Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has warmly welcomed the official launch of the Douglas Main Street parklet in the past week, as well as its other seven companions across the city. In May of this year, Cork City Council announced that it was looking to provide new parklets in the greater metropolitan area.

The parklets, designed by Siobhán Keogh Design and built by Benchspace Cork, are planted and maintained by the “parklet partners”, with funding for their upkeep administered by the City Council. The Douglas Main Street Partners are Okura Japanese Cuisine and Douglas Tidy Towns.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “The parklets have converted several on-street parking spaces into public open space and are a cost-effective way to create more vibrant streets, promote economic vitality, and provide an inviting green space for residents and passers-by to sit, relax, and interact. Providing greening on the urban street and encouraging biodiversity are two key elements of the parklets project. And certainly are very important to main streets like those in Douglas which is completed dominated by car traffic”.

 “The intention is for planting is to be maintained in the parklets at all times, and the majority (if not all) of this planting should be “pollinator friendly”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Lord Mayor, Cllr Colm Kelleher emphasised at the launch of the eight parklet launches: “The feedback to date is that there is a huge welcome for the parklets with every indication that they are being used on a daily basis by pedestrians. The success of the parklets is not possible without the dynamism and commitment of the partners”.