Top interesting facts about County Cork

See how many of these interesting facts you already knew about Cork, aka The Rebel County.

Do you have Cork roots? Time to brush up on your facts about this Irish county for your next trip to Ireland one day soon!

Cork is also known as 'The Rebel County'

Cork got its nickname The Rebel County’ due to a history of independence from the Viking invasions to the Irish War of Independence when it was the scene of a considerable amount of fighting.

Popular myth denotes that kissing the Blarney Stone at the top of the Castle will bestow the kisser with the “gift of gab” (great eloquence, or skills of flattery).

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Blarney Castle in County Cork

There was an important Ford Motor factory in Co Cork

The first factory that Ford Motor Company built outside of

America was in Cork, where owner Henry Ford’s ancestors were from .

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Henry Ford in 1919. (Public Domain)

All of Cork’s main thorough‐ fares are built on coveredup river channels

Such as the River Lee. In fact, the Gaelic word for Cork (‘ Corcaigh’) means “marshy place.”

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Shandon Bridge over the River Lee in Cork City, (Ireland's Content Pool)

Cork is home to Cobh, a his‐ toric port of departure for emi‐ grants, also known as The teardrop of Ireland.'

Cobh - then known as Queenstown - was the ill-fated Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. 10

Colorful houses in Cobh, County Cork. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Cobh sets the record for Caril‐ lion Bells

St. Colman’s Catholic Cathedral in Cobh has the largest number of Carillon Bells in Ireland and the UK (49 bells).

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St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, Co Cork. (Getty Images)

Cork Harbor is said to be the second-largest natural harbor in the world, aft er Sydney Har‐ bor in Australia

The motto on the coat of arms of Cork City is Statio Bene Fide Carinis’ which means 'A Safe

Harbor for Ships.’ 10

Aerial view of Crosshaven, Cork

Harbor. (Getty Images)

County Cork is the largest county in Ireland

Cork City is the third-largest city just behind Belfast and Dublin . 10

Cork City at night. (Ireland's Content Pool)

The first potato planted in Ire‐ land was likely planted in Cork

Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have planted the first potato in Ireland near his home in Youghal, Cork, around 1588. 10

Sir Walter Raleigh. (Public Domain)

Cork's Glanworth Bridge holds two European records.

The 13-arch bridge in the village of Glanworth was built in the mid-15th-century structure and is said to be the narrowest and oldest public bridge in everyday use in Europe.

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Glanworth Bridge, Cork. (Ireland's Content Pool) *Originally published inOctober 2011.Updated inMay2024.