Public dog park opens at popular Cork location 

A special dog park has opened in Ballincollig's Regional Park at a cost of almost €60,000.

The facility, located near the Ballincollig allotments and main path, has a 0.8-acre space for large dogs and 0.4-acre space for smaller ones. 

The final touches were put to the park this week, before its opening on Wednesday.

Built at a cost of around €58,000, the park consists of driven metal posts with 400m of V-mesh fence panels 1.2m high, and 1.2m wide self-closing timber pedestrian gates as well as information signage, seating, and bins.

This project was developed following requests from councillors and members of the public, with the council noting that similar facilities are popular in Dublin, Northern Ireland, and Britain.

The council executive explained they provide for a safe socialising environment for dogs and owners, as well as space for dogs to run free and exercise, a necessity for owners with small gardens or none at all.

The park further takes into consideration 2011 Cork City Council Parks bylaws which require dogs on leashes in public areas.

A pilot project, the dog park will be monitored for 12 months and its success or otherwise will be reviewed prior to any decision in relation to the provision of further similar facilities.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran told The Echo: “Somewhere that dog owners can bring their pets to run off the leash has been an ask in the city for a long time. There’s already several dog parks across Dublin, as well as one in Limerick.

“There is a private commercial dog park in Ballincollig already, where owners can book paid time in an open area. However, this will be the first public dog park in Cork.

“Monitoring how it works out over the course of a year is central to the approach being taken. Dogs will be allowed off their leash, but they must stay within sight of their owners.

“Owners will have to clean up after their pets too, and large dogs and small dogs will be separated in different areas. Seeing that these rules work out in the Ballincollig pilot will be what determines if there will be further dog parks in other parts of the city.”

The large dogs area will be for dogs over 15kg, while the smaller area will be for dogs under 15kg.

Rules state that dogs will have to be kept within sight of the owner and under effective control, no restricted or controlled breeds will be allowed, owners will have to clean up after their dog, children must be accompanied by a responsible adult and use of the dog park will be at owner’s risk.