
Cork Unitarian Church Relocation Fund
Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm Neal Dunnigan, Chairperson of the Cork Unitarian Church. I'm raising money in aid of Cork Unitarian Church and every donation will help.
Shortly after 8 am on Monday 29 January 2024 the Cork City Fire Brigade was called to a fire at the Cork Unitarian Church on Prince's Street. (See: Cork Unitarian Church Fire Press Release)
The Fire Brigade was able to save the historic structure, completed in 1717 - the oldest church in continuous use in Cork City. However, the interior damage from fire and smoke has rendered the interior unusable and unsafe for the foreseeable future. The long term prospects for the historic building are hopeful, but that process will require months of analysis, planning, and collaborations involving the church, the city, and potentially other stakeholders.
Our immediate need is recovery - establishing a place for our church congregation within Cork City where we can continue the day-to-day activities of the church for the next 18 - 24 months while we, along with others, begin to assess the enormous and long term task of the historic building's future.
As stated by Cork Unitarian Church minister, Reverend Michael O’Sullivan: “The work of the church is larger than the building.”
So far, we have been the beneficiaries of short-term, temporary, and emergency help and it has been comforting to be the recipients of such generous outpourings of good will at this difficult time.
Now we need to embrace the reality of our venue change, continue our mission, and get on with the recovery of our congregation.
In the meantime, the congregation of the church is displaced, and its ministries disrupted. The fire has destroyed most of the assets the church relies on to conduct both its services and its on-going ministries. This includes assets that were not covered by insurance like:
- Church furnishings (e.g. chairs, lectern)
- Audio/Visual Equipment
- Electronic / Computing Equipment
We depend solely on the generosity of our Congregation and the wider community to continue as a Church in Cork.
The temporary premises we have been offered free of charge by the City Council, while gladly received, will only last till the end of this year. While it will allow us to hold services on a Sunday and other church services, it does not allow us to hold events for fundraising, nor do we have the use of a hall to bring in much needed rental income. These events allowed us in the past to cover the salary of our minister and other expenses. Come the end of this year we will find ourselves in need of another temporary premises but without the ability to earn sufficient income - we will then face the reality of not being able to pay rent and other costs on such a premises, as well as not being able to pay our minister’s stipend.
This is why we are appealing to you, our congregation and the wider public, for financial support to help us survive in the immediate future and to give us the time to consider our long-term options.
In addition to its religious role, the ethos of our church is to show our spirituality by being an active member of our community and hosting various events and groups in Cork City Centre. These events were organized to enhance the spiritual welfare of our community without regard to people's individual religious beliefs or lack thereof.
If you are one of those who wonder, “What can I do to help?” we have provided this donation link for funding the recovery of the people who make up the church by helping to replace the physical items and recover the ministry functionality that were consumed in the fire.
Organizer

Neal Dunnigan
Organizer
County Cork
Cork Unitarian Church
Beneficiary