Tramore Valley Park is unlikely to open before this summer. The director of Services in Cork City Council’s Environment and Recreation Department said substantial work is needed to be done, before the park could open beyond its current, limited hours. It was also revealed that a shortfall of e.100,000 is needed to finance the park opening in the short term. The director said: “specific provision for the operation of the Tramore Valley Park was not made in the 2016 budget. There are also essential engineering works required. It is expected that these will be completed by mid-summer. It is hoped that, at that time, a sustainable funding model will also be in place to facilitate a full opening”. At present, Tramore Valley Park opens on Saturday mornings to accommodate a BMX track and rugby pitch.

   In a press release from the City Council, in recent weeks, numbers participating in the Cork parkrun have increased considerable, nearly trebling to 520 runners. The site can accommodate 240 cars, but reached capacity recently. The City Council has serious health and safety concerns regarding capacity to cater for such numbers of vehicles, given the proximity of the site to the South Link Road and the park run model not allowing for control of numbers by pre registration. In the event of not being able to cap participants and numbers of vehicles arriving at the site, and attendances increasing each week, the City Council reluctantly has no option but to withdraw permission for the event. The City Council will work with parkrun Ireland, to review the Tramore Valley parkrun to see if it can be tailored to meet necessary health and safety requirements on a more modest scale going forward.

    Raising the issue in the City Council chamber, Cllr Kieran McCarthy noted; “it’s all coming down to funding, small amounts of funding to finish and open the park; we have the Council’s park and ride facility nearby, it can accommodate a large number of cars and a shuttle buses; the question of finding funding to open the park long term needs to be a priority for the City Council; this park will provide a recreational facility for all of Cork citizens. Millions and millions of tax payer’s money has been invested in its development and it has come a very long way from being a landfill; keeping the park closed is in no one’s interest”.