Calls to remove old ‘eyesore’ phone kiosks: Council engaging with Eir over phone boxes

The managing director of a popular city centre business has called for old phone boxes to be removed from city centre streets as a matter of urgency.

Eddie Mullins of Fitzgerald Menswear said the phone boxes dotted around the city centre are “an eyesore”.

“We see them deteriorating and being vandalised, and they’re all over the city,” he added. “If you open your eyes, they’re everywhere.”

Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy said his understanding is that the removal of the phone boxes is due to commence shortly.

“Plans were announced earlier this year to remove many of these old phone boxes, and it is my understanding that progress is due to be made on their removal in the coming weeks, which we very much welcome.”

Mr Mullins told The Echo: “I would suspect that companies installed them back in the day when the mobile phone hadn’t taken over and, with companies being bought out and taken over, it seems to have fallen between two stools. Then people ignored them and people became blind to them, except for those working in the city centre like ourselves.

“For a city trying to move forward, put its best foot forward, and have a nice offering for tourists and to be inviting and clean — that wouldn’t be tolerated in any major European city.

“Whatever company was responsible should take them out.

“We’ve been trying hard through all the different agencies and all we seem to be getting is lip service.

“Whoever is responsible or is the inheritor of these companies needs to get it sorted as a matter of urgency.”

Mr Mullins said that it is important to have a welcoming city for the thousands of tourists arriving on ships docking in Cobh.

“We have thousands of tourists coming in off ships. We need to have a welcoming city, and every agency must come together.

“The city council who are doing a great job, street-washing, Garda presence, maintenance — everyone needs to come together and play their part.

“We need to put our best foot forward and portray the city in the best possible light and look at areas that need to be improved.”

Speaking about the calls from businesses in the city for the removal of old phone boxes, Mr Healy said: “Cork Chamber has been engaging with Cork City Council for some time now regarding the removal of old phone boxes around the city centre.

“Many of these old phone boxes have fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “City council recognises that publicly accessible phone boxes may support safety and security of residents and visitors to the city.

“However, the council is aware that the majority of public telephone boxes in the city have been detracting from the urban fabric of the city.

“These existing public phone boxes and infrastructure underneath are in the ownership of Eir. Cork City Council has been engaging with Eir to remedy this issue and a proposal is currently being progressed and will include the removal of certain phone kiosks and potential replacement of others.”