Broad support for proposed Cork city centrerevamp layout

Plans to give Patrick St a facelift, which include new trees, flowerbeds, and seating that will move bus stops and replace taxi ranks, received a broadly positive response in the city centre on bank holiday Monday.

Cork City Council has announced the layout for the plaza outside Brown Thomas at the top of Winthrop St, along with the area outside Dunnes Stores, as a “decluttering and greening” of the city’s main street.

The design will be in place for 12 to 18 months, and it will necessitate the removal of the old busman’s hut, a taxi shelter, and the trolley bay outside Dunnes Stores.

Bus stops will be relocated away from the plaza, and taxi stands outside Dunnes will be — controversially — suspended.

Derry Coughlan, of the Cork Taxi Association, last week said the decision would result in people not being able to get taxis in the city centre, and he claimed the flowerbeds would only benefit “homeless people and dossers”.

Broad welcome

However, most of the people who spoke with The Echo yesterday at lunchtime — in an unscientific sampling of Cork opinion — gave the plans a broad welcome.

Goh Spring, a visitor from Malaysia, said she thought Cork was already a beautiful city, but more greenery could only improve it.

“The photos look really nice, I love it,” she said.

Nelly Murphy, a horticulturist, said she was “all for more flowers”, but added: “It can be tricky to find a taxi, and the bus stops are very convenient where they are.”

“Could they not find a way to accommodate everyone?”

Sean Walsh has been a street musician in the city for 25 years, and he was very sceptical about the proposed changes.

Sceptical about changes

He said it hadn’t been many years since the council “had the whole of Patrick St dug up, and they made no improvement”.

“First and foremost, this is the main street in the city, there should be people sitting outside bars, restaurants.

“What have we got, only vape shops and phone shops?”

“This used to be a lovely street one time, now look at it. I honestly don’t think this will make a blind bit of difference, and the money could be better spent,” he said.

Ger O’Donnell, out for a walk with his wife Sherri and their daughter Michelle, said he thought the flowerbeds were a good idea “as long as it’s maintained”.

Mary O’Regan, walking with Shane Maher and dogs Kizzy and Nuna, said the city needed a boost.

“We have shops closing all the time. All we’ll be left with are phone shops and vape shops, so we need to give the place a lift."

One man, who gave his name as Stephen, said of the proposed new flowerbeds: “Green is good.”

Asked about fears that the layout might mean people would be unable to get a taxi in the city centre, he said: “We have that problem already.”