post gave me the will to break in with my camera

If you got a map of where it is dragon, I'll have a spin there soon one evening

Love taking B&W picture of derelicted places like this

[Dragonheart]

You know where the county hall is Masa? The tall ugly building? If you stand there and look across the river you cant miss it. The building is really long, the one with the best pictures is the red brick building to the right and behind that. To get to it you have to take a different road. I'll try and put it on a map for you. Well worth a visit.

[Masa]

You know where the county hall is Masa? The tall ugly building? If you stand there and look across the river you cant miss it. The building is really long, the one with the best pictures is the red brick building to the right and behind that. To get to it you have to take a different road. I'll try and put it on a map for you. Well worth a visit.

cheers for the explanations, fatboy helped me as well

I now see which one it is, will just have to find the way up to it ^^

[Dragonheart]

If you drive from the county hall towards the city, you go past the Crow's nest pub, (the one with the scaffolding outside for the last 5 years), and go through those traffic lights. At the next set of traffic lights turn left. Go to the end of that road and turn left again, a small bit out that road you see large metal gates on your right with a small church near them, there is a road going to the left and one to the right inside these gates, take the one to the left, that brings you up to Atkins Hall. Park there and walk to the end of the building, towards the part they havent done up yet, you can see the road leading to St. Kevins from here. When in St. Kevins the old church is behind the stable type building to the left of St. Kevins. Let me know if you find it ok.

[Masa]

If you drive from the county hall towards the city, you go past the Crow's nest pub, (the one with the scaffolding outside for the last 5 years), and go through those traffic lights. At the next set of traffic lights turn left. Go to the end of that road and turn left again, a small bit out that road you see large metal gates on your right with a small church near them, there is a road going to the left and one to the right inside these gates, take the one to the left, that brings you up to Atkins Hall. Park there and walk to the end of the building, towards the part they havent done up yet, you can see the road leading to St. Kevins from here. When in St. Kevins the old church is behind the stable type building to the left of St. Kevins. Let me know if you find it ok.

Well I was in Atkin's hall and thought it was St Kevin :p

So I'll go back looking for the bricks next time probably today as the weather is nice.

[Dragonheart]

Bring a flashlight, its very dark in there. And make sure you know the way out if you need to leave in a hurry.