Day of acrobatics, sport, play, music, and fun planned for Marina Park opening

A SUSTAINABILITY-THEMED morning of acrobatics, sport, play, music, and fun for all the family is set to take place tomorrow to coincide with the official opening of the first phase of Cork’s new Marina Park by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

The event will run from 10am-1pm, with DJ Stevie G acting as MC.

Children can take part in Circus Factory’s ‘Super StarCircus Show’ and ‘Circus Disco’ and Stevie G will also run an ‘Everybody Dance’ event — an inclusive dance experience which caters for adults and children who are often excluded from events including those with additional needs.

To further mark the occasion, Cork GAA will run a Rebel Óg underage blitz at the 4G all-weather pitch in front of Páirc Ui Chaoimh.

Cork Healthy Cities’ ‘Playful Paradigm’ will also be at Marina Park with their outdoor game pack including giant Connect 4, giant Jenga and will be organising a tug o’ war for all.

There will also be face painting, chalk art, balloon modelling, and hot food vendors.

Representatives from the Cork Urban Soil Project (CUSP) at nearby Marina Commercial Park will also be in attendance.

CUSP is a year-long experiment that is modelling new ways of addressing the city’s waste streams at a local level.

As part of the official opening ceremony, the Taoiseach will plant an Irish native tree while pupils from the Green School Committees in nearby Ballintemple National School, St Michael’s Church of Ireland National School, and Scoil na Croise Naofa will also plant pollinator plants.

Marina Park will be six times larger than Fitzgerald’s Park and equivalent in size to Dublin Zoo when phase two is completed.

Mr Martin, who will officially open the amenity at 11am, said the completed project will be an incredible amenity and a “haven for biodiversity”.

“This exciting project at Marina Park is a world class facility in the heart of Cork city, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to creating sustainable communities and developing a sustainable way of living for future generations.”

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher welcomed the Taoiseach’s visit to officially open what he described as “a flagship project for the city”.

“When fully developed, Marina Park will be a new eco regional park for the people of Cork and beyond.”

The second and final phase of the Marina Park project is due to go to public consultation later this summer.

Phase two will extend from the Atlantic Pond to Church Avenue and will include the so-called ‘nature’ zone of the park, accommodating picnic areas, boating facilities, adventure play areas, preserved marshland zone and several architectural heritage sites.