Much of Cork was built on marshy islands and in places the city is subsiding.
The worst affected areas of Cork city are around Anderson's Quay and Parnell Place, which are sinking at a rate of two inches every six months.
Following a collapse outside Cork City Hall, Cork Corporation employed a consultant to examine the severity of the problem affecting the entire area around the city quays.
The quays are in a bad condition and they're dangerous in a number of places.
A dinghy has been bought so that engineers can monitor the quays. Senior engineer, Liam Fitzgerald, has identified that continuous leaching has taken place over years along the quay walls. Material behind the walls has loosened and the walls have subsided and deteriorated. He says the quay walls are in a varying state of danger but there are plans to carry out remedial works, which will be costly.
The streets of Cork already suffer flooding during high tide, and collapsing quay walls are yet another hazard for the city built on water.
Cork Corporation Councillor, Michael Finn, has been calling for repairs to be carried out immediately. He anticipates that other areas of the city could also begin to sink. He says that the current situation is alarming and it will soon become a crisis.
'Newsround' reports on 1 February 1976. The reporter is Tom McSweeney.
