Clean-up begins at prestigious art gallery
Sunday November 22 2009
ONE of Ireland's most prestigious art galleries, packed with priceless works of art, was left swamped by the worst flooding in Cork in living memory.
At one stage, the flood waters inside the Glucksman Art Gallery in UCC rose to five feet.
The gallery was developed by UCC thanks to major donations from the former Lehman Brothers trader Lewis Glucksman, and his wife Loretta Brennan Glucksman.
While a total of 14 UCC buildings were damaged by flooding -- forcing the college to suspend all lectures for a week and leaving an estimated 300 students effectively homeless -- it is the damage to the Glucksman and the Western Gateway Building that is causing most concern. The Western Gateway Building -- packed with sensitive computer equipment -- was only opened last month.
The Glucksman Gallery was developed by UCC directly on Cork's Western Road -- overlooking the south channel of the River Lee.
Experts are now assessing the scale of the damage, although it is understood all art work is undamaged and in safe storage.
Sunday Independent
