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Greening Pilot Scheme Unveiled for Cork’s St Patrick’s Street

29/05/2026

Cork City Council has published details of a pilot scheme it will shortly be implementing on St Patrick Street.  

The measures being introduced are aimed at enhancing public transport in the City Centre and increasing the vitality by creating a greener and more welcoming space for people in the heart of the city centre.

The intervention, funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), will focus on the plaza on the eastern side of the street, at its junction with Winthrop Street, and an area on the western side, outside Dunnes Stores.

The scheme has been facilitated by the temporary suspension of the taxi stands, the relocation of bus stop and the removal of redundant street furniture.  

These measures will remove unnecessary or outdated street furniture, including a hut and some railings, to improve the layout of the plaza on the eastern side.   

Overall, the combination of the various initiatives will result in the decluttering and greening of the street with the key elements entailing:

  • The re-location of some bus stops from St Patrick’s St/Winthrop St plaza a short distance away to just north of Maylor St;
  • The removal of the ‘bus man’s hut’, a taxi shelter/trolley bay;
  • Using the reallocated road reservation for the installation of new high‑quality seating, and planters for shrubs and trees.

The work on the eastern plaza will create more space for people and performance, it will improve the movement and flow of people through the area, and create a more coherent and attractive design overall.

Combined, the work on both sides of the street will improve the overall visual appearance of the area.

Cork City Council has engaged with key stakeholders - including bus operators, taxi representatives, disability access groups, businesses and community organisations - to discuss the detail of the project.  

The Council wishes to acknowledge the co-operation and support of these stakeholders, particularly Bus Éireann, the NTA, local businesses and taxi drivers during this process.

This pilot scheme will run over a minimum 12 months and a maximum 18 months. During this period the City Council will monitor the use of the new space.  

Feedback will also be sought from businesses and the general public, with a dedicated email address to be provided.  

Works are currently scheduled to commence in June and the first phase will include the relocation of the bus stops and the removal of the redundant street furniture.   This will be followed by the pilot scheme works.

The proposed enhancements will not impact the long‑standing use of the plaza by the Rotary Club for its annual Remembrance Tree at Christmas. This much‑loved initiative will continue at its traditional location.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “St Patrick’s Street is the civic spine of our city, and these improvements are about giving people more reasons to stop, sit and enjoy it. We look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the weeks ahead and delivering a greener, cleaner and more attractive public space for all.”

Details of the scheme are available on the City Council’s consultation portal with submissions invited from June 15 - https://consult.corkcity.ie/

The City Council has overseen significant investment in the city centre public realm in recent months, including:

  • Major public realm upgrades to the city’s medieval core, including South Main Street, Tuckey Street and Proby’s Quay;
  • The regeneration of Bishop Lucey Park, and the removal of a redundant kiosk from outside its Grand Parade entrance;
  • The opening of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge, connecting Lambley’s Lane, off South Main Street to Wandesford Quay;
  • Significant progress on the Morrison’s Island public realm enhancement scheme.

 

Notes to the editor:

The St Patrick’s Street enhancement plan forms part of Cork City Council’s ongoing commitment to creating vibrant, people‑centred public spaces across the city, and it is being undertaken in the context of the Cork City Centre Action Plan which was adopted last year.

The action plan guides the execution of the City Council’s ambition for the city centre to be a people-centred city that is attractive to work in, visit and call home.  The plan is generated through the application of three thematic objectives:

  • Revitalisation: initiatives to enhance the vibrancy of the city centre by adopting a people-focused approach, fostering a lively and sociable environment;
  • Regeneration: direct intervention in specific and targeted sites within the city centre;  
  • Accessibility: striving to make it easier and more attractive for all sections of society to engage with the city centre on a daily and nightly basis.

Improving the functionality of the streetscape and its presentation provides an opportunity to stimulate increased activity in the city centre, while enhancing the public realm will improve circulation, socialisation and people’s experience of the city centre. 

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