December 2025
Hi, there! — Welcome to the forty-sixth edition of my monthly newsletter to keep you up to date on my work for Cork City North East.
This month, we have motions on a trial of permeable material for streets, a mobility hub on Dublin Hill, traffic calming on Middle Glanmire Road, and an architectural competition for Bell’s Field and Patrick’s Hill — as well as a question on the “kissing gates” at the Glen River Park.
I’ve included updates on transport improvements in Glanmire, a public consultation on plans for Blakpool and Dublin Hill, and the new city centre strategy.
As ever, please feel welcome to get in touch by email at email@oliver.ie. In particular, if there are any issues in the ward, or with your thoughts or comments on this newsletter.
Please remember to also share this newsletter with your friends and neighbours in the ward.
Many thanks!
Oliver
p.s. You can use this link to easily read and share all my monthly newsletters ... oliver.ie/newsletter
Motions and notions
Each councillor can submit up to four motions each month to Cork City Council and ask two formal questions of the Chief Executive. One of these questions is asked at the Local Area Committee and must be about local operational matters.
Before the deadline each month, I meet with my local group, the Cork City North Greens, and we agree motions and questions for the month ahead. We call this our “motions and notions” meeting :-)
If you have ideas or suggestions for a motion, or have a question you want asked, just let me know!
Or join the Cork City North Greens ... my.greenparty.ie
Questions
“To ask the Chief Executive for progress on the replacement of ‘kissing gates’ at the entrances to the Glen River Park (see report to motion 21/390); and if this is dependent upon progress of the Mayfield to Glen walking and cycling scheme?”
There will be no meeting of the Local Area Committee this month, owing to the way that Christmas falls.
Motions
“That Cork City Council will trial conversion of a street to a permeable material to assist in relief from the impact of cloudbursts and other flash flooding situations.”
“That Cork City Council will include provision for a mobility hub in the design of the Northern Distributor Road, such as in the Dublin Hill area, to provide an opportunity for commuters to park a motor vehicle and transfer to public transport rather than drive into the city centre.”
“That Cork City Council will develop a traffic calming and pedestrian safety scheme on the section of Middle Glanmire Road east of Leycester’s Lane to Colmcille Avenue that will tie in with proposed interventions under BusConnects.”
“That Cork City Council would hold an architectural competition for the redesign of St. Patrick’s Hill, Audley Place, Bell’s Field, Lady’s Well and Fever Hospital steps, and surrounding areas. Engage consultants to oversee the redevelopment and enhancement of this historic area of Cork City.” (Joint motion with Cllr. Noel O’Flynn.)
Spoken contributions
Unfortunately, due to technical issues there was no live-streaming of Cork City Council this month.
However, you can watch back my previous contributions in the chamber on YouTube and share these with the link oliver.ie/videos.
What’s happening?
Glanmire works
This month, Cork City Council opened the redesigned Dooley’s Lane in Glanmire. One part of a transformation of new transport routes opening across the area.
Over the next few months, works will continue at Dunkettle Road, where the final 400m of footpath and cycleway between Ballinglanna and Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil will be completed.
Work is also underway on connecting John O’Callaghan Park to Glanmire village through a new greenway — along with works on Hazelwood Road and junction upgrades in Glyntown.
It will mean a continuous network of pedestrian and cycle infrastructure connecting Glanmire village to Riverstown and Brooklodge, with an especial focus on homes and schools.
Early in the new year, we’ll also hear about the fate of funding for the Glanmire to city centre cycle route.
With the change in government, there has been a U-turn in commitment to the Pathfinder programme of projects intended to showcase the potential for active travel. This route was one of those, and it is now subject to funding on the same basis as all other projects.
I have been engaging with officials on this and stressing the strategic importance of this project. I think it would be terrible if it is left unfinished.
Officials in Cork understand this. However, it is the National Transport Authority that will decide the funding. We’ll know their decision in February.
Blackpool framework plan
Over the course of a month between mid-November and mid-December, Cork City Council hosted a series of workshops with residents in the Blackpool–Dublin Hill area.
The workshops were to formulate a “framework plan” for the area. This is a more detailed local vision for the area than the citywide development plan.
The workshops looked at four themes:
A workshop on housing, held in Delaneys Rovers GAA clubhouse
A meeting with local businesses in the Northside For Business campus
One on transport in the Council Chamber of City Hall
A final one on environment and amenities, hosted in Kilcully scout hall
An online survey of residents took place in the month beforehand — and a “story map” was created to help explain the project ahead of time.
There are a lot of exciting opportunities in the area, among these:
Irish Rail published plans to reopen Blackpool station earlier this year, and will very soon begin progressing that.
The Cork City Council development plan has committed to developing and protecting a Glenamought River Valley Park in the Murphy’s Rock area.
The Land Development Agency has a substantial interest in land north of Delaneys Rovers GAA.
The preferred route for the Northern Distributor Road has been identified as passing through the area.
Once the framework plan has been finalised, there will be a formal process to integrate the outcome into the city development plan.
In the meantime, there is also still a dedicated email address (nbkplan@corkcity.ie) for questions from the public — or for anyone who wants to add their say.
City centre strategy
This month, Cork City Council agreed on its first city-centre strategy, since the setting up of a new city centre directorate earlier this year.
Something mentioned in the debate was that the city centre will transition from what people now reminisce as “town”. The future of the city centre isn’t a transactional place where people go to shop and then return home afterwards. It’s a place where people will experience the city, where you meet people. Importantly, it will be where people and families live again.
A part of that is a mix of traditional locations that we improve through the public realm.
Oliver Plunkett Street and MacCurtain Street are two examples that are thriving. Things too that you can’t experience anywhere else, like the English Market, the Ferris Wheel at Christmas, and future draws like the events centre and a new library.
The re-opened park on Grand Prade is an example of that transition, including some of the pains that will be involved.
If you pass through it now after dark, there are ordinary people of all ages, older people, women, sitting and talking together into the night.
A part of the debate is that it’s not the same park that we’re used to. People are right about the dearth of green spaces in the city centre — but the way the park is now being used is an indication too of what the city centre is transitioning to and the changes that will involve.
Transport will be another key transition. It’s no secret that public transport priority on Patrick’s Street is abused and forgotten about. We need the gardaí to step up there, because as well as promoting off-street city centre car parking, the city will be a place where public transport, walking, and cycling are the priority.
In the news…
Renaming of Cork’s Bishop Lucey Park on hold in absence of regulations, councillors told
Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, said, “We’re in an absurd place where a consultation is being held up over how to hold a vote of residents of the park.”
Irish Independent, Wednesday, 3 December
Councillors demand new warning signs for “street where trucks go to die” in Cork city
Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, said, “It’s not a new problem. One day I found a stretch limousine in the same position at the bottom of Richmond Hill.”
CorkBeo, Thursday, 4 December
Anger over casino company expansion as councillors slam planning decision
Councillor Oliver Moran said, “An Coimisiún Pleanála lacks the local knowledge or understanding for issues like these.”
CorkBeo, Wednesday, 10 December
Keep in touch
Thanks for reading! Please feel welcome to share this newsletter and invite other people you know to subscribe. If you can, please consider making a donation to my political activities in the ward.
You can also keep up to date with my activities on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Mastodon and TikTok. And don’t forget, you can email me any time at email@oliver.ie.
Have a great month!
