- Irish:
- Corcaigh
Cork
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Where is County Cork located?
County Cork is located in the province of Munster in southwestern Ireland. It is the largest county in Ireland and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and by Counties Waterford and Tipperary to the east, Limerick to the north, and Kerry to the west. The county seat, Cork city, is in the south-central part of the county.
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What is the largest city in County Cork?
Cork city is the largest urban area in County Cork and the second largest conurbation in the Republic of Ireland. Cork is a seaport located at the head of Cork Harbour on the River Lee. The city is administratively independent of the county. As of 2011, the population of Cork city was approximately 119,230. County Cork is the largest county in Ireland.
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What are some important geographic features of County Cork?
County Cork, the largest county in Ireland, features diverse geographic features. Its landscape includes long east-west ridges forming uplands and hills. Fertile farmlands, reaching elevations of 800 feet (245 metres), line the valleys of the east-flowing Blackwater, Bride, Lee, and Bandon rivers. The Boggeragh Mountains are to the north of the Blackwater river.
In the west, narrower valleys transition into coastal lowlands backed by high mountains. Scenic promontories, such as the Beare Peninsula, extend around Bantry and Dunmanus bays. Glengariff at the head of Bantry Bay, is known for its subtropical vegetation due to mild winters.
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Why is County Cork known as the 'Rebel County'?
County Cork is known as the "Rebel County" because of its history of resistance to British rule, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries. Cork was a center of Irish nationalist resistance against British military and police repression from 1919–20. British forces burned parts of the city in retaliation for an ambush on a convoy. Two of Cork’s lord mayors, Thomas MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney, died in 1920. MacCurtain was murdered, and MacSwiney died after a 74-day hunger strike. After the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, Irish republican forces who rejected the treaty held the city for a time, leading to further devastation.
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What are some popular tourist attractions in County Cork?
County Cork, the largest in Ireland, offers a wealth of attractions for tourists. Its varied landscape includes long ridges, uplands, hills, broad valleys, and coastal lowlands.
Popular attractions include the city of Cork, a cultural hub with art galleries, theaters, and a covered market offering local produce. The scenic promontories around Bantry and Dunmanus bays, such as the Beare Peninsula, and the subtropical vegetation at Glengariff are also notable. Blarney Castle, famous for its Blarney Stone, is another major draw. Cork Harbour is one of Europe's best natural harbors.
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How has the history of County Cork influenced its culture today?
County Cork's history has significantly shaped its present-day culture. Founded by Norsemen, the city of Cork remained independent for centuries, fostering a unique identity distinct from the rest of Ireland.
Cork was a center of Irish nationalist resistance in the early 20th century, with events like the burning of Cork and the deaths of mayors MacCurtain and MacSwiney symbolizing the city's defiant spirit. This history of resistance contributes to Cork's strong sense of regional pride and independence today.
Culturally, Cork boasts a thriving arts scene, with institutions like the Cork Opera House and the Triskel Arts Centre. Its culinary traditions are showcased in the city's covered market, offering local produce and specialty foods. The Guinness Jazz Festival is a long-standing cultural event.
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Cork, county in the province of Munster, southwestern Ireland. The largest county in Ireland, Cork is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean (south) and by Counties Waterford and Tipperary (east), Limerick (north), and Kerry (west). The county seat, Cork city, in the south-central part of the county, is administratively independent.
Cork has long east-west ridges forming uplands and hills. Less than one-third of its area is rough pasture, and farmlands climb as high as 800 feet (245 metres) and line the valleys of such east-flowing rivers as the Blackwater, the Bride, the Lee, and the Bandon. In east and central Cork are broad valleys and lowlands, which give way in the west to narrower valleys with coastal lowlands backed by high mountains. Around Bantry and Dunmanus bays are long, scenic promontories such as Beare Peninsula. At the head of Bantry Bay is Glengariff, where subtropical vegetation survives because of the mild winters.
The city of Cork is the largest urban area in the county, and it and its suburbs constitute the second largest conurbation in the country. Other large towns are Cobh, Youghal, Mallow, and Fermoy. Administration is by a county manager and county council, though Cork city has its own manager. Both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church have three diocesan units: Cork, Cloyne, and Ross.
Many farms in the east and centre of the county are 70 acres (28 hectares) or larger and grow cereals and root crops. The main cash resource, however, is livestock, either for meat or milk. In the extreme southwest the farms are far smaller, but around Skibbereen and along the south coast are good agricultural lands. There is salmon fishing in the rivers, and Kinsale has become an important sea angling centre. Tweed is made in rural factories near Cork. There is a large oil refinery at Whitegate, on Cork Harbour. Tourism is important, with notable attractions including the coast and the famous castle in Blarney. The county has railway lines from Cork through Mallow to Dublin and Limerick; at Mallow, lines run east to Waterford and west to Killarney and Tralee. There is a regional technical college.
The city of Cork, founded by the Norse, remained an independent entity for centuries, and outside the city and its immediate environs the Irish followed their traditional way of life. The kingdom of Desmond, a division of the kingdom of Munster, was controlled by the MacCarthys until the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century, when most of it fell to the Fitzgeralds, who became earls of Desmond.
Large estates in Cork were allocated to English “undertakers,” including Sir Walter Raleigh, under the attempted plantation of Munster in 1586, but the scheme was halted by warfare in 1598. Spanish forces attempting to assist the cause of Hugh O’Neill of Ulster were defeated at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601–02. Some of the ruined estates of the old Munster plantation were bought up by Richard Boyle, who became earl of Cork. Cork was the scene of much political disturbance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Area 2,880 square miles (7,460 square km), excluding Cork city. Pop. (2002) 324,767, excluding Cork city; (2011) 399,802, excluding Cork city.