Signs of rich Cork heritage going up across county
THE Heritage Unit of Cork County Council, with the support of the Heritage Council, is at present finalising five informational signs to be located at a selection of important heritage tourism sites which are either owned or maintained by Cork County Council.
This project commenced in 2014 with signs now in place at a number of locations including Europes’s oldest and narrowest working road bridge (Glanworth Bridge) and the only village in Ireland to have been sacked by North African Barbary Pirates (Baltimore Pier, 1631).
The sites for the rollout of signage in 2015 have been carefully chosen and in North Cork include the most fascinating site of Mourneabbey, a former preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers with possible Knights Templar origins, and the Hiberno-Romanesque style Church in Kildorrery, a fantastic example of a medieval parish church, which has been in existence since at least the 13th century.
Other sites chosen, to provie a good geographical spread and amongst other considerations, include Cloyne, Skibbereen and Glengarriff.
In Cloyne, the town was a bustling mill town in the 19th century and in Skibbereen, the Abbeystrewery graveyard witnessed the burial of up to 9,000 famine victims and also contains an interesting medieval parish church.
From a natural heritage perspective, the Blue Pool Amenity Area, Glengarriff, has been included.
This seven hectare site, owned by Cork County Council is a hidden gem - a beautifully wooded area that meets the harbour with stunning views of Garinish Island and one which also offers great vantage points to the see the seals swimming in the waters below.
These signs will be put in place over the coming weeks and months and will add greatly to the heritage offering of the County as a whole.
Also a major part of the County’s heritage offering is the wonderful array and mulitude of heritage events which are organised on a regular basis by the County’s many Heritage and Historical Societies. The coming week will feature a number of such interesting heritage events.
For those based near Cork City one can attend a talk in the stunning setting of Blackrock Castle on Thursday November 12th at 7pm to learn all about the ‘Wolves of Ireland’.
Dr. Kieran Hickey, author of a book by the same title, will be talking about “the natural and cultural history of wolves and will examine the possible reasons for the wolves’ decline and ultimate extinction in Ireland (the last wolf killed in Ireland was in about 1786)”.
The event is organised by the Cork Nature Network, a not for profit organisation working locally to promote and encourage awareness around conservation and protection of habitats and native species.
For further information on this free event email corknaturenetwork@gmail.com or phone 0872282040.
Also in the city at the same time is the launch of what sounds like a most interesting book entitled “Walking the Munster Blackwater”.
The book, written by James O’ Malley, ‘provides a unique snapshot of the Blackwater Valley and also of the changing face of contemporary Ireland’ and features the towns of Mallow, Fermoy and Youghal as well as a number of attractive villages along the river’s course.
James O’Malley, five years ago, walked this 104 mile journey in the space of one week.
The launch takes place at 7pm in Waterstones, Patrick Street and all are welcome.
On Friday 13th November the Coppeen Archaeological, Historical & Cultural Society will host their annual Table Quiz in an Caipín, a night which is always most enjoyable.
Later in the week on November 16th at 8pm in the Ballincollig Rugby Club, there will be a talk on the ‘Local aspects of the Land War in Mid- Cork’ by Michael Galvin: ‘ The land war in mid- Cork in the 1880s was more complex than is generally believed.
Michael will explore the land disputes in many parts of mid- Cork, such as Macroom, Coachford, Donoughmore and Millstreet which led to evictions and violence’.
The Muskerry and District Local History Society has organised this event and all are welcome to attend.