Iconic Shandon Clock Revealed as €590,000 Restoration Nears Completion
The scaffolding is down at Shandon and Cork's famous four-faced clock is back, gilded and ticking, for the first time since the 1960s.
Scaffolding has come down at St Anne's Church in Shandon, unveiling the results of a €590,000 restoration project that has brought Cork's most beloved landmark back to its best, complete with freshly gilded clock faces and a working timepiece for the first time in decades.
Cork City Council oversaw three separate refurbishment projects on the 18th-century church, covering its famous clock, its bell supports, and its original 300-year-old front door. The removal of the scaffolding marks the near-completion of a painstaking effort involving conservationists, horologists, structural engineers, and specialist craftspeople.
The clock, installed in 1847 by Cork Corporation, holds the distinction of being the oldest four-faced clock in the British Isles, predating Big Ben in London. Long known locally as "the four-faced liar" for its habit of showing slightly different times on each face, that beloved quirk has been deliberately preserved. The four faces will only show the same time on the hour, keeping faith with the tradition Corkonians have teased visitors with for generations.
The restoration included the repainting and gilding of the clock numerals and, notably, the reintroduction of the minute markers, an element that had been missing since the 1960s. The stonework of the tower was cleaned using a hot steam system, with vegetation and staining removed as part of additional works part-funded by the City Council.
Funding for the project came from several sources. Cork City Council received €250,000 from the Department of Heritage, Local Government and Housing under the Historic Structures Fund in 2025, supplementing this with €340,000 to bring the total to €590,000. A further €130,000 was secured through the Community Monuments Fund for the bell support repairs, while approximately €36,000 came through the Built Heritage Investment Fund for the front door restoration.
The front doors, original to the 300-year-old structure, have been refurbished with missing timber panels reinstated and the iron strap hinges conserved and restored by Leeside Forge using iron recovered from the Morrison's Island Quays fender. The doors will be formally reinstated following the final removal of scaffolding.
All three projects were carried out by Hearthstone Building and Restoration, with input from James Bourke Conservation Architects and the City Council's Conservation Officer. The clock restoration was undertaken by Philip Stokes of Stokes Clocks, supported by Horgan Lynch Consulting Engineers, while the bells structures project was carried out with David Kelly Partnership.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, said:
"This is a great day for the city. With its restored clockfaces and clock mechanism, and its renewed stonework, St Anne's at Shandon is ready to face the future."
He added:
"Shandon, with its iconic red-and-white façade, its clock faces and famous bells, is one of Cork's most beloved landmarks. It is part of the very cultural and social fabric of the city itself, it is woven into the story of us, it is a symbol of the city, it is part of us."
The Lord Mayor paid tribute to those who carried out the work:
"Behind this achievement stands an exceptional community of experts and craftspeople whose dedication has brought new life to this iconic building. They have helped safeguard part of Cork's soul."
St Anne's Church dates to 1722 and is widely regarded as the symbol of Cork City, its tower, clock, and salmon weathervane, known locally as the "goldie fish", recognised the world over.
