Cork City Council has received dozens of complaints about disruptive, abusive and offensive busking, including allegations involving loud street preaching, excessive amplification and performances continuing into the early hours.
Information released under Freedom of Information legislation shows that 50 complaints were submitted about busking over the past 18 months. Almost half related to performers operating outside the permitted hours, while 15 complaints concerned excessive noise.
Other complaints related to offensive performances, performers remaining in one location for longer than the permitted two hours, obstruction of footpaths and confrontational behaviour towards members of the public.
The council’s busking bylaws, introduced in May 2024, require performers to obtain permits and impose restrictions on where, when and for how long they can perform.
However, a number of complainants questioned whether the rules were being properly enforced.
One person who said they had repeatedly reported the same performer asked: “How many times is he allowed to break the rules before any action is taken?”
Another complained: “It appears no one is implementing the regulations; it is like hitting your head off a wall.”
Noise was a recurring theme in the complaints. One businessperson said they had been forced to cut a work meeting short because of the volume, describing the situation as “shocking and embarrassing” and saying they could not run their business under such conditions.
Another complainant said a busker reacted abusively after a colleague politely asked the performer to reduce the volume, claiming the performer subsequently turned the music up further.
A separate complaint alleged that an elderly woman was verbally abused by a busker after asking for the volume to be lowered. The complainant said they worked in a medical facility and were having difficulty hearing patients because of the noise.
Some of the complaints focused on particularly repetitive or poorly performed music. One person reported a performer “playing the same few notes over and over on a tin whistle”, while another complained about someone “playing very badly and loudly out of time.”
One complaint described music being played “extremely loud” at full volume, with the complainant saying there was no escape from the noise even after walking down surrounding side streets.
They acknowledged that busking could be a positive feature of the city, but described this particular performance as “truly horrific”.
Brown Thomas was repeatedly identified in complaints, with some concerns focused on the appearance of particular acts, excessive volume, obstruction and alleged breaches of the two-hour limit.
One complainant described a performance at the location as “noise pollution” and called for the performer’s permit to be revoked, alleging that the act regularly exceeded the time limit, used speakers at excessive volume and occupied too much of the footpath.
Street preachers were also the subject of complaints. One person described a group as “deeply concerning”, arguing that their use of amplification meant they should be covered by the busking regulations and required to hold a permit.
The complaint alleged that the group had made negative comments about the LGBT+ community, advocated corporal punishment of children and condemned other religions.
The council has taken enforcement action, but the figures show that relatively few fines have been paid.
From the beginning of 2025 to the middle of 2026, 13 fixed payment notices were issued. Only three had been paid, while one had been appealed and payment was still outstanding on two notices issued during 2026.
There have also been five court appearances relating to unpaid fines, with a further two cases scheduled for next month.
In addition, the council issued two written notices and revoked one busking permit.
Enforcement inspections have increased significantly this year. The council conducted 149 inspections by the end of July, compared with 155 inspections during the whole of 2025.
The figures come as Cork City Council continues to face pressure from residents, businesses and others seeking stronger enforcement of the rules governing street performances in the city centre.
