Date: 10 Oct 2025
Cathedral Quarter Park Project
Donegal County Council is pleased to announce a public consultation process for the ‘Cathedral Quarter Park’ Project in Letterkenny – an urban development project which will create an exciting new park with a Creative Enterprise Hub in Letterkenny’s Town Centre.
This exciting project is funded by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a flagship initiative of Project Ireland 2040. The project will focus on the redevelopment of an existing underutilised backland site tucked away between Church Lane and Speer's Lane, to the rear of Main Street.
The public is invited to drop in to the Himalayan Café on Church Lane on 16th October 2025 anytime between 3-8pm to find out more and give your ideas on what makes a good urban park and what a creative workspace means for you. The design team will be present on the day to hear your ideas which will help shape and inform the development of this urban project.
In announcing the project, Cllr Ciarán Brogan, Mayor of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District said, “This project will substantially transform this hidden backland area and create a multi-functional green space for residents and visitors alike. It will activate this disused land and encourage people to dwell and use this space in a multitude of ways, resulting in greater footfall, spend and activity in our town centre. I am excited to see this project progress and encourage all ages to come out and get involved in the consultation process, including our young people and those in the creative sector”.
An Integrated Design Team has been appointed on behalf of Donegal County Council to take this project from vision to reality, overseeing the project’s steps from design, planning process and construction. This is led by award winning Architects Hall Black Douglas and also comprises The Paul Hogarth Company as Landscape Architects and Urban Designers, both of which were involved in the Award-Winning Letterkenny 2040 Regeneration Strategy.
Lead Architect Alistair Beckett, of Hall Black Douglas, said “We are excited to take this project from a masterplan concept to a tangible funded project on the ground, which will provide for an inclusive, accessible and sustainable town centre parkland and a much-needed workspace for the existing and emerging artist community. This Creative Enterprise Hub will strengthen the creative community in Letterkenny and provide a mix of gallery, studio and flexible working space, integrated within in a newly designed green landscaped environment in the heart of town”.
Eamonn Brown, Acting Director of Service, for Community Development & Planning Services said, “This urban project forms part of Council’s wider Letterkenny 2040 Regeneration Strategy, and is integral to the enhancement of the Cathedral Quarter. It will build on a range of existing and ongoing public realm projects, such as the historic restoration work along Church Lane and the redevelopment of the public realm at Market Square. The project will also complement existing cultural assets in our town, such as An Grianán and the Regional Cultural Centre. The Council has acquired land off Church Lane as part of the wider project and the Regeneration Team will continue to engage with landowners and stakeholders to secure further land acquisition and ensure the delivery of this URDF secured project’.
Donegal County Council’s Regeneration & Development Team invites you to get involved in a number of ways:
- Call into Himalayan Café, Church Lane, Letterkenny on Thursday 16th October anytime between 3pm-8pm and meet the team.
- Give us your ideas by completing the short survey at: https://awqaw573pjr.typeform.com/CQPSurvey
- E-mail us at regeneration@donegalcoco.ie
- For background information on this project please see: Letterkenny 2040
As the project progresses there will be further opportunities to get involved.
