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Motto: Statio Bene Fida Carinis (Latin)
"A safe harbour for ships"
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Cork, The Rebel City, is the second largest and third most populous city in Ireland, just behind Belfast and Dublin, with a population exceeding 300.000 in the greater Metropolitan Cork area.
We arrived at the city center, which is divided by River Lee, at St Patrick's Street.
Cork has the nickname The Rebel City for it's collaboration with pretender Perkin Warbeck, during the Wars of the Roses: The mayor of Cork and several citizens went with Warbeck to England in a plan to overthrow Henry VII, but the rebellion failed and they were captured and executed.
Besides adopting the nickname The Rebels, some Corkians also claim that Cork should be Ireland's Capital and not Dublin, showing the existence of a healthy dispute between the two cities. - Cork was the European Capital of Culture in 2005
Cork is a prosperous coastal city, known for being Ireland's 'Food Capital'. Cork's traditional food include different types of Cheese, like Durrus chesse and Gubbeen cheese and animal cuts, like Crubeens; boiled pigs' feet, Tripe; edible lining from stomachs and Drisheen; blood pudding, often paired with tripe, a meal strongly associated with Cork.
The city was the birthplace to many TV Personalities, Writers, Actors and Sport Players
Important Events: Burning of Cork
Interesting Facts:
- Actor Jack Gleeson, known for playing Jeoffrey in Game of Thrones, was born in Cork.
- Actor Cillian Murphy was born in Cork
- Cork Airport is one of Ireland's main airports.
- The first factory that Ford Motor Company built outside of America was in Cork, where owner Henry Ford’s ancestors were from.
- Cobh port in Cork was Titanic's last port stop
- Cork is an important educational centre in Ireland - There are over 35,000 third level students in the city, meaning the city has a higher ratio of students in the population than the national average.
The Greenway in Waterford set us in the right direction, creating a pleasant way to Cork City.
On our way to St Patrick's Street we passed through Cork Harbour, a view we could not ignore. Cork harbour claims to be the second largest natural harbour in the world, and has major significance in energy generation, shipping, military, refining and pharmaceuticals, also hosting the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service. The harbour also has 12 populated Islands.
Including:
- Great Island – The largest island in Cork Harbour, which includes the town of Cobh
- Fota Island – Containing Fota Wildlife Park, Fota Golf Course, Fota House and Arboretum and the Fota Island Resort Hotel
- Little Island – A residential and industrial area
- Haulbowline Island – Headquarters of the Irish Naval Service
- Spike Island – Former prison island
- Hop Island, County Cork – Site of an equestrian centre
- Corkbeg Island, County Cork – Whitegate Oil Refinery
- Rocky Island – Once housed a magazine building for the Royal Navy. Used by Irish Steel for storage until 2002. Now home to The Island Crematorium, the first crematorium in Ireland outside Dublin.
We hope his aerial video makes it justice, but walking around this view, feeling the ocean breeze and smelling the waters is something we can't trade.
We arrived by the main shopping street in Waterford, St Patrick's street, a competitor for Grafton Street in Dublin.
Since it's redevelopment in 2004 it was awarded Ireland's Best Shopping Street twice.
The street dates from the 18th century and is curved due to being over an arm of River Lee. The street is a visible sign of the expansion of Cork beyond it's medieval walls.
The redevelopment done in 2004 by architect Beth Gali was made to turn the street more pedestrian friendly, including repaving and widening of existing pedestrian pavements, and to rejuvenate and modernize it.
The street is home to many large retail outlets, from videogame stores to health stores.
There is a monument in the street honoring priest Theobald Mathew, creator of 'Total Abstinence Society' movement, which promoted complete abstinence from intoxicating beverages.
We also got a chance to see The Elysian, a collection of 6-8 storey buildings with the tallest building in Ireland, being 68m/224ft tall.
The building was completed in 2008, during an economic crisis in Ireland, and one year after it's completion 80% of the 211 apartments remained unsold and 50% of it's commercial units vacant, earning the building the nickname "The Idle Tower" (Idle Hour reference).We were surprised to see that there is actually an Aldi supermarket on the ground floor, opened in 2014. The Elysian was bought by Carbon in 2015.
Walking further into Patrick's street we went by the English Market, and got in to have a look a the Crubeens personally. They say it is nice when cooked, but we won't eat any meat for this week, so we will pass it this time.
English Market is a food market comprised of two different markets; Princes Street Market and Grand Parade Market, and exists on the same spot since 1788. The market is administered by the city council, which refurbished it in 1980 after it was damaged by fire.
The market is known for it's fresh fish and for it's butchers, serving many of the city's top restaurants. However, after it's refurbishment the market has also become more multicultural, selling a variety of international produce.
Our path took us to Church of St Anne, atop a hill overlooking River Lee. We heard much about it on the way here, and couldn't wait to visit it.
The present Church was constructed in 1722, due to the population growth in Cork, but two other churches dedicated to St Anne existed on this site.
We can clearly see why the church is so remarkable; for It's red sandstone and limestone structure reaching 51m/170ft into the sky, it's 8 Ellacombe bells, each with a peace of a poem, which we could ring ourselves, the amazing view of the city from it's observation area in the tower, and it's four clocks telling the time from all directions.
That was all for our visit in Cork, despite being so short we had a very good time.
All the stops we made here where on the road to Limerick.
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