Cork became a chartered city in 1185. Part of the 800th anniversary of this event was the opening of Bishop Lucey Park. While excavating the area, archeologists discovered remnants of the Hopewell Castle and the wall that encircled the city during the Middle Ages. The namesake for this public greenspace is Cornelius Lucey, the Catholic Bishop of Cork from 1951 until he retired in 1980. This is the park’s arched gate. When it was constructed in 1860, it was the entrance to the city’s corn market on Angelesea Street.
