Cork borders four other counties:Kerry to the west,Limerick to the north,Tipperary to the north-east andWaterford to the east. The county contains the southern section of theGolden Vale pastureland that extends into theBlackwater valley. The south-west region, includingWest Cork, is one of Ireland's main tourist destinations,[5] known for its rugged coast andmegalithic monuments and as the starting point for theWild Atlantic Way. The largest third-level institution isUniversity College Cork, founded in 1845, and has a total student population of around 22,000.[6] Local industry and employers include technology companyDell EMC, the European headquarters ofApple, and the farmer-owned dairy co-operativeDairygold.
Cork is thelargest county in Ireland by land area, and the largest of Munster's six counties by population and area. At the latest census in 2022, the population of the entire county stood at 584,156. Cork is the second-most populous county in the State, and the third-most populous county on the island of Ireland.
County Cork is located in theprovince ofMunster, borderingKerry to the west,Limerick to the north,Tipperary to the north-east andWaterford to the east. The county shares separate mountainous borders with Tipperary and Kerry. The terrain on the Kerry border was formed between 360 and 374 million years ago, as part of the rising of theMacGillycuddy's Reeks andCaha Mountains mountains ranges. This occurred during theDevonian period when Ireland was part of a larger continental landmass and located south of theequator.[10][11] The region's topography of peaks and valleys are characterised by steep ridges formed during theHercynian period offolding andmountain formation some 300 million years ago.[10]
Twenty-four historicbaronies are in the county—the most of any county inIreland. 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.[citation needed] The county has 253 civil parishes.[12] Townlands are the smallest officially defined geographical divisions in Ireland, with about 5447 townlands in the county.
Three rivers, theBandon,Blackwater, andLee, and their valleys dominate central Cork.[original research?] Habitats of the valleys and floodplains include woodlands, marshes, fens, and species-rich limestone grasslands. The River Bandon flows through several towns, includingDunmanway to the west of the town ofBandon before draining into Kinsale Harbour on the south coast. Cork's sea loughs includeLough Hyne andLough Mahon, and the county also has many small lakes. An area has formed where the River Lee breaks into a network of channels weaving through a series of wooded islands, forming 85 hectares of swampland 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.
Like many parts of Munster, Cork has fertile agricultural land and many bog and peatlands. Cork has around 74,000 hectares of peatlands, which amount to 9.8% of the county's total land area. Cork has the highest share of the national forest area, with around 90,020 ha (222,400 acres) of forest and woodland area, constituting 11.6% of the national total and approximately 12% of Cork's land area.[13] It is home to one of the last remaining pieces of native woodland in Ireland and Europe.[14]
Mizen Head is the most south-westerly point of both Cork and Ireland
Thehooded crow,Corvus cornix is a common bird, particularly in areas nearer the coast. Due to this bird's ability to (rarely) prey upon small lambs, the gun clubs of County Cork have killed many of these birds in modern times.[15] A collection of the marinealgae was housed in theherbarium of thebotany department of the University College Cork.[16] Parts of the South West coastline are hotspots for sightings of rare birds, withCape Clear being a prime location for bird watching.[17][18] The island is also home to one of only a few gannet colonies around Ireland and the UK. The coastline of Cork is sometimes associated with whale watching, with some sightings of fin whales, basking sharks, pilot whales, minke whales, and other species.[19][20][21]
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 theBeara Peninsula,Sheep's Head,Mizen Head, andBrow Head. Brow Head is the most southerly point of mainlandIreland. There are many islands off the coast of the county, in particular, offWest Cork.Carbery's Hundred Isles are the islands around Long Island Bay and Roaringwater Bay.
The county is colloquially referred to as "The Rebel County", although uniquely Cork does not have an official motto. 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 theIrish War of Independence (1919–1921) when it was the scene of considerable fighting. In addition, it was an anti-Treaty stronghold during theIrish Civil War (1922–23). Much of what is now county Cork was once part of theKingdom ofDeas Mumhan (SouthMunster), anglicised as the"Desmond", ruled by theMacCarthy Mór dynasty. After theNorman invasion in the 12th century, the McCarthy clan were pushed westward into what is now West Cork andCounty Kerry.Dunlough Castle, standing just north ofMizen Head, is one of the oldest castles in Ireland (AD 1207). The north and east of Cork were taken by theHiberno-NormanFitzGerald dynasty, who became theEarls of Desmond. Cork City was given an English Royal Charter in1318 and for many centuries was an outpost forOld English culture. The Fitzgerald Desmond dynasty was destroyed in theDesmond Rebellions of 1569–1573 and 1579–1583. Much of county Cork was devastated in the fighting, particularly in theSecond Desmond Rebellion. In the aftermath, much of Cork was colonised by English settlers in thePlantation of Munster.[citation needed]
15th-century drawing of Perkin Warbeck
In1491 Cork played a part in the EnglishWars of the Roses whenPerkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne spread the story that he was reallyRichard of Shrewsbury (one of thePrinces in the Tower), landed in the city and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow KingHenry VII of England. The Cork people supported Warbeck because he was Flemish and not English; Cork was 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 county' (and Cork city's of the 'rebel city') originates in these events.[28][29]
In 1601 the decisiveBattle of Kinsale took place in County Cork, which was to lead to English domination of Ireland for centuries.Kinsale had been the scene of the4th Spanish Armada to help Irish rebels in theNine Years' War (1594–1603). 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 olderCounty Desmond in 1606.
During theIrish Civil War (1922–23), most of the IRA units in Cork sided against theAnglo-Irish Treaty. From July to August 1922 they held the city and county as part of the so-calledMunster Republic. However, Cork was taken by troops of theIrish Free State in August 1922 in theIrish Free State offensive, which 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 nearClonakilty and assassinated during the civil war inBéal na Bláth, both in west Cork.
There are 14,829 Irish language speakers in County Cork, with 3,660 native speakers in the Cork Gaeltacht. In addition, in 2011 there were 6,273 pupils attending the 21Gaelscoileanna and sixGaelcholáistí all across the county.[32] 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. The village ofBallingeary is a centre for Irish language tuition, with a summer school, Coláiste na Mumhan, or the College of Munster.[33]
The song "The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee" is traditionally associated with the county. It is sometimes heard atGAA and other sports fixtures involving the county.[34]
Several media publications are printed and distributed in County Cork. These include theIrish Examiner (formerly theCork Examiner) and its sister publicationThe Echo (formerly theEvening Echo). Local and regional newspapers include theCarrigdhoun, theCork Independent,The Corkman, theMallow Star, theDouglas Post, theEast Cork Journal andThe Southern Star.[35][36] Local radio stations includeCork's 96FM and dual-franchiseC103,Red FM, and a number of community radio stations, such asCRY 104.0FM.[37]
Tourist sites include theBlarney Stone atBlarney Castle,Blarney.[38] The port ofCobh in County Cork was the point of embarkation for many Irishemigrants travelling to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States. Cobh (at the time named 'Queenstown') was the last stop of theRMSTitanic before it departed on its fated journey.
West Cork is known for its rugged natural environment, beaches and social atmosphere, and is a common destination for British, German, French and Dutch tourists.[citation needed]
TheSouth-West Region, comprising counties Cork and Kerry, contributed€103.2 billion (approximately US$111.6 billion) towards the IrishGDP in 2020.[43]
Theharbour area east of Cork city is home to many pharmaceutical and medical companies. Mahon Point Shopping Centre is Cork's largest, andMunster's second-largest, shopping centre; it contains over 75 stores including a retail park.[44] TheGolden Vale is among the most productive farmland for dairy in Ireland. The chief milk processor isDairygold, a farmer-owned co-operative based inMitchelstown, which processes 1.4 billion litres a year, converting the milk into cheeses and powder dairy nutrition forinfant formula.[45]
The city ofCork forms the largest urban area in the county, with a total population of 224,004 as of 2022. Cork is thesecond-most populous city in the Republic of Ireland, and the third-most populous city on the island ofIreland. According to 2022 census statistics, the county has 13 towns with a population of over 4,000. The county has a population density of 77.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (202/sq mi). A large percentage of the population lives in urban areas.
In the 1841 census, before the outbreak of theGreat Famine, County Cork had a recorded population of 854,118.[47] By the2022 census, Cork city and county had a combined population of 584,156 people.[48]
As of the 2022 census, ethnically the population included 78.5% White Irish people, 9.9% other White background, 1.4% Asian and 1.1% Black. In 2022, the largest religious denominations in Cork were: Catholicism (71%), Church of Ireland (2.3%), Orthodox (1.2%), and Islam (1.2%). Those stating that they had no religion accounted for 15.7% of the population in 2022.[49]
Common surnames in the county include Barry, Buckley, Callaghan, Connell, Connor, Crowley, Lynch, McCarthy, Murphy, O'Leary, O'Sullivan, Sheehan, Walsh, and Fitzgerald (the latter with aNorman derivation).[50][51][52]
^European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019, s. 7: Substitution of Third Schedule to Principal Act (No. 7 of 2019, s. 7). Enacted on 12 March 2019. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 10 January 2022.
Bourke, Edward; Hayden, Alan; Lynch, Ann; O'Sullivan, Michael (2011).Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry: The Monastery and South Peak: Archaeological Stratigraphic Report: Excavations 1986–2010. Dublin:Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.OCLC795846647.
Bracken, Damian; Riain-Raedel, Dagmar Ó (2006).Ireland and Europe in the Twelfth Century: Reform and Renewal. Dublin: Four Courts Press.ISBN978-1-85182-848-7.
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![Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork city. Founded in 1879 on a 7th-century site[40]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aCorkStFinbarrsCathedral.jpg)
![Timoleague Friary, West Cork. Founded 1240[41]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTimoleague_Friary.jpg)
![Kilcrea Friary, mid-Cork. Founded 1465[42]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKilcreaFriary.JPG)
