Ferries to Cork
Cork Located on Ireland’s south coast, Cork is the Republic of Ireland’s second largest city and capital of the province of Munster. Its history dates back to the 6th century. History Traditionally, Saint Finbarre has been credited with the foundation of the monastery of Cork, which was built on elevated ground on the south bank of the River Lee in the 6th century. After several Viking raids, the Vikings and the monastic community eventually arrived at a form of peaceful coexistence. Indeed the seafaring and trading abilities of the Vikings proved to be an economic boom to the monastery, since they provided it with wine, salt and other commodities. By the 12th century the descendants of the original Norse settlers had intermarried with the native Irish. They had established Cork as an important centre for trade, and its importance grew when the MacCarthys of Desmond established Cork as their capital. In 1169, the Norman conquest of Ireland began, and Prince John in 1185 granted a charter to Cork City which made Cork a corporate town with powers of local government. Cork continued to be an important centre of commerce in the Middle Ages until being devastated by the Black Death. It survived the ravages of Oliver Cromwell in the 16th century, but was conquered some decades later by the forces of William of Orange. Thereafter, Cork enjoyed a renewal of economic prosperity that ended with the Great Famine of the 1840s. Cork’s deep-seated sense of Irish identity ensured that it would play a key role in Ireland’s struggle for independence. A mayor of the city was killed by the Black and Tans in 1920 and his successor died in a London prison after 75 days on a hunger strike. Cork was also a regional focus of the destructive civil war that followed independence in 1921. Today, Cork is a vibrant city, and a centre of culture, history, and industry. What to See & Do in Cork
