Cork City Considers Renaming Bishop Lucey Park Amid Controversy

Ireland has become a 'cold place for Christians and Catholics', a Fianna Fáil councillor said as Cork city councillors voted to consider a renaming process for Bishop Lucey Park which is undergoing a multi-million revamp.

They voted 17-11 on Monday night to approve a Section 140 motion submitted by Worker’s Party Cllr Ted Tynan, Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran, and Social Democrats Cllr Niamh O’Connor, calling for the renaming process.

Earlier this year, Mr Tynan said much of the documented clerical abuse, sexual, physical, or psychological, occurred during Bishop Lucey’s time, both as a serving priest and as bishop of the Diocese of Cork and Ross from his appointment in 1952 until his retirement in 1980.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Terry Shannon objected to the move, criticising what he described as 'this headlong rush to change for what many people are the old certainties'.

He said people like him respect the 'new certainties and new ideas,' but he said that this isn’t being reciprocated.

'There is an attempt now to rewrite history in this country,' he said.

'We see a lot of the old certainties now for an awful lot of people being shoved to one side. This country is becoming a cold place for Christians and Catholics.

'Will we take Fr Mathew down off his statue? Will we rename St Patrick’s St, Pope’s Quay? Where will it end?'

Bishop Lucey Park under re-development by Cork City Council. Picture: Larry Cummins

The church has a lot to answer for, but it was just one part of society, he said, pointing out that Bishop Lucey introduced the credit union system to Cork.

'It wasn’t all bad,' he said.

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy, a historian, said the redevelopment of the park will create new stories, new memories, and symbols, and the revamp presents an opportunity.

'It will be a new public space and park, and it is timely, 40 years on. And there is precedent in this city to replace street and placenames,' he said.

Bishop Lucey became Bishop of Cork in 1952, with the diocese of Ross added six years later.

He built five new churches named after the five Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary in the city’s rapidly developing suburbs, and went on to oversee the foundation of 13 churches during his time as bishop.

He founded the St Anne's Adoption Society in 1954 and started the Cork diocesan mission to Peru in the mid-1960s.

He died in 1982 and the park was named in his honour when it opened in 1985 as part of the Cork 800 celebrations.

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy, a historian, said the redevelopment of the park will create new stories, new memories, and symbols, and the revamp presents an opportunity. Picture Denis Minihane.

Cllr O’Connor said this is not a matter of 'renaming' a park – it’s a new park deserving of a new name.

'When the new park opens, it will bear absolutely no resemblance to the park that was there previously,' she said.

'A new park presents a unique opportunity to choose a name that reflects what we value as a city.'

The park has been closed since December 2023 for the revamp, which is on course to be completed by November.