Let the Bells Ring out as Famous Shandon Clock Ticks Again

26/02/2026

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, has welcomed the removal of the scaffolding and the near completion of the €590,000 restoration of the famous St Anne’s Church at Shandon.

“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,” the Lord Mayor said.

Cork City Council assisted with three refurbishment projects on the historic structure – to its clocks, its bells supports, and its original 300-year-old front door.

The clock was installed in 1847 by Cork Corporation making it the oldest four-faced clock in the British Isles before the construction of Big Ben in London.

It is known locally as ‘the four-faced liar’ as the four faces of the clock did not historically show exactly the same time.

Scaffolding had to be carefully designed for the church tower to allow access to the four clock faces and for localised external repair to the stonework.

The project was carefully considered and included specialist advice and methodologies from the horologist, structural engineer, conservation architect and specialist conservation joiner and stone repair contractor. 

Cork City Council received €250,000 in funding from the Department of Heritage, Local Government and Housing (DHLGH) under the Historic Structures fund in 2025 and further supplemented this by €340,000 bringing the total expenditure on this project to €590,000.   

This element of the works is nearing completion with the scaffolding being demounted allowing the restored clock to be seen from across the city.  

The clock is now working and all four faces of the clock restored to include the repainting and gilding of the clock numerals the reintroduction of the minute markers - an element which has been missing since the 1960s.

Shandon’s famous quirk – the four faces of the clock showing slightly different times - has been maintained, with the four faces only showing the same time on the hour.

The stonework of the tower has also been cleaned using a hot steam system and included the removal of vegetation and staining.

This additional work was part-funded by Cork City Council to complement the restored clock faces.

The Select Vestry of St Anne’s applied to the Community Monuments Fund (CMF), which is funded by the DHLGH and administered by Cork City Council’s City Archaeologist, for funding to repair the church’s decayed timber bell supports.  

The project was funded to the sum of €130,000 as a first phase of a larger project, with additional costs covered by the Church. Phase 2 works will focus on the tower louvres to reduce water ingress into this part of the tower.

Cork City Council successfully applied for around €36,000 from the DHLGH through the Built Heritage Investment Fund (BHIS) in 2025 for the restoration of the church’s original 300-year-old front doors.  This grant is administered by the Conservation Officers.

The refurbishment includes the reinstatement of missing timber panels, and the conservation and restoration of the iron strap hinges by the local Leeside Forge using iron recovered from the Morrison’s Island Quays fender.

The restoration works on the doors have been completed and the doors will be reinstated following the removal of the scaffolding.

The Lord Mayor of Cork praised everyone involved in the project.

“Shandon, with its iconic red-and-white façade, its clock faces and famous bells, is one of Cork’s most beloved landmarks,” the Lord Mayor said.

“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.

“This restoration reminds us of the significance of Shandon to us all.

“Behind this achievement stands an exceptional community of experts and craftspeople whose dedication has brought new life to this iconic building.

“I want to pay tribute to the specialists who worked with extraordinary skill and care, respecting centuries-old techniques while applying modern craftsmanship of the highest standard.

“They have helped safeguard part of Cork’s soul.

“Their work allows future generations to admire and enjoy Shandon as so many have before them.”

All three projects were undertaken by Hearthstone Building and Restoration with input from James Bourke Conservation Architects and guidance of the City Council’s Conservation Officer. The main clock works were managed and overseen by the City Council’s Architect’s Department.

The clock restoration was undertaken by Philip Stokes of Stokes Clocks with the assistance of Horgan Lynch Consulting Engineers.

The bells structures project was carried out with David Kelly Partnership.

ENDS

St Anne’s Church, dating to 1722, is a monument of huge archaeological, architectural, historical, social and cultural significance and is widely used as the symbol of Cork City, particularly the tower, clock and salmon weathervane (known as the ‘goldie fish’). Perched high above the city on the northside of Cork the tower of the church is a landmark with the four-faced clock providing the time for the population living and working on all sides of the tower.