County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also
part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork. Cork County Council
is the local authority for the county. Its largest towns are Cork City, Ballincollig
and Carrigaline. In 2011, the county's population was 518,128 making it the second most populous
of the counties in the Republic of Ireland.
Local government and political subdivisions There are two local authorities whose remit
collectively encompasses the geographic area of the county and city of Cork. The county,
excluding Cork city, is administered by Cork County Council, while the city is administered
separately by Cork City Council. Both city and county are part of the South-West Region.
For standardized European statistical purposes both Cork County Council and Cork City Council
rank equally as first-level local administrative units of the NUTS 3 South-West Region. There
are 34 such LAU 1 entities in the Republic of Ireland.
Each local authority is responsible for certain local services within its jurisdiction, such
as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, the collection of motor taxation, local roads
and social housing. For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county
is divided into five constituencies—Cork East, Cork North–Central, Cork North–West,
Cork South–Central and Cork South–West. Together they return 19 deputies to the Dáil.
The county is part of the South constituency for the purposes of European elections.
For purposes other than local government, such as the formation of sporting teams, the
term "County Cork" is often taken to include both city and county.
Geography and political subdivisions County Cork is located in the province of
Munster. It borders four other counties: Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary
to the north-east and Waterford to the east. Cork is largest county in the state by land
area. The population of Cork city stood at 119,230 in 2011. The population of County
Cork is 519,032, making it the state's second most populous county and the fourth-most populous
county on the island of Ireland. The remit of Cork County Council includes some suburbs
of the city not within the area of Cork City Council.
Baronies There are 24 historic baronies in the county—the
most of any county in Ireland. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they
are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated
by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed.
Civil parishes and townlands
There are 253 civil parishes in the county. Townlands are the smallest officially defined
geographical divisions in Ireland; there are approximately 5447 townlands in the county.
Mountains and upland habitats The county's main mountain ranges include:
the Slieve Miskish and Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula, the Ballyhoura Mountains
on the border with Limerick and the Shehy Mountains which contain Knockboy the highest
point in Cork. The Shehy Mountains are on the border with Kerry and may be accessed
from the area known as Priests Leap, near the village of Coomhola. The Galtee Mountains
are located across parts of Tipperary, Limerick and Cork and are Ireland's highest inland
mountain range. The upland areas of the Ballyhoura, Boggeragh, Derrynasaggart and the Mullaghareirk
Mountain ranges add to the range of habitats found in the county. Important habitats in
the uplands include blanket bog, heath, glacial lakes and upland grasslands. Cork has the
13th highest county peak in Ireland. Rivers and lakes
The three great rivers: the Bandon, the Blackwater and the Lee, and their valleys dominate central
Cork. Habitats of the valleys and floodplains include woodlands, marshes, fens and species-rich
limestone grasslands. The river Bandon flows through many towns including Dunmanway in
the west to the town of Bandon before draining into Kinsale Harbour on Ireland's south coast.
Cork has two well-known sea loughs, Lough Hyne and Lough Mahon, and also contains many
small lakes. An area has formed where the River Lee breaks into a network of channels
weaving through a series of wooded islands. There are 85 hectares of swamp around Cork's
wooded area. The Environmental Protection Agency carried out a survey of surface waters
in County Cork between 1995 and 1997 which identified 125 rivers and 32 lakes covered
by the regulations. Coastline
Cork has a mountainous and flat landscape with many beaches and sea cliffs along its
coast. The southwest of Ireland is known for its peninsulas and some in Cork include the
Beara Peninsula, Sheep's Head, Mizen Head and Brow Head. Brow Head is the most southerly
point of mainland Ireland. There are many islands off the coast of the county, in particular
off West Cork. Carbery's Hundred Isles are the islands around Long Island Bay and Roaringwater
Bay. Fastnet Rock lies in the Atlantic Ocean 11.3 km south of mainland Ireland, making
it the most southerly point of Ireland. Many notable islands lie off Cork, including Bere,
Great, Sherkin and Cape Clear. Cork has 1,094 km of coastline, the second-longest coastline
of any county after Mayo, which has 1,168 km. Land and forestry
Like many parts of Munster, Cork has rich fertile agricultural land and many bog and
peatlands. Cork has approximately 74,000 hectares of peatlands, which amounts to 9.8% of the
county's total land area. And the county contains approximately 79,188 hectares of forest and
woodland area, or 10.5% of Corks land area, higher than the national average of 9%.
Wildlife The hooded crow, corvus cornix is a common
bird, particularly in areas nearer the coast. Due to this bird's ability to prey upon small
lambs, the gun clubs of Cork County have killed a large number of these birds in modern times.
A collection of the marine algae is housed in the Herbarium of the botany department
of the University College Cork. Parts of the South West coastline are hotspots
for sightings of rare birds, with Cape Clear being a prime location for bird watching.
The island is also home to one of only a few gannet colonies around Ireland and the UK.
A major attraction to the coastline of Cork is whale watching, with sightings of fin whales,
basking sharks, pilot whales, minke whales, and other species being frequent.
History
The county is colloquially referred to as "The Rebel County". This name has 15th Century
origins, but from the 20th century the name has been more commonly attributed to the prominent
role Cork played in the Irish War of Independence when it was the scene of considerable fighting.
In addition, it was an anti-treaty stronghold during the Irish Civil War. Much of what is
now county Cork was once part of the Kingdom of Deas Mumhan, anglicised as "Desmond", ruled
by the MacCarthy Mór dynasty. After the Norman Invasion in the 12th century, the McCarthy
clan were pushed westward into what is now West Cork and County Kerry. Dunlough Castle,
standing just north of Mizen Head, is one of the oldest castles in Ireland. The north
and east of Cork were taken by the Hiberno-Norman FitzGerald dynasty, who became the Earls of
Desmond. Cork City was given an English Royal Charter in 1318 and for many centuries was
an outpost for Old English culture. The Fitzgerald Desmond dynasty was destroyed in the Desmond
Rebellions of 1569–1573 and 1579–83. Much of county Cork was devastated in the fighting,
particularly in the Second Desmond Rebellion. In the aftermath, much of Cork was colonised
by English settlers in the Plantation of Munster. In 1491 Cork played a part in the English
Wars of the Roses when Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne, landed in the city
and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow Henry VII of England. The Cork people
fought with Perkin because he was French and not English, they were the only county in
Ireland to join the fight. 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.
In 1601 the decisive Battle of Kinsale took place in County Cork, which was to lead to
English domination of Ireland for centuries. Kinsale had been the scene of a landing of
Spanish troops to help Irish rebels in the Nine Years' War. When this force was defeated,
the rebel hopes for victory in the war were all but ended. County Cork was officially
created by a division of the older County Desmond in 1606.
In the 19th century, Cork was a centre for the Fenians and for the constitutional nationalism
of the Irish Parliamentary Party, from 1910 that of the All-for-Ireland Party. The county
was a hotbed of guerrilla activity during the Irish War of Independence. Three Cork
Brigades of the Irish Republican Army operated in the county and another in the city. Prominent
actions included the Kilmichael Ambush in November 1920 and the Crossbarry Ambush in
March 1921. The activity of IRA flying columns, such as the one under Tom Barry in west Cork,
was popularised in the Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes The Barley. On 11 December
1920 Cork City centre was gutted by fires started by the Black and Tans in reprisal
for IRA attacks. Over 300 buildings were destroyed, many other towns and villages around the county
suffered a similar fate including Fermoy. During the Irish Civil War, most of the IRA
units in Cork sided against the Anglo-Irish Treaty. From July to August 1922 they held
the city and county as part of the so-called Munster Republic. However, Cork was taken
by troops of the Irish Free State in August 1922 in the Irish Free State offensive, that
included both overland and seaborne attacks. For the remainder of the war, the county saw
sporadic guerrilla fighting until the Anti-Treaty side called a ceasefire and dumped their arms
in May 1923. Michael Collins, a key figure in the War of Independence, was born near
Clonakilty and assassinated during the civil war in Béal na Bláth, both in west Cork.
Irish language County Cork has two Gaeltacht areas where
the Irish language is the primary medium of everyday speech. These are Múscraí in the
north of the county, especially the villages of Cúil Aodha and Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh,
and Oileán Chléire, an island in the west. There are 14,829 Irish language speakers in
County Cork with 3,660 native speakers in the Cork Gaeltacht. In addition there are
6,273 who attend the 21 Gaelscoils and six Gaelcholáiste all across the county. According
to the Irish Census 2006 there are 4,896 people in the county who identify themselves as being
daily Irish speakers outside of the education system.
Ballingeary is an important centre for Irish-language tuition, with an active summer school, Coláiste
na Mumhan, or the College of Munster. Anthem
The song "The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee" is the song traditionally associated with
the county. It is often heard at GAA and other sports fixtures involving the county.
Media There are several media publications printed
and distributed in County Cork. These include publications from Thomas Crosbie Holdings,
most notably the Irish Examiner and its sister publication, the Evening Echo. Local and regional
newspapers include the The Cork News, Carrigdhoun, the Cork Independent, The Corkman, the Mallow
Star, the Douglas Post, the East Cork Journal and the Southern Star.
Radio stations available in the county include: Cork's 96FM and dual-franchise C103, CRY 104.0FM,
Red FM, and Life FM. Places of interest
Attractions include the Blarney Stone and Cobh, the port where many Irish emigrants
boarded for their voyage to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States
and also the last stop of the Titanic, before departing on its fated journey. It is home
the World's Oldest Yacht Club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven.
Fota Island is a tourist attraction due to Fota Wildlife Park which is the only wildlife
park in Ireland, Fota House and Gardens, and the Fota Golf Club and Resort; a European
Tour standard golf course which has also hosted the Irish Open in recent times.
West Cork is a popular destination for British, German, French and Dutch tourists, who visit
the small villages and islands at Carbery's Hundred Isles including Sherkin Island, Oileán
Chléire or Cape Clear Island and Dursey Island. Mizen Head, the "southwesternmost point in
Ireland" is also in West Cork, as is Sheep's Head. Lough Hyne is a marine lake in West
Cork, Ireland, about 5 km southwest of Skibbereen. West Cork is noted for its rugged natural
beauty, fine beaches and distinct social atmosphere. In 2010 the Cork and Swansea route re-opened
to allow tourists and visitors to travel from Cork to Swansea.
Since the late 1970s, there have been direct ferries from Cork to Roscoff, France.
Economy
The South-West region comprising counties Cork and Kerry contribute € 24,877 billion
towards the Irish GDP. The harbour area to the immediate east of the city is home to
a large number of pharmaceutical and medical companies. Mahon Point Shopping Centre is
Cork and Munster's largest shopping centre and has over 75 stores including a retail
park. People
The people of County Cork are often very vocal in their praise and admiration of their home
county. This is especially true if they are based outside of Cork or are speaking of it
to people of other counties. This has become somewhat of a joke among other Irish people.
Cork people even sometimes refer to their native county as a separate country, the so-called
"People's Republic of Cork" and claim to desire independence from the rest of the country.
There is also a joking belief among the population of Cork that it is the Real capital of Ireland
and they frequently refer to it as such. Common surnames in the county include Buckley,
Callaghan, Connell, Connolly, Connor, Crowley, Fleming, Hurley, Lane, Lynch, McAuliffe, McCarthy,
Moriarty, Murphy, O'Connor, O'Leary, O'Sullivan, Sheehan, Smith and Walsh. Norman names associated
with County Cork include Keating, Fitzgerald and Savage.
Demographics
Cork city is the only city in the county and the second most populous city in the Republic
of Ireland, with a population of 199,230 according to the 2011 census. Cork city is the third
most populous city on the island of Ireland. According to the 2006 Census statistics, the
county has 11 towns with a population of over 4,000. County Cork has a population of just
over 519,032 making it the second most populous county in Ireland and the third most populous
county on the island of Ireland. The county has a population density of 64 persons/km2
which is much higher than neighbouring Kerry and Tipperary although quite low by world
standards, and Cork has a mostly rural landscape. A large percentage of the population live
in urban areas. See also
High Sheriff of County Cork List of abbeys and priories in the Republic
of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Cork
Regional accents of English Wild Atlantic Way
References
External links Cork County Council
Guide to County Cork for Tourism & Business County Cork Travel guide
People's Republic of Cork Cork's War of Independence
Gaelscoil stats Irish Census 2006
Gaeltacht Comprehensive Language Study 2007