27 October 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Railway Park is located at the end of O’Mahoney’s Ave, which is itself a tiny street leading from St Lukes to the the Lower Glanmire Road – rather than ending up as an open air carpark it has surprisingly been an open space – albeit a paved one – which is now receiving the TLC is deserves
A Cork city community has planted rain gardens in the city’s first learn-to-cycle track as part of an exciting project backed by Cork City Council that is now being hailed as a model for other urban neighbourhoods.
The planting day at Railway Park, on the city’s northside on Saturday (Oct 25), marked the final chapter of a community-led climate project, which was supported by funding from the Community Climate Action Programme, the country’s Local Authorities Waters Programme (LAWPRO) and Cork City Council’s Parks and Recreation team.
“It’s exciting to reach the planting stage and see everyone getting involved,” said Michael O’Sullivan of the Railway Park Community Group.
“This shows what’s possible when a community has a vision for its green space and works with the city council to make it happen.”
The Railway Park community is drawn from the St Lukes, Summerhill North, O’Mahony Avenue, Wellington Road and Grattan Hill areas of Cork city.”
The group got together in 2017 to improve their local green space, through cleaning, painting and planting.
They made a successful application to the Community Climate Action Programme for funding to create the city’s first learn-to-cycle activity track in what was an old Irish Rail storage space they felt could be upgraded.
Construction of the cycle track began last summer and it has been transformed into a safe and secure space for children to learn to ride a bike safely, featuring child-friendly road markings designed to help children learn about road safety in a fun and practical way.
While the amenity was closed to facilitate works, the city council’s parks and recreation team added further play elements to the playground area, including an active climber unit with monkey bars, a Springer and five play panels.
Eliana Burke from Ballintemple gives Mary Burke from the City Parks Division a helping hand with planting some new shrubs.
Rain gardens and Cork city’s first learn-to-bike track puts the community on the right climate track at Railway Park on Grattan Hill.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
From left: Tom Brennan, Local Authority Water Programme; Orla Burke, Community Climate Action Officer, Cork City Council; Sharon McDonnell, Senior Executive Planner, Cork City Council; John Keane, Executive Engineer, Cork City Council and Stephen Scully, Administrative Officer, Cork City Council.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
Faye Baldwin along with sisters Eliana and Faye Burke and local community members at the new cycle track in Railway Park.
Rain gardens and Cork city’s first learn-to-bike track puts the community on the right climate track at Railway Park on Grattan Hill.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
From left: Tom Brennan, Local Authority Water Programme; Orla Burke, Community Climate Action Officer, Cork City Council; Sharon McDonnell, Senior Executive Planner, Cork City Council; John Keane, Executive Engineer, Cork City Council and Stephen Scully, Administrative Officer, Cork City Council.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
LAWPRO funding boosted the project’s environmental impact by introducing a nature-based solution to address surface water issues that could damage the cycle track.
Cork City Council installed four rain gardens around the track to “slow the flow” of surface water by retaining it in the rain gardens. This will create a vibrant green space that reduces the impact of heavy rain on the track itself.
“These demonstrator projects give us an opportunity to trial and monitor new ways of working, like nature-based solutions,” said Sharon McDonnell, Senior Executive Planner and Chair of the Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDS) working group at Cork City Council.
“What we learn here will inform future projects and help us build climate resilience across the city.”
This project shows how communities and councils can work together to create greener, safer spaces while tackling climate challenges.
The Community Climate Action Programme is funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and the Local Authority Waters Programme Nature-based Solutions funding programme is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Some €860,000 has been allocated to Cork City for projects run by community, voluntary and non-profit groups located in the local authority area to help deliver projects in areas including community energy, travel, food and waste, shopping and recycling, and local climate and environmental action.
More details on the Cork projects funded by the Community Climate Action Programme can be found at https://publications.corkcity.ie/view/1045657196/