New town park taking shape beside iconic tourist landmark in Tipperary
€900,000 project to deliver mazes, natural play areas and new boardwalk links
A new public park is taking shape in Cashel, on lands adjoining the Rock of Cashel, as works advance on a project backed by national and local funding.
Tipperary County Council has secured €800,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and is providing a further €100,000 in match funding.
The scheme is intended to provide a landscaped amenity within walking distance of one of Ireland’s best known heritage sites.
The development combines conservation works with new recreational features. Along the eastern boundary, specialist heritage stonemasons are repairing an existing stone wall.
Within the grounds, two planted mazes have been established for children, one aimed at toddlers and a second, formed from hornbeam hedge, designed for older age groups.
A natural play area is also planned, with activities centred on timber elements such as wooden logs and see saws. The groundwork for these features has been prepared.
Concrete bases for picnic tables have been installed across the site, and the area to the right has been planted as part of the maze layout, with the rear of the Cashel Palace Hotel bordering the works.
Improved access is a further element of the scheme. A new boardwalk will connect the park to the existing walkway network and to the beginning of the Bishop’s Walk, located just behind the Cashel Palace.
Fresh paving has also been laid on the approach to the Rock of Cashel and at the entrance to the Bishop’s Walk.
Looking ahead, the council intends to seek additional funding to deliver an amphitheatre on the section of the field nearest to the Camas Road.
The proposal includes a boardwalk to ensure the facility is fully accessible. The land for the park has been leased by the council from the Cashel Palace Hotel.
Access to the boardwalk linking the park area with the Rock of Cashel forms part of the overall project.