Beaumont Park has a very distinct heritage especially with its Big House history and demesne landscape. It makes for interesting research to try to match up the present day landscape with the former landscape.

  In 1792, when Beamish & Crawford was first established, William Beamish resided at Beaumont House, which was then a magnificent period residence situated on Beaumont Hill. The name Beaumont is the French derivative of Beamish meaning a beautiful view from the mountain or a beautiful view.

By the time William Beamish III in the 1840s inherited the house, the Beamish family also possessed 5,180 acres in Cork, Tipperary & Waterford, complete with the successful and adjacent Beaumont Quarry.

Beaumont House is marked on the first edition ordnance survey map circa 1840. A visitor to the house, would access the entrance lane from Blackrock Road, now Beaumont Lane and make their way to the lodge house.

The visitor after the lodge house could choose two routes – a short climb up to the northern end of Beaumont House, or be brought on a sweeping, curving and ascending journey towards the southern end of Beaumont House. During the latter journey, the visitor would have been brought through an impressive lawn area of two to three acres of gardens with a sprawling and scenic view of the River Lee and its estuary.

From the 1850s onwards, Beaumont House was sold and some of its successive owners were William Shaw, Clergyman and MP for Cork, and the Presentation Brothers. The house was a ruin from the 1930s and was demolished in the 1950s. Its site was just to the north west of the Beaumont Schools (see now and then map).

In 1968, Mrs Lehane, the first principal, began a new school in Beaumont, Cork. Whilst the school was under construction at the time and the first classes were located in pre-fabs in the playground of the Boys’ School.  The original number of 30 students started their first day of school on 1 April 1968. The school population grew as the Beaumont area developed and an extension was added in 1974. The schools, as they are today, were completed in 1976.

Meanwhile surrounding the schools, in September 1970 the Beaumont Residents’ Association met Cork Corporation’s Roads, Traffic and Planning Committee, and submitted drawings requesting the provision of a community centre, public park and playing pitch, The land required being in the region of 4-5 acres adjacent Beaumont Quarry – on the former estate lands of Beaumont House. In the 1974 Cork City Development Plan, provision was made for a public park and pitches.

In 1972, Avondale United was formed in Ballintemple. In the mid-1980s, the use of a community ground was granted by Blackrock Community Association to the Club. This is now the club’s schoolboy headquarters. Close collaboration with Cork City Council in recent years has created a fantastic pitch. The pitch is located on the former and immediate front garden of Beaumont House – albeit the gardens in their day were on a slope.

In 1984, Ballinlough Pitch and Putt Club, consisting of the sub-committee, was formed to undertake the conversion of a site adjacent Beaumont Park. They received a 99 years lease from Cork Corporation for a pitch and putt course. Work commenced in August 1984 and 20 greens were constructed by a contractor and seeded in late autumn. These greens were playable in late summer 1985 and a perimeter chain link fence of 60 yards was also constructed.

Check out the views from Beaumont Park southwards onto Douglas Estuary and the northern vistas are equally as impressive as they fall onto the Marina and Blackrock areas; plus there is something about the fall of the light in Beaumont Park, which makes it very photogenic.

Read about The Marina here: 6. The Marina | Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Kieran McCarthy

Read Kieran’s June 2024 local election manifesto here: 2. Kieran’s Manifesto, Local Elections 2024 | Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Kieran McCarthy