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Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) is situated on the banks of the River Lee in the south of the country. With a city population of 119,418 in 2006 (190,384 including suburbs) [1] it is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the third largest in all of Ireland.
Cork is the anglicised version of the Irish word Corcaigh, which means marsh. The city centre was originally built on marshland and boats were able to navigate into the channels which separated the many islands. Many of the wider streets, such as St Patrick's Street, the South Mall and the Grand Parade, are actually built on former river channels. St Patrick's Street is Cork's commercial hub, and is known colloquially as either "Patrick Street" or "Panna".
The center of the city forms an arrow-shaped island between the North and South channels of the River Lee. There are upwards of thirty bridges over the two channels. This, combined with the one-way traffic system, can make the centre a little bit confusing for first-time visitors. The River Lee flows from West to East, and outside of the centre, hills rise steeply to the Northside, while the Southside is flatter. St. Anne's Church watches over Shandon, just to the North of the river. The University is about 2km to the west of the centre.
The Train Station is about 1 km to the East of the centre. Shops are generally concentrated around St. Patrick's Street, Oliver Plunkett Street, Paul Street and North Main Street. Bars and Restaurants can be found everywhere, but especially around MacCurtain Street, Washington Street and Oliver Plunkett Street. Financial businesses are centred on the area around the South Mall and the Administrative heart of the city is on Anglesea Street.
The patron Saint of Cork, Saint Finbar (c.550-c.620) founded a monastery on the south bank of the River Lee approximately 1,400 years ago. A settlement grew up around this monastery and was added to (and ransacked) by Viking invaders during the ninth and tenth centuries. The town grew and the English Norman King Henry II, who had been requested by Pope Adrian IV (the only English Pope) to collect papal dues not paid, gave Cork city status in 1185.
Cork slowly grew during the late middle ages, developing into a crowded, walled city, centered around North and South Main Streets. The city enjoyed a golden age of sorts during the seventeenth century providing butter to ships which plied the North Atlantic. During this period the city expanded and many Italianate residences were built on the hills to the North in Sunday's Well and Montenotte.
After a sluggish start following independence, the city grew substantially during the latter half of the twentieth century. Currently, as a result of the Celtic Tiger phenomenon, development is having a profound effect on all aspects of the city, including its appearance, mostly for the better. From a small merchant town, Cork has grown into a cosmopolitan and vibrant city that, within the Republic of Ireland, is second only to Dublin in size and importance.
Statio Bene Fide Carinis' – "A safe Harbour for ships" is the motto of the city that is found on the coat of arms.
In recent years Cork has developed a slightly separatist mentality [2] when compared to other parts of Ireland. This is most evident in colloquial speech (Cork Slang) [3] and references to Ireland's capital, Dublin. This is, however, mostly tongue-in-cheek humour.
Car ferry services depart from Ringaskiddy (15km SE of the city) to Roscoff and Swansea. Ferries sail to/from Ringaskiddy through Cork Harbour (the second largest natural harbour in the world; Sydney harbour being the largest) and past Cobh - the last port of call for the Titanic. From April to October there is a weekly ferry service to Roscoff in France with Brittany Ferries [4]. The Cork-Swansea ferry service was suspended in 2007 for lack of a suitable vessel. The Cork-Swansea ferry service will be reinstated in 2010 with the new operator Fastnet Line [5] resuming the service in March.
Cork Airport [6] (IATA: ORK) is the 3rd largest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport. The airport is located 8km south of the city centre, connected by the N27 Kinsale Road. The destinations focus on Great Britain and Western Europe, with connections to Dublin and Belfast also available.
Among the main scheduled passenger operators out of Cork Airport [7] are Aer Arann [8], Aer Lingus [9], Air Southwest [10], BMI Baby [11], Jet2 [12], Ryanair [13], and Wizz Air [14]. Destinations include [15]:
There is a taxi rank located outside the arrivals entrance. Taxis to the city centre cost around €20 and can carry up to 4 passengers (or up to 8 if you request a van-style taxi). Fares for longer journeys are reasonably priced and negotiable.
Bus Éireann [16] route 226 [17] links the airport with the city centre. Route 249 [18] stops at the airport on its route between Cork and Kinsale.
SkyLink [19] operate the Cork Airport Express shuttle service every 30 minutes (recognisable by their bright yellow buses). There are two routes to the city centre: Route 1 via MacCurtain St and Route 2 via Western Road / Washington St.
Shannon Airport [20] (IATA: SNN) may be useful for some travellers. There are direct flights to Shannon from the United States and different selection of European cities. Shannon is connected to Cork in 2 hours 25 minutes by Bus Éireann [21] and SkyLink [22] bus services.
The train service in Ireland is operated by Irish Rail [23] (Irish: Iarnród Éireann) which provides rail services from Cork to Dublin (16 trains per day), Cobh (22), Tralee (3 direct, 6 with one change) and Mallow. All other towns and cities are accessible through connecting trains.
Cork's main station is Kent Station, located on the Lower Glanmire Road, a 10-minute walk east of St Patrick's Street.
Trains in Ireland can be expensive by comparison by other modes of transport. For example, a single (one-way) adult ticket from Dublin to Cork typically costs €36 if booked online [24], though a certain number of services offer a €20 single fare if booked online. Be aware that adult single tickets bought at the station cost €66 [25], almost the same price as a return journey. By booking online on the Dublin train you will be automatically allocated a reserved seat; you can also select which seat you would like manually.
The Irish Rail network is undergoing a significant upgrading in terms of both infrastructure and rolling stock.
Four routes operate from Kent Station, Cork:
1. Intercity route to Dublin Heuston, serving: Mallow, Charleville, Limerick Junction, Thurles, Templemore, Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Kildare, Dublin Heuston.
2. Intercity route to Tralee, serving: Mallow, Banteer, Millstreet, Rathmore, Killarney, Farranfore, Tralee
3. Commuter route to Cobh, serving: Little Island, Glounthane, Fota, Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke, Cobh.
4. Commuter route to Mallow, serving: Mallow.
The main nationwide bus carrier in Ireland is Bus Éireann [26] who run services from Dublin to Cork every two hours, on even hours from 8AM until 6PM. Similar express direct bus services exist to Waterford (hourly), Killarney, and Limerick, Shannon Airport and Galway (hourly).
Aircoach [27] also run services to and from Dublin every two hours, on odd hours from 7AM until 7PM. A connecting bus goes to Dublin Airport.
City Link [28] operate services on the Limerick-Shannon Airport-Galway route.
The main inter-city road network in Ireland has received a lot of investment in recent years, though sections of poor road still exist, even on the road between the largest cities.
The M7 and M8 which connect Cork to Dublin is mostly motorway with 2 lanes in each direction. Approximate journey time is 3 hours 15 minutes in good conditions.
The N20 to Limerick is mostly single carriageway with one lane in each direction; there are short sections of dual-carriageway (2 lanes in each direction) around Cork and Limerick. Approximate journey time is 1 hour 45 minutes.
The main arteries into Cork are mostly wide and in good condition, but outside of these the streets can be very narrow and steep; drivers who are unfamiliar with this style of close-knit street layout may find these conditions extremely challenging.
Car rental services in Cork mainly operate out of Cork Airport. The close proximity of Cork Airport to Cork City means that this is not as inconvenient as it might appear, particularly when the excellent bus and taxi services are included. Below are the car rental companies listed on the Cork Airport [29] Website as having locations at Cork Airport:
Cork has a small city centre. A visitor will most likely be staying, eating, drinking and touring in the city centre. Taxis are plentiful (except for late Friday and Saturday nights, when demand exceeds supply). There is a bus service to the residential suburbs. Most buses leave from the main street, Patrick's Street or the nearby bus station at Parnell Place.
A guided bus tour departs from near the junction of Grand Parade and South Mall at regular intervals and provides an interesting tour of the main highlights of Cork for those who do not have a lot of time on their hands.
There are numerous Taxi ranks located throughout cork city, fares are calculated on a meter and all taxis are the same price. Fares are also negotiable for longer out of town trips. Most drivers also offer fixed priced guided tours. (See taxi regulator: [34])
Taxis appear as normal cars except with a yellow bar above it with their license number and 'TAXI' or the Irish equivalent 'TACSAÍ' written on it. If the light's on, the taxi is free, but some taximen forget to turn on and off their light, so check to see if anyone's in the cab.
Cork has a thriving cultural scene that was acknowledged internationally when it was named the European Capital of Culture for 2005. Several festivals are held annually in the city giving the visitor an opportunity to experience a wide range of music, theatre and film.
Rugby: Musgrave Park the auxillary stadium for the 2 Times European Champions Munster. Munster are currently considered one of the best teams in Europe. Munster play some of their non-Heineken Cup Fixtures here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munster_Rugby
If you're in Cork City on a Friday night and you want to go out and enjoy the city's pub culture then a great way to do it is by going on The Unofficial Cork City Pub Crawl[45]. It's a free pub crawl organised by local energetic youths, with the aim of creating a buzz or a bit of craic amongst the tourists of Cork City.They run it every Friday, starting at 8PM outside the GPO on Oliver Plunkett St. and take the group to at least 6 pubs, all of which are different and interesting. There are drink deals, free food and free entry into a club at the end of the night. The group is a good blend of locals and backpackers and people can come and go as they please but it gets bigger and bigger as the night goes on. It's a great way to meet and mingle with locals and tourists, see the city, sample the local beers and have a fun time.
Barrack Street is known in Cork for its amount and variety of bars. The Barrack St. Challenge challenge is to drink one pint in each bar starting in Nancy Spain's and still be able to walk by the time you reach the Brewery. Cork is also well known for its live music scene.
There are a handful of hostels in the city:
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Cork is a safer city than Dublin. During the night caution should be taken, as in any situation involving large numbers of people and alcohol. Like in Britain, late night street fights are much more common in Ireland than in Western Europe and Asia. This is due to a combination of 3 factors.
Local people can usually spot a troublemaker quickly, but if you are from "out of town" it's better to play it safe. When people come out from the pubs and clubs, stay away from any over-exuberant people, the majority of these are just having a good time but there is a minority who may look to start a fight. If they call to you, ignore them and move away from them quickly: if you're not there you can’t be hit.
As in most cities, if your safety feels compromised, approach any of the many police or doormen in the city centre, who will provide assistance.
Barryscourt Castle. On the way to Cobh, just before Fota. Historic restored Norman Castle and seat of the famous Barry Family. Guided tours available. There is a nice cafe adjacent and a heritage orchard with an example of every type of Irish Apple Tree.
Kinsale: Pretty seaside town 30 mintues South of Cork by Car. Famous for its food festival and restuarants especially seafood. Good pubs too. Charles Fort is nearby and it is an excellant example of 17th Centuary Star shaped fort: guided tours available.
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CORK (perhaps through Sp. corcha from Lat. cortex, bark, but possibly connected with quercus, oak), the outer layer of the bark of an evergreen species of oak (Quercus Suber). The tree reaches the height of about 30 ft., growing in the south of Europe and on the North African coasts generally; but it is principally cultivated in Spain and Portugal. The outer layer of bark in the cork oak by annual additions from within gradually becomes a thick soft homogeneous mass, possessing those compressible and elastic properties upon which the economic value of the material chiefly depends. The first stripping of cork from young trees takes place when they are from fifteen to twenty years of age. The yield, which is rough, unequal and woody in texture, is called virgin cork, and is useful only as a tanning substance, or for forming rustic work in ferneries, conservatories, &c. Subsequently the bark is removed every eight or ten years, the quality of the cork improving with each successive stripping; and the trees continue to live and thrive under the operation for 150 years and upwards. The produce of the second barking is still so coarse in texture that it is only fit for making floats for nets and for similar applications. The operation of stripping the trees takes place during the months of July and August. Two cuts are made round the stem - one a little above the ground, and the other immediately under the spring of the main branches. Between these three or four longitudinal incisions are then made, the utmost care being taken not to injure the inner bark. The cork is thereafter removed in the sections into which it has been cut, by inserting under it the wedge-shaped handle of the implement used in making the incisions. After the outer surface has been scraped and cleaned, the pieces are flattened by heating them over a fire and submitting them to pressure on a flat surface. In the heating operation the surface is charred, and thereby the pores are closed up, and what is termed "nerve" is given to the material. In this state the cork is ready for manufacture or exportation.
Though specially developed in the cork-oak, the substance cork is an almost universal product in the stems (and roots) of woody plants which increase in diameter year by year. Generally towards the end of the first year the original thin protective layer of a stem or branch is replaced by a thin layer of "cork," that is a layer of cells the living contents of which have disappeared while the walls have become thickened and toughened as the result of the formation in them of a substance known as suberin. Fresh cork is formed each season by an active formative layer below the layer developed last season, which generally peels off. Where the formation is extensive and persistent as in the cork-oak, a thick covering of cork is formed. In some cases, as on young shoots of the cork-elm, the development is irregular and wing-like outgrowths of cork are formed. In northern Russia a similar method to that used for obtaining cork from the cork-oak is employed with the birch.
Cork possesses a combination of properties which peculiarly fits it for many and diverse uses, for some of which it alone is found applicable. The leading purpose for which it is used is for forming bungs and stoppers for bottles and other vessels containing liquids. Its compressibility, elasticity and practical imperviousness to both air and water so fit it for this purpose that the term cork is even more applied to the function than to the substance. Its specific lightness, combined with strength and durability, recommend it above all other substances for forming life-buoys, belts and jackets, and in the construction of life-boats and other apparatus for saving from drowning. On account of its lightness, softness and non-conducting properties it is used for hat-linings and the soles of shoes, the latter being a very ancient application of cork. It is also used in making artificial limbs, for lining entomological cases, for pommels in leather-dressing, and as a medium for making architectural models. Chips and cuttings are ground up and mixed with india-rubber to form kamptulicon floor-cloth, or "cork-carpet." The inner bark of the cork-tree is a valuable tanning material.
Certain of the properties and uses of cork were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the latter, we find by Horace (Odes iii. 8), used it as a stopper for wine-vessels: "corticem adstrictum pice dimovebit amphorae" It appears, however, that cork was not generally used for stopping bottles till so recent a period as near the end of the 17th century, and bottles themselves were not employed for storing liquids till the 15th century. Many substitutes have been proposed for cork as a stoppering agent; but except in the case of aerated liquids none of these has recommended itself in practice. For aerated water bottles several successful devices have been introduced. The most simple of these is an indiarubber ball pressed upwards into the narrow of the bottle neck by the force of the gas contained in the water; and in another system a glass ball is similarly pressed against an india-rubber collar inserted in the neck of the bottle. By analogy the term "to cork" is used of any such devices for sealing up a bottle or aperture.
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