With an old village feel, there is much to discover in Douglas. One has the historic fabric of the village, but also the backdrop of Douglas estuary filled with its biodiversity as well as the natural heritage of the mud flats of the inner harbour and the views of Cork from the hilly southern suburbs of Rochestown, Donnybrook and Grange.
The placename ‘Douglas’ is an anglicisation of ‘Dubhghláise’, meaning ‘Black Stream’. This small, fast-flowing riverulet gave Douglas its name. Rising in Castletreasure, the river gathers speed as it flows down the hill towards Donnybrook and through Douglas Community park. The early industrial history of Douglas is connected with this river. Indeed on the 1840 Ordnance Survey, the community park is a former mill pond for local industry.
Douglas Community Association was founded in 1969 and its purpose was and still is to promote in every way possible the wellbeing of the people of Douglas. In the beginning, the work of the Association was carried out by the Community Council, which consisted of representatives from each area, from the affiliated organisations and from the churches. Its particular aims are to co-ordinate the activities of all the voluntary, charitable and sporting organisations in the area which are affiliated to it. The Association was recognised as an approved local council by both Cork County Council and Cork Corporation
On 13 June 1974, the Cork Examiner describes that the Association acquired land – an old soccer pitch – in Douglas for use as a Community Park. The report noted: “The plan is to develop it into a sort of pleasure park for the benefit of the people of the parish. Before the year is out, the field will he converted into an amenity park and by next springtime it will be fitted out with seating accommodation around it, a children’s playground and a running track for local sports organisations. Eventually it is hoped to build a community centre complex with all its ancillary facilities on the site, but that is a long-term plan which, of course, will be dependent on the availability of funds”.
In October 1974 Cork County Council took possession of a 5-acre site in the heart of Douglas. The land was cleared, ploughed and harrowed. Fertiliser was applied and top quality grass seed was set. It was opened in 1976.
The park has a great variety of trees, oaks, ash, sycamore, birch and beech. Many of these were planted by Cork County Council and youth initiatives.
As a prelude to Civic Pride Week in February 1978, young people in the Douglas area planted trees and shrubs in the new Community Park at Douglas. The teenagers, who planted the trees, were representatives of each residential area and the aim was that they would continue to care for the trees and protect them from vandals.
Later in 1978, workers from AnCO began work on the park to develop it further. More facilities will be added to the park such as swings and other amusements.. The. nearby stream which runs at the side of the park was railed off.
In Autumn 1981 Governor Sean MacCrann allowed prisoners from Cork Prison to plant the trees as a community project.
In 1988, the Department of the Environment gave £10,000 grant for the planting of trees in the park. All the trees have matured magnificently and the spire of St Luke’s Church of Ireland creates a impressive feature in the background.
On 10 December 1984, Canon Crowley PP, Douglas, turned the sod for the new community hall at Douglas Community Park. The plan was to replace a pre-fabricated building on the site. A major house-to-house fund-raising effort took place in the Douglas, Frankfield and Grange areas. Reports of the success of the fundraising were written about in the Evening Echo with commentary by the PRO of the Community Association of the time Mary Hanley.
In early April 1986, the new £90,000 community centre was opened, which marked another great milestone in the continuing development of the parish. The centre was opened by the Lord Mayor Alderman Dan Wallace TD, and blessed by Dr Michael Murphy, Bishop of Cork and Ross. Dr Murphy said the centre along with the parish church would be a focal point for the people of Douglas and a tremendous facility to the growing suburb.
At the opening Chairman Mr Billy Coleman pointed out that the centre provided a new dimension to the Douglas environment; “The association, in existence since 1969, provides a wide ranging variety of services including meals-on-wheels, pre-school playgroup, senior citizens and a summer recreation scheme”.
In 1994, through fundraising initiatives, new entrances at each end of the Park with new lights and improved footpaths were installed.
In the late 1990s, a new playground was constructed in the park.
In May 1999, the executive of the community association proposed further development of the park to include drainage and surfacing of the car park, new seating to be put in place in the park, the development of a picnic area near the playground, and new signage to be put in place for the park.
In 2013-14, Douglas Community Association embarked on the construction of a new meals on wheels building connected to the Community Centre.
In November 2017, the Douglas Flood Relief Scheme (including Togher Culvert) consisted of flood relief works in the townlands of Ardarrig, Ballybrack, Castletreasure, Douglas and Togher. It was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála. For the park it included the construction of new flood defence walls (reinforced concrete and precast elements) and new hard and soft landscaping. The Douglas Works Construction Contract commenced in mid 2019 and it was completed in February 2021.
Today, the park contains a state-of-the art playground, which was initially provided by Cork County Council for children up to the age of 13. In recent years a basketball court has been added and the park has been widened as part of the OPW flood relief scheme for Douglas.
Douglas Community Park is now managed by Cork City Council in association with Douglas Community Association.
Read about Ballybrack Woods & The Mangala here, 14. Ballybrack Woods & The Mangala | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy