Cost of Cork's Bishop Lucey Park revamp still not available

The final cost of the controversial Bishop Lucey Park revamp is still not available, Cork City Council has said.

The city centre park officially reopened to the public on November 14, 2025, following its closure in December 2023 for redevelopment works.

The new design was criticised by many, including prominent Cork anti-dereliction campaigners Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry, who described the revamped park as “a very questionable use of money and resources”.

They told The Echo at the time: “The only green space and park in the city centre is no longer a green space or park. Seriously, how did this cost €7m?”

Cork City Council’s director of infrastructure development Gerry O’Beirne said last November, shortly before the park’s reopening: “Construction is currently under way; hence the final cost can only be confirmed upon completion of works and conclusion of the final account in 2026.”

As of last December, the total amount spent was €6,168,532 excluding Vat or €7,064,682 inclusive of Vat, Mr O’Beirne confirmed at the time. The spending includes soft and hard landscaping, upgraded lighting, installation of feature structures, conservation of sculptures, repairs to boundary walls and historic railings, and archaeological surveys. Some final works were required to be completed after the official reopening of the park, meaning this cost would increase.

Mr O’Beirne said in December that the total project is expected to cost €7m, excluding Vat, meaning the total remaining expenditure was expected to be in the region of €800,000. However, it remains to be seen if the project has remained in budget.

Asked by The Echo this week whether final costs were available, a council spokesperson said: “The final account is yet to be settled and so the overall cost is not available at this time.”