Freemasons get part of Cork's Bishop Lucey Park despite objections

Councillors vote to dispose of 54sqm of the park, a move that ensures 'a glorified boys’ club can have a bigger clubhouse' as one councillor put it

Cork City Council is disposing of approximately 1% of Bishop Lucey Park to  the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster Freemasons to allow for an extension to the adjacent Masonic Hall on Tuckey St.  

Cork’s city councillors have approved the disposal of a  part of the city’s Bishop Lucey Park to a Freemasons group despite objections.

They voted 18-7 during Monday’s council meeting to dispose of the 54sqm parcel — 1% of the area of the public park — to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster Freemasons for €1, plus €1,500 costs, to facilitate an extension to the rear of their historic Masonic Hall on Tuckey St to improve fire safety and universal access.

Under the terms of the disposal, the Freemasons will have to allow third-party groups access to the building for a minimum of up to 20 hours a month.

Bishop Lucey Park runs between the Grand Parade and South Main St in Cork City centre. Picture: Denis Minihane

The extension will require the removal of 15 semi-mature birch trees, nine of which are in good condition, in an area of the park which houses a Chernobyl memorial — but there is a plan to plant 15 replacement 15-year-old birch trees.

There have also been talks to ensure that the extension is “integrated in a sensitive manner” into the redeveloped park.

The disposal followed a vote by councillors in May 2022 to approve a material contravention of the city development plan in relation to the parcel of land to facilitate planning for the extension.

During a near 40-minute debate at  Monday’s council meeting, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle described the disposal as “a high price to pay” and a backwards step, with the removal of 15 trees making it more difficult for the city to hit climate target in the EU’s Net Zero Cities project by 2030.

“If we are committed to meeting the 2030 figures, this is the last type of activity we should be doing,” he said.

Bishop Lucey Park is a venue for events such as the Christmastime Glow Cork attraction. Picture: Darragh Kane

Labour councillor John Maher described it as “a bad deal” and Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan said disposing of public land to a private organisation flies in the face of the council’s own climate action plans, while Green Party councillor Oliver Moran raised concerns about who will govern the arrangements around the increased public access to the hall.

Councillor Lorna Bogue said disposing of public land to a male-only private institution sends out the wrong message, and Solidarity councillor Brian McCarthy said the disposal of the land to “an elitist, sexist, private members’ club” occurred so that a “glorified boys’ club can have a bigger clubhouse”.

However, Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill said the disposal would help facilitate the repair of an historic building and make it wheelchair accessible, and Independent councillor Mick Finn said opening the building to the public would be a good thing. 

Guests at a Cork Heritage Open Day event in 2019 at the Masonic Hall on Tuckey Street, Cork. The hall is being extended into the adjacent Bishop Lucey Park. Picture: Larry Cummins

Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon said he was in favour of the move because “it’s the right thing to do” while party colleague Mary Rose Desmond pointed out that women do have access to the building.

Councillors were told that engagement with the Freemasons is ongoing to formalise the increased public access arrangements.