City park gets €7m facelift
The redeveloped Bishop Lucey Park is finally open! After many months of closure while work went on, the park is open to the public once again.
The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy officially opened the redeveloped Bishop Lucey Park on Friday. It has a distinctly different look and the original 1980s boundary walls and fencing are gone in order to open up the space, “creating better physical and visual connection to the surrounding streets”, according to the city council. The city’s medieval walls, which run through the site, are now a focal point, and the redesign features a new pavilion and plaza, and new tower structure marking the eastern entrance on South Main Street.
Councillors were told this week that the redevelopment will cost around €7m with the exact cost not known until next year as some work still needs to be done.
The 13th century city wall is a significant heritage landmark, uncovered during excavations in 1984. As part of the park's later redevelopment, an additional section of the city wall was exposed, enhancing its presence as a defining feature. Now the city wall clearly marks the park's eastern boundary.
Great care was taken to preserve and sensitively restore several heritage and public art features within the park, including the Christchurch graveyard, Seamus Murphy’s The Onion Seller sculpture, John Behan’s The Swan Fountain and the Boxer’s Wall.
The park’s design was by Hall McKnight Architects and construction, carried out by Cumnor Construction, was funded under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
New bridge
The lord mayor also opened the new pedestrian and cycle bridge that connects Lambley’s Lane (off South Main Street) to Wandesford Quay. The new 27 metre steel span bridge was designed by Seán Harrington Architects of Arup design team, and manufactured by Thompsons of Carlow, who also manufactured Mary Elmes Bridge. It provides a direct pedestrian and cycle connection from Parnell Place to Wandesford Quay, via Oliver Plunkett Street and Tuckey Street. The bridge was co-funded by URDF and the National Transport Authority.
The lord mayor said: “It’s fantastic to be able to give this wonderful amenity space back to the public in time for Christmas. The redeveloped park is a fusion of the city’s medieval heritage and modern, functional design, opened up to the wider city centre. It will be a place of relaxation, play, performance and community gathering. It will attract more people to enjoy this green space in the heart of the city.”
Chief Executive of Cork City Council Valerie O’Sullivan said: “The city council’s ambition was always to deliver a high-quality facility for the city, and that has been done. Because the city of Cork deserves no less. The city council also wanted to ensure that after two years of work and disruption, that the park would be available to the public in time for Christmas.”
She added: “The opening of the park and the new bridge, combined with the public realm upgrades in and around South Main Street, marks a significant milestone in the transformation of this historic area that will enhance connectivity, encourage footfall, and foster a stronger sense of community, delivering long-term benefits for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
The redevelopment of Bishop Lucey Park is a key part of Cork City Council’s City Centre Strategy and integral to improving the quality of amenities in a city that is projected to grow to 300,000 in the next 20 years - with an increasing number of young families expected to live in the city centre.
Works are ongoing on the wider Beamish & Crawford Public Realm Upgrade Scheme which, when completed, will see a complete renewal of the area around the southern gateway to the medieval city, connecting the Grand Parade and a series of historic lanes, streets and Bishop Lucey Park with the south channel of the River Lee and the city centre business core. The entire scheme is expected to be completed in early summer 2026.
The site of Bishop Lucey Park had previously been occupied by shops and residential buildings until a large fire in 1970 destroyed the Sean Jennings furniture store which was located at the corner of Grand Parade and Tuckey Street.
In 1985 this public park was opened in celebration of the 800th anniversary of Cork being granted its charter.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.