New Cork bridge should be named Vernon Mount, say locals

IN November, 2009, a meeting was called for the Canon Packham Hall in Douglas, which was addressed by the Biodiversity Officer of Cork County Council, along with the City Council Engineer in charge of the city landfill restoration project, to explore opportunities for nature matters in the West Douglas / Grange / Frankfield areas.

The discussion at it broadened into other matters of concern to the local community and residents’ organisations, and an ad hoc group was formed to organise a further meeting to discuss the issues raised, and in particular the concept of developing a Super Park for the south city and its then county environs.

The following year, a meeting was held in Scoil Nioclais Frankfield, and Grange-Frankfield Partnership (GFP) was formed as an ‘umbrella’ organisation for the various community and residents groups in the area.

The dual objectives of GFP were to campaign for the preservation of Vernon Mount House, along with establishing connectivity from the Grange Road to the then proposed Tramore Valley Park.

Subsequently, GFP wrote to the then National Roads Authority (NRA) promoting the value and benefits of our interconnection proposal. In May, 2011, the NRA responded positively, indicating that our proposal had merit, and suggesting that we pursue the issue with our local authority.

In 2011, officers of GFP met County Manager Martin Riordan and proposed that he contact his counterpart in Cork City Council to consider extending the plan to create a public park at the Kinsale Road landfill site, so as to incorporate the open public land on the southern side of the N40, with a view to creating access from the Grange Road.

The Manager agreed to consider our proposal and indicated that a feasibility study would be undertaken.

With the assistance of four operatives provided by SECAD, we managed to clear and remove the dense undergrowth in the Vernon Mount Valley to reveal to the Council the potential behind our proposal.

We realised the fruits of our endeavours in May, 2017, when the County Council, having purchased a critical land access to the Vernon Mount Valley, commenced a Part 8 planning process towards establishing the Grange Road to Tramore Valley Park pedestrian/cycleway.

In respect of our other objective, the preservation of Vernon Mount House, we had seen great progress by way of forging strongly supporting alliances with the County Council, which invested €175,000 in roof repairs, and also from Director of Crawford Gallery, UC., Irish Georgian Society, U.S. Georgian Society Inc,. and significantly the directors and custodians of George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia, who in fact travelled to Ireland to meet us.

Tragically, in July, 2016, the destruction by fire of the great house put a brutal end to our efforts. 

What remains physically is iconic in its own desolate way, as the ruined structure presides prominently over Tramore Valley Park and further afield, peculiarly areas around the city and even as far as the St Luke’s with addresses linked to Vernon Mount.

What remains may be beyond preservation, but our City Fathers have an opportunity as well as an obligation to see that its place in Cork’s history, and particularly local history, is preserved in the impending naming of the bridge.

Listed in many publications of Irish houses of historical and architectural importance, Vernon Mount consistently achieved plaudits for its superbly unique architecture and interior classical adornment, including artwork by Nathaniel Grogan, the internationally renowned Cork0born artist.

GFP believes the significance of Vernon Mount in Cork’s social and industrial history merits commemoration as now presented in the construction of this major piece of public infrastructure.

Naming the new connection from the Grange Road to the Tramore Valley Park as the ‘ Vernon Mount Bridge’, and installing historical signage boards similar to those on the greenway path from Harty’s Quay to Passage would, GFP believes, serve as a worthwhile and highly important commemoration, especially in terms of providing present and future generations with an invaluable opportunity of broadening their knowledge of local history.

It is generally accepted that heritage is a keystone to our culture, and we fear failure to understand and adopt the opportunities presented in our proposal, is to consign a significant chapter of our heritage and history to oblivion.

We are now asking for public participation , particularly from residents of areas who will benefit from the opportunities presented by years of our endeavours.

Cork City Council has declared the bridge naming will be decided through a public nomination process.

Log into consult.corkcity.ie and you will be invited to submit your proposal either online, or by printing the application and posting/delivering to :

Barbara Creed, Administrative Officer, Infrastructure Development, City Hall, Cork. T12 T997.

The deadline for receipt of nomination forms is 4pm on Friday, April 28, 2023.

Website: vernonmountpark.ie

Facebook Page- Vernon Mount Park