Civic Trust House

This beautiful Queen Anne house at 50 Pope’s Quay dates from around 1700-30. It is the oldest house in Cork and is considered one of the finest historic buildings in the city. It is reputed to have originally been built for Richard Boyle, the 4th Earl of Cork, nicknamed the “Apollo of the Arts” though it seems doubtful he ever lived here. In a poetic twist, some three hundred years later it has become a real home for the arts in Cork.

The house became dilapidated in the 1980s and was taken over by Cork City Council. Cork Civic Trust took on the restoration of 50 Pope’s Quay as its first major conservation project under the supervision of Jack Coughlan and associates.

Since 2006 it is home to professional arts organisations – currently in residence are: ARTlifeCULTURE, Corcadorca Theatre Company, Cork Arts Support Team, Cork Film Centre, Cork Folk Festival, Cork International Choral Festival, Cork Jazz Festival, Cork Midsummer Arts Festival, Cork Orchestral Society, the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, Ó Bhéal and Suisha Inclusive Arts, thanks to the support of Cork City Council.