{"id":262055,"date":"2026-01-01T18:25:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/262055\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T18:25:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:25:12","slug":"marina-park-shines-bishop-lucey-divides-has-cork-finally-cracked-the-public-realm-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/262055\/","title":{"rendered":"Marina Park shines, Bishop Lucey divides \u2014 has Cork finally cracked the public realm question?"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHAT defines Cork City for both residents and visitors? The famous Shandon Bells and its goldie fish? The gastric delights of the English Market? A visit to the Crawford Art Gallery or Nano Nagle Place? Our great pubs and reputation for \u201chaving the craic\u201d? A string of well-organised, well-attended festivals: Jazz, movie, choral, midsummer?<\/p>\n

Only the most curmudgeonly would fail to recognise that all of the above make invaluable contributions to the cultural and social life of the city. But what about public realm, the environments that support everyday life? Any city worth its salt will recognise the importance of quality public outdoor space as a means of bringing its citizens together. Creating open spaces accessible to everyone at ground level is what fosters a sense of belonging and pride of place.<\/p>\n

\" A cyclist passes the new colourful artwork by Street artist Raffaele Muraca (Silly Me Arts) on The Hut at Marina Promenade beside the River Lee. Picture: Larry Cummins<\/p>\n

European cities excel in this respect. They\u2019ve long recognised that good public realm is more essential to the successful functioning of a city than landmark buildings or annual festivals or flagship sporting events.<\/p>\n

Up until recently, Cork City\u2019s public realm has lagged so far behind its European counterparts, that no one ever factored sampling it into their list of reasons to visit or to live in the city. That has changed.<\/p>\n

The Marina area of the city has been so monumentally transformed in the past few years \u2014 with the final leg of Marina Park completed just in time for this year\u2019s festive season \u2014 that it\u2019s surely due for inclusion in the definitive must-visit list for those coming to the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those who already live here are embracing it every day: Pacing its walkways, bringing kids by the carload to road test its playgrounds, and spending cash in waterside cafes at either end of the fantastically revamped Marina Promenade.<\/p>\n

\" The Marina Park Phase 2 project is complete at the Atlantic Pond, Ballintemple, beside Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Larry Cummins\"TheThe upgraded Marina Promenade Picture: Larry Cummins<\/p>\n

The success of the Marina project didn\u2019t come cheap. Upgrading the riverside promenade cost \u20ac7.5m.<\/p>\n

Another \u20ac14m was spent on adjacent Marina Park, which includes the just re-opened re-vamped Atlantic Pond and Sunken Garden. A popular spot ever before work was done, it\u2019s now more attractive and user-friendly than ever.<\/p>\n

The completion of the park follows on from last summer\u2019s opening of a new sustainable playground adjacent to the promenade at Holland Park, and the unveiling in autumn of a stunning, elevated tree walkway.<\/p>\n

The walkway brings you to Barrington\u2019s Folly, an historic landmark that no-one had seen for decades, but which emerged from the scrub in terrific shape, as if dropped from outer space. After painstaking conservation and restoration work, this real-deal castle is a big hit with the kids.<\/p>\n

\" New wooden decking and bridge section at the Atlantic Pond. Picture: Larry Cummins\"ElevatedElevated walkway in Marina Park. Picture: Larry Cummins\"RestoredRestored Barrington’s Folly is a big hit with the kids<\/p>\n

The completion of Marina Park is ahead of the delivery of 337 homes by Glenveagh Properties plc, backed by the Land Development Agency, at the nearby former Live at the Marquee site. It\u2019s a good example of putting the horse where it should be \u2014 before the cart \u2014 by ensuring denizens of a new city quarter will have ready-made quality outdoor space, instead of taking years to provide any decent amenities.<\/p>\n

The apartments \u2014 which have flown up in the past few months \u2014 are part of a multi-phase scheme which should ultimately deliver 1,178 homes. Once issues with flooding on neighbouring roads are addressed, it\u2019s the kind of development that should have people climbing over each other to secure units. They\u2019ll have a turnkey playground on their doorstep, next to a greenway, and still within a short walk of the city centre.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe neighbourhood bike scheme in Mahon aims to enhance infrastructure, improve road safety, and foster a more accessible environment for residents. Picture: Honore Kamegni<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Marina Park is – as Cork City Council intended – a flagship green space, that integrates recreation, biodiversity, heritage, and landscape with Cork\u2019s wider Docklands regeneration plans.<\/p>\n

The council has done well in nearby Mahon too, opening a vast new network of bike lanes in 2025, alongside investment in roads, footpaths, and the streetscape. It represents a spend of about \u20ac15m, courtesy of the National Transport Authority.<\/p>\n

Only a grinch could find it in their heart to criticise Marina Park. However tidyings of comfort and joy are in short supply when it comes to the re-imagined Bishop Lucey Park.<\/p>\n

\" Upgraded Bishop Lucey Park has provoked a mixed reaction. Picture: Larry Cummins\"TheThe renovated Bishop Lucey Park at Grand Parade, Cork City after the \u20ac7 million spend by Cork City Council. Picture: Larry Cummins\"BishopBishop Lucey Park after redevelopment. Picture: Rob Meehan<\/p>\n

\u00a0Since it re-opened last month after two years of redevelopment and a \u20ac7m spend, it\u2019s been described on online forums as \u201ccold and dead\u201d, \u201chideous\u201d, and a \u201cmishmash of manmade materials\u201d.<\/p>\n

Core criticisms include that it feels less green \u2014 more hard urban space than traditional leafy city park \u2014 and that the outcome doesn\u2019t match the design expectations.<\/p>\n

The timing of the official re-opening \u2014 on a dreary November day, with work not yet completed \u2014 did nothing to appease the naysayers. Perhaps it will come into its own next spring, when leaves return to the trees, and we\u2019ve had a chance to adjust to the brutalist look of some of the park\u2019s new structures.<\/p>\n

What the redeveloped park does do is act as a thoroughfare linking Grand Parade to South Main St, where many public realm improvements have been implemented. New street surfaces, wider footpaths, traffic calming measures, tree planters, and benches have created a more pedestrian-friendly environment.<\/p>\n

A 7,000sq ft plaza added to South Main St in front of the former Beamish Brewery and its distinctive Counting House \u2014 redeveloped five years ago and still without a tenant \u2014 is finally being put to use this Christmas as a festive hub.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ROGUROGU Fire Arts performance at the Counting House Plaza – one of many free, family-friendly festive events taking place as part of Cork City Council\u2019s Corkmas programme.\u00a0Picture: Clare Keogh<\/p>\n

The former brewery adjoins the site earmarked for the Event Centre, now top of the city council\u2019s Dear Santa wishlist, as St Nicholas is more likely to deliver it than a government official.<\/p>\n

The undeveloped site has been linked via a new pedestrian bridge to Proby\u2019s Quay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bridge is out of use until a new riverside walkway from South Main St to the bridge is completed, as the alternative is to navigate a builders\u2019 compound. Work on the walkway is due to begin in January.<\/p>\n

A second new pedestrian bridge – which is in use – links Lambley\u2019s Lane, alongside Lee Point student accommodation, to Wandsford Quay.<\/p>\n

\"NewlyNewly installed footbridge spanning the south channel of the River Lee at the historic Proby’s Quay, Cork. Picture: Billy macGill.\"CityCity officials and clerics at the opening of the new pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Lambley’s Lane to Wandesford Quay, Cork City. Picture: Clare Keogh<\/p>\n

The bridges cost \u20ac8.5m, while renewal works in the wider area represent an investment of around \u20ac10m. Taken together with the \u20ac7m investment in Bishop Lucey Park, it shows considerable commitment to this section of the city, which council chief Valerie O\u2019Sullivan has previously said she would like to see become its cultural quarter.<\/p>\n

So, the evidence of our own eyes is lots done in 2025 to improve public realm, particularly in the city\u2019s southern docklands, as well as in the city centre, but perhaps less to celebrate across the river \u2014 other than the opening of a new community amenity space at Tinker\u2019s Cross in Mayfield.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew apartments nearing completion on Horgan’s Quay. Picture: Larry Cummins\"ConceptualConceptual views of the new public realm on Horgan’s Quay in Cork’s docklands\u00a0<\/p>\n

To be fair, things are looking good in the northern docklands for 2026, where BAM\/Clarendon and the Land Development Agency are on course to deliver more than 300 homes in the first major residential scheme in the city since the Elysian in 2008.<\/p>\n

The council has plans for Horgan\u2019s Quay too, which will transform the quay into a pedestrian friendly space, with new parks, promenade and bike lanes.\u00a0Who knows, in years to come, it may even rival the south docks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WHAT defines Cork City for both residents and visitors? The famous Shandon Bells and its goldie fish? The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262056,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[781,4488,9,10,18,13,14,6,19,17,11,12,15,16,5,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-262055","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-cork-news","9":"tag-irish-examiner-instagram","10":"tag-breaking-news","11":"tag-breakingnews","12":"tag-eire","13":"tag-featured-news","14":"tag-featurednews","15":"tag-headlines","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland","18":"tag-latest-news","19":"tag-latestnews","20":"tag-main-news","21":"tag-mainnews","22":"tag-news","23":"tag-top-stories","24":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115821250336723867","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262055"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262055\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}