Introduction

CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 Introduction 31 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 INTRODUCTION Introduction to Cork City Statio Bene Fide Carinis – a safe harbour for ships - is the motto on the coat of arms of Cork City. Cork is the largest county in Ireland covering 7,508 square kilometres. Cork was originally a monastic settlement founded by Saint Finbarr in the 6th Century and has grown from a trading merchant city set on the River Lee to a cosmopolitan vibrant 21st Century European city. The River Lee divides into two channels at the western of the largest vessels in the world. Cork’s status as a port end of the city with the city centre located on the island city has had a strong influence on its economic development created by the channels. The River Lee flows around Lough and remains a strong influence over the physical Mahon to Cork Harbour, Europe’s largest natural harbour development, culture and heritage of the city. and a major Irish seaport. In 2015 UNESCO presented Cork with one of 12 inaugural Located on the south coast of Ireland, Cork City is the second Learning City Awards, one of only three cities in Europe to largest in the Republic of Ireland and has a population of be recognised. Cork is a University City with a total student 125,657 people (Irish Census 2016). Cork is the second largest population in excess of 35,000 attending the two main third city in the Republic of Ireland with an area of 3,731 hectares. level institutes – University College Cork (UCC) and Cork Its name derives from the Irish term ‘Corcach Mór Mumhan’ Institute of Technology (CIT). Other educational institutions which translates to ‘Great Marsh of Munster.’ in the city include the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, the CIT Cork School of Music, St. John’s Central College, Cork City’s most defining characteristic is that of a port city Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa and Cork College of Commerce. with a major river running through it. The Port of Cork utilises There are a number of world renowned research institutes the asset of Cork Harbour by providing Ireland's only multi- including the Tyndall National Research Institute, the purpose deep sea port facility. The Port of Cork also has Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and the Institute for the significant development plans for a new facility on the lower Social Sciences in the 21st Century (ISS21) at University harbour which will have the capacity to handle some College Cork. 32 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 INTRODUCTION New Cork City Boundary 2018 ± New Cork City Boundary Existing Cork City Boundary 0 2 4 Kilometers © Ordnance Survey Ireland As will become evident in this Profile, Cork’s status regarding Education and Learning has had a large influence on its demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Areas in close proximity to University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology are markedly different from the remainder of the city in a variety of ways, particularly in relation to their age profile, commuting patterns and housing stock. Inequality is also evident in Cork City, with employment, education and income levels varying widely across the city. There are a number of localities where this inequality is concentrated. This inequality has been persistent over the last century, in spite of an array of initiatives to counteract it. Cork City has four designated RAPID Areas (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) - three of them on the ‘northside’ of the city. The fourth RAPID Area incorporates areas of Togher and Mahon on the ‘southside’ of the city. Informal (and, in some cases, formal) discourses often focus on this dichotomy between the areas north and south of the River Lee, which, although well-grounded in some respects, does not acknowledge the diversity of these areas. 33 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 INTRODUCTION The Evolution of Public Health in Cork City 3 - The 16th Century brought continuous hunger and disease to Cork and the official responses Mahoney (1997) In The Shadows: Life in Cork to it shaped the city of today. Overcrowded and insanitary living conditions, along with 1750-1930, Tower Books. epidemic outbreaks, led to the construction of the ‘Chamber of Medicines’ in 1719, which became the North and South Infirmaries. 4 - Ibid. The next 100 years brought the development of voluntary hospitals, sanatoria, and asylums 5 - in Cork, including: the House of Industry (1776); the Workhouse (1840); the Lunatic Asylum See Crowley, J., Smyth, W. J. and (1792); the Fever Hospital (1802); the Lying-In Hospital (1798); the Cork Midwifery Dispensary Murphy, M. (2012). Atlas of the Great Irish Famine. Cork: Cork (1834) and the Cork Maternity Hospital (1872)3. University Press By the early 19th Century, provision of health services was predominantly through county 6 - infirmaries, fever hospitals and public dispensaries. The conditions in these dispensaries Cork Examiner (15/4/1846) became a major contributor to disease transmission. Funding for the provision and 7 - management of dispensaries and availability of services at local level was highly political Mahoney (1997) and overall living conditions were unhealthy. There were 14 major epidemic outbreaks in In The Shadows: Life in Cork 1750-1930, Tower Books. Cork between 1817 and 1872.4 The Great Irish Famine of 1845-52 had a profound effect on the city and its people and resulted in widespread mortality and emigration.5 In 1846, the Cork City Relief Committee was formed to oversee the implementation of relief works.6 This committee oversaw the construction of bath houses and wash houses, as well as the construction of a new city sewerage system. By 1853, improvements occurred in sanitation and laneways were regularly cleaned using fire engines. Children confined to the workhouse resorted to begging, until measures were put in place to provide education.7 Living conditions were improved with the removal of manure heaps, and sewers were laid down. At the beginning of the 1900s, overcrowding was still an issue. In order to deal with this problem, Cork Corporation initiated building schemes to move the poor from dilapidated housing to newer, healthier settings. By 1931, the vaccination program had resulted in this infectious disease virtually disappearing. 1932 saw the introduction of slum clearance and north side housing developments, leading to vastly improved living conditions throughout the city. 34 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 INTRODUCTION Electoral Divisions Ireland’s counties are divided geographically into smaller areas called Electoral Divisions (EDs) which are administrative units for census purposes and are the smallest unit for which complete census information is available. The area defined as Cork City and administered by Cork City Council is divided into 74 District Electoral Divisions. For planning and administrative purposes the city is divided into six regions: Cork City Electoral Areas . Farranree Glanmire NORTH CENTRAL Blackpool Mayfield Knocknaheeny NORTH EAST NORTH WEST Tivoli Sunday's Well South Docks Blackrock Carrigrohane Glasheen Mahon SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST SOUTH CENTRAL Bishopstown Togher Ballyphehane Rochestown Douglas Doughcloyne 0 1 2 Kilometers CORK CITY SOUTH-CENTRAL CORK CITY NORTH –CENTRAL Ballyphehane A, Ballyphehane B, Centre A, Centre B, City Hall A, Blackpool A, Blackpool B, Commons, Fair Hill A, Farranferris A, Evergreen, Gillabbey A, Greenmount, Pouladuff A, Pouladuff B, South Farranferris C, Gurranebraher A, Gurranebraher B, Gurranebraher C, Gate A, South Gate B, The Lough, Togher B, Turners Cross A, Turners Gurranebraher D, Gurranebraher E, Shandon A, Shandon B, Sundays Cross B, Turners Cross C, Turners Cross D. Well B, The Glen A, The Glen B. CORK CITY SOUTH-EAST CORK CITY SOUTH-WEST Ballinlough A, Ballinlough B, Ballinlough C, Browningstown, Bishopstown A, Bishopstown B, Bishopstown C, Bishopstown D, City Hall B, Knockrea A, Knockrea B, Mahon A, Mahon B, Bishopstown E, Gillabbey B, Gillabbey C, Glasheen A, Glasheen B, Mahon C, Tramore A, Tramore B, Tramore C. Glasheen C, Mardyke, Togher A. CORK CITY NORTH-EAST CORK CITY NORTH-WEST Mayfield, Montenotte A, Montenotte B, St. Patrick’s A, Churchfield, Fair Hill B, Fair Hill C, Farranferris B, Knocknaheeny, St. Patrick’s B, St. Patrick’s C, Tivoli A, Tivoli B. Shanakiel, Sundays Well A. 35 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 INTRODUCTION Cork City 2019 and Beyond This is an exciting period for Cork City Council with the extension of the city’s boundary. The last boundary expansion happened nearly 50 years ago in 1965. The upcoming expansion will see the city become almost five times larger at 187km.2 The population of the city will grow by 85,000 to 210,000 by May 2019, however the city is expected to grow over the next two decades to circa 300,000. The result is a larger City Council area, with responsibility for the city, its immediate suburbs and adjoining settlements, which will take a lead role in driving the growth of the city region. The expansion will allow for more effective planning and delivery of key development and infrastructural priorities for the area, compared to the current arrangements. The expanded City Council can better identify and respond to the differing strategic needs and priorities of the urban and wider metropolitan areas, including some that form part of the natural hinterland of Cork City. The boundary change also provides scope for improvements in the capacity of the city to maintain, improve and expand services. The tailoring of services to different needs and circumstances should allow for efficiency gains and value for money and also allow policies and services to be designed more effectively to meet these needs and priorities. Government policy has consistently identified the need to develop alternative development areas as a counterbalance to Dublin. As the second largest urban area in the State, by some distance, Cork is the location that can realistically perform this function.

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