Category Archives: Ward Development

McCarthy: Third Draft of New Cork City Development Plan Out to Public Consultation, April 2022

Climate Action, Cork City Events, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed “Our City, Our Future”, third draft of Cork City Development Plan, which has gone out to public consultation It which provides an overarching framework to help shape the transformation of the City over the next six years by supporting the creation of 20,000 homes and 33,000 jobs.  

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It provides an exciting and opportunities driven transformative blueprint for Cork as the city sets out upon an exciting phase of growth and change – with sustainability, quality of life, social inclusion, and climate resilience at the plan’s core.  This is the first City Development Plan to include the new city areas such as Douglas, Donnybrook and Rochestown taken in under the 2019 city boundary extension. So there has been a chance to consolidate thinking on improving the quality of life not just in those areas but also in the inner suburbs of Ballinlough, Ballintemple, Blackrock, Mahon and South Docklands”.

 At a meeting of Cork City Council on 15 March 2022, the Elected Members considered the Draft City Development Plan and the Chief Executive’s Report on submissions received.  It was resolved at that meeting by the Elected Members of Cork City Council to amend the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028.

 Cork City Council Chief Executive, Ann Doherty said: “This next phase of public consultation follows widespread listening and engagement with stakeholders in the first and second rounds of public consultation. I’d like to thank everyone who made a submission to date. We have engaged with a broad church of stakeholders reflecting the diversity of Cork City and the work of the Elected Members on the ground in our city’s communities and this engagement has been integral to the whole process.”

 Cork City Council invites submissions on the Proposed Alterations to the Draft Development Plan. This is the third stage of formal public consultations. Submissions can be made online at https://consult.corkcity.ie/ 

The Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 is available to view at www.corkcitydevelopmentplan.ie

Cllr McCarthy’s Historical Walking Tours Return

Cork City Events, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy is to restart his free historical walking tours during the month of April. This month’s tours will be of South Docklands, Fitzgerald’s Park, and The Marina. Cllr McCarthy noted; “It’s been a long wait since the last walking tours I conducted for the general public. It’s been a long two and a half years. In the meantime, I have pursued more research of some of my area tours and have posted them up under my revised history trails section on my Corkheritage. ie website”.

“My Marina tour is one I have tried to sharpen and get more information on and reflect more on its development. The three areas I am re-starting with are all relatively close to each other, but do have their own unique sense of place, their own cultural and built heritage, their own historic angles, and add their own stories to how the city as a whole came into being”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Full details of Kieran’s April tours are below, 

▪ Saturday 9 April 2022, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

  • Sunday 10 April 2022, Fitzgerald’s Park: The People’s Park, meet at band stand, 2pm, in association with Rebound Arts Festival and as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, duration: 90 minutes, no booking required). 
  • Saturday 16 April 2022, The Marina; Discover the history of the city’s promenade, from forgotten artefacts to ruinous follies; meet at western end adjacent Shandon Boat Club, The Marina, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Kieran’s Press, Disappointment over overturning of Cork City Council decision, 26 March 2022

Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

READ: ‘It makes a mockery’: Disappointment in Douglas over overturning of Lidl decision (echolive.ie)

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has expressed his disappointment of the overturning of Cork City Council’s refusal to grant Lidl planning permission for a new store on the Douglas Relief Road. The overturning came through an appeal to An Bord Pleanala by the developer Lidl Ireland.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is an uphill battle to try and bring the concept of sustainability to Douglas especially in the shopping centre areas. Personally, I find such areas devoid of proper or decent public realm space; the public realm is completely hindered by the prominence of car space. Such is the siloised thinking over the years, there isn’t even a pedestrian corridor connecting the centres together”.

Cllr McCarthy continued; “Cork City Council’s planning department in its refusal report specifically mentioned the failure to address the overall master planning set out for the area. It also commented that the design and layout would result in a development that does not provide a high quality active streetscape frontage. Integration in its setbacks into the design of the development and public realm were not addressed in the application. For these reasons and others Cork City planning unit refused permission”.  

“Such refusal reasons, I would deem as straight forward and reasonable. If the plan is not good enough for the local area and given what I would deem solid refusal reasons, I have a huge issue with it being overturned at national level by An Bord Pleanala. It makes a mockery of Cork City Council’s championing of sustainability concepts, plus threatens many aspects in the city’s outgoing development plan and the emerging city development plan. The future of areas such as Douglas need national support more so than the overturning of local decisions”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Cllr McCarthy Promotes City Council’s Climate Action Programmes

Climate Action, Improve Your Life, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the ongoing progress of Cork City Council’s Climate Adaptation Strategy and has created and posted a new web page on the Council’s climate action work on his website www.kieranmccarthy.ie. The Council’s Climate Action Committee and the Climate Action Team provide governance and management for all climate actions for which Cork City Council is responsible, including the 66 implementation actions from the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2019-2024 and actions contained in the Climate Charter. The majority of these actions are being implemented or ongoing.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “I often get regular requests from students and interested locals on what kind of strands and projects Cork City Council is working on in terms of climate action. The existing and developing programmes are helping to increase resilience on the ground and do tie in with National Climate action programmes. There is a lot going on. There is also some really interesting and innovative partnership work going on in an array of diverse areas from energy, food, green schools, biodiversity, lifelong learning, park development, to funding and supporting Tidytowns and exploring and implementing the sustainable development goals”.

Cllr McCarthy continued; “The City Council’s Climate Action Unit has worked recently with the Glucksman and the Planning Department of UCC to deliver a programme that asked school children what they would do if they had ‘Freedom of the City’. The unit is working with the Public Participation Network and Cork Environmental Forum to support local community groups to develop their own climate action plans”.

“In essence, what I describe as a more innovative urban agenda for Cork is emerging through the lenses of climate action programmes. Such thinking is also emerging as frameworks in the new draft City Development plan. My new web page I have created and posted up on kieranmccarthy.ie pulls together an array of over 30 ongoing City Council led projects, which are very positive for Cork society, provide new innovative angles for Cork’s economic development, and showcase the importance of partnership and leadership”, Cllr McCarthy concluded.

View: Climate Action | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

Irish Water & Douglas Road, 28th February-5 March

Uncategorized, Ward Development

Irish Water working in partnership with Cork City Council, are undertaking vital water network improvement works on the Douglas Road, Cork City, to ensure a safer and more reliable water supply to customers in the area.

These improvement works are being carried out as part of Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme. This is a programme underway to provide the community with a more reliable water supply, improve water quality, remove old damaged pipes from the water network and reduce leakage.

The works are due to take place for 5 nights from Monday 28 February through to Saturday morning 5 March. In order to safely and efficiently complete these works they will be undertaken at night and under a road closure as granted by Cork City Council in consultation with An Garda Síochána. The road closure will be in place from 7pm to 6am with the road re-opening outside of these hours.

Due to the location of the existing water mains and requirement to cross both lanes with excavations, closure of one lane to maintain traffic flows is unfeasible and therefore a full road closure is required.

The Douglas Road will be closed from the bottom of the Southern Road at the Infirmary Road/Old Blackrock Road/Langford Row Junction to the junction of the Douglas Road and Tramore Lawn. The recommended vehicular diversion will be via Langford Row, Summerhill South, Evergreen Road, South Douglas road to the turn for Tramore Lawn where traffic will re-join the Douglas Road. The diversion will be signposted on approach.

Kieran’s Press, Pub Dereliction & Housing, 26 February 2022

Cork History, Kieran's Council Work, Ward Development

26 February 2022, “Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said that, while any measure to tackle vacancies in Cork is welcome, the new regulations could open up a ‘can of worms’. “Many of these pubs are historic structures within villages and towns. My concern would be that someone could now just come along and create some modern monstrosity and not need planning permission”, Pubs to homes plan: Residential potential for disused pubs in Cork, Pubs to homes plan: Residential potential for disused pubs in Cork (echolive.ie)

Cllr McCarthy Welcomes Funding for Junction at Our Lady of Lourdes School, Ballinlough, 16 February 2022

Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the allocation by government of e.161,000 for a safety revamp of the junction Bellair Estate and Ballinlough Road, adjacent to Our Lady of Lourdes School. The sum came as part of a central government package of funding to Cork City Council as part of a Low Cost Safety Scheme for local road networks.

Cllr McCarthy highlights: “The corner of Old Lady of Lourdes National School is a blind corner and has many people crossing this dangerous stretch of road every day. Public safety has been a regular issue that local people have raised with me. With colleagues, it’s been a very long battle through many Council motions and debates at Council level to get funding in place for the revamp of the junction. I do think though that when the campaign to seek funding was ramped up last year by the local school community and residents in the local area, that it pushed the narrative strongly to central government to intercede, and finally deal with the large scale funding needed to meet the junction’s problems”.

“Over many years, I have received much correspondence and phone calls from people highlighting stories of near misses and outlining fears for themselves and in many cases, children living in the local area. It was people power, which drove the funding to be put in place. It is envisaged that the junction will be raised with pedestrian crossings. Ward Councillors do not have a design to show yet or a timeline for public consultation and construction, but we can now work on those aspects and through those aspects”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Cllr Kieran McCarthy at Bellair Junction, Mid February 2022
Cllr Kieran McCarthy at Bellair Junction, Mid February 2022

Cllr McCarthy: Grange Bridge construction is another game changer

Cork City Events, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Press Release:

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the start of the work on the pedestrian and cycle path and new bridge which will provide a safe, sustainable and alternative travel route between Grange and Tramore Valley Park and onwards to Douglas and the city centre.

Funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), the kilometre-long pathway, which includes the construction of a new bridge over the N40 South Ring Road, will provide connectivity between Grange/Frankfield and the southern suburbs and will support residents, students and commuters to opt for active travel and thereby reduce traffic congestion. 

Cllr McCarthy noted: “The  path comes in from the Grange Road through what is known locally as the donkey field. The scheme will have a series of steps and ramps along the steeper section down through the valley until it reaches the bridge over the N40. On the other side of the bridge, there will be once again steps and a ramp into the Tramore Valley Park. The four metre wide pathway will also support people with mobility needs and will include environmentally sensitive public lighting”.

“The bridge is another game-changer, which will nicely open up Tramore Valley Park to the city’s southern ridges joining up the dots with amenities such as the Mangala walk and its future extensions upstream”, asserted Cllr McCarthy.

Site clearance works have already begun. To facilitate construction, it will be necessary to remove some trees and greenery on the site. Care has been taken during project design to minimise the impact on biodiversity. A native tree planting programme will also be undertaken at the site as part of the project and trees will also be offered to local community groups. 

Infrastructure Development Director of Services with Cork City Council, Gerry O’Beirne said: “ In line with the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, this project will support residents, commuters and students to make more sustainable transport choices which will  help reduce car dependency and therefore traffic congestion in the city. The Grange – Tramore Valley Park path will also make walking or cycling more attractive and support people to easily and safely enjoy a more active lifestyle in their own community”. It is expected that works will be completed in early 2023.

Cllr McCarthy: Muga Plan for Ballinlough Welcomed, 29 February 2021

Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the 2022 allocation from the City Council’s Sports and Amenity Fund. Ballinlough Community Park will get a multi-use games arena or ‘muga’ from the fund. Each local electoral area gets approx e30,000 to spend annually on sports equipment such as outdoor gyms or a muga. The grants scheme is in its second year.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is very positive news that rolling grants schemes are being created within the Council and aimed at recreational infrastructure such as outdoor gyms and mugas. There are also now more regular discussions to put funding aside to create new playgrounds and to add to the ones already in existence. Covid and its impact on Council income streams though has slowed down the ring fencing of finance”. 

Cllr McCarthy continued: “The details of the muga’s exact location in Ballinlough Park still has to be worked out, but funding is in place. It is a park, which offers a lot of views and trees, and the Faery trail, which need to be protected as well. The muga is something I have lobbied for, as have my other colleagues, over many years for the area. A muga for the area was one of my first motions way back in time”.

“As an additional note, it is also welcome that the 2021 sanctioned outdoor gyms from the City Council’s Sports and Amenity Fund are set to open at six city locations this April”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

The six new callisthenics gyms will open on the Lough Mahon Amenity Walkway, in Clogheenmilcon, John O’Callaghan Park, Popham’s Park, Gerry O’Sullivan Park, and at Murphy’s Farm. The facilities will be similar to those existing in other areas of the city, such as in Tramore Valley Park and Harty’s Quay”.

Cllr McCarthy, Ward Funds 2022

Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Cllr Kieran McCarthy is calling on any community groups based in the south east ward of Cork City, which includes areas such as Ballinlough, Ballintemple, Blackrock, Mahon, Douglas, Donnybrook, Maryborough, Rochestown, Mount Oval and Moneygourney with an interest in sharing in his 2022 ward funding to apply for his funds.


A total of E.11,000 is available to community groups through Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s Cork City Council ward funds. In general, contributions to groups range between e.150 to e.250 or slightly more depending on the project. Application should be made via email to Kieran at kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie or via letter (Richmond Villa, Douglas Road) by Friday 4 February 2022. This email or correspondence should give the name of the organisation, contact name, contact address, contact email, contact telephone number, details of the organisation, and what will the ward grant will be used for.


Ward funds will be prioritised to community groups who build community capacity, educate, build civic awareness and projects, which connect the young and old. Cllr McCarthy especially welcomes proposals where the funding will be used to run a community event that benefits the wider community. In addition, he is seeking to fund projects that give people new skill sets. That could include anything from part funding of coaching training for sports projects to groups interested in bringing enterprise programmes to encourage entrepreneurship to the ward.


Cllr McCarthy is also particularly interested in funding community projects such as those that promote the rich history and environment within the south east ward. More guidelines can be viewed under ward funds at his blog at www.kieranmcarthy.ie.