City centre park to be renamed?

By Liudmyla Bortok

Cork city councillors have supported a proposal to rename Bishop Lucey Park.

At Monday’s Cork City Council meeting, Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan tabled a motion suggesting the park be renamed Páirc na mBan Chorcaí.

Speaking to the Cork Independent, Cllr Tynan highlighted documented cases of “sexual molestation in schools” during Bishop Cornelius Lucey’s time in office. He referenced key reports into institutional abuse.

“In view of the Ryan Report, the McAleese Report and the most recent Report of The Scoping Enquiry into Sexual Abuse in schools run by Religious Orders,” he said.

He added that Cork City Council should “remove the name of Bishop Cornelius Lucey, under whose watch and term of office and administrator, both as serving priest and bishop of the Diocese of Cork & Ross, much of the abuse, documented, proven or alleged, be it sexual or physical or psychological, occurred.”

Cllr Tynan proposed the name Páirc na mBan Chorcaí to “honour the women and girls who were victims of the institutional abuse that occurred under his reign both as priest and bishop and also to do honour to the women of Cork who participated valiantly in our War of Independence, such as Muriel McSweeney and Mary McSweeney among others.”

He also stated that he “strongly believes there should be a separation of church and state”.

The question of renaming the park is not new. In 2020, Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran also suggested reconsidering the park’s name. His comments came in the wake of the publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

The current motion was tabled by councillors Ted Tynan, Oliver Moran and Niamh O’Connor (Social Democrats).

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr O’Connor said: “It’s a new park deserving of a new name. When the new park opens it will bear absolutely no resemblance to the park that was there previously. A new park presents a unique opportunity to choose a name that reflects what we value as a city.”

17 councillors voted in favour of the motion versus 11 against, meaning it was carried.

Cllr O’Connor added: “To me that park has always been the Peace Park and I think, at a time where peace is probably more fragile than it has been in a long time, it would be a fitting name.”

Cllr Tynan welcomed the decision, calling it “democratic” and noting that the people of Cork will now be consulted and invited to make submissions on the proposed new name.

Bishop Lucey Park, located on Grand Parade, has been closed since December 2023. Major redevelopment works have been ongoing for more than a year. The revamped park is expected to reopen in November 2025.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.