Ronnie Herlihy honoured with community garden

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, has helped to launch a community pocket garden in the heart of the South Parish, dedicated to the memory of a much-loved local historian.

The Pocket Park at Langford Row has, over time, gone from being an underused piece of green space to what is now a woodland garden located, as the late historian Ronnie Herlihy put it, “where Cork began”.

The community space contains a number of information panels inspired by Mr Herlihy’s work.

Mr Herlihy’s book, A Walk Through The South Parish: Where Cork Began, is often cited as a hugely influential work, and Mr Herlihy’s influence as a local historian remains undimmed, four years on from his death.

Speaking at the recent opening of the park, Mr Boyle said he was delighted to see such a community space dedicated to Mr Herlihy.

“It’s an ideal location that was neglected for far too long, and a lot of community effort has gone into making it a special place, and its dedication to Ronnie Herlihy is very apt, because it’s a primer to South Parish, outlining the interesting elements of the area and the historical parts of the area,” Mr Boyle said.

Mr Boyle’s predecessor as lord mayor, Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy, said Mr Herlihy’s memory and contributions was very important to the South Parish, and to the city’s local historians.

“Ronnie’s wife, Anne, asked that I launch the pocket garden, and Justine Lonney and the team at the Douglas Street Business Association wanted to have a nod to Ronnie and some of the work he was doing over the years, especially at the autumn festival, when he was giving a walking tour to the general public,” Mr McCarthy said.

“He was very well respected, from his work, to just getting people out and about and creating awareness and a sense of place and a sense of pride for people in the South Parish.”