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Cork or Corcaigh, in Irish, means a marshy place, and it would have been because it was settled on the banks of, and islands within, the river Lee. Saint Finbarr founded an abbey school on the site where the 19th century Gothic St Finbarr's Cathedral stands today. The Vikings arrived in 820 and wrecked the settlement which had grown up around the abbey and built a new one on the islands. Today the oldest part of the city is nestling on an island.
In the 12th century the Norman's invaded, took the city and fortified it. These fortifications survived Cromwell but were however knocked down during the siege of Cork in 1690 when William of Orange was at war with James II. After that Cork began to take it's present shape. Waterborn trade brought increasing prosperity which can be seen in the 18th century bow fronted houses and the 19th century church architecture around the city.
We started at the crazy little area of Shandon. Home to what used to be the butter exchange it was opened in 1770 and was where butter was graded before export, largely to the Royal Navy. It was closed in 1924 and part of the original building is now a craft centre. I say crazy because the air is full of slightly out of tune bell ringing. The nearby church, St Anne's of Shandon, will allow anyone to ring the church bells for a small fee, and they do, all day long! You can also climb into the bell tower which is interesting and not too hot on health and safety! The church was built in 1772 and it used to have four clock faces that all told a different time, it still has the clock faces but since 1986 some boring old devil put the times right and so it is no longer known as the 'four faced liar'.
Cobh, pronounced "Cove" lies on the Great Island, one of three islands in Cork Harbour which are now linked by causeways. It has one of the world's largest natural harbours and it was an important naval base during the 18th century. It was also the main port from which the Irish emigrated to America and convicts were deported to Australia. After the famine between 1848 and 1950 six million people emigrated from Ireland and two and a half million of them left from Cobh. The Titanic made it's last port of call here and the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by German U Boats nearby off Kinsale. There is a memorial on the quay to the 1,198 victims who are buried in Cobh's cemetery.
The Royal Gunpowder Mills in Ballincollig 8km west of Cork on the main Killarney road were established in 1794. They flourished during the Napoleonic wars when they were also used as a British military base. They have reconstructed one of the twelve mills as it would have looked in 1870. All that's left of the other mills is the system of canals, evidence of where grinding wheels would have been and huge blast walls that look like the ends of enormous buildings. In fact they protected the other mills should one blow up!
Moving right out of Cork to the north east for about 1 1/2 hours on the N8 is Cashel, just east of Tipperary. This old town is not to be missed for two reasons apart from the town itself. First the castle, Cashel means castle, St Patrick's Rock is quite remarkable. Parts of it date back to the 5th century, it has a fine round tower, 12th century, and an enormous Cathedral which was sadly destroyed by Cromwell.
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