Cork Daily Photo

Exhausted

2007-05-29T21:22:00.000Z

Please, excuse the terrible pun. This building used to house an Exhaust & Windscreen repair shop -- but the shop has moved on to another part of town and no one has bought this building yet. One of the more modern "ruins" around town.

Also, I do apologise for my lack of posting. I've had some internet and computer problems lately, but it should be fixed now (well, the computer part I can promise; the internet, I can't). If you scroll down you can see some of my posts which I was able to recover and a few which I remembered to at least save the text and add the picture today.

President & Lord Mayors Pavilion

2007-05-28T21:19:00.000Z

From when the the Cork International Exhibition was held in Fitzgerald Park in 1902 and 1903. Or, that's what I presume it was from...it makes the most sense, anyway.

Blue Door

2007-05-27T21:15:00.000Z

That blue door of the Cork Public Museum, which I'm sure you're sick of hearing about, in all it's glory. You can check out close-ups of the door knob and letter slot.

Purple

2007-05-26T21:12:00.000Z

Some purple pansys (is that the proper plural?) from Fitzgerald Park.

Elections!

2007-05-24T21:30:00.000Z

It's election day today -- which means soon the posters which have overtaken all available lamp-posts will soon be gone!

I wish I could give you an insight into the Irish political parties or the election process, but I honestly haven't a clue -- all I can tell you is that it looks like a lot more work than I'm used to (electronic voting and all that, counting starting directly after the polls close...I'm such a spoiled American about the voting system, I suppose).

Peaceful Park

2007-05-23T21:09:00.000Z

The fountain from Fitzgerald Park (last seen here). A lovely place to lounge and watch the day go by.

Imposing

2007-05-21T21:04:00.000Z

Elizabeth Fort sits on a hill and overlooks the area near the Beamish brewery (see this post). It can be accessed from Barrack street (the road which goes up the hill) and is currently a Garda (police) station.

A Peek Through the Gate

2007-05-19T21:00:00.000Z

The former almshouse associated with St. Anne's Church (& located just behind the church). Now apartments, I believe.

Climbing Tree?

2007-05-17T20:55:00.000Z

Well, it looks like it might be. But mostly I just love how it's in the pavement. Taken at Fitzgerald Park, near the museum.

Butter!

2007-05-15T20:51:00.000Z

An image from the archives this time around. The Cork Butter Museum gives an insight into both butter making and the history of butter making in the Cork area.

Inside Shandon

2007-05-13T20:45:00.000Z

Taken inside St Anne's, Shandon. I went back some months later & it said "No Photography" -- but I don't remember it being there when I went. Nevertheless, no flash was used, so it isn't that bad.

"Main Drag"

2007-05-11T21:13:00.000Z

Well...sort of. Patrick Street is the main street in Cork, though, since all the major shops are located on it. :)
This photo was taken at one of the several taxi stands along Patrick Street, facing two of the main department stores. On the right is the ever-so-posh Brown Thomas and to the left (the lovely domed, yellow building) is Roches Stores -- or, what was Roches before it was bought out and is now Debenhams.

One historical note: both buildings were rebuilt after the burning of Cork in 1920. If you want to know more about the history or architecture, there are plenty of resources on Patrick Street, the Brown Thomas building and the Roches building.

Unusual Cork Wildlife

2007-05-09T23:12:00.000Z

Dug around the archives for today's post and found this from a trip out to Fota Wildlife Park (about half-way from Cork to Cobh by train) in March. It was a very rainy day then, but these giraffe's didn't seem to care at all and just kept munching away.
The history of the park is rather interesting.

An Post

2007-05-08T22:07:00.000Z

The General Post Office, on Oliver Plunkett Street. Not as flashy as the one in Dublin, but it's nice enough, like. ;)

The Mill

2007-05-07T21:12:00.000Z

The John Young & Sons Mill, Crosses Green -- which is now the Mill Business Centre. This building is right across the river from the Beamish brewery, so I'm sure the Youngs were in business with the Beamishes & Crawfords at some point....

Letters

2007-05-05T17:49:00.000Z

Letter slot at the Cork Public Museum.

All the City Before You

2007-05-04T20:18:00.000Z

This is what Cork looks like from the Port of Cork.
The white tent looking thing on the left is the bus station, by the way.

Gravely

2007-05-03T21:50:00.000Z

One of the gravestones in St Fin Barre's churchyard. She died so young -- even for the early 1800s (which is when she lived, it's just not included in this shot). There was something about the early morning sun, filtered through the leaves that gave this shot a special quality. I'm pleased with how it turned out, anyhow. :)

Full text of the stone (for anyone who's curious), I happen to find it very lovely & bittersweet:

In Memory of
Mary Wife of Capt'n Tho. Davis
of Bristol
She died the 29th of April 1815
Aged 29 Years

Forgive blest Shade the tributary tear
That mourns thy exit from a world like this
Forgive the wish that would have kept thee here,
And stay’d thy progress to the realms of bliss.

Flower-fall

2007-05-02T21:32:00.000Z

Flowers and trees leaning to reach the River Lee. Which, as in this photo, is a possibility at high tide.

Theme Day - City Exchange

2007-05-01T11:21:00.000Z

Post a city other than your own. And so, after much searching through my photos, I choose this one. The Denton County Court House, on the Square in Denton, TX. It's north of Dallas (by an hour or so) -- & is the home of two universities (UNT & TWU). I took this photo when I was last there, in September.

Now, go enjoy the other photoblogs that are participating in the theme today. And remember, some of them may not be displayed due to time zone differences. :)

Monte Carlo, Monaco - Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy

Rugby

2007-04-30T17:11:00.000Z

Took this at the Munster Rugby match this past Saturday at Musgrave Park. Munster played the Newport Gwent Dragons; Munster won (15-7). :)

On the River Wall

2007-04-29T15:28:00.000Z

Flowers like these have cropped up all along the walls separating the footpaths from the river. I haven't a clue what they're called, but they seem so delicate compared to the big stones used for the walls.

City Hall

2007-04-27T15:01:00.000Z

View of City Hall from Lapp's Quay.

You can see my previous post of this building, or check out the history, or even see two historical photos.

Customs & Commissioners

2007-04-26T13:27:00.000Z

Cork Harbour Commissioners building. My map labels it as "Custom House" (and the websites agree) -- tricky thing, when the map and the building front seem to disagree.
History of the building can be found here, and an extra bit of info on the Cork Coat of Arms up in the pediment here -- if you want info on the coat of arms, check here.
Just full of links today, aren't I?

Adventure?

2007-04-25T20:50:00.000Z

Today I took a walk out to the Port of Cork. It sounds very official, and very far away, but it's about a five minute walk from the bus station (and just slightly out of the way from there to the train station). I'll be posting more from my walking adventure later in the week. :)

Also, yesterday's post showed up this morning, thanks to the internet in the apt. deciding to disappear just before midnight last night. So, do scroll down (if you haven't already) & take a little historical visit northward.

A Detour -- & a Rising

2007-04-24T23:53:00.000Z

Today, we take a bit of a trip away from Cork and find ourselves in Dublin, in front of the General Post Office. Why? Well, today was the official start of the Easter Rising...Easter Monday, 91 years ago, anyway. Of course, all the celebrations regarding the Rising took place over Easter weekend -- it's easier & keeps it in the spirit of things. :)

I had to dig this photo out of the archives (hence the bad quality & all...that & it's at least 2 years old now). If you want a better (and newer!) photo, hop over to Belfast Daily Photo.

Loads of other links for ye today all on the Rising (because there's no possible way for me to sum it up in a short space here): Wikipedia, BBC, National Library of Ireland, Politics Wiki (has excellent picture of the GPO after the Rising) & a random history site (for good measure).

Anchor Away!

2007-04-23T21:21:00.000Z

Taken in the middle of Kinsale...I'm not sure how they managed to drag such big and heavy things through the narrow streets, but it did make for a nice photo!

Tip-toe Through the Tulips

2007-04-22T22:35:00.000Z

A lovely Irish tulip that's been in the kitchen lately. Nothing quite like flowers to make the room brighter.

VT

2007-04-20T17:26:00.000Z

It's Orange & Maroon day today in the States to honour those killed at Virginia Tech -- and this is my tribute rather small tribute in that spirit. "Forget any and all college affiliations today. For today we are all Hokies."

http://www.remembervt.com/

Nearly Perfect

2007-04-19T12:52:00.000Z

This lovely flower is nearly perfect - but does have a few blemishes. It's like most things in this world, if you want to get philosophical.

Lazy Lee

2007-04-17T21:36:00.000Z

Nope not an insult; just a lazy River Lee running alongside Fitzgerald Park -- on a sunny and lazy spring day. :)
This photo was taken looking towards town, and if you look closely, you can see the bell tower of Shandon church in between the tree branches; go on, have a look.

The Number 50

2007-04-16T18:36:00.000Z

Taken on South Mall.

Window Art

2007-04-15T20:57:00.000Z

Artwork from the Crawford Art Gallery. I don't remember what it's called anymore, but it's very lovely. I also like that this very modern work is flanked by two old-fashioned, I'm almost certain 17th century, portraits.

Titanic Link

2007-04-14T15:15:00.000Z

While the Titanic was built in the shipyards of Belfast, it's last port of call before going out into the Atlantic was Queenstown (now known as Cobh), in Cork Harbour. The last 123 passengers left to board the ship near this quay.

Check out the Cobh Heritage Centre & the Titanic Trail sites for more information.

Also...sorry for yesterday's post showing up late...I really need to watch that I hit the "publish" button and not the "save" button.

Cork City F.C.

2007-04-13T23:38:00.000Z

The Rebel Army was out in full force tonight at the match against the Shamrock Rovers (who are from the Dublin area). It was my first soccer/football (in Ireland these terms are interchangeable since we've got Gaelic football as well) match here and it was very good -- even though it was a draw. Although, City came soooo close...they were robbed of a goal or two, really.

Cork Public Museum

2007-04-12T14:50:00.000Z

I promised (long ago) to show the Cork Public Museum. And I figured, since I've been posting bits of it, I may as well show you the whole building (if you go along the right side of the building you can find the sign and door I showed you earlier).

The museum has been here since 1910, but shut down for a while and was reopened in 1945. The buildings, however are a different story -- the white part was built in 1845 as the Beamish family home; the red is much more modern and opened in 2005 (if memory serves me properly).
They have a really good collection -- of both archaeological artefacts and historical -- so multiple visits are always interesting as there's something new that catches your eye.

Want more info? Here's a site or two that can provide it better than I can. :)

Brass and Blue

2007-04-10T22:22:00.000Z

This lovely and ornate door knob can be found on one of the doors that make up the old entrance to the Cork Public Museum. That door is right next to this sign that I posted earlier. I'm also a huge fan of the bright blue door. :)

Fortifying Side Trip

2007-04-09T19:42:00.000Z

Bad pun, I know, I know...but I couldn't help it!

Took this at Charles Fort in Kinsale (Co. Cork) and looking out to sea. It takes under an hour to get from Cork to Kinsale by bus, and it's one of the more touristy seaside towns -- but it's still quite worth visiting. Especially on a warm September day when most of the tourists are gone, but nothing is closed for the winter...which is when this photo was taken.

Check out these articles for some more info.

Easter

2007-04-08T12:55:00.000Z

The golden angel on St Fin Barre's to end a week of posts on the cathedral. I took this picture this morning whilst walking past -- hence why the black fence is creeping into the bottom of the photo (it was too tall & I too short to get it out of the frame).

A very Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it. :)

Gargoyle

2007-04-06T14:03:00.000Z

One of the Victorian gargoyles on St Fin Barre's.

Peace

2007-04-05T22:08:00.000Z

A close-up of the statue between the main doors of the cathedral.

Statues

2007-04-04T21:30:00.000Z

Figures outside the main doors of St Finbarre's. I'm on a bit of a St Finbarre's kick at the moment. :)

Vines

2007-04-03T19:06:00.000Z

Vines climbing up an old cemetery monument at St Fin Barre's.

Splashes of Colour

2007-04-02T18:19:00.000Z

Back to the flowers again. :) I found these outside St. Finbarre's Cathedral.

A Mailbox Theme Day

2007-04-01T13:49:00.000Z

Here's a lovely example of a mailbox in a wall -- and yes, it is an old British mailbox put up during the reign of Edward VII, but painted green instead of red. Most of the old public mailboxes in the Republic are like that -- occasionally you can even see the red underneath the chipping green paint. :)

Loads of others are participating in the 1 April theme "A Public Mailbox." Check 'em out and remember that due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day:
1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42 -43 -44 -45 -46 -47 -48 -49 -50 -51 -52 -53 -54 -55 -56 -57 -58 -59 -60 -61 -62 -63 -64 -65 -66 -

Musaem Poibli Chorcai

2007-03-31T20:00:00.000Z

A close-up of the old and weathered sign outside the Cork Public Museum. That's Irish taking up most of the photo, with English below it.

Green Oasis

2007-03-30T18:12:00.000Z

There's a fountain in Fitzgerald Park that I knew absolutely nothing about until last week. It wasn't actually flowing, but it was still lovely. From this angle it looks very secluded, but it's actually quite central.

Storm!

2007-03-29T17:08:00.000Z

There was a crazy hail storm today -- and this is how the car park looked in the midst of it. Thirty minutes later, however, all the hail had melted away, the sun was out and the sky was cloudless and blue.

Pink Death

2007-03-28T18:56:00.000Z

With life comes death. These flowers have beauty even in their last hours. Or, at least I thought it was interesting enough to take a picture of, anyway.

Blooming

2007-03-27T18:40:00.000Z

Took a walk out to Fitzgerald Park again today for a nice walk yesterday & the flowers were absolutely amazing. I'm sure I'll be posting more photos from the park later in the week.

I'm also unsure what the flowers in this photo are, does anyone out there know?

Such Blarney!

2007-03-26T14:24:00.000Z

Blarney Castle is located in the town of Blarney, but it's very close to Cork city (8 km is ridiculously close), so I figure it counts to be put up here. :)
This photo is back from Christmas time, but I'm sure there are some lovely flowers blooming on the grounds right now; that and there are more blue skies these days.

Want to know more about Blarney & it's famous stone? Check out the website -- where you can see all the flowers in the garden as well.

Daffodil Day

2007-03-23T23:11:00.000Z

The Irish Cancer Society had their Daffodil Day today. Which meant that collectors were all over town, asking for donations and giving out little daffodil pins for donors -- the photo is of mine on my bright blue coat. They also had fresh daffodils -- in fact, I wish I had taken my camera with me when I went past the Cancer Society's charity shop because there were these two ladies out there with boxes of pins and flowers -- a nice burst of colour on such a grey day.

From the Website:
The 20th anniversary of Daffodil Day is on Friday 23rd March 2007. With your support we aim to get everyone in Ireland wearing a daffodil - the international symbol of hope - and have the country ablaze with vibrant yellow blooms and other Daffodil Day merchandise. Every daffodil helps the Irish Cancer Society provide quality care and emotional support to cancer patients and their families through our free, nationwide nursing services.

It's Been Awhile...

2007-03-21T15:24:00.000Z

But now that the internet is working again, and I'm back from my holiday, I figured it was time to post again. And, of course, it's been awhile since St Finbarre's has appeared here, so it's a nice way to start up again.

As a bonus, I took this whilst in York visiting a friend. Since there have been flower photos springing up all over the place, I figured I'd post one of my own. (And yes, I am aware of the very bad pun included in the previous sentence.) Once the clouds stop looking so threatening, I'll be off to find flowers around Cork...unfortunately, that may take awhile.

"Where Finbarr Taught Let Munster Learn"

2007-03-11T23:21:00.000Z

As promised yesterday, the Quad. :) Taken in the fall...and on a much sunnier day than we had today.

For some history regarding the university, check out the official university site...or wikipedia, which is actually just as good (probably 'cause they used the university's site for most of their info.).

Modern UCC

2007-03-10T18:56:00.000Z

An eerily quiet day on campus. This is one of the more modern buildings, the O'Rahilly Building. It houses the English dept., modern languages, Classical Studies and some others that I haven't run across yet. It was built to mimic the Quad (which is one of the original buildings on campus and I'll show it very soon), but with a modern twist.

This photo was taken about two years ago, and today there's a lovely wooden construction wall near the right-hand side of this photo, as they are adding an extension to the library, which happens to be right by the O'Rahilly.

A Bit of Wilderness in the City

2007-03-09T16:55:00.000Z

A lovely shot of the River Lee as it winds through the campus of UCC (University College Cork).

And UCC is to blame for my lack of posting, or at least one member of staff is anyway -- the majority of the work I have to do this term has been rolled into a few weeks this month...

Old Sign

2007-03-05T21:34:00.000Z

An old street marker on Tuckey Street. This particular marker can be found in the middle of the street, next door to my favourite place to get tea/hot chocolate, Tribes.

I think it's fairly amazing that the name really hasn't changed since at least 1761...just an "s" was dropped....

The Hill Across the River

2007-03-01T21:37:00.000Z

A view of the Shandon Church (last seen in this post) from across the River Lee. I think the other tower in this photo belongs to a friary, but I'm not entirely sure; it's also a lovely building, though.

Where Do You Want To Go Today?

2007-02-28T17:55:00.000Z

The Bus Éireann Parnell Place Station here in Cork. It's fabulous to just walk in look at the board of destinations, hop on a bus and go. It's so much more laid-back than I usually think of travel -- and generally very cheap (esp. for a student like me!).

Finbarre in the Sun

2007-02-27T13:20:00.000Z

A front view of St Finbarre's Cathedral on a lovely sunny day.

Blue Sunday

2007-02-25T14:30:00.000Z

A shot of the southern arm of the River Lee, from Wandesford Quay (I had to look up this street name). The brightly coloured buildings in the distance are along Washington Street/Western Road -- it changes name somewhere along this area.

Lack of posting due to too much school work and not enough time to take more photos -- as the weather is gorgeous today, I hope to get some more shots and get back to posting regularly.

Lazy River

2007-02-20T23:53:00.000Z

A shot of the River Lee in the city centre, near the bus station, on a calm day and at high tide.

Something Fishy

2007-02-19T23:59:00.000Z

A really fun lamp post near Parnell Bridge. I'm rather fond of the expressions given to the fish.

Sráid na Croise

2007-02-18T21:01:00.000Z

I really find the street signs here interesting. They're a good way to get a crash course in Irish Gaelic -- well, spelling, anyway...it really does nothing for the pronunciation. :)

A Friary on the Lee

2007-02-17T12:46:00.000Z

Holy Trinity Church and Friary (the building next to the church).

The site was selected by Father Theobald Mathew and the foundation stone of the church was laid in October 1832. The church opened in 1850 and the steeple was added in 1891.
The current friary was first occupied by the Capuchins in 1884.

For more information on the church see this site -- or for a briefer history and a beautiful historical photo, go here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T16:35:00.000Z

Here's a little purple flower from Fitzgerald Park to celebrate the day.

Rainy Day in Shandon

2007-02-13T22:39:00.000Z

This building used to be the Cork Butter Exchange (or Butter Market, as I think of it) but now holds the Shandon Craft Centre. When its open, you can watch artist and crafters ply their trade -- and buy some of their wares. When I ventured in, since the doors were actually open, there wasn't much going on...but, then, most activity here seems to take place over the summer months.

St Anne's Church is very close by...practically across the street. In fact, this past photo was taken from the steps of the craft centre, with the columns framing the church's tower.

Fancy a Brewery?

2007-02-12T15:24:00.000Z

The Beamish & Crawford Brewery is located on South Main Street. They used to be located in the heart of medieval Cork, right by the Cork jail -- although that was moved long ago -- and near an old city gate (which is also gone). Beamish & Crawford has been here since 1792; although brewing has been taking place on this site from at least 1650, maybe as far back as 1500. The brewery makes many of the beers associated with its parent company (such as Fosters and Miller), but Beamish Stout is brewed here exclusively. For more information, check out the Beamish & Crawford company history and this site, which features how to pull a pint of stout and a virtual tour of how it's brewed.

Also, sorry for the lack of updates recently. My internet was down for the better part of the weekend & then when it would work, it wouldn't show and blogger sites....

Another Winding Way

2007-02-09T14:51:00.000Z

One of many little streets on the north side of the river, near St Anne's Church/Shandon Church. The streets here are really quiet and you rarely see anyone but residents going down them -- or, maybe I felt like I was the only "tourist" there.

A Pint at Journey's End

2007-02-08T21:00:00.000Z

An advert today. This one can be found across the road from Kent Railway Station. In fact, the northern-bound trains (mostly the Dublin train) go through the tunnel just below the sign. Thus, "the light at the end of the tunnel" is especially apt. Murphy's stout, which is the Cork equivalent to Guinness -- and, according to Corkonians at least, is better than the Dublin-based brew, has had this advertising space for a while...I have a picture of a Murphy's advert from this same spot from the autumn of '04.

Michael's Head

2007-02-07T22:23:00.000Z

In Fitzgerald Park, near the Cork Public Museum, you will find this bust of Michael Collins. Collins was a major figure in Irish history after the Easter Rising of 1916 -- especially in regards to the Anglo-Irish war (also known as the Irish War of Independence) and the Irish Civil War. He was born in County Cork -- and he was killed in the county too; surprisingly not too far from where he had grown up. Wikipedia actually has a decent article for basic information on Collins.

At the front of the statue the following is carved:
MICHAEL Ó Coileáin
1890 - 1922
DONATED
BY CON MURPHY
TO THE PEOPLE
OF CORK

Down the Green Garden Path

2007-02-06T19:19:00.000Z

A lovely little sheltered path on the grounds of St Finnbarre's Cathedral. It's a nice place for a short meander -- and surprisingly quiet considering the busy streets around the cathedral.

The Beautiful Lee

2007-02-05T16:44:00.000Z

A view of Cork from near the Port of Cork -- so, at the mouth of the Lee and the start of Cork Harbour. In the distance you can see how hilly Cork is when you leave the river banks.

The river would normally be much calmer than it is in the photo, but it was a very, very windy day when I took this.

Three in One

2007-02-04T23:28:00.001Z

The Franciscan church on Liberty Street (behind the court house). The sign is for St. Blaise -- and the curing or blessing of throats on the 3rd; his feast day (according to Wikipedia) was on February 3rd, so this would make sense.

One of the pubs on Washington Street, all decked out with (from left to right) a Cork flag, a Muster Rugby flag, and another flag with the Cork colours of red and white. I'm sure that pub was full today, since the Wales v Ireland match was today -- & the crowd left happy, since Ireland won!

Cork Harbour, as seen from the "Prom" (Promenade, fully) in Cobh -- pronounced "Cove." Cobh is a short 25 minutes by train from Cork & it was a huge stopping point for ships until World War II -- & most famously, it was the last port of call for the Titanic before it heading across the Atlantic.

Sorry for the lack of updates this weekend. I hope these make up for it. :)

Classical Church

2007-02-01T17:26:00.001Z

St. Mary's Church is a Dominican church. The Dominicans were invited by Philip de Barry in 1229 & despite the dissolution of all religious orders by Henry VIII, managed to keep a presence in the city. This church was built between 1832 and 1839, when it officially opened. It was recently renovated in 1991.

For some extra trivia, the church sits on Pope's Quay, which is named for the Widow Pope who lived in Cork city during the 18th century.

Holy Pigeons?

2007-01-31T18:56:00.000Z

This was taken on the site of what was once the Red Abbey. Now it is a park of sorts...with fancy stonework designs. And pigeons, of course. :)

Studying for an exam has postponed my postings, but I should be able to get back on schedule now that it's over.

A Day in Court?

2007-01-28T13:42:00.000Z

The Cork Courthouse houses both the city and county courts. The original courthouse was built in 1836 and was burnt in 1891 -- the facade survived, however. It was rebuilt (with the surviving facade) in 1895. It was refurbished in 20 months & opened again in 2005. I took this photo shortly before it opened again -- hence the fence & signs in front of the doors.
The sculpture at the top of the building is "Justice, Hibernia & Commerce" & was created by a Cork-born artist, Thomas Kirk.
The courthouse is on Washington Street and is on the edge of the most bustling part of the city centre.

Flowers in the Park

2007-01-27T13:05:00.000Z

A lovely sunny day in Fitzgerald Park (well, it was a few months ago when I actually took this photo), which is in between the University and the area called Sunday's Well. It was where the Cork International Exhibition was held in 1902 and 1903. A main attraction of the park is the Cork Public Museum, which will undoubtedly feature in a later post.

City Hall

2007-01-26T12:35:00.000Z

Cork's City Hall, facing the river Lee, is home of the Cork Corporations & city administration. It was opened in 1936, after the original building was burnt down 11 Sept. 1920. There is also a concert hall inside, and the Cork Pops Orchestra often plays there.

It looks much nicer, when it isn't so cloudy. I'll have to get a picture of it on a sunnier day sometime soon.

Trying to get into the hang of posting every day. It's a bit harder than I thought it'd be, but I'll get into the habit soon enough.

A Liar That Rings True

2007-01-24T16:51:00.000Z

Following my early theme of churches, here's St. Anne's -- better known as the Shandon Church or the "four-faced liar." It earned this last nickname because the east & west clock faces run faster than the north & south ones. Also, for a small fee vistors can go up and ring the bells and get a great view of the city.

First Post: Welcome to Cork!

2007-01-22T19:20:00.000Z

For my first post, I had to put up one of Cork's most famous buildings -- St Fin Barre's Cathedral. (As a side note: there happens to be nearly half a dozen ways to spell this saint's name.) This particular view is one that you can find on loads of postcards.

Finbarre's also happens to be one of my favourite buildings...& only in part because I live close to it. :)