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58 ReviewsThe city of Cork is situated on the banks of the Lee River and its name is roughly means "marsh". The city was founded in the seventh century by Saint Finnbarre who built an abbey here that flourished as a center of learning for many years. In the ninth century, the area was invaded by the Danes and subsequently became a walled city for protection.
The first English invasions did not start until 1172, at which point the Danes allied with Henry II. Later, Cork became known as "rebel Cork" when, in 1491, Perkin Warbeck challenged Henry VII supremacy and headed a rebellion against the British government. But, the rebellion was brutally crushed.
The year 1649 marks the date when Cork was captured by Cromwell and after a period of successful development fell into the hands William of Orange's armies who subsequently tore down the city's walled boundaries.
In the 18th century, Cork began to develop as a prominent port city and started exporting butter and beef to Britain, Europe and North America. As a result of continuing growth, Cork quickly became a crowded city with many poverty-stricken migrants from the rural areas. Because of extreme poverty, Cork eventually became one of the biggest ports from which large-scale immigration to the United States took place.
In the 1920s, the city was severely damaged during uprisings against the English that were fueled by the terrible suffering Cork had experienced under the Black and Tans, a British paramilitary group sent to Ireland. Later in the 20th century, Cork ceased to be an industrial center, littered with slums. The city has developed economically, it is Ireland's second largest city and it has developed into an important center of culture.
Archaeology and History of Cork
