Here is a statement from the organisers......"Latest update from Cork City council is that parkrun at Tramore Valley is cancelled indefinitely due to access issues with the site. Needless to say we will continue to work with them in an effort to get it restarted but there's no set date by which we expect this to happen."
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The map below helps to explain the current situation.
1) The Black Ash Park & Ride is at the other side of the South Ring Road and there is no pedestrian access to the Tramore Valley Park from it.
2) There is limited parking in the park. If more than 250 people or so turn up and no special measures are taken then the car park there reaches capacity.
3) There is a pedestrian entrance from the Half-Moon Lane. If a parking area can be found near there then people can park there and access the park that way. The 1km run in and out would be just a warm up and cool down for most runners.
This is the what was in the Master plan for the park in terms of connecting it to the Black Ash Park and Ride. Whether this ever goes ahead or not is another thing.
That's a shame. Any alternate venue somewhere in the city? Fitzgeralds park prob not big enough?
ReplyDeletewhy not have someone on the gate allowing only 250 cars in? If people want to make alternative arrangements to get there all the better. Let them run. Cancelling an event because its too successful. It would only happen in Cork.
ReplyDeleteThats a pity I never got a chance to do it. I heard it was great.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they can have someone at the gate stopping cars because the traffic would back up on the South Link Road.
ReplyDeleteThe only obvious alternative location for a parkrun is in the Ballincollig Regional Park.
Ballincollig Park has very little parking (a real pity). I don't think Lidl and the other Businesses would appreciate their car parks being used....
ReplyDeleteHopefully the Council will be able to address Ballincollig too so that a Park Run can be held there eventually.
This is a disgrace, this is only the 2nd parkrun in the whole World that has stopped. (I think the 1st was somewhere in Iceland.)
ReplyDeleteThere is a small parkrun near Stoke in the UK & their local council tried to start charging everyone £1 per run, they organised a large social media campaign and the local council soon retracted.
Pressure needs to be put on Cork City Council.
It's unlikely the numbers would have sustained once operation transformation show had finished up. Was the gate from half moon lane open during the mornings of the run?
ReplyDeleteJust the pedestrian gate was opened on the morning of the runs. The rugby are still training there. I fear it was a major cock up in the planning dept when they 1st decided to develop tramore valley as a park run and as an amenity park suppose to cater for 5ooo users of the park under the Master plan . There is supposed to be a tunnel under the road. Would they not look at maybe developing that as an access route? Oh hang on they are busy with the elections hmmmm!
ReplyDeletethat would be the logical point , have a walkway near the park and ride or a car park somewhere around it. its a pity there was no thought when in when they planned it. there are 50 locations around the country and only in cork city has the one with issues. im embarrassed by the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteits so embarrassing that of all the events around the country , the only one with issues is the cork city one that no planning or logic went into the support structures that were needed. whats the point in having an amenity like this if they cancel the run. use the walkway underneath for people t.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a tunnel from the Black Ash park and ride, under the south link and into the park?
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the artists impression at the bottom, the Tramore River flows through a culvert underneath the South Link Road. That is roughly what it actually looks like at present. What doesn't exist is the pedestrian tunnel as shown on the right.
ReplyDeleteWhether some sort of platform could be put in the existing culvert is another question.
I'm utterly mortified that Cork hasn't yet found a solution. I know Cork is small but come on!! We are surrounded by obesity and unhealthy eating and the one thing we can do to help combat this epidemic is being stopped by the Cork County Council. Why wasn't this explored before the launch. You've left the Cork people down, shame on them..
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