Cork Cork Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act Category="Cities in Ireland"Category="Coastal cities"Category="Cork"
For other uses of Cork, see Cork (disambiguation). Cork City redirects here, for the football club, see Cork City FC

Cork (Corcaigh in Irish) is the Second city of the Republic of Ireland. The principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and of the Province of Munster, it is situated slightly inland from the southern coast proper, located at 51°54′ N 8°28′ W.

City of Cork
Statio Bene Fide Carinis "a safe harbour for ships"
Map
Map highlighting the City of Cork
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
51.897 N, -8.478 W
Area: 37.3 km²
County: County Cork
Population: 123,062 (2002)
Province: Munster

The River Lee flows through the city, an island in the river forming the main part of the city centre just before the Lee flows into Lough Mahon and thence to Cork Harbour, one of the world's largest natural harbours. The city is a major Irish seaport - with quays and docks sited along the broad waterway of the Lee on the city's East side. Cork City has a population of 123,062 (186,239 including its immediate suburbs) while the county (excluding city) has a population of 324,767 (CSO 2002).

The city's name is derived from an Irish word meaning "marshy place", referring to its situation on the River Lee. Cork has a reputation for independence running from the times of Viking invasions to the Irish Civil War, which has given it the nickname of "the Rebel County". It is usual for Corkonians to refer to Cork as the "true capital of Ireland". (Dublin was a foreign stronghold for most of its history).

History

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Cork's city charter was granted over 800 years ago by King John in 1185. However, Cork has its beginnings in a much earlier monastic settlement, founded by St Finbar. Over the centuries, much of the city was rebuilt, time and again, after numerous fires and attacks by Vikings or Norsemen. The city was at one time fully walled, and several sections and gates remain. The title of Mayor of Cork was established by royal charter in 1318, and the title was changed to Lord Mayor in 1900. In 1825, over 1800 Irish residents depart from Cork to emigrate to Peterborough, Ontario, Canada assisted by Peter Robinson (who organized the scheme on behalf of the British Government). This results in the area known as "Scott's Plains" being renamed "Peterborough" as a tribute. The centre of Cork was gutted by fires started by the Black and Tans in the War of Independence, part of the British government policy of reprisals at the time; it was also the site of some fierce fighting between Irish guerrilla leaders and British forces. During the Irish Civil War, Cork was for a time held by anti-Treaty forces, until it was retaken by the pro-Treaty National Army in an attack from the sea.[image]

Railway heritage

Cork city was one of the most rail oriented cities in Ireland. It has boasted a total of perhaps 8 stations at various times. The main route, still much the same today, is that from Dublin. Originally terminating on the city's outskirts at Blackpool, the Glanmire tunnel now connects it to the city centre terminus (nowadays actually a through station) of Kent Station. The town of Cóbh, on Great Island, east of the city, is also connected - though the route originally had its own terminus perpendicular to the current station. This also connected to the East Cork seaside town of Youghal, until the 1980s.

Other rail route terminating or traversing Cork city were the Cork, Blackrock and Passage railway, lines to Macroom and Blarney, as well as the famous West Cork Railway connecting Bantry, Skibbereen, Clonakilty and many other West Cork towns. West Cork trains terminated at Albert Quay, across the river from Kent Station (though an on-street rail 'system' connected the two for rolling stock and cargo movement).

All that remains of the once-extensive public transport system is the line to Dublin (also serving Mallow, County Kerry and Limerick) and that to Cóbh. The only rail projects currently under consideration are an enhanced suburban service along the current lines, and a connection towards Youghal (probably only as far as Midleton).

Tramway Heritage

There are no Tram services operating in Cork although the Cork Area Strategic Development Plan suggests it as one among a number of solutions for dealing with traffic congestion in Cork. Historically, there have been two tram networks in operation in Cork.

A proposal to develop a horse-drawn Tram was made by an American, George Francis Train, in the 1860s. His plan was to link the city's railway termini with horse-drawn trams. His ideas were put into practice in 1872 by the Cork Tramway Company. However, the company ceased trading in 1875 after Cork Corporation refused permission to extend the line.

In December 1898, an electric Tram system began operating in the city. The routes were: Blackpool-Douglas, Summerhill-Sunday's Well and Tivoli-Blackrock. The gauge of the tramway was two feet, eleven and a half inches. This was designed to be the same gauge as the Muskerry Railway, although the two never shared traffic.

Increased usage of cars and buses in the 1920s led to a reduction in the numbers using the trams. The final day of operation of the trams was supposed to be March 31 1931. However, after a few weeks of closure, it was realised that the Irish Omnibus Company did not have enough capacity to cope with demand. The trams started running again in April, 1931. This was only a temporary measure though and the final tram in Cork ran on September 30 1931.

Placenames today still tell of the routes, such as Tramway Terrace in Douglas.

Places of interest

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There are two cathedrals in the city:

The modern Cork Opera House is one of the few such venues in Ireland.

Cork city in general boasts some fabulous architecture, capable of rivalling that of Dublin or Belfast. The main street, Patrick Street, was remodelled in the years up to 2004. As the main shopping street, it boasts striking buildings along its broad avenue (much of which is given to pedestrian use). Grand Parade, another part of the route, is a tree-lined avenue, home to many offices and financial institutions. The old financial centre, is the South Mall with several banks whose interior derive from the 19th century, and are very deserving of a visit, particularly Allied Irish Banks which was once an exchange. Many of its buildings are in the Georgian style, although the modern County Hall tower is the tallest building in Ireland. Across the river is Ireland's longest building, the Mental Hospital built in Victorian times.

Cork's most famous building, also accessible to the public, is the church tower of Shandon dominating the North side of the city, with the North and East sides faced in red sandstone, and the West and South sides in the predominant stone of the region, white limestone. The clock tower on the church is known by locals as The Four-faced Liar, as from the base of the building, each clock face appears to show a different time. The bells of Shandon may be rung by members of the public. [image]

The City Hall, another splendid building of limestone, replaced the previous one destroyed in the burning of Cork in the "troubles" of 1920/21. The cost of this new building was provided by the British Government in the 1930s as a gesture of reconciliation.

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Fitzgerald's Park, to the west of the city, is worth a visit - as are the grounds of University College Cork, through which the River Lee flows.

The English Market, accessible from Grand Parade, Patrick Street, Oliver Plunkett Street and Princes Street, is a covered market for fish, fruit, meat, spices and luxury foods. The origins of the market can be traced back to 1610, but the present building dates from 1786.

The cross-continent European walking route E8 trail starts at Cork, ending 4700 km away in Istanbul, Turkey.

Culture

Cork's cultural life is surprisingly vibrant, considering its small population. Music, Theatre, Dance and Film all play a prominent role in city life. The Cork School of Music and the Crawford College of Art & Design provide a constant throughput of new blood, as do the active theatre component of many courses at University College Cork (UCC). Worth checking out are: Corcadorca Theatre Company, where Cillian Murphy (slated to play the villain in 2005's Batman Begins) got his start; Cork Film Festival, a major supporter of the art of the short film; The Institute for Choreography and Dance, a national contemporary dance resource; the Triskel Arts Centre; Cork Jazz Festival; etc.

Recent additions to the arts infrastructure include splendid modern additions to Cork Opera House and the Crawford Art Gallery. The new Lewis Glucksman Gallery opened in the Autumn of 2004 at UCC, and happens to be up for the prestigious Stirling Prize in the United Kingdom, and building is about to commence on the new €60 million School of Music building.

Cork is the European Capital of Culture for 2005. One of the key projects is the Cork Caucus. For more information, please visit the 2005 European Capital of Culture website.

Media

Broadcast

The city's FM radio band is impressively crowded: as well as RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, Lyric FM, Radio na Gaeltachta (all run by RTÉ), and Today FM. There are also local stations such as Cork 96FM, CUH FM, and Red FM. Cork is also home to two television stations; RTÉ Cork broadcasts from its television centre in Fr. Matthew Street in the city centre and South Coast TV also broadcasts from Cork, providing a regional televison station for the South of Ireland.

Print

Cork is also home to one of Ireland's main national newspapers, the Irish Examiner (formerly the Cork Examiner) with its headquaters situated in Academy Street in the city centre. It also prints the famous Evening Echo, which for decades has been connected to the Echo Boys, who were poor and often homeless children from the 1930s and 1940s that had the job of selling the newspaper. Today, the shouts of the vendors selling the Echo can still be heard all over the city. Other local newspapers are also printed in the city, but are less well known.

Retail

The retail trade in Cork City is developing quickly with a mix of both modern, state of the art shopping centre's and family owned local shops providing unique and often hand-made crafts. Most of the major department stores stock the latest fashions from the catwalks of Paris and Milan including Chanel and Armani. For the lower budget, other high street stores are also available. Shopping centres are all over the suburbs in places such as Blackpool, Douglas, Wilton and Mahon Point to name just a few. Others are available in the city centre, with plans and excavation work on-going for the development of two more large malls, expanding the capacity of the city centre, to rival that of the suburbs. Cork's main shopping street is St. Patrick St. and is the most expensive street in the country per sq. metre after Dublin's Grafton Street. Other shopping areas in the city centre include Oliver Plunkett St. and Grand Parade.

Industry

Cork City is at the heart of industry in the south of Ireland. Its main area of industry is pharmaceuticals, with Pfizer Inc. and Swiss company Novartis being big employers in the region. The most famous product of the Cork pharmaceutical industry is Viagra. Cork is also the European headquarters of Apple Computer where their desktop computers are manufactured and their European call centre is hosted. It is also home to the Murphy's Irish Stout brewery and the Beamish and Crawford brewery which have been in the city for generations. And for many years, Cork was the home to Ford Motor Company, which manufactured cars in the docklands area before the plant was closed. Henry Ford's grandfather was from Cork, which was a main reason for opening up the manufacturing facility in Cork. But technology has replaced the old manufacturing businesses of the 1970s and 1980s, with people now working in the many I.T. centres of the city. Much of Cork's economic success is due to a few main reasons, the first of which is transport. Cork's deep harbour allows ships of any size to enter, bringing trade and easy import/export of products. Cork International Airport also allows easy access to continental Europe and with good rail links for domestic trade. The City of Cork is home to several universities and colleges, providing a skilled and trained workforce. Also, Cork's suburbs are full of modern industrial estates, which provide good road links and the latest in telecommunications to attract foreign investment from Europe, the United States, and Japan.

Twinned Cities

Cork City Corporation began its first twin/sister city program with Coventry in 1969. Since then, Cork has developed links with several other cities in the areas of culture, education, tourism, science and economics:

Transportation

Air

Main article: Cork International Airport
Cork Airport is one of Ireland's main airports and gateway to the South of Ireland. It is situated on the south side of Cork City in an area known as Ballygarvan. More than 15 scheduled airlines fly to over 50 destinations and a total of 2.254 million passengers used the airport in 2004. The airport is currently building a second terminal that will be able to handle up to five million passengers anually. The airport plays a vital role in the development of Cork City, County and other surrounding areas and increased services to mainland Europe continue to develop daily.

Bus

Cork City's heavily served public transportation is mainly provided by the national bus operator Bus Éireann through its Cork City Intercity Service. The main suburban Mayfield-Blackpool-Bishopstown Northern Orbital departs on a regular and frequent basis as do all suburban and city centre services. The buses connect the main colleges, shopping centres and places of interest from the main bus terminal at Parnell Place in the city centre. From here, you can also access other main towns and cities in Ireland, including Dublin, Killarney (known for its scenic beauty), Limerick and Rosslare Europort. The Cork International Airport shuttle bus also departs from Parnell Place (route numbers 226 and 249). The Eurolines bus service direct to London departs on a daily basis from Cork Parnell Bus Station for overnight sailing to Victoria Station.

Ferry

The River Lee Ferry, serving Rushbrooke to Passage West, links the R624 to R610. This service is most benifical when trying to avoid traffic on the Great Island (Cobh). Cork Ferryport is situated at Ringaskiddy, 16 km SE via the N28. Direct sea links are available to Roscoff (France) with Brittany Ferries and Swansea and Pembroke (Wales) with SwanseaCork Ferries. A connecting bus service is available to the city centre from the ferryport.

Rail

Cork's Kent Station is the main train station in the city. From here, services to all over Ireland can be reached. The main line from Cork to Dublin, which is Ireland's busiest rail line, has seven direct departures daily and a number of connecting services. Irish Rail plans to upgrade this line to an hourly service in 2006. Direct InterCity services are also available to Kerry, with direct services to Killarney (5 daily including Tralee services that stop in Killarney) and Tralee (3 daily)

The Cork City Suburban Railway also departs from Kent Station with services to the east of the city including Little Island, Fota and Cobh. This railway line provides essential transport for the thousands of commuters to the city every day from the eastern suburbs. The east of the city is also a scenic route connecting several islands in Cork harbour with the city centre. It is recommended for travel to Fota Island wildlife park, arboretum, golf club and Cobh Heritage Centre.

In November 2005, the Irish government announced the reopening of the railway line between Glounthaune (on the Cobh line) and Midleton as part of the country's 10 year development plan. New stations will be provided at Carrigtohill on the Midleton branch and at Kilbarry, Monard and Blarney on the Dublin line as part of the plan. The Midleton branch is scheduled to be reopened in 2008.

Education

Cork is an important educational center in Ireland. University College Cork (UCC), one of Ireland's seven universities, offers a wide variety of courses in Arts, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Science. The university was named "Irish University of the Year 2003-2004" by the Sunday Times. Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) offers a variety of third level courses in Mathematics, Computing and IT, Business, and Engineering (Mechanical, Electronic, Electrical, and Chemical) and is one of the few places in Ireland were nautical studies are available. In addition it incorporates the Cork School of Music and Crawford College of Art & Design as constituent colleges. The Cork College of Commerce is the largest post-Leaving Certificate College in Ireland and is also the biggest provider of Vocational Preparation and Training courses in the country. Other 3rd level institutions include Griffith College Cork (incorporating Skerry's College) which has been offering courses since 1884 and various other colleges.
See Also: Christian Brothers College, Cork
See Also: Presentation Brothers College, Cork

See also

External links

General

Culture

Photographs

Maps

Cities in Ireland
Republic of Ireland: Dublin | Cork | Limerick | Galway | Waterford | Kilkenny
Northern Ireland: Belfast | Derry | Armagh | Newry | Lisburn