Section of popular Cork greenway reopens after 15-month revamp
(Left to right) Laura Quinn, Adrian Quinn, Project Manger Cork City Council, Jennifer Quinn and Gerard McMahon, Senior Resident Engineer Cork City Council on the Cork City to Passage West Greenway. Photo: Darragh Kane
The Blackrock to Rochestown leg of the Cork-Passage Greenway has reopened after 15 months of major works aimed at making it safer and more accessible.
Cork City Council unveiled the improved route, which now has new access ramps, more than 2,000 recently planted trees, CCTV and environmentally sensitive public lighting - albeit with criticism that some parts of the new scheme, such as ramps around the old Blackrock railway station, were unnecessarily complicated and even potentially hazardous.
The opening of the long-awaited section comes ahead of one of the hottest weekends of the year so far, so walkers and cyclists can enjoy the wider greenway which traces the route of the 19th-century Cork, Blackrock, and Passage Railway line.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Deirdre Forde, said that there will be “great excitement” that the line is reopened, and that people will now be able to enjoy “an even better and safer walking, running and cycling route for residents and visitors to the city.”
The amenity was sorely missed while works were being carried out, as it became hugely popular during the pandemic as Leesiders made the most of local outdoor spaces during times of lockdown and travel restrictions.
One of the key aims of the works was to boost the greenway’s biodiversity and wildlife, which will be greatly aided by the 2,000 new trees that now line the route.
Cork city council did face some criticism last year over trees being felled along the line. Dr Eoin Lettice, one of University College Cork’s top lecturers, expressed his concern in March of 2021 after images were circulated of piles of felled trees down by the Marina.
However, the council stated at the time that a number of the trees that were chopped down during the works were already dead, and that newly planted trees would offset any habitat loss that had been caused.
Conservation works are still ongoing at the Blackrock Railway Station, and on the many stone-cut bridges along the route – which are some of the finest in the country. The Blackrock Road railway footbridge has been re-installed using the existing historic abutments, access ramps and disused railway platforms.
The culvert that runs along the railway has also undergone a transformation as local streets artists have worked alongside artists from Spain and Brazil to bring a pop of colour, which will be heightened by the coloured lights that have been installed along the underpass.
Local Councillor Kieran McCarthy thanked everyone who “pushed for the works to be completed”. “It’s been a long few months of lobbying by everyone,” he added.
The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway line opened in June 1850, and it operated until 1932. Four hundred men were involved in building the railway line, which took three years.
On the first day of service, more than 6,000 people travelled to Passage via train. In the first six months of business over 200,000 passengers travelled on the line.
The railway tracks were lifted in 1934, after years of difficulty caused by poor profits, and damage to the line during the War of Independence and the Civil War.
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