Popular city park closed for 2 weeks

One of Cork’s most well known parks is now closed so works can begin on its redevelopment.

Cork City Council closed Bishop Lucey Park on Tuesday saying it will be closed for 2 weeks.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “The redeveloped park will be a key element of the regeneration of the Grand Parade Quarter.

“Bishop Lucey Park will be completely renewed based on an award-winning architectural design that opens up the park to the wider city centre.”

The redeveloped park will include:

• Improved access to the historic city wall

• A new pavilion and plaza for housing events

• Improved access and seating for all

• A new tower to mark the eastern entrance

The advance works will include, the council said, the removal of a limited number of trees and pruning of others to offer more sunlight to people enjoying the park and to support the works.

A competition for the redevelopment of the Bishop Lucey Park was run by the Royal Institute of Architects in conjunction with Cork City Council in 2020.

Designers were asked to consider a number of objectives, including the design of a park with “something to offer all ages”, that “opens up” the park to the city, the park’s role as a central “soft space” in the city centre and the medieval nature of the site by “emphasising the existing town walls within the site”.

The competition was won by Belfast-based Hall McKnight Architects.

“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,” concluded the Cork City Council spokesperson.