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Elsewhere in Europe Heraklion in Crete has recorded the highest temperature so far in Europe this year with 31.6C, Carcaixant in the Valencian area of Spain hit 30.7C
Cork (city)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the city in Ireland. For other uses, see Cork (disambiguation).
| Cork Corcaigh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 From top, left to right: City Hall, the English Market, Quadrangle in UCC, River Lee, Shandon Steeple . | |||
| |||
| Nickname(s): The Rebel City, Leeside, The Real Capital | |||
| Motto: Statio Bene Fida Carinis (Latin) "A safe harbour for ships"[1] | |||
  Cork | |||
Coordinates:  51°53′50″N 8°28′12″W | |||
| State | Ireland | ||
| Province | Munster | ||
| County | Cork | ||
| Founded | 6th century AD | ||
| City rights | 1185 AD | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | City Council | ||
| • Lord Mayor | Mick O'Connell (Labour) | ||
| • LEAs | 6 | ||
| • Dáil Éireann | Cork North–Central Cork South–Central | ||
| • European Parliament | South | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 37.3 km2 (14.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • City | 119,230 | ||
| • Density | 3,194.18/km2 (8,272.9/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 198,582 | ||
| • Demonym | Corkonian, Leesider | ||
| Time zone | WET (UTC0) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | IST (UTC+1) | ||
| Area code(s) | 021 | ||
| Car plates | C | ||
| Website | www.corkcity.ie | ||
County Cork has earned the nickname of "the Rebel County", while Corkonians often refer to the city as the "real capital of Ireland", and themselves as the "Rebels". The city is built on the River Lee which divides into two channels at the western end of the city. The city centre is located on the island created by the channels. At the eastern end of the city centre they converge; and the Lee flows around Lough Mahon to Cork Harbour, one of the world's largest natural harbours.[5][6] The city is a major Irish seaport; there are quays and docks along the banks of the Lee on the city's east side.
| Contents |
History
Patrick Street c.1890–1900. Main article: History of Cork Cork was originally a monastic settlement founded by Saint Finbarr in the 6th century.[7] Cork achieved an urban character at some point between 915 and 922 when Norseman (Viking) settlers founded a trading port.[8] It has been proposed that, like Dublin, Cork was an important trading centre in the global Scandinavian trade network.The city's charter was granted by King John in 1185. The city was once fully walled, and some wall sections and gates remain today.[9] For much of the Middle Ages, Cork city was an outpost of Old English culture in the midst of a predominantly hostile Gaelic countryside and cut off from the English government in the Pale around Dublin. Neighbouring Gaelic and Hiberno-Norman lords extorted "Black Rent" from the citizens in order to keep them from attacking the city. The present extent of the city has exceeded the medieval boundaries of the Barony of Cork City; it now takes in much of the neighbouring Barony of Cork. Together, these baronies are located between the Barony of Barrymore to the east, Muskerry East to the west and Kerryycurrihy to the south.
The city's municipal government was dominated by about 12–15 merchant families, whose wealth came from overseas trade with continental Europe – in particular the export of wool and hides and the import of salt, iron and wine. Of these families, only the Ronayne family were of Gaelic Irish origin. The medieval population of Cork was about 2,100 people. It suffered a severe blow in 1349 when almost half the townspeople died of plague when the Black Death arrived in the town. 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 mayor of Cork and several important citizens went with Warbeck to England but when the rebellion collapsed they were all captured and executed.
A description of Cork written in 1577 speaks of the city as, "the fourth city of Ireland" that is, "so encumbered with evil neighbours, the Irish outlaws, that they are fayne to watch their gates hourly ... they trust not the country adjoining [and only marry within the town] so that the whole city is linked to each other in affinity"
The title of Mayor of Cork was established by royal charter in 1318, and the title was changed to Lord Mayor in 1900 following the Knighthood of the incumbent Mayor by Queen Victoria on her visit to the City.[10]
In the War of Independence, the centre of Cork was gutted by fires started by the British Black and Tans,[11] and the city saw fierce fighting between Irish guerrillas and UK forces. During the Irish Civil War, Cork was for a time held by anti-Treaty forces, until it was retaken by the pro-Treaty National Army in an attack from the sea.
Local government
Cork City Hall reflecting off the River Lee. The Elysian Tower, Ireland's tallest building, can be seen in the background. | [show]Historical populations |
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Climate
The climate of Cork, like the rest of Ireland, is mild and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Cork lies in plant Hardiness zone 10. Met Éireann maintains a climatological weather station at Cork Airport,[19] a few kilometres south of the city. It should be noted that the airport is at an altitude of 151 metres (495 ft) and temperatures can often differ by a few degrees between the airport and the city itself. There are also smaller synoptic weather stations at UCC and Clover Hill.[19]
Temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) or above 25 °C (77 °F) are rare. Cork Airport records an average of 1,194.4 millimetres (3.919 ft)) of precipitation annually, most of which is rain.[20] The airport records an average of 8 days of hail and 16 days of snow or sleet a year; though it only records lying snow for 6 days of the year. The low altitude of the city, and moderating influences of the harbour, mean that lying snow very rarely occurs in the city itself. There are on average 151 "rainy" days a year (over 1 millimetre (0.039 in) of rainfall), of which there are 75 days with "heavy rain" (over 5 millimetres (0.20 in)).[20] Cork is also a generally foggy city, with an average of 100 days of fog a year, most common during mornings and during winter. Despite this, however, Cork is also one of Ireland's sunniest cities, with an average of 3.8 hours of sunshine every day and only having 69 days where there is no "recordable sunshine", mostly during and around winter.[20]
| [hide]Climate data for Cork Airport 1962–1991 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 20.5 (68.9) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.7 (78.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 19.0 (66.2) | 15.9 (60.6) | 13.6 (56.5) | 28.7 (83.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) | 7.5 (45.5) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.3 (52.3) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.6 (61.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.2 (64.8) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.1 (55.6) | 9.9 (49.8) | 8.5 (47.3) | 12.5 (54.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.2 (43.2) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 14.8 (58.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 7.2 (45.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 9.4 (48.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) | 2.5 (36.5) | 3.1 (37.6) | 4.2 (39.6) | 6.5 (43.7) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.9 (51.6) | 9.4 (48.9) | 7.5 (45.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 3.7 (38.7) | 6.3 (43.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8.5 (16.7) | −8.6 (16.5) | −6.1 (21.0) | −2.4 (27.7) | −0.9 (30.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.8 (40.6) | 4.9 (40.8) | 2.3 (36.1) | −0.4 (31.3) | −3.3 (26.1) | −5.9 (21.4) | −8.6 (16.5) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 138.3 (5.445) | 115.6 (4.551) | 98.7 (3.886) | 67.7 (2.665) | 83.4 (3.283) | 68.8 (2.709) | 66.4 (2.614) | 88.7 (3.492) | 96.4 (3.795) | 125.4 (4.937) | 111.1 (4.374) | 133.8 (5.268) | 1,194.4 (47.024) |
| % humidity | 90 | 90 | 88 | 83 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 87 |
| Avg. precipitation days | 20 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 204 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 52.70 | 63.84 | 108.81 | 156.30 | 180.60 | 171.90 | 167.40 | 159.34 | 123.90 | 86.80 | 64.80 | 48.36 | 1,387 |
| Source: Met Éireann | |||||||||||||
Culture
The Glucksman Gallery at UCC. Music, theatre, dance, film and poetry all play a prominent role in Cork city life.[citation needed] The Cork School of Music and the Crawford College of Art and Design provide a throughput of new blood, as do the active theatre components of several courses at University College Cork (UCC). Highlights include: Corcadorca Theatre Company, of which Cillian Murphy was a troupe member[21] prior to Hollywood fame; Cork Film Festival,[22] a supporter of the art of the short film;[citation needed] The Institute for Choreography and Dance, a national contemporary dance resource; the Triskel Arts Centre; Cork Jazz Festival; the Cork Academy of Dramatic Art (CADA), and the Graffiti Theatre Company.[23] The Everyman Palace Theatre and the Granary Theatre both play host to dramatic plays throughout the year.Cork is home to the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, and to many musical acts, including John Spillane, The Frank And Walters, Sultans Of Ping, Simple Kid and the late Rory Gallagher. Singer songwriter Cathal Coughlan and Sean O'Hagan of The High Llamas also hail from Cork. The opera singers Cara O'Sullivan, Mary Hegarty, Brendan Collins, and Sam McElroy are also Cork born. The short story writers Frank O'Connor and Sean O'Faoláin hailed from Cork. Contemporary writers include Thomas McCarthy, Gerry Murphy, and novelist and poet William Wall. There is a thriving literary community[citation needed] centring on The Munster Literature Centre and the Triskel Arts Centre.
The English Market in Cork. Cork has been gaining cultural diversity for many years as a result of immigration, from Western Europe (particularly France and Spain) in the mid to late nineties, and more recently from Eastern European countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary, etc. and in small amount from various African and Asian nations.[citation needed] This is reflected in the recent growth of multi-cultural restaurants and shops, including specialist shops for East-European or Middle-Eastern food, Chinese and Thai restaurants, French patisseries, Indian buffets, and Middle Eastern kebab houses. Cork saw significant Jewish immigration from Lithuania and Russia in the late 19th century. Jewish citizens such as Gerald Goldberg (several times Lord Mayor), David Marcus (novelist) and Louis Marcus (documentary maker) played important roles in 20th century Cork. Today, the Jewish community is relatively small in population, although the city still has a Jewish quarter and synagogue.[24] Cork also features various Christian churches, as well as a mosque. Some Catholic masses around the city are said in Polish, Filipino, Lithuanian, Romanian and other languages,[25] in addition to the traditional Latin and local Irish[26] and English languages.Recent additions to the arts infrastructure include modern additions to Cork Opera House and the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery. The new Lewis Glucksman Gallery opened in the Autumn of 2004 at UCC, was nominated for the Stirling Prize in the United Kingdom, and the building of a new €60 million School of Music was completed in September 2007. Construction of the €50 million Brookfield UCC Medical School complex was completed in 2005.[citation needed]
Cork was the European Capital of Culture for 2005, and in 2009 was included in the Lonely Planet's top 10 "Best in Travel 2010". The guide described Cork as being "at the top of its game: sophisticated, vibrant and diverse".[27]
There is a rivalry between Cork and Dublin, similar to the rivalry between London and Manchester, Sydney and Melbourne or Madrid and Barcelona. Corkonians generally view themselves as different to the rest of Ireland, and refer to themselves as "The Rebels"; the county is known as the Rebel County. This distinctly Corkonian view has in recent years manifested itself in humorous references to the region as The People's Republic of Cork. Citizens of the Real Capital can be seen adorning themselves with t-shirts and other items which celebrate The People's Republic of Cork, printed in various languages, including English, Irish, Polish, Spanish and Italian.
Places of interest
The Angel of the Resurrection, St. Finbarre's Cathedral. Cork features architecturally notable buildings originating from the Medieval to Modern periods.[31] The only notable remnant of the Medieval era is the Red Abbey. There are two cathedrals in the city; St. Mary's Cathedral and St Finbarre's Cathedral. St Mary's Cathedral, often referred to as the North Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city and was built in 1808.Its distinctive tower was added in the 1860's. St Finbarre's Cathedral serves the Protestant faith and is possibly the more famous of the two. It is built on the foundations of an earlier cathedral. Work began in 1862 and ended in 1879 under the direction of architect William Burges.
Cork County Hall was Ireland's tallest building for a time and is located on the western side of the city St. Patrick's Street, the main street of the city which was remodelled in the mid 2000s, is known for the architecture of the buildings along its pedestrian-friendly route and is the main shopping thoroughfare. The reason for its curved shape is that it originally was a channel of the River Lee that was built over on arches.[32] The General Post Office, with its limestone façade, is one of the most prominent buildings on the street and the focal point of much pedestrian activity. The original building on this site, the Theatre Royal was built in 1760 and burned down in 1840. The English circus proprietor Pablo Fanque, who enjoyed fame again in the 20th Century when The Beatles referenced him in a song, rebuilt an amphitheatre on this spot in 1850, which was subsequently transformed into a theatre and then into the present General Post Office in 1877.[33] [34] The adjacent Grand Parade is a tree-lined avenue, home to offices, shops and financial institutions. The old financial centre is the South Mall, with several banks whose interior derive from the 19th century, such as the Allied Irish Bank's which was once an exchange.
St Finbarre's Cathedral Many of the city's buildings are in the Georgian style, although there are a number of examples of modern landmark structures, such as County Hall tower, which was, at one time the tallest building in Ireland[35] until being superseded by another Cork City building: The Elysian. Across the river from County Hall is Ireland's longest building; built in Victorian times, Our Lady's Psychiatric Hospital has now been renovated and converted into a residential housing complex called Atkins Hall, after its architect William Atkins.Cork's most famous building is the church tower of Shandon, which dominates the North side of the city. It is widely regarded as the symbol of the city. The North and East sides are faced in red sandstone, and the West and South sides are clad in the predominant stone of the region, white limestone. At the top sits a weather vane in the shape of an eleven-foot salmon.[36]
City Hall, another notable building of limestone, replaced the previous one which was destroyed by the Black and Tans during the War of Independence in an event known as the "Burning of Cork".[11] The cost of this new building was provided by the UK Government in the 1930s as a gesture of reconciliation.[37]
Other notable places include Elizabeth Fort, the Cork Opera House, St Mary's Dominican Church, Popes Quay and Fitzgerald's Park to the west of the city. Other popular tourist attractions include the grounds of University College Cork, through which the River Lee flows, The Women's Gaol at Sundays Well (now a heritage centre) and the English Market. This covered market traces its origins back to 1610, and the present building dates from 1786.[38]
Up until April 2009, there were also two large commercial breweries in the city. The Beamish and Crawford on South Main Street closed in April 2009 and transferred production to the Murphy's brewery in Lady's Well. This brewery also produces Heineken for the Irish market. There is also the Franciscan Well brewery, serving the local market with a variety of lagers, ales and stouts. In May 2008 it was awarded as the "Best Microbrewery in Ireland" by Food and Wine Magazine.
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