6 brilliant Yay Cork reader suggestions for the new Bishop Lucey Park

It’s a tiny green space with huge potential.
The Royal Institute of Architects launched an international design competition for the redevelopment of Cork’s Bishop Lucey Park this week.
According to Lord Mayor Cllr John Sheahan, the re-design “will ensure Cork becomes a more liveable city for young and old”, but with the competition open to any architect-led team from around the world, we thought we’d find out what locals want first.
We asked Yay Cork readers to tell us the key design elements they would like to see included in the new Bishop Lucey Park.
There were some brilliantly bonkers suggestions, including monkey bars for adults and a city centre climbing wall.
One reader called for a community garden and a pollinator patch, while another pointed out that a small stage would be a good spot for musicians to performer during the summer.
These are six of the most popular suggestions:
1. Seating and picnic tables
Whether you fancy eating your sandwich al fresco or holding a meeting in the great outdoors, many readers told us they hoped the new plan for Bishop Lucey Park would include plenty of seating areas and maybe a table or two where you could work on a laptop when the weather is good.
2. A fenced dog park
City dog owners have long been making the case for a dog park to visit on their daily walkies. While Bishop Lucey Park only measures 150m x 50m in total, many readers suggested that a small area could be fenced off to allow dogs to run around freely off-leash.
3. ‘Grass instead of mud’
This was a common gripe. It seems the condition of the park’s current grassy areas is turning many locals off visiting. Our readers called for grassy areas to be kept in good condition all year ’round.
4. A playground
The city population is expected to swell to 300,000 in the next 20 years, with an increasing number of young families expected to set up home in the city centre. Yay Cork readers hope that Cork takes inspiration from cities such as Barcelona and Paris, where city playgrounds provide space for local kids to stretch their legs.
4. Chess tables
This suggestion was submitted a handful of times. A firm fixture in some of the most famous parks in the world, from Tompkins Square Park in New York City to the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, chess tables for outdoor games encourage people to meet up, spend time outdoors and socialise with new people. What’s not to love?
6. ‘Movies during the summer’
While a number of brilliant outdoor movie nights are held in Fitzgerald’s Park every summer, Yay Cork readers felt that similar events could take place in Bishop Lucey Park. In fairness it would be super atmospheric in the moonlight, plus you could head into town for a drink afterwards.
Do you have another suggestion for the new Bishop Lucey Park? Join the conversation on Twitter @YayCork.