About County Cork
County Cork is the largest county in Ireland, a sprawling and varied landscape that stretches from the wild Beara Peninsula to the gentle Lee Valley to the historic harbour of Cobh. Cork people carry a deep civic pride, they call their city the Real Capital, and the county's history as a centre of trade, rebellion and emigration has shaped one of the most distinctive identities in Ireland.
History
Cork was a major Viking settlement, then a Norman city, then the commercial hub of Munster. The county was at the heart of the Irish War of Independence, Michael Collins was born here, and the burning of Cork city by British forces in 1920 remains a defining moment in the county's memory. Before all of that, Cork's southern coast was the departure point for generations of emigrants.
How Cork families left Ireland
Cobh, then called Queenstown, was the primary emigration port for the entire south of Ireland. Over three million people left through this harbour between the Famine and the 20th century. It was the last port of call for the Titanic. For countless Cork, Kerry and Tipperary families, Cobh was the last piece of Ireland they ever saw.
Places worth visiting in County Cork
- Cobh Heritage Centre, standing on the quayside where millions said goodbye to Ireland forever
- Blarney Castle, the medieval stronghold of the MacCarthy clan, set in ancient grounds
- Mizen Head, the most southwesterly point of Ireland, where the land runs out and the Atlantic begins
- Gougane Barra, the hidden valley and island oratory where Saint Finbarr founded his monastery
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