Councillors up the heat on GAA bosses to install bike railings at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

CORK County Council will write to the Cork County Board to urge that bike railings are installed near Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The stadium was reopened in July of 2017 following an extensive  €80m redevelopment but no facilities to lock bicycles has yet been provided around the ground - despite pleas from cycling groups.

Sinn Féin Councillor Michael ‘Frick’ Murphy (SF) has received the backing of the Ballincollig-Carrigaline municipal district in writing to the GAA’s county authority to request that bicycle racks are provided on the approach to the stadium to encourage people to cycle to the games, safeguard spectator’s property and prevent the bikes from being chained to railings, trees and other objects in the local area.

“It’s a disgrace to see a man tying a bike onto railings before a Munster Championship semi-final,” said Mr Murphy.

“People like to cycle down to the stadium from town and from the Passage West-Mahon greenway and they should be provided with the facilities to lock up their bikes when they arrive,” he added.

Eoghan Jeffers (SF) said he wants clarity from the County Board on whether it is obliged to provide the stands.

“I go to the stadium regularly. It’s enjoyable coming down from town with the crowd but when you get there you see bikes thrown everywhere. It would be interesting to see the County Board’s view. It’s the perfect area for cycling. It’s about time they gave us an answer,” he added.

The lack of bike locking facilities was one of the main criticisms directed at the stadium upon its reopening.

The Cork Cycling Campaign launched a campaign in June for 1,000 bike stands to be installed and said that the Cork County GAA Board is bound to provide “a minimum of 100 high quality covered cycle parking facilities” as a condition of its planning permission for the new stadium.

The group also called on the County Board to monitor and report on the transport patterns of event attendees at Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a view to improving the experience for all match goers, while promoting walking, cycling, and park-and-ride and park-and-cycle facilities for all matches.

Stadium management told the Evening Echo in July of 2017 that they would review the facilities available to match goers following the staging of the first game at the ground, while City Hall said they had requested information from the Engineers with relation to a number of issues specified in planning conditions.