New park proposed for Blarney...

Cork City Council have purchased 6.5 acres of land in Blarney with the intention to develop an amenity park there. It will include wildflower meadows, a play area as well as a looped path for walking and running.


The 6.5 acres of land is situated between the River Martin and Waterloo Road in the centre of the village, just north of Blarney Woolen Mills.

In a statement, the Council said that the current grassland area would be “maintained and enhanced in the context of biodiversity and the natural environment.” 

While full development of the park will depend on available resources, it is hoped that some works to improve access will take place in the coming months.

The Council now intend to consult with the local community and Councillors as to how the park might be developed. 

Results of the Macroom Castle 5k Park Run...Sat 22nd June 2013

1    John MATTHEWS    19:32    VM40-44    M 26.2 RRC
2    Dave LINNANE    20:32    SM25-29     M
3    Donal TWOMEY    20:51  VM40-44 M West Muskerry A.C.   
16    Edel O'LEARY    24:52    SW25-29    F
19    Karen OLEARY    25:16    SW30-34    F 
20    Mary LUCEY    25:19    SW30-34    F

The full results can be seen HERE

Cork City's new park........suitable for running?

Following on from the previous post about the proposed development of the UCC Farm in the west of the Cork City, it might be worth having a look at a potential new area.

The old city dump which later became the Kinsale Road Landfill Site is in the process of being developed into a new park for Cork City. Located just off the South Ring Road, it is central to the city and is within easy access of the main road network.

The photo above shows the UCC Farm on the left with the area used for by runners in orange. The landfill site is shown on the right on the same scale. As you can see, it is a substantial area.
The present plan involves covering part of the site with a layer of clay and then putting down a shallow layer of topsoil (~1ft in depth) over the 170 acre site. The end result should be a basic park with grass with some area set aside for playing pitches.
At present, they are drawing up a final development plan for the park which hopefully will include plenty of trails. It is thought that it may be open to the public some time in 2012.

Just out of interest, I measured a rough route around the perimeter of the proposed park on MapMyRun. It works out as roughly 2.5 kms. Two laps would be perfect for a ParkRun event mentioned in an earlier post!! ;o)