New Cork city pocket park will ‘regenerate the area’

A NEW urban park for Cork’s northside has the potential to transform an old rail line near Kent Station and breathe new life into an area once associated with littering and anti-social behaviour.

Families and residents around the Lower Glanmire Road are looking forward to the Summerhill Rail Park coming to completion so they can meet friends, relax, and grow vegetables in a community-led “pocket park” in a section of the former Summerhill Train Station railway line that once linked Cork to Youghal.

The plot of land is accessed from the Lower Glanmire road by a set of steps that provide pedestrian access through an arch. An existing cast-iron footbridge traverses the site overhead linking Clifton Terrace to the Lower Glanmire Road.

The three stakeholders involved are the Scouts, CIÉ, and Cork City Council. At 936 sq m, 73m in length, and 12m in width, the land is currently on leasehold to St Patrick’s Scout Unit, which owns the adjoining land to the west.

The freehold for the land is held by CIÉ, who have agreed to sell it to the city council for a nominal sum.

It’s understood legal issues surrounding the handover will be ironed out in the coming weeks so the land can be transferred into the city’s ownership, who will then insure it and help local residents develop the park as a public amenity.

Spokesperson for the Railway Park Group that has spearheaded the plans, Philip Nathan, thanked landscape architect, Ross Loughnane, for designing the plans.

The matter has been stuck in CIÉ’s property section for over six months, said Mr Nathan, but the end is in sight. “There is quite a bit of appetite within CIÉ to get this sorted,” he said. “The park would make an ideal facility as a south-facing park in a high-density area.

“It’s a terrific property, it’s just being ignored.”

The Railway Park Group has about 50 people working on three parks, at Summer Hill, St Luke’s, and Grattan Hill.

“It’s about taking back these spaces and making them family friendly,” said Mr Nathan. 

“As soon as local people took some responsibility, the city council were very happy to row in and help.

“It is the view of this group that this derelict space has a unique value to the immediate community in the short term. This proposal aspires to create a framework that will enable this space to be used by the community. A public open space, in conjunction with the city development plan, that is open and accessible to the public,” he said.

Director of the Victorian Quarter (VQ) Cork, Shane Clarke, said the park is an amazing idea.

“To have a pocket park or an allotment that brings the community together with support of the business community — I couldn’t welcome it more.”

The VQ business plan encompasses an area around MacCurtain Street from Kent Station to the N20 road.

“One of the things we are very deficient in, in this part of the city, is green space. We need a bit of a revolution in how we green hard urban spaces, and if we can pick medium sized projects like this, it would be great,” said Mr Clarke. 

“Hopefully this is the start of a greening of this area of the city. If you bring people to a place, they will police it in a very low-key way.”

Eilish Corcoran of the Lower Glanmire Residents Association said she is excited the project is finally taking off.

“It’s brilliant and we’re really looking forward to it,” she said. A lot of work has been done by Summerhill residents. The only green space on that road is a small Port of Cork garden towards the filling stations in Tivoli, across from Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“We’re looking forward to when the community can become involved,” said Ms Corcoran.

“It’s ideally situated, because it’s opposite all the new developments in Horgan’s Quay. So it will be a space for those workers to take their breaks.”

There are more people buying houses and moving back to the Lower Glanmire road area. The area needs a space for families to play and relax, where residents can eat and socialise together outside.

“I’m looking forward to raising gardens, growing peas, lettuces. The bridge there is a bit dodgy. But if we start to use it, it would move people on. It would help regenerate the area. It has got much better,” she said.

That patch of ground was used for dumping. But if the site is kept clean and used well, it will deter dumping.

“There’s a coffee shop just a few yards down. Get your cup of coffee, meet your neighbours, and go up and sit down,” added Ms Corcoran.

It’s hoped that CIÉ will pass the land on to Cork City Council by the end of this month.

“Once that’s over the line, it would make a brilliant community garden.”

A similar revamp in the Ballyhooly Road in an area once associated with drinking and anti-social behaviour, “has worked out really well”.

The nearest other green space is Bell’s Field at the top of Patrick’s Hill, said Ms Corcoran.

A new complex is to be built on the corner of Alfred Street turning on to the quays. The Simon Community is building social housing on the site for people who can’t afford the rents.

“This would be somewhere for them.”

Boarding at the side of the park is due to be taken down, giving better access to local residents. Ms Corcoran added that, with some seating, “the more people would use it, it would create its own momentum. It would give people a reason to meet up.”

CLEAN UP

CIÉ has brought in diggers to clear out rubbish from the area and the council will offer support to the residents to restore the area.

“We look for any grants we can, but we have found the council extremely helpful in the past. And they give you advice,” said Ms Corcoran.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said the site is subject to repeated littering and, for a long time, its ownership was a source of confusion. Irish Rail would take occasional responsibility for cleaning it up, but it wasn’t until 2021 that it was clarified that CIÉ owned it.

“That was because of the work of residents who prepared a plan to transform the site into a neighbourhood park. It’s an ideal location with the cast-iron pedestrian bridge running over it, a small archway entrance from the steps down to the Lower Glanmire Road and an accessible entrance from the Scout Hall on Summer Hill,” said Mr Moran.

“Because of its location over the railway tunnel, it’s assumed it isn’t suitable for any kind of other development. The area is zoned as public open space in the city development plan.

“Officials at Cork City Council have said they would support the residents with the park. CIÉ indicated last year they would be willing to transfer the land to Cork City Council. That’s where it’s currently sitting.

“There’s more than enough good will behind the project. There’s a growing experience in the area of community groups taking responsibility for spaces like this, working with the city and turning them around. The residents around Railway Park on Grattan Hill were a huge inspiration for that and now there’s the St Luke’s Community Garden as well.

“I think it’s crucial that CIÉ move on the issue and transfer the land over to the city so residents can begin work,” added Mr Moran.