Walkers are now strolling across the bridge, 14 months after it was first installed

13:50, 11 Jul 2026Updated 13:59, 11 Jul 2026

The Seamus Murphy Bridge & new walkway

The Seamus Murphy Bridge, which connects the proposed Cork Events Centre site to the quays, has finally come into use more than a year after it was first installed

Work began on the riverside walkway in the spring, and it hugs the river towards the south of the site, tying in nicely with the Beamish and Crawford Quarter regeneration project.

It’s a simple upgrade, but council crews did a good job on the new walkway, with even a few planters installed along the route to brighten up the stroll.

The regeneration project saw the installation of two new bridges over the River Lee, a revamp of Bishop Lucey Park, and a series of aesthetic upgrades along South Main Street.

The new bridge in Cork city(Image: Joe O’Shea )

The opening of the new walkway is just the latest upgrade to a part of the city steeped in history – and one way or another, it’s great to see any construction being done on the long-empty Events Centre site.

It remains to be seen whether the site will be the eventual home of the Events Centre, as the project has gone back out to tender, with the location among the matters under consideration.

Earlier this year, prospective bidders went through a six-week selection process, which would allow them to participate in the formal tendering process once it gets underway.

While it may still be built along South Main Street, there are competing sites. In April, Cork property developer Michael O’Flynn put forward a proposal to bring the project to a site near SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh.

The influential developer said that the stadium in the Marina area would be the perfect place for an Exhibition and Events Centre.

Part of the original site was also sold back to the city in recent months after being purchased by Cork City Council for a whopping €35 million.

The council bought a part of the site and the revamped Counting House, with plans to turn it into the new Cork City Library, which will relocate from its current hub on the Grand Parade.

The building was once part of the Beamish and Crawford brewery and was restored by developers BAM back in 2021 for use as an office space and for cultural events.

Outside of a number of festivals renting out the space, the mock-Tudor building has remained vacant, and the historic structure has been closed to the public for the past number of years.