Luas Cork: Highfield Rugby Club vows to oppose proposed route

The club will oppose the current route which 'cuts through the very heart of our club' on the western Ballincollig-Bishopstown end of the proposed light rail line

A visualisation of a Cork Luas tram. Bishopstown GAA Club had already vowed to oppose the route cutting through its grounds 'to the end'. Picture: LuasCork.ie

A second sports club, Highfield Rugby Club, has come out against the revised €2.5bn Luas Cork route cutting through its grounds.

The preferred route for the proposed 20km light rail service was published in April, refining last year’s emerging preferred route, with significant changes on the western end, in Ballincollig and Bishopstown. Public consultations on the revised route end next week

Last year’s emerging preferred route had the Luas travelling along Melbourn Rd toward Curraheen Rd, joining Bishopstown Rd in front of Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The revised proposals have the route turning east at the northern end of Melbourn Rd, running past Bishopstown Community School and cutting through the grounds of Bishopstown GAA Club and Highfield RFC.

Last month, Bishopstown GAA vowed to fight the proposed rail line running through its grounds “to the end”.

Now Highfield has said the preferred route presents an “existential threat” to its future, and has called on members to make submissions to the public consultation process.

Highfield said the route “doesn’t just graze our boundaries — it cuts through the very heart of our club”.

“For almost a century, Highfield has been a cornerstone of the Bishopstown community. Now, we face a future where our ability to provide rugby for all ages is at risk of being permanently derailed,” the club said in a post on its website.

It said its second and third pitches “will be rendered virtually redundant". 

"Access to these areas would require crossing a high-frequency twin-track Luas line, creating a physical and logistical barrier."

It cited health and safety concerns. Its large group of under-age players would be forced to cross the twin-track Luas lines, something which “may result in the termination of our underage offering”.

Cork Luas preferred route: Wilton Roundabout. 

Highfield said a significant portion of its lower car park will be eliminated by the preferred route, “compromising club security and removing a vital revenue stream currently generated through our leasing arrangement with CUH”.

“Our message is clear: we support public transport, but it cannot come at the cost of destroying a vital community sports institution,” the club said.

Read More about #Cork Luas

Earlier this week, transport minister Darragh O’Brien said the light rail system is “a really important project for Cork” and he believes that sports clubs such as Bishopstown should be compensated with new facilities and extra grounds.

A spokesperson for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said it was actively engaging with potentially impacted clubs, schools, residents, and businesses across the route including Bishopstown GAA and Highfield.

“The purpose of this consultation is to gather feedback about the preferred route so that we can carry out further studies and surveys to refine the design,” they said.

• Public consultation on the preferred route closes at 5pm on Friday, June 12.