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Cork (city)

Cork (city)

Overview

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...

 and the island of Ireland's
Ireland
Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...

 third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster, and was named after the city of Cork...

 and the largest city in the province
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into five provinces, the Irish-language word for this territorial division, cúige , indicates that there were once five — Meath being the fifth.The four provinces are:The origins of these provinces Ireland has historically been divided into five provinces, the...

 of Munster
Munster
Munster is a province of Ireland, located in the south-west of the island. The province is not used as an administration division as such, with the counties filling that role. Much of the area aside from Clare is represented internationally by the South constituency of the European Parliament...

. Cork has a population of 119,143, while the addition of the suburban areas contained the county brings the total to 190,384. Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that feed into it. The term is used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...

 has a population of approximately 274,000, while the Greater Cork
Greater Cork
Greater Cork has a total population of 380,000 . This area takes into account the total population of Metropolitan Cork and the Ring towns. Greater Cork is the largest urban area in the province of Munster with nearly a third of the province's population residing within Greater Cork.-Economy:The...

 area is about 380,000.

Cork has a reputation for rebelliousness dating back to the town's support of the English Pretender Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII of England. Traditional belief claims that he was an imposter, pretending to be Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, the younger son of King Edward IV of England, but was in fact a Fleming born in Tournai...

 in 1491 following the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England. They are generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487...

.
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Encyclopedia

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...

 and the island of Ireland's
Ireland
Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...

 third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster, and was named after the city of Cork...

 and the largest city in the province
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into five provinces, the Irish-language word for this territorial division, cúige , indicates that there were once five — Meath being the fifth.The four provinces are:The origins of these provinces Ireland has historically been divided into five provinces, the...

 of Munster
Munster
Munster is a province of Ireland, located in the south-west of the island. The province is not used as an administration division as such, with the counties filling that role. Much of the area aside from Clare is represented internationally by the South constituency of the European Parliament...

. Cork has a population of 119,143, while the addition of the suburban areas contained the county brings the total to 190,384. Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that feed into it. The term is used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...

 has a population of approximately 274,000, while the Greater Cork
Greater Cork
Greater Cork has a total population of 380,000 . This area takes into account the total population of Metropolitan Cork and the Ring towns. Greater Cork is the largest urban area in the province of Munster with nearly a third of the province's population residing within Greater Cork.-Economy:The...

 area is about 380,000.

Cork has a reputation for rebelliousness dating back to the town's support of the English Pretender Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII of England. Traditional belief claims that he was an imposter, pretending to be Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, the younger son of King Edward IV of England, but was in fact a Fleming born in Tournai...

 in 1491 following the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England. They are generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487...

. As a result, County Cork has earned the nickname of "the Rebel County", while Corkonians often refer to the city as the "real capital of Ireland", and themselves as the "Rebels".

The city is built on the River Lee
River Lee (Ireland)
The Lee is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork City, where it splits in two for a short distance and empties into the Celtic Sea at Cork Harbour on the south coast, one of the largest natural harbours in the world...

 which divides into two channels at the western end of the city. The city centre is located on the island created by the channels. At the eastern end of the city centre they converge; and the Lee flows around Lough Mahon
Mahon, Cork
Mahon is an area to the eastern side of Metropolitan Cork, Ireland with a population of 12,000. It was once a peninsula of lush green fields and estates but in recent years has seen many developments...

 to Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area"...

, the world's second largest natural harbour after Sydney Harbour in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...

. The city is a major Irish seaport; there are quay
Quay
A quay is a wharf or bank where ships and other vessels are loaded. A quay may be constructed parallel or perpendicular to the bank of a waterway. In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations, the word is commonly used, while Americans typically use "wharf." Similar words are found in many...

s and docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a man-made feature involved in the handling of boats or ships. However the exact meaning varies between different variants of the English language.-History:...

 along the banks of the Lee on the city's east side.

History


Cork was originally a monastic settlement founded by Saint Finbarr in the sixth century. Cork achieved an urban character at some point between 915 and 922 when Norseman (Viking
Viking
A Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...

) settlers founded a trading port. It has been proposed that, like Dublin, Cork was an important trading centre in the global Scandinavian trade network.
The city was once fully walled, and some wall sections and gates remain today. For much of the Middle Ages, Cork city was an outpost of Old English
Old English (Ireland)
The Old English were the descendants of the settlers who came to Ireland from Wales, Normandy and England after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169-71. Many of the Old English became assimilated into Irish society over the centuries and their nobility were effectively the ruling class in the...

 culture in the midst of a predominantly hostile Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man. They are speakers of the Goidelic languages – Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx...

 countryside and cut off from the English government in the Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 1400s to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk north of Drogheda...

 around Dublin
Dublin
Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...

. Neighbouring Gaelic and Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The term Hiberno-Norman is used of those Norman lords who settled in Ireland, admitting little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England. It refers to both the origins of the community and the dialect of Norman-French used by them as they developed in Ireland from 1169 until the...

 lords extorted "Black Rent" from the citizens in order to keep them from attacking the city. The main overlords of south western Ireland were the Fitzgerald Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond
The title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....

 dynasty, with the lordships of the MacCarthy and Barry families abutting directly onto Cork city. The Cork municipal government was dominated by about 12-15 merchant families, whose wealth came from overseas trade with continental Europe - in particular the export of wool and hides and the import of salt, iron and wine. Of these families, only the Ronayne family were of Gaelic Irish origin.
The medieval population of Cork was about 2000 people. It suffered a severe blow in 1349 when almost half the townspeople died of bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis . Plague is a zoonotic, primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas. Plague is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death and devastation it brought...

 when the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It is widely thought to have been an outbreak of bubonic plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, but this view has recently been challenged...

 arrived in the town. In 1491 Cork played a part in the English Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England. They are generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487...

 when Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII of England. Traditional belief claims that he was an imposter, pretending to be Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, the younger son of King Edward IV of England, but was in fact a Fleming born in Tournai...

 a pretender to the English throne, landed in the city and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars...

. The mayor of Cork and several important citizens went with Warbeck to England but when the rebellion collapsed they were all captured and executed. Cork's nickname of the 'rebel city' originates in these events.

A description of Cork written in 1577 speaks of the city as, "the fourth city of Ireland" that is, "so encumbered with evil neighbours, the Irish outlaws, that they are fayne to watch their gates hourly...they trust not the country adjoining [and only marry within the town] so that the whole city is linked to each other in affinity"

The city's charter was granted by King John
John of England
John , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...

 in 1185. The title of Mayor of Cork
Lord Mayor of Cork
The Lord Mayor of Cork is the symbolic head of the local government in the city of Cork in Ireland. The first record of the office is in a charter granted to the city by Edward II in 1318...

 was established by royal charter in 1318, and the title was changed to Lord Mayor in 1900 following the Knighthood of the incumbent Mayor by Queen Victoria on her visit to the City.

In the War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence was a guerrilla war mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army . It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence, and ended with a truce in July 1921...

, the centre of Cork was gutted by fires started by the British Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force ' onMouseout='HidePop("44381")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Irish_Civil_War">Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....

, Cork was for a time held by anti-Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the de facto Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of Independence...

 forces, until it was retaken by the pro-Treaty National Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces . It was first formed in 1922 after the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the subsequent foundation of the Irish Free State...

 in an attack from the sea.

Climate


The climate of Cork, like the rest of Ireland, is mild and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Cork lies in Plant Hardiness zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically-defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...


10. Met Éireann
Met Éireann
Met Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...

 maintain a climatological weather station at Cork Airport, a few kilometres south of the city - it should be noted that as the airport is at an altitude of 151 m (500 ft); temperatures can often differ by a few degrees between the airport and the city itself. There are also smaller synoptic weather stations at University College Cork, Clover Hill and Fota Island
Fota Island
Fota Island is a small island in Cork Harbour, Ireland, just north of the larger island of Cóbh. It is host to Ireland's only wildlife park - as well as the historical Fota House with ornamental gardens and an 18-hole golf course....

.

Temperature
Temperature
In physics, temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the higher temperature. Temperature is one of the principal parameters of thermodynamics...

s below 0 °C or above 30 °C are rare, though not unheard of. Cork Airport records an average of 1194.4mm of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...

 annually, most of which is rain - hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, that are individually called hail stones. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between 5 and 150 millimeters in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe and dangerous...

, sleet
Sleet
Sleet may refer to:*Rain and snow mixed, particularly in countries where British English is spoken*Ice pellets, mainly within the United States...

 and snow are rare. The airport records an average of 8 days of hail and 16 days of snow or sleet a year; though it only records lying snow for 6 days of the year. The low altitude of the city, and moderating influences of the harbour, mean that lying snow very rarely occurs in the city itself. There are 151 'rainy' days a year (over 1 mm of rainfall), of which there are 75 days with 'heavy rain' (over 5 mm).

Cork is also a generally foggy city, with an average of 100 days of fog a year - most common during mornings at times of high pressure or else during winter. Despite this, however, Cork is also one of Ireland's sunniest cities, with an average of 3.8 hours of sunshine every day and only having 69 days where there is no 'recordable sunshine', mostly during and around winter.

Like the rest of Ireland, Cork is consistently humid, with humidity usually ranging between 70% and 100% every day. There are only 4 days where thunder is recorded during the year on average as well, mostly during late summer and early autumn.

Culture


Music, theatre, dance, film and poetry all play a prominent role in Cork city life. The Cork School of Music and the Crawford College of Art and Design
Crawford College of Art and Design
CIT Crawford College of Art and Design is one of the leading colleges of art and design in Ireland. The college is a school of Cork Institute of Technology...

 provide a constant throughput of new blood, as do the active theatre components of many courses at University College Cork (UCC). Highlights include: Corcadorca Theatre Company
Corcadorca Theatre Company
The Corcadorca Theatre Company was founded in Cork in 1991 and is one of Ireland's leading independent theatre companies.The theatre company strives to be integral part of the cultural life of the city, and has sought to develop new writing through its biennial Corcadorca Playwright Award, and by...

, of which Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse rolesand distinctive blue eyes....

 was a troupe member prior to Hollywood fame; 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
Cork Jazz Festival
The Cork Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held in Cork City, Ireland in late October every year since 1978.The Festival is Ireland's biggest jazz event and attracts hundreds of musicians and thousands of music fans to the city each year....

; the Cork Academy of Dramatic Art (CADA).


The Everyman Palace Theatre
Everyman Palace Theatre
The Everyman Palace Theatre is a 628-seat Victorian theatre on MacCurtain Street in Cork, Ireland. Originally opened in 1897/98, it is the oldest purpose built theatre building in Cork...

 and the Granary Theatre both play host to large amounts of dramatic plays throughout the year. Cork is home to the RTÉ Vanbrugh String Quartet, and to many musical acts, including John Spillane
John Spillane
John Spillane is a singer/songwriter from Cork, Ireland. He graduated from University College Cork with a degree in Irish and in English.-Background:Spillane grew up in the Cork suburb of Bishopstown, in a large family of boys...

, The Frank And Walters
The Frank and Walters
The Frank and Walters are an alternative rock band from Cork, Ireland. The band was founded in 1990 by Paul Linehan , his brother Niall Linehan and Ashley Keating...

, Sultans Of Ping, Simple Kid
Simple Kid
Simple Kid, real-name Ciarán McFeely, is an Irish born solo musical artist. His older brother's guidance led to his musical influences to being that of Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, David Bowie, and other classics...

 and the late Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher was an Irish blues/rock guitarist. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland on March 2, 1948, he grew up in Cork City. He is best known for his solo albums throughout the 1970's and 1980's, and for his tenure in the band Taste during the late 1960s...

. Singer songwriter Cathal Coughlan and Sean O'Hagan
Sean O'Hagan
Sean O'Hagan was a founder-member of the Irish indie band, Microdisney. In the 1990s he formed The High Llamas and released a number of highly acclaimed albums showing influences as diverse as The Beach Boys, Ennio Morricone, Antonio Carlos Jobim and avant-garde electronica. He has also...

 of The High Llamas
The High Llamas
The High Llamas is a London-based musical project created by Irish guitarist and songwriter Sean O'Hagan after the demise of his group Microdisney. It derives its name from a character played by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees. Although O'Hagan writes and arranges the music and frequently uses the...

 also both hail from Cork. The opera singers Cara O'Sullivan, Mary Hegarty, Brendan Collins, and Sam McElroy are also Cork born. The short story writers Frank O'Connor
Frank O'Connor
Frank O’Connor was an Irish author of over 150 works, who was best known for his short stories and memoirs.-Early life:...

 and Sean O'Faoláin hailed from Cork. Contemporary writers of national and international status include Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy (poet)
Thomas McCarthy is an Irish poet, novelist, and critic, born in Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, Ireland and educated at University College, Cork. Former Editor of The Cork Review and Poetry Ireland Review...

, Gerry Murphy (poet)
Gerry Murphy (poet)
Gerry Murphy is an Irish poet.-Life & work:Gerry Murphy was born in Cork City in 1952. His work is witty, openly intellectual and often satirical and is "highly, self-consciously literary"...

, and novelist and poet William Wall
William Wall
William "Bill" Wall is an Irish novelist, poet and short story writer. He was born in Cork City in 1955, but grew up in the coastal village of Whitegate. He received his secondary education at the Christian Brothers School in Midleton. He progressed to University College Cork where he graduated in...

. There is a thriving literary community centring on The Munster Literature Centre and the Triskel Arts Centre.

Cork has been gaining cultural diversity for many years as a result of immigration, from Western Europe (particularly France and Spain) in the mid to late nineties, and more recently from Eastern European countries such as Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...

, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...

, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...

 etc. and in small amount from various African and Asian nations. This is reflected in the recent growth of multi-cultural restaurants and shops, including specialist shops for East-European or Middle-Eastern food, Chinese and Thai restaurants, French patisseries, Indian buffets, and Middle Eastern kebab houses. Cork saw significant Jewish immigration from Lithuania and Russia in the late 19th century. Jewish citizens such as Gerald Goldberg
Gerald Goldberg
Gerald Yael Goldberg was a lawyer and politician who in 1977 became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Cork...

 (several times Lord Mayor), David Marcus
David Marcus
David Marcus was an Irish Jewish editor and writer who was a lifelong advocate and editor of Irish fiction.- Life and times :...

 (novelist) and Louis Marcus
Louis Marcus
Louis Marcus was elected in 1932 as the first Jewish mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, and served until his death on July 6, 1936. Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery....

 (documentary maker) played important roles in 20th century Cork. Today, the Jewish community is relatively small in population, although the city still has a Jewish quarter and local synagogue. Cork also features various Christian churches, as well as a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...

. Some Catholic masses around the city are said in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...

, Filipino
Filipino language
Filipino is the national language of the Philippines and, along with English, is an official language; designated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Filipino is an Austronesian language that is based on various existing native languages in the Philippines, with a significant number of Spanish...

, Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...

, Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...

 and other languages, in addition to the traditional Latin and local Irish and English languages.

Recent additions to the arts infrastructure include modern additions to Cork Opera House and the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery
Crawford Municipal Art Gallery
The Crawford Municipal Art Gallery is a public art gallery in the city of Cork, Ireland.Since 1979 the Gallery has been located in the centre of Cork in what used to be the Cork Customs House, built in 1724. The building was substantially extended in 2000 and is now a striking composition of...

. The new Lewis Glucksman Gallery
Lewis Glucksman Gallery
The Lewis Glucksman Gallery is an award-winning art gallery in University College, Cork, Republic of Ireland.Opened to the public by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese on 14 October 2004, the Glucksman gallery was named Best Public Building in Ireland by the RIAI in June 2005...

 opened in the Autumn of 2004 at UCC, was nominated for the prestigious Stirling Prize
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...

 in the United Kingdom, and the building of a new €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...

60 million School of Music was completed in September 2007. Construction of the €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...

50 million Brookfield UCC Medical School complex was completed in 2005.

Cork was the European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. A number of European cities have used the City of Culture year to transform their cultural base and,...

 for 2005.

There is a rivalry between Cork and Dublin, similar to the rivalry between London and Manchester, or Madrid and Barcelona. Corkonians generally view themselves as different to the rest of Ireland, and refer to themselves as "The Rebels"; the county is known as the Rebel County. This distinctly Corkonian view has in recent years manifested itself in humorous references to the region as The People's Republic of Cork. Citizens of the Real Capital can be seen adorning themselves with t-shirts and other items which celebrate The People's Republic of Cork, printed in various languages, including English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...

, Irish
Irish language
Irish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...

, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...

, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...

 and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...

. The Cork bicolour is flown at public and civic buildings, including the main courthouse, bus station, railway station and major department stores; it is flown along with the Irish tricolour, or alone.

Food


The city has many local traditions in food. Traditional Cork foods include crubeens
Crubeens
Crubeens are an Irish food composed of salted pig feet or trotters, cooked boiled or eaten with cabbage. They are traditionally eaten using one's fingers.-External links:*...

, tripe
Tripe
Tripe is a type of edible offal from the stomachs of various farm animals.- Description :Beef tripe is usually made from only the first three chambers of a cow's stomach: the rumen , the reticulum , and the omasum . Abomasum tripe is seen much less frequently, owing to its glandular tissue content...

 and drisheen
Drisheen
Drisheen is often viewed as a type of black pudding made in Ireland. Irish black pudding, made from a mixture of cow's, pig's and/or sheep's blood, milk, salt, fat and breadcrumbs which is boiled and sieved and finally cooked using the main intestine of an animal as the sausage skin. The sausage...

.

Accent and dialect


The Cork accent has a tone which sets it apart from neighbouring counties. The consonant sound θ (represented by the digraph th) is rarely pronounced, while redundant use of the words "like" or "so" are used to terminate a sentence: e.g. "I don't know him at all, like". Use of the words "boy" (often pronounced "by") and "girl" are common, used to address each other, even into adulthood, e.g. "Come here to me, boy". Patterns of tone and intonation often rise and fall, with the overall tone tending to be more high-pitched than the standard Irish accent

English spoken in Cork has a large number of dialect words that are peculiar to the city and environs. Unlike standard Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English also known as Irish English is the dialect of English spoken in Ireland. The English language was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century. However, due to England's inability to control the country, it was only spoken by a small...

, some of these words originate from the Irish language, but others through other languages Cork's inhabitants encountered at home and abroad. These include for example, "langer" (vulgar) used to describe a penis or an undesirable person. The latter has been gained notoriety throughout Ireland thanks to various comedy skits, notably Gift Grub
Gift Grub
Gift Grub is a series of short comic pieces broadcast on weekdays on the breakfast show of Irish commercial radio station Today FM since 8 May 1999...

, and has become strongly associated with the Cork accent.

Cork Irish, a variety of Munster Irish
Munster Irish
Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea,...

, is spoken in the city and its surrounding region. Peadar Ua Laoghaire
Peadar Ua Laoghaire
Father Peadar Ua Laoghaire was an Irish writer and Catholic priest, who is regarded today as one of the founders of modern literature in Irish...

, regarded as one of the founders of modern literature in Irish, promoted Cork Irish as what he saw as the best Irish for propagation among the Irish people.

Broadcast


The city's FM radio
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio.-Terminology:...

 band features RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...

, RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is commonly referred to, is RTÉ's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience. The station commenced broadcasting in 1979 and has undergone numerous name changes and line-up switches throughout its history. The longest...

, RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm , part of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, is an Irish radio station. It plays mainly classical music. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland , on satellite, Sky Digital TV in Ireland and Britain and via the Internet.- History :RTÉ lyric...

, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta , abbreviated RnaG, is the Irish-language radio service of Raidió Teilifís Éireann in Ireland, and is available on 92-94FM in Ireland and via satellite and the Internet. It began broadcasting on 2 April 1972, and was the second legal radio station in the Republic of Ireland...

, Today FM
Today FM
For the similarly named Australian radio station, see 2Day FMRadio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...

, 4FM and Newstalk. There are also local stations such as Cork's Red FM
Red FM (Ireland)
Red FM is an Irish radio station which broadcasts to Cork and the surrounding area, and is aimed at a youth audience.Cork's Red FM commenced broadcasting at 08:00 on 16 January, 2002. The station was awarded Ireland’s first youth radio licence...

, Cork's 96FM
Cork's 96FM
96FM is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland . It broadcasts from studios at Broadcasting House, St...

, 103FM County Sound
103FM County Sound
C103 is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland . It broadcasts from studios at Goulds Hill in Mallow , Weir Street in Bandon and St...

, CUH FM, Cork Campus Radio and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...

 radio station Life FM. Cork has also been home to pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. Its etymology can be traced to the unlicensed nature of the transmission, but historically there has been occasional but notable use of sea vessels – fitting the most common perception of a pirate – as broadcasting bases...

 stations, most notably South Coast Radio and ERI in the 1980s. Today some small inconsistent pirates prevail but because of a recent clampdown by Ireland's communications regulator, Comreg
Commission for Communications Regulation
The Commission for Communications Regulation is the general communications regulator for the Republic of Ireland, covering almost all possible types of communications....

, a number of higher profile pirate stations were closed during 2005-2006. A number of neighbouring counties radio stations can be heard in parts of Cork City including Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry is a full service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland.Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on July 14 1990. The station headquarters are in Tralee, the principal town of County Kerry, with remote...

 and WLR FM.

RTÉ Cork
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously...

 has television and radio studios, and production facilities at its centre in Father Matthew Street in the city centre.

Print


Cork is home to one of Ireland's main national newspapers, the Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner
The Irish Examiner is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country....

 (formerly the Cork Examiner). The Examiners headquarters are situated on Lapp's Quay in the city centre, and were originally located on Academy Street. It also prints the Evening Echo
Evening Echo
The Evening Echo is an Irish evening newspaper based in Cork and Limerick. It is distributed throughout the province of Munster, although it is primarily read in the cities of Cork and Limerick...

, which for decades has been connected to the Echo Boys, who were poor and often homeless children who sold the newspaper. Today, the shouts of the vendors selling the Echo can still be heard in various parts of the city centre. The biggest free newspaper and one of the biggest in the country is the Cork Independent which was formerly known as Inside Cork.

Places of interest


Cork features architecturally notable buildings originating from the Medieval to Modern periods. The only notable remnant of the Medieval era is the Red Abbey.

There are two cathedrals in the city; St Mary's Cathedral and St Finbarr's Cathedral. St Mary's Cathedral, quite often referred to as the North Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city and was built in 1808. St Finbarr's Cathedral serves the Protestant faith and is the more famous of the two. It is built on the foundations of an earlier cathedral. Work began in 1862 and ended in 1879 under the direction of architect William Burges
William Burges
William Burges may refer to:* William Burges * William Burges...

.

St. Patrick's Street, the main street of the city which was remodelled in the mid 2000s, is known for the architecture of the buildings along its pedestrian-friendly route and is the main shopping thoroughfare. The reason for its curved shape is that it originally was a channel of the River Lee
River Lee (Ireland)
The Lee is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork City, where it splits in two for a short distance and empties into the Celtic Sea at Cork Harbour on the south coast, one of the largest natural harbours in the world...

 that was built over on arches. The adjacent Grand Parade is a tree-lined avenue, home to offices, shops and financial institutions. The old financial centre is the South Mall, with several banks whose interior derive from the 19th century, such as the Allied Irish Bank's which was once an exchange.


Many of the city's buildings are in the Georgian style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the...

, although there are a number of examples of modern landmark structures, such as County Hall
Cork County Hall
The County Hall is a 17-storey office block, owned by Cork County Council and housing its administrative headquarters. The building is located on Carrigrohane Road in the City of Cork...

 tower, which was, at one time the tallest building in the Republic of Ireland until being superseded by another Cork City building: The Elysian
The Elysian
The Elysian is a mixed-use building at Eglinton Street in Cork City, Ireland. Construction of the building was completed in early September 2008....

. Across the river from County Hall is Ireland's longest building; built in Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...

 times, St. Anne's Psychiatric Institute has now been renovated and converted into a residential housing complex called Atkins Hall, after its architect William Atkins
William Atkins (architect)
William Atkins was an Irish architect of the Victorian era.A native of Cork, William Atkins is an architect whose fame has been lost to posterity, although in 1846 he received one of the largest public commissions in Cork city, to build the city and county asylum...

.

Cork's most famous building is the church tower of Shandon
Church of St Anne (Shandon)
The Church of St Anne is a Church of Ireland church located in the Shandon district of Cork city in Ireland. It is situated a top a hill overlooking the River Lee.- History :...

, which dominates the North side of the city. It is widely regarded as the symbol of the city. The North and East sides are faced in red sandstone, and the West and South sides are clad in the predominant stone of the region, white limestone. At the top sits a weather vane in the shape of an eleven-foot salmon.

City Hall, another notable building of limestone, replaced the previous one which was destroyed by the Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force ' onMouseout='HidePop("40787")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/The_Burning_of_Cork">Burning of Cork
The Burning of Cork
The Burning of Cork is the name commonly given to a devastating series of fires that swept through the centre of Cork City on the night of 11 December 1920. The burning and the subsequent controversy is one of the most significant events of the Irish War of Independence.-The Fire:During the War of...

". The cost of this new building was provided by the UK Government in the 1930s as a gesture of reconciliation.

Other notable places include Elizabeth Fort
Elizabeth Fort
Elizabeth Fort is a 17th century star fort off Barrack Street in Cork, Ireland. Originally built as a defensive fortification outside the city walls, the city eventually grew around the fort, and it took on various other roles - including use as a military barracks, prison, and police...

, the Cork Opera House
Cork Opera House
Cork Opera House is a theatre and opera house in Cork in the Republic of Ireland. It was originally built in 1855, although its existence has not been continuous; having survived the burning of much of Cork by British forces in reprisal for an ambush of a military convoy in 1920 by Irish rebels,...

, and Fitzgerald's Park to the west of the city. Other popular tourist attractions include the grounds of University College Cork, through which the River Lee flows, and the English Market. This covered market traces its origins back to 1610, and the present building dates from 1786.

Up until April 2009, there were also two breweries in the city. The Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford is the longest-established brewery in Cork, Ireland. Established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter brewery, it has had a number of owners over the centuries...

 on South Main Street closed in April 2009 and transferred production to the Murphy's
Murphy's Irish Stout
Murphy's Irish Stout is a dry stout brewed in County Cork according to the original recipe by Murphy's Brewery since 1856.In comparison to its more bitter and heavier chief competitors, Guinness and Beamish, Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout. Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt,...

 brewery in Lady's Well. This brewery also produces Heineken for the Irish market.

Retail


The retail trade in Cork city is developing quickly with a mix of both modern, state of the art shopping centres and family owned local shops. Department Stores cater for all budgets, with expensive boutiques for one end of the market and high street stores also available. Shopping centres can be found in many of Cork's suburbs, including Blackpool
Blackpool, Cork
Blackpool is a suburb of Cork city in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is situated in the north of the city, on the N20 road to Mallow.- Social History :...

, Ballincollig
Ballincollig
Ballincollig is a satellite town in Metropolitan Cork about 8 km west of Cork city in County Cork, Ireland. It is located beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2006 the population of Ballincollig DED was 16,308. The nearest towns include: Ballinora, Ovens, Killumney, Inniscarra,...

, Douglas
Douglas, Cork
Douglas is a suburb in Metropolitan Cork that is situated 4 km south of Cork, Ireland. As its borders are ill-defined and it straddles the boundary between Cork City and County Cork, it is difficult to ascertain the exact population. The CSO gives a figure of 18,192 for the parts of Douglas that...

, Ballyvolane, Wilton and Mahon. Others are available in the city centre, with plans and excavation work on-going for the development of three more large malls (The Cornmarket Centre on Cornmarket Street); The Opera Avenue proposal off St. Patrick's Street/Academy Street and the Grand Parade scheme planned for the site of the former Capitol Cineplex, the first multiplex outside of Dublin in Ireland), expanding the capacity of the city centre, to rival that of the suburbs. Cork's main shopping street is St. Patrick's Street 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. Cork is also home to some of the country's leading department stores with the foundations of shops such as Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain. The format of the chain's stores include a grocery...

 and the former Roches Stores
Roches Stores
Debenhams Ireland is a national chain of department stores in Ireland, that is owned by Debenhams.-Roches Stores :Founded in Cork in 1901 by William Roche, as a small furniture shop, it grew to eleven stores throughout Ireland. In October 2007, Roches Stores ceased operating...

 being laid in the city.

Industry & Commerce



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
Novartis
Novartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number one in revenues, which accounted over $53 billion in 2008, and number three in sales, which accounted 36.172 billon in 2008. Novartis is one of the largest healthcare companies in the...

 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 Inc. where their high end computers are manufactured and their European call centre, R&D and AppleCare is hosted. In total, they currently employ over 1,800 staff. EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation is a U.S. Fortune 500 and S&P 500 provider of information infrastructure systems, software and services. It is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA. Its flagship product, the Symmetrix, is the foundation of storage networks in many large data centers.-History:EMC was...

 is another large IT
Information technology
Information technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic...

 employer with over 1,600 staff in their 52,000 sq metre (560,000 sq. ft.) engineering, manufacturing, and technical services facility.

It is also home to the Heineken Brewery which also brews Murphy's Irish Stout
Murphy's Irish Stout
Murphy's Irish Stout is a dry stout brewed in County Cork according to the original recipe by Murphy's Brewery since 1856.In comparison to its more bitter and heavier chief competitors, Guinness and Beamish, Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout. Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt,...

 and the nearby Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford is the longest-established brewery in Cork, Ireland. Established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter brewery, it has had a number of owners over the centuries...

 brewery (recently taken over by Heineken) which have been in the city for generations. And for many years, Cork was the home to Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...

, which manufactured cars in the docklands area before the plant was closed. Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. He was a prolific inventor and was awarded 161 U.S. patents...

's grandfather was from West Cork
West Cork
West Cork in south-west Ireland, lies in Ireland's largest county, County Cork. The area is actively promoted as distinct from other areas of the county, such as the more populated northern or eastern parts of the county, as well as the more urban area of Metropolitan Cork. Those from this quite...

, which was one of the 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.

Cork's deep harbour allows ships of any size to enter, bringing trade and easy import/export of products. Cork Airport also allows easy access to continental Europe and Kent Station in the city centre provides good rail links for domestic trade. More recently Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is an American-based multinational electronic commerce company. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, it is America's largest online retailer, with nearly three times the Internet sales revenue of the runner up, Staples, Inc....

, the online retailer, has set up in Cork Airport Business Park.

In 2008, developers announced a 1bn euro plan to create an Atlantic Quarter
Atlantic Quarter
The Atlantic Quarter is a proposed mixed-use residential and commercial development of 12 buildings on a 5-hectare site in the docklands area of Cork city, in Ireland...

 in Cork's docklands area to rival that of the International Financial Services Centre
International Financial Services Centre
The International Financial Services Centre , or An Lárionad Seirbhísí Airgeadais Idirnáisiúnta in Irish, is a major financial services centre in North Wall, Dublin, Ireland...

 in Dublin making it one of the biggest and most ambitious plans undertaken in the history of the state.


Utilities


The headquarters of Bord Gáis Éireann
Bord Gáis
Bord Gáis Éireann - The Irish Gas Board, normally branded as Bord Gáis, is the main supplier and distributor of pipeline natural gas in the Republic of Ireland. The company is currently building an extensive network across the Republic. The company supplies gas to domestic and industrial customers...

, the Irish Gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...

 Board, are on Gasworks Road,
Cork.

Twinned cities


Cork City Corporation
Cork City Council
Cork City Council is a local government organisation in Cork City, responsible for providing services to citizens in the areas of: Housing & Community, Roads & Transportation, Urban planning & Development, Amenity & Culture, and Environment.Cork City Council has 31 democratically Elected Members...

 began its first twin city
Town twinning
Sister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...

 programme with Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham with a population of 300,848...

 in 1969. Since then, Cork has developed links with several other cities in the areas of culture, education, tourism, science and economics:

  • Coventry
    Coventry
    Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham with a population of 300,848...

    , England
    England
    England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

  • Rennes
    Rennes
    The Parlement de Bretagne| map =|region = Bretagne|department = Ille-et-Vilaine|arrondissement = Rennes|canton = Chief town of 11 cantons|INSEE = 35238...

    , France
    France
    France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...

  • San Francisco
    San Francisco, California
    San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...

    , USA
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

  • Kaliningrad
    Kaliningrad
    Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...

    , Russia
    Russia
    Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
  • Cologne
    Cologne
    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants...

    , Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...

  • Swansea
    Swansea
    Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

    , Wales
    Wales
    Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...

  • Shanghai
    Shanghai
    Shanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...

    , China
    People's Republic of China
    The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...

    		•


    Twinning with Shanghai has led to controversy, as the Green Party
    Green Party (Ireland)
    The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes...

     called on Cork's local, national and European elected representatives to withdraw the city's twinning with Shanghai due to reports of human rights violations in China. Since then, parties from both Cork and Shanghai have visited their counterparts on trade related missions. Cork later got a twinning with Kaliningrad
    Kaliningrad
    Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...

    , in Russia
    Russia
    Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

    .

    Air



    Cork Airport is one of Ireland's main airports and it is a gateway to the south of Ireland. It is situated on the south side of Cork City in an area known as Ballygarvan
    Ballygarvan, County Cork
    Ballygarvan is a village south of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland.The village and surrounding area has a population of between 1000 and 1500 residents. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley between Myrtle and Meadstown Hills, beside the River Owenabue...

    . More than 10 scheduled airlines fly to over 50 destinations with over 50 flights a day.

    Bus


    Public bus services within the city are provided by the national bus operator Bus Éireann
    Bus Éireann
    Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...

    . City routes are numbered from 1 through to 19 and connect the city centre to the principal suburbs, colleges, shopping centres and places of interest. Two of these bus routes provide orbital services across the Northern and Southern districts of the city respectively.

    Buses to the outer suburbs, such as Ballincollig
    Ballincollig
    Ballincollig is a satellite town in Metropolitan Cork about 8 km west of Cork city in County Cork, Ireland. It is located beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2006 the population of Ballincollig DED was 16,308. The nearest towns include: Ballinora, Ovens, Killumney, Inniscarra,...

    , Glanmire
    Glanmire
    Glanmire is a suburb in Metropolitan Cork, Ireland with a population of 15,498. It is actually made up of several small towns and villages, including Glanmire Village, Riverstown, Brooklodge, Glyntown, Copper Valley and Sallybrook...

     and Carrigaline
    Carrigaline
    Carrigaline is a single-street town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located about 12km from Cork City which can be reached by car in 25 minutes ....

     are provided from the city's bus terminal at Parnell Place in the city centre. Suburban services also include shuttles to Cork Airport, and a park and ride
    Park and ride
    Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and others wishing to travel into city centres to leave their personal vehicles in a car park and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...

     facility in the south suburbs.

    Long distance buses depart from the bus terminal in Parnell Place to destinations throughout Ireland. Hourly services run to Killarney
    Killarney
    Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region is home to St...

    /Tralee
    Tralee
    Tralee is the county town of County Kerry, in the southwest corner of Ireland. The town is situated on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula. Tralee is the largest town in Kerry...

    , Waterford
    Waterford
    Waterford is the primary city of the South East region of Ireland. Founded in 914 AD by the Vikings, it is country's oldest city and its fifth largest. The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour...

    , Athlone
    Athlone
    Athlone is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Ireland.Athlone is located close to the geographical centre of Ireland, on the border of two counties, Roscommon and Westmeath, which are located in the provinces of Connacht and Leinster respectively...

     and Shannon Airport/Limerick
    Limerick
    Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available. and the principal city in County Limerick...

    /Galway
    Galway
    Galway is the fastest growing and is the fifth largest city in Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland...

     and there are six services daily to Dublin. There is also a daily Eurolines
    Eurolines
    Eurolines is a coach organisation, operating international bus routes within Europe to over 500 destinations in over 25 countries. Rather than being a single company, Eurolines is a network of co-operating bus companies from all over Europe, offering integrated ticketing and extensive connections...

     bus service that connects Cork to Victoria Coach Station
    Victoria Coach Station
    Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London, and is operated by Victoria Coach Station Ltd., an arm of Transport for London....

     in London via South Wales
    South Wales
    South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...

     and Bristol
    Bristol
    Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...

    .

    Ferry


    The Cross River Ferry, from Rushbrooke
    Rushbrooke
    Rushbrooke is a small village which has become a suburb of the town of Cobh on the Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland.The area is named after Lord Rushbrooke, who originally owned most of the property in the area...

     to Passage West
    Passage West
    Passage West is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour. It is some 10 km from Cork city centre, separated from the urban sprawl of Douglas and Rochestown, but close to all services, shopping and amenities...

    , links the R624 to R610. This service is useful when trying to avoid traffic congestion in Jack Lynch tunnel and Dunkettle area. Cork Ferry port is situated at Ringaskiddy
    Ringaskiddy
    Ringaskiddy is a village south of Cork city, in County Cork, Ireland. Located across Cork harbour south from Cóbh, and connected to Cork city by the N28 road the village is now a major ferry port and is one of two free ports in Ireland, the other being in the Shannon area.Ringaskiddy has seen huge...

    , 16 km SE via the N28. A direct sea link is available to Roscoff
    Roscoff
    Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in north-western France.The nearby Île-de-Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....

     (France) with Brittany Ferries
    Brittany Ferries
    Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company was founded in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...

    . A long-established link with Swansea
    Swansea
    Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

     in Wales is currently out of service but is programmed to resume in late March 2010. A connecting bus service is available from the ferryport to the city centre. Plans for a water taxi
    Water taxi
    A water taxi or water bus is a commuter passenger boat used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar manner to a taxi...

     service are being finalised to provide traffic free connections for both commuters and tourists alike.

    Road


    The Cork area has seen improvements in road infrastructure in recent years, especially with regards to National Primary roads. The Cork South Link road (a dual carriageway), built in the early 1980s, linking the Kinsale road roundabout with the city centre was the first of many improvements.
    Shortly afterwards, the first sections of the South Ring Road (dual carriageway) were opened. Work continued through the 1990s on extending the N25 South Ring Road with the opening of the Jack Lynch Tunnel
    Jack Lynch Tunnel
    The Jack Lynch Tunnel , or Tollán Seán Ó Loinsigh in Irish, is an immersed tube tunnel and an integral part of the N25 southern ring road of Cork in Ireland.It takes the road under the River Lee...

     under the River Lee
    River Lee (Ireland)
    The Lee is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork City, where it splits in two for a short distance and empties into the Celtic Sea at Cork Harbour on the south coast, one of the largest natural harbours in the world...

     being the most significant addition. The Kinsale Road flyover opened in August 2006 to remove a major bottleneck for traffic heading to the Airport or Killarney. Also in the 1990s work progressed on the Cork to Midleton dual carriageway and the M8
    M8 motorway (Ireland)
    The M8 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming the most part of the N8 Dublin to Cork national primary road. At 129 km it is currently the longest motorway in Ireland, having overtaken the previous record holder, the M1, on 8 December, 2008...

     Glanmire
    Glanmire
    Glanmire is a suburb in Metropolitan Cork, Ireland with a population of 15,498. It is actually made up of several small towns and villages, including Glanmire Village, Riverstown, Brooklodge, Glyntown, Copper Valley and Sallybrook...

     bypass motorway. Other projects completed at this time include the N20
    N20 road
    The N20 road is a national primary road in Ireland, connecting the cities of Limerick and Cork. Croom, Charleville and Mallow are major towns along the route.-Details:...

     Blackpool bypass and the N20 Cork to Mallow road projects. The M8 Glanmire to Watergrasshill dual carriageway bypass was opened in 2002. The N22
    N22 road
    The N22 road is a national primary road in Ireland which goes through counties Kerry and Cork, from Tralee in the west through Killarney, Macroom and Ballincollig to Cork City in the east....

     Ballincollig dual carriageway bypass, which links to the Western end of the Cork Southern Ring road was opened in 2003. City Centre road improvements include the Patrick St. project which reconstructed the street with a pedestrian focus.

    The M8
    M8 motorway (Ireland)
    The M8 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming the most part of the N8 Dublin to Cork national primary road. At 129 km it is currently the longest motorway in Ireland, having overtaken the previous record holder, the M1, on 8 December, 2008...

     Rathcormac to Fermoy tolled motorway bypass (17.5 kilometres) opened in October 2006.

    Railway and tramway heritage



    Cork was one of the most rail oriented cities in Ireland, featuring 8 stations at various times. The main route, still much the same today, is from Dublin. Originally terminating on the city's outskirts at Blackpool
    Blackpool, Cork
    Blackpool is a suburb of Cork city in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is situated in the north of the city, on the N20 road to Mallow.- Social History :...

    , the Glanmire tunnel connects it to the city centre terminus
    Terminal Station
    Terminal Station is a 1953 film English language film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...

     of Kent Station
    Kent Station (Cork)
    Kent Station is an Iarnród Éireann train station in Cork, Ireland. Originally opened in 1893, the station operates as a hub for Intercity services to Dublin, and commuter services to Mallow, Cobh and Midleton.-Name:...

    . Now a through station, the line through Kent connects the town of Cóbh
    Cobh
    Cobh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland with a population of around 13,000 inhabitants....

     east of the city. This also connected to the seaside town of Youghal
    Youghal
    Youghal is a seaport in County Cork, Ireland. Youghal is located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, and in the past was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...

    , until the 1980s.

    Other rail routes terminating or traversing Cork city were the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway
    Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway
    The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. It was originally opened in 1850 as a broad gauge railway between Cork and Passage West, but was converted to 3' gauge in 1902. A extension southwards from Passage West to Crosshaven opened in 1904...

    , a line to Macroom
    Macroom
    Macroom is a small market town in Ireland located in a valley on the River Sullane, a tributary of the River Lee, between Cork and Killarney. The town recorded a population on 3,553 in the 2006 national census...

    , the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway
    Cork and Muskerry Light Railway
    The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The first part of the railway opened in 1887 and closed in 1934. A major reason for building the railway was to exploit tourist traffic to Blarney Castle.-Initial route:...

     to Blarney
    Blarney
    Blarney is a town in the south of Ireland, located 8 km north-west of Cork, Ireland. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...

    , Coachford
    Coachford
    Coachford is a village west of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland. It is located on the north side of the River Lee. Coachford got its name from Áth an Chóiste as there used to be a narrow ford across a stream...

     and Donoughmore
    Donoughmore
    Donoughmore is a parish in County Cork which lies 25 km west north west of Cork city in Ireland.-Amenities:Donoughmore has two primary schools. Scoil Iósaif and St. Lachteen's...

    , as well as the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
    Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
    The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway was a major Irish railway. It operated from Cork and served towns along the southern coastal strip to the west. It had a route length of 93.75 miles , all single line...

     connecting Bantry
    Bantry
    Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland, located on the N71 route at the head of Bantry Bay. The Beara peninsula is to the northwest, with Sheep's Head also nearby, on the peninsula south of Bantry Bay....

    , Skibbereen
    Skibbereen
    Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The river Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:...

    , Clonakilty
    Clonakilty
    Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted primarily to dairy farming, the region...

     and many other West Cork
    West Cork
    West Cork in south-west Ireland, lies in Ireland's largest county, County Cork. The area is actively promoted as distinct from other areas of the county, such as the more populated northern or eastern parts of the county, as well as the more urban area of Metropolitan Cork. Those from this quite...

     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 and that to Cobh
    Cobh
    Cobh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland with a population of around 13,000 inhabitants....

    .

    Within the city there have been two tram networks in operation. A proposal to develop a horse-drawn tram
    Tram
    A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolleycar, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a conventional train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets...

     (linking the city's railway termini) was made by American George Francis Train
    George Francis Train
    George Francis Train was a businessman, author, and an eccentric figure in American and Australian history.-Biography:...

     in the 1860s, and implemented 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
    Tram
    A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolleycar, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a conventional train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets...

     system began operating on the Blackpool-Douglas, Summerhill-Sunday's Well and Tivoli-Blackrock routes. The gauge
    Rail gauge
    Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two parallel rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers to the meeting of...

     of the tramway was (90.2cm) (2' 11½"), and designed to be the same as the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway
    Cork and Muskerry Light Railway
    The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The first part of the railway opened in 1887 and closed in 1934. A major reason for building the railway was to exploit tourist traffic to Blarney Castle.-Initial route:...

    . Increased usage of cars and buses in the 1920s led to a reduction in the use of trams, which discontinued operations permanently on 30 September 1931. Place names today still tell of the routes, such as Tramway Terrace in Douglas
    Douglas, Cork
    Douglas is a suburb in Metropolitan Cork that is situated 4 km south of Cork, Ireland. As its borders are ill-defined and it straddles the boundary between Cork City and County Cork, it is difficult to ascertain the exact population. The CSO gives a figure of 18,192 for the parts of Douglas that...

    .

    Current routes


    National
    Cork's Kent Station
    Kent Station (Cork)
    Kent Station is an Iarnród Éireann train station in Cork, Ireland. Originally opened in 1893, the station operates as a hub for Intercity services to Dublin, and commuter services to Mallow, Cobh and Midleton.-Name:...

     is the main train station in the city. From here, services run to all over Ireland - often via Dublin or Limerick Junction. The main line from Cork to Dublin, which is Ireland's busiest rail line, has hourly departures and a number of connecting services. InterCity services are also available to Kerry, with direct services to Killarney
    Killarney
    Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region is home to St...

     and Tralee
    Tralee
    Tralee is the county town of County Kerry, in the southwest corner of Ireland. The town is situated on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula. Tralee is the largest town in Kerry...

    , or indirectly via Mallow
    Mallow, County Cork
    Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland...

    .

    Suburban
    The Cork Suburban Rail
    Cork Suburban Rail
    The Cork Suburban Rail network serves the Metropolitan Cork area in County Cork, Munster, Ireland.There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century however it suffered serious decline and line closures in the 20th century...

     system also departs from Kent Station and provides connections to parts of Metropolitan Cork
    Metropolitan Cork
    Metropolitan Cork refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that feed into it. The term is used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...

    , including Little Island
    Little Island, Cork
    Little Island is an industrial and residential area to the east of Cork City, Ireland. It is no longer an island, since the northern channel separating it from the mainland has filled over. To the east and south is Cork Harbour; across a channel to the west is Fota Island.-Development:Many of...

    , Mallow
    Mallow, County Cork
    Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland...

    , Midleton
    Midleton
    Midleton , historically known as Ballymacora, is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...

    , Fota
    Fota Island
    Fota Island is a small island in Cork Harbour, Ireland, just north of the larger island of Cóbh. It is host to Ireland's only wildlife park - as well as the historical Fota House with ornamental gardens and an 18-hole golf course....

     and Cobh
    Cobh
    Cobh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland with a population of around 13,000 inhabitants....

    . In November 2005, as part of the Transport 21
    Transport 21
    Transport 21 is an Irish infrastructure plan, announced on 1 November 2005 in Dublin Castle by the then Irish Minister for Transport Martin Cullen. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network...

     initiative, the government announced the planned reopening of the Glounthaune
    Glounthaune
    Glounthaune is a village situated some 10 km east of Cork,on the north shore of Cork Harbour, the estuary of the River Lee, in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland.-Transport:...

     to Midleton line, with new stations announced for Carrigtohill, Kilbarry, Monard and Blarney
    Blarney
    Blarney is a town in the south of Ireland, located 8 km north-west of Cork, Ireland. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...

    ; it reopened on 30 July 2009. It is planned that the proposed station at Carrigtwohill West
    Carrigtwohill West railway station
    Carrigtwohill West Railway Station is a planned Railway Station to be located on the outskirts of Carrigtwohill, County Cork in Ireland and will form part of the Cork Suburban Rail. The IDA are funding the station at Carrigtwohill West, which is situated in the middle of a Carrigtwohill industrial...

     will be open by early 2010.

    Education


    Cork is an important educational centre in Ireland. University College Cork
    University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork
    University College Cork is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. The university is located in Cork....

     (UCC), a constituent university of the National University of Ireland
    National University of Ireland
    The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the , and significantly amended by the ....

    , offers a wide variety of courses in Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Science. The university was named "Irish University of the Year" in 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 by The Sunday Times
    The Sunday Times
    The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...

    . Cork Institute of Technology
    Cork Institute of Technology
    Cork Institute of Technology , formerly Regional Technical College, Cork, is a college located in Cork, Ireland opened in 1973. The institute has 17,000 students in art, business, engineering, music and science disciplines...

     (CIT) was named Irish "Institute of Technology of the Year" in 2006–2007 and offers a variety of third level courses in Mathematics, Computing and IT, Business, Humanities and Engineering (Mechanical, Electronic, Electrical, and Chemical). The National Maritime College of Ireland
    National Maritime College of Ireland
    The National Maritime College of Ireland is a joint project between Cork Institute of Technology and the Irish Naval Service. It is located in Ringaskiddy, County Cork, Ireland. The Institutes of Technology Act 2006 will see the college becoming a school of the Cork Institute of Technology...

     also located in Cork and is the only college in Ireland in which Nautical Studies and Marine Engineering can be undertaken. CIT also incorporates the Cork School of Music and Crawford College of Art and Design
    Crawford College of Art and Design
    CIT Crawford College of Art and Design is one of the leading colleges of art and design in Ireland. The college is a school of Cork Institute of Technology...

     as constituent schools. The Cork College of Commerce
    Cork College of Commerce
    Cork College of Commerce is a college that was established by the business and education communities on the banks of the River Lee in Cork, Ireland in 1908...

     is the largest post-Leaving Certificate
    Leaving Certificate
    The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system...

     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
    Griffith College Dublin
    -History and General Information:Griffith College in Dublin , is a private college located on the former Griffith Barracks on the South Circular Road in Dublin, Ireland...

     which has been offering courses since 1884 and various other colleges. There is also a very large community of students from abroad, especially countries where Cork has twinned cities. The largest group of foreign students comes from China
    China
    China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....

    , Shanghai in particular.

    Sport

    See also: List of Cork people - Sports

    Rugby
    Rugby union
    Rugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...

    , gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "Football" , "Gaelic" or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    , hurling
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. The game, played primarily in Ireland, has prehistoric origins and is thought to be the world's fastest field team sport...

     and association football
    Football (soccer)
    Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...

     are popular sporting pastimes for Corkonians.

    Gaelic games



    Hurling is the most popular spectator sport in the city, and has a strong identity with city and county - with Cork winning 30 All-Ireland Championships
    All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

     and leading the table of Camogie Championship wins. Football is also popular, and Cork has won 6 Gaelic football titles. There are many Gaelic Athletic Association
    Gaelic Athletic Association
    The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders. The GAA also promotes Irish music and...

     clubs in Cork City, including St. Finbarr's
    St. Finbarr's GAA
    St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....

    , Glen Rovers
    Glen Rovers GAA
    Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...

    , Na Piarsaigh
    Na Piarsaigh GAA
    Na Piarsaigh are a Hurling and Gaelic football club based in the north side of Cork, County Cork, Ireland. The club was founded in 1943. Their senior hurling team have won 3 county senior hurling championships, the last one in October 2004. This team who won the 2004 final was notable for having...

    , Erins Own and Nemo Rangers
    Nemo Rangers GAA
    Nemo Rangers Hurling and Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club on the southside of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and is primarily concerned with the game of Gaelic football,though interest in hurling has escalated in recent years.-History:Nemo Rangers...

    . The main public venues are Páirc Uí Chaoimh
    Páirc Uí Chaoimh
    Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...

     and Páirc Uí Rinn
    Páirc Uí Rinn
    Páirc Uí Rinn is a stadium in Cork owned by the Gaelic Athletic Association . It was formerly Flower Lodge, a soccer ground home to several Cork teams in the 20th century, named after a Big House on whose grounds it was built.-Flower Lodge:...

     (named after Christy Ring
    Christy Ring
    Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...

    ).

    Association football



    Cork City F.C.
    Cork City F.C.
    Cork City F.C. is an Irish football club playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, its traditional colours are green and white with red trim...

     are the largest association football team in Cork, and have seen much success in recent years. In 2005, they won the Eircom League and the FAI Cup
    FAI Cup
    The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...

     in 2007, with their latest success in the Setanta Sports Cup
    Setanta Sports Cup
    The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...

     in 2008.. Association football is also played by amateur and school clubs across the city, as well as in "five-a-side"
    Five-a-side football
    thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven. Other differences from football include a smaller pitch, smaller...

     style leagues.

    Rugby


    Rugby
    Rugby union
    Rugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...

     is played at various levels, from school to senior league level. There are two first division clubs in Cork city. Cork Constitution
    Cork Constitution
    Cork Constitution is a Rugby Union club, based in Cork. It was founded by staff of the Cork Constitution. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were looking for activities to pursue on Saturday afternoons. In the summer, cricket was played, while in the winter, rugby was the...

     (3 time All Ireland League Champions) play their home games in Ballintemple and Dolphin R.F.C. play at home in Musgrave Park
    Musgrave Park, Cork
    Musgrave Park is a rugby football stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces, one stand, three tribunes, one jogging track, and two VIP stands on the west side. Musgrave has a capacity of about 8,500 and is situated on Pearse Road in Ballyphehane.-Rugby:Musgrave...

    . Other notable rugby clubs in the city include, Highfield, Sunday's Well and UCC. At schools level, Christian Brothers College
    Christian Brothers College, Cork
    Christian Brothers College, Cork is a fee-paying Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Christian Brothers in Cork, Ireland.The college's main rivals are Presentation Brothers College...

     and Presentation Brothers College
    Presentation Brothers College, Cork
    Presentation Brothers College is a Catholic, boys-only, fee-paying college based in Cork, Ireland....

     are two of the country's better known rugby nurseries.
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union club based in Munster, that competes in the Magners League and Heineken Cup....

     plays half of its home matches in the Celtic League
    Celtic League (rugby union)
    The Magners League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is one of the three major leagues in Europe, along with the English Guinness Premiership and the French Top 14...

     at Musgrave Park
    Musgrave Park, Cork
    Musgrave Park is a rugby football stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces, one stand, three tribunes, one jogging track, and two VIP stands on the west side. Musgrave has a capacity of about 8,500 and is situated on Pearse Road in Ballyphehane.-Rugby:Musgrave...

     in Ballyphehane
    Ballyphehane
    Ballyphehane is a suburb in the south of Cork in Ireland. It is one of the oldest suburbs in Cork and was created as part of a post-World War II initiative to create a model community in Cork.- Notable buildings and geography :...

    . In the past Heineken Cup
    Heineken Cup
    The European Rugby Cup is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from six International Rugby Board nations in Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Romania competed in the first year of the competition only...

     matches have also been played at Musgrave Park but now, due to capacity issues these are now played at Thomond Park
    Thomond Park
    Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in 2008.The...

     in Limerick
    Limerick
    Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available. and the principal city in County Limerick...

    . In May 2006 and again in May 2008 Munster became the Heineken Cup
    Heineken Cup
    The European Rugby Cup is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from six International Rugby Board nations in Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Romania competed in the first year of the competition only...

     Champions, with many players hailing from Cork city and county.

    Water sports


    There are a variety of watersports in Cork, including rowing
    Sport rowing
    Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

     and sailing
    Sailing
    Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat...

    . There are five rowing clubs training on the river Lee. Naomhóga Chorcaí is a rowing club whose members row traditional naomhóga
    Currach
    A Currach or Curach is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched - nowadays canvas is more usual. It is sometimes anglicised as "Curragh". The construction and design of the currach is unique to the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland, with...

     on the Lee in occasional competitions. The Ocean to City race, held in 2005 and again in 2007, saw teams and boats from many local and visiting clubs race for 24 km (15 mi) from Crosshaven to Cork city centre. The decision to move the National Rowing Center to Inniscarra has boosted numbers involved in the sport. Cork's maritime sailing heritage is maintained through its sailing clubs. The Royal Cork Yacht Club
    Royal Cork Yacht Club
    The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the world's oldest yacht club and was founded in 1720.- Formation and claim to be the world's first yacht club :...

     located in Crosshaven
    Crosshaven
    Crosshaven is a village in County Cork, Ireland. The village located in a scenic area with views of Wood, and Cork Harbour.-Transport:* Cork Airport is the nearest airport....

     (outside the city) is the world's oldest yacht club, and Cork Week is a notable sailing event.


    Other sports


    There are Cork clubs active nationally in basketball
    Basketball
    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a 10 foot  high hoop under organized rules...

     (Neptune and UCC Demons) and golf
    Golf
    Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...

    , pitch and putt
    Pitch and putt
    Pitch and putt is an amateur sport, similar to golf but organized as an independent sport by FIPPA and EPPA and for IPPA it is golf with a difference, played and developed mainly in Ireland since the 1940s.Today it is a growing sport all over the world...

    , hockey
    Hockey
    Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round, rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a hockey stick.-Field hockey:...

    , tennis
    Tennis
    Tennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....

     and athletics
    Athletics (track and field)
    Track and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing, jumping and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics...

     clubs in the Cork area. Cricket has long been played in the city. The main teams are Cork County CC, situated next to the Mardyke, and Harlequins CC, located next to Cork airport.
    The city is also the home of road bowling
    Irish Road Bowling
    Irish road bowling is an ancient sport. It is centered in Ireland - primarily in County Armagh and County Cork. However, it also has players in Boston, MA, Cambridge, New York and Bennington, VT vicinity, Traverse City, MI, The Bronx, NY, New Zealand and is growing in the fairs and festivals of...

    , which is played in the north-side and south-west suburbs. Boxing and Martial arts, such as Karate, Muay Thai and Taekwondo, also command a high level of practise within the city. Cork Racing races in the Irish Formula Ford
    Formula Ford
    Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing, in which in the past many drivers aspired to one day reach Formula One .-History:When the formula was first established, it ran...

     Championship.

    See also

    • List of towns and villages in Ireland

    Further reading

    • Merchants, Mystics and Philanthropists - 350 Years of Cork Quakers Richard S. Harrison Published by Cork Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 2006

    External links