Top ten interesting facts about County Cork

The Rebel County has its fair share of fun facts and history

By

KERRY O'SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Intern

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Patrick's Street, Cork City Center

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1. Cork got its nickname ‘The Rebel County’ due to a history of independence from the Viking invasions to the Irish Civil War.

2. Cork is home to Blarney Castle, where popular myth denotes that kissing the Blarney Stone at the top of the Castle will bestow the kisser with the “gift of gab.”

3. The first factory that Ford Motor Company, USA built outside of America was in Cork. Owner Henry Ford’s ancestors were from Cork.

4. St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh has the largest Carillon Bells in Ireland or the UK (49 bells).

5. All Cork’s main thoroughfares are built on covered over river channels. In fact, in Gaelic Cork ‘Corcaigh’ means “marshy place.”
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6.  Ireland’s most southerly point falls at Cobh and is aptly nicknamed ‘The teardrop of Ireland.’ Cobh was also the ill-fated Titanic’s last port of call in 1912.

7. Cork  Harbour is said to be the second largest harbour in the world, after Sydney Harbour in Australia.  Accordingly, the motto on the coat of arms of Cork City  is ‘Statio Bene Fide Carinis’ which means 'A Safe Harbour for Ships’.

8. County Cork is the largest county in Ireland, and Cork City is the third largest city just behind Belfast and Dublin.

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

10. 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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