Cork (city)

The city of Cork is the second-largest city in the Republic of Ireland. It is the main city of County Cork and the biggest city in the province of Munster.

The city centre is an island between two parts of the River Lee. Along the river, you can find quays and docks that lead to Lough Mahon and Cork Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

Cork was founded a long time ago in the 6th century as a quiet place for monks to live and work. Later, around the year 915, Viking people came and made the city bigger. Today, some parts of the old town centre still remain around South and North Main streets.

History

Main article: History of Cork

Cork began as a small settlement started by Saint Finbar in the sixth century. Later, between 915 and 922, Norseman or Viking people arrived and built a trading port, making Cork an important place for trade.

Map of 16th-century Cork

In 1185, Prince John gave Cork its official city charter. During the Middle Ages, Cork was a place where people from Old English culture lived, surrounded by areas controlled by Gaelic people. In 1349, a sickness called the Black Death greatly reduced the city's population. Cork grew and changed over time, becoming an important city in Ireland. In 2019, the city's official area grew to include places like Cork Airport, Douglas, and Ballincollig.

Climate

The climate in Cork is mild and changes often, like most of Ireland. It has plenty of rain but not many very hot or very cold days. Cork is in a plant hardiness zone called 9b.

Cork Airport, just a little south of the city, keeps track of the weather. Because it’s near the coast, Cork can sometimes have floods. The city doesn’t get much snow, and when it does, it usually melts quickly. Cork gets a lot of rainy days and some foggy mornings, but it’s also one of the sunniest places in Ireland.

Culture

The city of Cork has many places for art, music, and theater. Schools like the Cork School of Music and the Crawford College of Art and Design bring new artists and performers to the city. Important places include the Corcadorca Theatre Company, the Triskel Arts Centre with its cinema Triskel Christchurch, and the Cork Jazz Festival and Cork Film Festival.

Cork is also home to famous musicians and singers, such as John Spillane and Rory Gallagher. The city has many music venues, from small spots to large halls like the Cork Opera House. Writers like Frank O'Connor and Seán Ó Faoláin came from Cork, and new books keep coming from local authors today.

Food

The English Market

Cork has special foods like crubeens and tripe. The English Market sells fresh local foods such as fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables. New food markets like the Marina Market and The Black Market have opened recently, offering foods from different places.

Accent

People in Cork speak with a special accent that is part of the Southwest dialect of Hiberno-English. This accent has its own sounds and words, some coming from the Irish language and others from places people in Cork have visited. The way people speak can change depending on where they live in the city.

Media

Broadcasting

Broadcasting companies in Cork include RTÉ Cork, which has radio, television, and production studios in the city centre. Communicorp Media opened a radio studio in 2019.

The city’s FM radio band includes RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Today FM, Classic Hits, Newstalk, and Spirit Radio. Local stations such as Cork's 96FM, Cork's Red FM, C103, CUH 102.0FM, UCC 98.3FM are also available.

Print

Cork is home to one of Ireland’s main national newspapers, the Irish Examiner. The city’s university publishes the UCC Express and Motley magazine.

Places of interest

Further information: List of public art in Cork city

Cork has many interesting buildings from different times. One of the few remaining medieval buildings is the Red Abbey. The city has two cathedrals: St. Mary's Cathedral, which is the Catholic cathedral, and Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, which belongs to the Church of Ireland.

St. Patrick's Street is the main shopping street, known for its beautiful buildings. The General Post Office is on Oliver Plunkett Street. The Grand Parade is a street with shops and offices. The old financial area is South Mall, home to several old banks.

Many buildings in Cork are in the Georgian style, but there are also modern structures like County Hall.

Cork's most famous landmark is the church tower of St Anne in Shandon, a symbol of the city. It has red sandstone on some sides and white limestone on others, with a weather vane shaped like a salmon on top. Another old building in Shandon is Skiddy's Almshouse, built to help those in need.

Other places to see include Elizabeth Fort, the Cork Opera House, and Christ Church, which is now the Triskel Arts Centre. Blackrock Castle and St Mary's Dominican Church are also worth visiting. The grounds of University College Cork and the English Market are popular spots. Parks like Fitzgerald's Park and Bishop Lucey Park offer green spaces to enjoy.

Local government and politics

Cork is the second-most populous city in Ireland, with more than 222,000 people. It is governed by Cork City Council, which looks after planning, roads, sanitation, libraries, street lighting, and parks. The council has 31 elected members who represent six areas of the city.

For national elections, Cork is part of two constituencies: Cork North-Central and Cork South-Central. Each constituency elects four TDs to the Dáil Éireann. The city has been represented by different constituencies over the years.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Cork

Cork has many places to shop. Big modern shopping centers are in the suburbs like Blackpool, Ballincollig, Douglas, Ballyvolane, Wilton, and Mahon Point Shopping Centre. The city center has nice shops such as the Cornmarket Centre and Merchant's Quay Shopping Centre, which includes stores like Debenhams, Dunnes Stores, and Marks & Spencer. St. Patrick's Street is the main shopping street and is very popular.

Cork is important for many industries. Big companies like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis have offices there. Apple Inc. has its European headquarters in Cork with many workers. Other companies such as Logitech and Dell also have offices in the city. Cork is known for its breweries, like the Heineken Brewery that makes Murphy's Irish Stout, and the Ferrero factory that makes Tic Tac sweets. The city's deep harbor and airport help bring goods in and out easily.

Transport

Air

Main article: Cork Airport

Cork Airport is the second busiest airport in Ireland. It is on the south side of Cork city near Ballygarvan. Nine airlines fly from here to more than 45 places in Europe.

Bus

Public buses in the city are run by Bus Éireann. The buses have numbers from 201 to 226 and go to different parts of the city, schools, shops, and places to see. Some buses go to towns outside the city like Ballincollig, Glanmire, Midleton, and Carrigaline. There are also buses to Cork Airport and places where you can park and then take the bus.

In January 2019, Cork started the first 24-hour bus service in Ireland, called route 220. It runs between Ballincollig and Carrigaline through the city centre once every hour from 1:30 am to 5:30 am. This service has become very popular.

Long-distance buses leave from Parnell Place in the city centre and go to many places in Ireland. There are buses to Killarney/Tralee, Waterford, Athlone, and Shannon Airport/Ennis/Limerick/Galway. There are also buses to Dublin.

Private bus companies include Irish Citylink, Aircoach, and Dublin Coach. Irish Citylink goes to Limerick and Galway. Aircoach has a fast bus service to Dublin City Centre and Dublin Airport 18 times a day in each direction. Dublin Coach goes to Dublin through Waterford, Kilkenny, and Red Cow.

Harbour and waterways

Road

The roads in Cork have improved a lot since the late 20th century. Big roads were built, like the Cork South Link dual carriageway and the Jack Lynch Tunnel under the River Lee. There are also big roads around the city, like the N25 South Ring Road and the N22 Ballincollig dual carriageway. In the city centre, Patrick Street was made easier for people walking.

Since 2012, there have been more places to ride bikes and bike stands in the city. In 2014, a public bike rental system started with 330 bikes and 31 stations around the city.

Rail

Railway and tramway heritage

Cork used to have many train stations and even trams. The main train route is from Dublin Heuston to Kent Station in Cork. There were also trains to places like Cobh, Midleton, Youghal, Macroom, Blarney, Coachford, Donoughmore, Bantry, Skibbereen, and Clonakilty. There were two tram systems in Cork, but they stopped running in 1931 because more people started using cars and buses.

Current routes

Cork's Kent Station is the main train station. From here, trains go all over Ireland. There are frequent trains to Dublin, and also to places like Killarney, Tralee, Limerick, Ennis, Athenry, and Galway.

The Cork Suburban Rail system also leaves from Kent Station and goes to parts of the city and nearby towns. Stations include Little Island, Mallow, Midleton, Fota, and Cobh. In 2009, a new line opened between Glounthaune and Midleton with new stations at Carrigtwohill and Midleton. Little Island railway station serves the eastern part of Cork.

Education

Cork is an important place for learning in Ireland. More than 35,000 students live in the city, which is more than the rest of the country. Over 10% of the people nearby are students at University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU). These schools welcome nearly 3,000 students from more than 100 countries.

UCC is part of the National University of Ireland and offers many subjects like arts, law, medicine, and science. MTU, formerly known as Cork Institute of Technology, offers courses in computing, business, and engineering. There are also special schools for music, art, and maritime studies, as well as many other colleges and research centers.

Sport

See also: List of Cork people – Sports

Rugby, Gaelic football, hurling, and association football are popular sports for people in Cork.

Gaelic games

Main article: Cork GAA

Hurling and football are very popular in Cork. Cork has won many big competitions, including 30 All-Ireland Championships in hurling and seven All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles in football. There are many clubs in Cork City, such as Blackrock National Hurling Club, St. Finbarr's, Glen Rovers, Na Piarsaigh, Nemo Rangers, and Douglas GAA. The main places to watch games are Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Páirc Uí Rinn. Women’s hurling and women’s Gaelic football are also growing in popularity.

Association football

Main article: League of Ireland in Cork city

Cork City F.C. is the biggest and most successful football team in Cork. They have won three League of Ireland titles, four FAI Cup titles, and one Setanta Sports Cup title. They play their home games in Turners Cross. Many other football teams have played in Cork over the years.

Rugby

Rugby union is played at many levels in Cork. There are two top clubs in the city: Cork Constitution, who play in Ballintemple, and Dolphin R.F.C., who play in Musgrave Park. Other clubs include Highfield, Sunday's Well, and UCC. School teams, like Christian Brothers College and Presentation Brothers College, are also strong.

Water sports

Cork has many water sports, such as rowing and sailing. There are five rowing clubs on the River Lee, including Shandon BC and UCC RC. The "Ocean to City" race happens every year, where teams row 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Crosshaven to Cork city centre. The Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven is the oldest yacht club in the world.

Cricket

The main cricket club in Cork is Cork County Cricket Club, formed in 1874. They play at the Mardyke ground, which has hosted matches between Ireland and Scotland. The Cork Cricket Academy works to bring cricket to schools.

Other sports

Cork has clubs for many other sports, including basketball, American football, inline hockey, golf, pitch and putt, hockey, tennis, and athletics. The city is home to road bowling, boxing, and martial arts clubs. Cork Racing is a motorsport team that races in the Irish Formula Ford Championship. The Leeside Lions are a successful Australian rules football team in Ireland.

Twin cities

Cork has special partnerships with several cities around the world. These include Cologne, Coventry, Rennes, San Francisco, Swansea, and Shanghai. In 2017, Cork was talking about possible partnerships with Bordeaux, Saint Petersburg, and Miami.

Demographics

The population of Cork City and its nearby areas was 208,669 people in the 2016 census, and grew to 224,004 by the 2022 census.

Most people in Cork are from Ireland, but many are also from other European countries and places around the world. The largest group of people follow the Catholic religion, but many people have no religion or belong to other religions. Over time, more people in Cork are choosing not to follow any religion.