Cork

The inner city:

The main and shopping street St. Patrick's Street has had a major turnaround that was completed in 2004. Grand Parade, another street in the city center, is a wide street with trees and connects Patrick Street with South Mall. South Mall is located on the other side of the island in the middle of Lee, which forms the center.

Many financial institutions and offices are located in this street. The city once had a city wall and a network of canals, but there are only parts left of it. Cork has two major galleries, known as the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery and the Lewis Glucksman Gallery. You can also visit the popular Cork Public Museum. 

The city also has two major cathedrals: St. Mary's Cathedral the cathedral of the diocese of the Church of Ireland and St. Finbar's Cathedral, which is the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese Cork and Ross. The modern Cork Opera House is one of the few of its kind in Ireland. The old city prison (Cork City Gaol) is another kind of attraction; the prison was closed in 1923 and was used as a radio station four years later.

The museum inside mainly shows the hardness and barbarity of prison life around the last century. Finally, you can visit the Shandon district on the north side of the city center. In addition to the beautiful views, there are plenty of galleries, local shops in narrow streets and around little squares. You have the St. Anne's church, the world's largest buttercup market and small local traditional Irish houses. 

Other sights:

• The English market.

Cork is an old city, with city rights dating back to the thirteenth century. There is evidence of a monastery founded by Saint Finbar from the year 1172. The city has been rebuilt over the centuries after attacks of, among others, Vikings and Norwegians. In the 12th century, the city became the most important of the region.

In 1185 Cork came under English administration. In the centuries the city became Irish and then English many times. It survived the attacks of Cromwell's army but was taken by Willem van Oranje's troops. The city continued to grow in the 18th century by trade (export) in butter, beer and whiskey. A century later, famine - hundreds of thousands left the city and district by means of emigrating, especially tot he United States.

During the Irish War for Independence in 1920, the city was largely destroyed by a fire started by the British Army; the infamous burning of Cork. The English rulers were hard for the people in Cork and the city itself - the town hall was set in flames, but also the public library and St. Patrick's church. During the short Irish Civil War (1922-1923) thereafter, the city was occupied by Republican troops for some time.