Bishop Lucey Park
| Bishop Lucey Park | |
|---|---|
| The Peace Park | |
| Type | Public |
| Location | Cork, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 51°53′50″N 8°28′32″W / 51.89722°N 8.47556°WCoordinates: 51°53′50″N 8°28′32″W / 51.89722°N 8.47556°W |
| Created | 1985 |
| Status | Open all year |
Bishop Lucey Park is a public park located between Grand Parade and South Main Street in the centre of Cork in Ireland. It is one of very few green spaces in the city centre and comfortably the largest. It is often erroneously known as "The Peace Park" by locals, although this name actually refers to the area next to the River Lee at the junction of Grand Parade and South Mall where the National Monument, and the memorials to World War I and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings are located.[1]
History
The site of Bishop Lucey Park lies within the site of the original Hiberno-Norse settlement of Cork. A portion of the old city wall was excavated during the park construction and can now be seen near the Grand Parade entrance to the park.[2]
For almost 800 years, the location of the park was a built environment, with a variety of commercial buildings, religious buildings and schools occupying portions of the site.
In 1970, Jennings department store burnt down leaving a substantial amount of the site derelict. It was decided to create a new park on the site in time for the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Cork being granted a charter in 1985. The new park was named in honour of the recently deceased Bishop of Cork and Ross Cornelius Lucey.
Usage
The park is popular with city centre workers and residents as a rare example of green space in Cork City Centre and can be particularly crowded at lunch time if the weather permits people to eat al fresco.
At winter time, the park hosts the Winter Wonderland, when it is illuminated with Christmas lights in conjunction with the Christmas Market that is held on Grand Parade.
In 2011 Christchurch Lane, which had been a pedestrian lane running along the northern edge of the park was incorporated into the park.
References
- ↑ "Amenity Areas". Cork City Council. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
- ↑ Healy, Alan. "Bishop Lucey Park". Cork Past and Present. Retrieved 2012-08-23.