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Blarney Castle, County Cork
Photograph: Ryanhuntmuzik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Province of Munster

County Cork

Corcaigh

“KUR-kig” · marsh, from corcach, a marsh

Known as The Rebel County. Cork backed Perkin Warbeck, the pretender to the English throne, in 1491, and the name stuck. It was taken up again, and meant differently, during the War of Independence.

Did you know? In 1920 Cork lost two Lord Mayors in seven months: Tomás Mac Curtain was shot in his home, and Terence MacSwiney died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison after 74 days.
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Cork by the numbers
Munster province 584,156 people · 2022 census 7,508 km² · the largest county County town Cork -24% in the Famine · 854,118 people in 1841, 649,000 in 1851 (approx.) 24 baronies · 5,472 townlands 1930s folklore · the Schools' Collection ↗ 7 Olympic medallists born here 94 surnames 16 towns on the site 6,906 daily Irish speakers Highest point Knockboy, 706 m 37 senior All-Irelands 30 notable people born here 8,467 historic buildings recorded Everything on the site about Cork ↓
Carlow Cavan Cork Donegal Dublin Clare Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow Antrim Armagh Down Fermanagh Londonderry Tyrone

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The history of Cork

Much of Cork was once Desmond, South Munster, ruled by the MacCarthy Mór. After the Normans came the MacCarthys were pushed west and the FitzGeralds took the north and east, becoming Earls of Desmond; Cork city had an English royal charter by 1318. The Desmond Rebellions of 1569–73 and 1579–83 destroyed the Geraldines and laid much of the county waste, and the Plantation of Munster followed.

The Rebel County has two stories behind the name. The older is 1491, when the pretender Perkin Warbeck landed at Cork claiming to be one of the Princes in the Tower, and the mayor and leading citizens went with him to England and were executed. The newer is the War of Independence. In between came Kinsale in 1601, the battle that ended the Nine Years' War, and the creation of the county from the older County Desmond in 1606; in the early 17th century pirates traded freely at Baltimore and Whiddy Island.

In 1919–21 three IRA brigades fought in the county and one in the city, with the ambushes at Kilmichael in November 1920 and Crossbarry in March 1921. On 11 December 1920 the Black and Tans burned the centre of Cork, destroying more than 300 buildings. In the Civil War most Cork units opposed the Treaty and held the county as the "Munster Republic" until Free State landings in August 1922. Michael Collins, born near Clonakilty, was killed during the Civil War at Béal na Bláth in west Cork.

Drawn from the History section of the Wikipedia article on County Cork ↗, rewritten here and adding nothing it does not say; licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. The chronology above is this site's own; where the two differ, the article is the one to check.

The land — from Wikipedia

Cork is the largest county in Ireland by land area, and the largest of Munster's six counties by population and area. At the latest census in 2022, the population of the entire county stood at 584,156. Cork is the second-most populous county in the State, and the third-most populous county on the island of Ireland.

Places of interest

Tourist sites include the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Blarney. The port of Cobh in County Cork was the point of embarkation for many Irish emigrants travelling to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States. Cobh (at the time named 'Queenstown') was the last stop of the RMS Titanic before it departed on its fated journey.

Fota Wildlife Park, on Fota Island, is also a tourist attraction. Nearby is Fota House and Gardens and the Fota Golf Club and Resort; a European Tour standard golf course which hosted the Irish Open in 2001, 2002 and 2014.

West Cork is known for its rugged natural environment, beaches and social atmosphere, and is a common destination for British, German, French and Dutch tourists.

File:Gougane Barra.jpg|St Finbar's church, located on Gougane Barra, a 6th century monastery site.

Read the full article ↗ · Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Clans & surnames of Cork
Ahern Ó hEachthighearna Gaelic sept · “descendant of Eachthighearna, 'lord of horses'” Barrett Bairéid Norman · “possibly 'quarrelsome' (baraud)” Barry de Barra Norman · “from Barri in Wales” Begley Ó Beaglaoich Gaelic sept (gallowglasses) · “descendant of the little hero, from beaglaoch” Boyce Ó Buadhaigh Gaelic sept & Norman · “descendant of Buadhach, ‘victorious’; or Norman ‘de Bois’, of the wood” Broderick Ó Bruadair Gaelic sept · “descendant of Bruadar — from the Norse personal name Broddr” Buckley Ó Buachalla Gaelic sept · “descendant of Buachaill, 'the herdsman'” Cagney Ó Caingne Gaelic sept · “descendant of Caingne — from caingean, 'a legal dispute'; an advocate's name” Canavan Ó Ceanndubháin Gaelic learned family · “descendant of Ceanndubhán, 'the dark-headed one'” Canty Ó an Cháinte Gaelic learned family · “descendant of the satirist, from cáinteach” Carew de Carrún Norman-Welsh · “from Carew in Pembrokeshire — a place name, 'the fort by the ford'” Carey Ó Ciardha / Ó Cearaigh Gaelic septs (several) · “descendant of Ciardha, 'the dark one' — among several distinct roots” Casey Ó Cathasaigh Gaelic sept · “descendant of Cathasach, 'vigilant in war'” Coffey Ó Cobhthaigh Gaelic learned family · “descendant of Cobhthach, 'victorious'” Coleman Ó Colmáin / Ó Clumháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Colmán, 'little dove' — from Latin columba” Collins Ó Coileáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Coileán, 'young hound / whelp'” Condon Condún Norman · “de Caunteton — from Welsh Marches” Cormack Ó Cormaic Gaelic sept · “descendant of Cormac — 'son of Corb', or charioteer” Cotter Mac Coitir Gaelic-Norse · “son of Oitir — the Norse Ottar” Coughlan Ó Cochláin / Mac Cochláin Gaelic sept · “descendant or son of Cochlán — from cochall, 'cloak' or 'hood'” Crean Ó Carráin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Carrán — from carra, a spear” Creedon Ó Críodáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Críodán” Cremin Ó Cruimín Gaelic sept · “descendant of Cruimín, a diminutive of crom, ‘bent’” Cronin Ó Cróinín Gaelic sept · “descendant of Crónín, 'little dark-yellow one'” Crowley Ó Cruadhlaoich Gaelic sept · “descendant of Cruadhlaoch, 'hard hero'” Culloty Ó Codlata Gaelic sept · “descendant of Codladh, 'sleep'” Curtin Mac Cairteáin Gaelic sept · “a softened form of Mac Cartáin” Daly Ó Dálaigh Gaelic learned family · “descendant of Dálach, 'of the assembly'” Deasy Déiseach Gaelic territorial · “'of the Déise' — a man of the Déise people” Dennehy Ó Duineachdha Gaelic sept · “descendant of Duineachaidh — read as 'humane'” Dennis Ó Donnghusa Gaelic sept · “descendant of Donnghus, ‘brown choice’” Desmond Ó Deasmhumhnaigh Gaelic territorial · “'descendant of the Desmond man' (native of south Munster)” Díaz — (Spanish name; Diaz in English) Spanish — the New Irish · “'son of Diego' — a patronymic from the Visigothic period; El Cid himself was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, son of Diego” Dinneen Ó Duinnín Gaelic learned family · “descendant of Duinnín, a diminutive of donn, 'brown'” Donegan Ó Donnagáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Donnagán — a diminutive of donn, 'the dark one' or 'brown'” Donovan Ó Donnabháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Donndubhán, 'dark brown-haired chief'” Dorgan Ó Deargáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Deargán, 'red'” Dowling Ó Dúnlaing Gaelic sept · “descendant of Dúnlang” Downey Ó Duibheanaigh / Ó Maoldomhnaigh Gaelic septs (several) · “descendant of Duibheanach — or, for the second sept, 'devotee of the church'” Duane Ó Dubháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Dubhán, 'black'” Duggan Ó Dubhagáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Dubhagán, 'the little dark one'” Flynn Ó Floinn Gaelic sept · “descendant of Flann, 'ruddy'” Foley Ó Foghladha Gaelic sept · “descendant of Foghlaidh — 'the plunderer'” Forde Mac Conshnámha / Mac Giolla na Naomh / Ó Fuaráin Gaelic septs (several) & English settlers · “three Irish names all mistranslated as 'ford': 'son of the swimming-hound' (Leitrim), 'son of the devotee of the saints' (Galway), 'descendant of Fuarthán, the cold one' (Cork)” Galvin Ó Gealbháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Gealbhán, 'bright-white'” Gavin Ó Gábháin Gaelic septs (several) · “descendant of Gábhadhán, a diminutive of gábhadh, ‘want, need, danger’” Gleeson Ó Glasáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Glasán — from glas, grey” Hallinan Ó hAilgheanáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Ailgheanán, 'noble offspring'” Hanafin Ó hAinbhtheáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Ainbhtheán, a diminutive of Ainbhioth” Harnett Ó hAirtnéada Gaelic sept · “descendant of Airtnéada, 'battle-bear' or 'battle-stone' — a meaning Woulfe reconstructs rather than finds written” Hayes Ó hAodha Gaelic sept · “descendant of Aodh, 'fire'” Healy Ó hÉilidhe / Ó hÉalaighthe Gaelic sept · “'claimant' (Sligo) or 'ingenious' (Cork)” Hegarty Ó hÁgartaigh Gaelic sept · “descendant of Fágartach” Hennessy Ó hAonghusa Gaelic sept · “descendant of Aonghus” Hore de Hór Norman-English · “hoar — 'grey-haired'” Horgan Ó hArgáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Anradhán, 'warrior, champion'” Hurley Ó hUrthuile / Ó Muirthile Gaelic sept · “descendant of Urthuile — 'sea-tide'” Kelleher Ó Céileachair Gaelic sept · “descendant of Céileachar, 'companion-loving'” Langan Ó Longáin Gaelic septs (several) · “descendant of Longán, a diminutive of long, ‘tall’” Leahy Ó Laochdha Gaelic sept · “descendant of Laochdha, 'heroic'” Lehane Ó Liatháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Liathán, 'grey'” Linehan Ó Luingeacháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Longachán” Lombard Lombard Italian-Norman · “'the Lombard' — an Italian banker” Looney Ó Luanaigh Gaelic sept · “descendant of Luanach, 'warrior' (luan, champion)” Lucey Ó Luasaigh Gaelic sept · “a corruption of Mac Cluasaigh” Lynch Ó Loingsigh / de Lench Gaelic sept & Norman tribe · “descendant of Loingseach, 'mariner'” Mangan Ó Mongáin Gaelic septs (several) · “descendant of Mongán, a diminutive of mongach, ‘hairy’” McCarthy Mac Cárthaigh Gaelic dynasty · “son of Cárthach, 'loving'” Moynihan Ó Muimhneacháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of the Munsterman” Murphy Ó Murchadha Gaelic sept · “descendant of Murchadh, 'sea-warrior'” Noonan Ó Nuanáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Ionmhaineán, 'the beloved'” O'Callaghan Ó Ceallacháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Ceallachán of Cashel” O'Donoghue Ó Donnchadha Gaelic dynasty · “descendant of Donnchadh” O'Driscoll Ó hEidirsceoil Gaelic sept · “descendant of the eidirsceol — 'the go-between, the interpreter'” O'Gara Ó Gadhra Gaelic sept · “descendant of Gadhra, perhaps from gadhar, ‘a mastiff’” O'Keeffe Ó Caoimh Gaelic sept · “descendant of Caomh, 'gentle, beloved'” O'Leary Ó Laoghaire Gaelic sept · “descendant of Laoghaire, 'calf-keeper'” O'Mahony Ó Mathghamhna Gaelic dynasty · “descendant of Mathghamhain, 'bear'” O'Rahilly Ó Raithile Gaelic sept · “descendant of Raithile” O'Sullivan Ó Súilleabháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Súildubhán, 'dark-eyed one'” Quirke Ó Cuirce Gaelic sept · “descendant of Corc, ‘heart’” Regan Ó Riagáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Riagán, 'little king' (or 'impulsive')” Ring Ó Rinn Gaelic sept · “descendant of Reann, ‘spear’” Riordan Ó Ríoghbhardáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Ríoghbhardán, 'royal little bard'” Roche de Róiste Norman · “de la roche — 'of the rock'” Ronan Ó Rónáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Rónán, 'little seal'” Scanlon Ó Scannláin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Scannlán — from scannal, 'contention' or 'strife'” Sheehan Ó Síodhacháin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Síodhach, 'the peaceful'” Shine Ó Seighin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Seighin, 'wild ox'” Spillane Ó Spealáin Gaelic sept · “descendant of Spealán — from speal, a scythe” Sweeney Mac Suibhne Scots-gallowglass · “son of Suibhne, 'well-going'” Tuohy Ó Tuathaigh Gaelic sept · “descendant of Tuathach, 'rustic' or 'lord'” Twomey Ó Tuama Gaelic sept · “descendant of Tuaim — 'burial mound'” Woulfe de Bhulbh Norman · “le woulf — 'the wolf'”

Tap a name for its full page — story, homeland map and neighbours. Or see all surnames from County Cork, with the other counties each name is tied to.

Towns, saints and legends of Cork

Towns. Cork Corcaigh (222,526, 2022), Cobh An Cóbh (14,148, 2022), Midleton Mainistir na Corann (13,906, 2022), Mallow Mala (13,456, 2022), Bandon Droichead na Bandan (8,196, 2022), Fermoy Mainistir Fhear Maí (6,720, 2022), Clonakilty Cloich na Coillte (5,112, 2022), Macroom Maigh Chromtha (4,096, 2022), Charleville Ráth Luirc or An Ráth (3,970, 2022), Mitchelstown Baile Mhistéala (3,744, 2022), Bantry Beanntraí (2,929, 2022), Skibbereen An Sciobairín (2,903, 2022), Kanturk Ceann Toirc (2,803, 2022), Blarney An Bhlarna (2,779, 2022), Kinsale Cionn tSáile, Youghal Eochaill. What every town name means →

Saints. St Finbarr of Cork (25 September), St Colman of Cloyne (24 November).

Legends set here. The Blarney Stone. On the atlas →

First names that belong here. Clíodhna, Eibhlín, Micheál, Fachtna, Cárthach, Barra, Ríordán, Art, Rossa, Gobnait, Éibhear, Finghin, Fionnbharr.

Irish in Cork today

At the 2022 census, 238,226 people in Cork said they could speak Irish. 6,906 speak it every day outside school, and 14,424 weekly.

28 primary schools here teach entirely through Irish (2025/26, 6,540 pupils), and 6 secondary schools.

Cork's Gaeltacht had 4,110 people in 2022, 847 of them daily Irish speakers. The Gaeltacht in numbers →

CSO, Census 2022, table SAP2022T3T2CTY. Every county compared →

The top of Cork

Knockboy (An Cnoc Buí), 706 metres, in the Shehy Mountains.

Wrecks on its coast: Rockingham (1775), Surveillante (1796), Suffisante (1803), Britannia (1806), Stephen Whitney (1847), RMS Lusitania (1915), SS Iberian (1915), SS Libau (Aud) (1916), Alondra (1916), RMS Laconia (1917), SS Minnehaha (1917), MV Alta (2020). Shipwrecks of Ireland →

Rivers and loughs: River Blackwater, River Lee, River Feale, River Bandon, River Bride, River Deel, River Maigue.

MountainViews, via Wikipedia. Every county's highest point → · Rivers and loughs →

Cork in the All-Ireland

Hurling: 30 senior titles (1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1902, 1903, 1919, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1999, 2004, 2005); 22 finals lost.
Football: 7 senior titles (1890, 1911, 1945, 1973, 1989, 1990, 2010); 16 finals lost.

Every county's All-Ireland titles →

Born in Cork

From Wikidata: people whose recorded birthplace is in the county, who have a Wikipedia article and are no longer living, with dates shown only where the article confirms them, ordered by how many languages Wikipedia covers them in. Traditional birthplaces of early saints are as Wikidata records them. Dates are left off where the sources disagree.

People in Cork, census by census

Cork had 854,118 people in 1841 and has 584,156 now (-32%). Its peak was 854,118 in 1841; its low point 330,443 in 1961, -61% of 1841. It has never regained the population it had before the Famine.

1821183118411851186118711881189119011911192619361946195119561961196619711979198119861991199620022006201120162022
730,444810,732854,118649,308544,818517,076495,607438,432404,611392,104365,747355,957343,668341,284336,663330,443339,703352,883396,118402,465412,735410,369420,510447,829481,295519,032542,868584,156

Census returns as tabulated in the county's Wikipedia article. All 32 counties, 1821 to today →

Hidden Cork — the places the buses miss
  • Drombeg stone circle
    The 'Druid's Altar': seventeen stones aligned on the midwinter sunset, with a Bronze Age cooking pit beside it that still boils water in an hour.
  • Abbeystrewry famine pits, Skibbereen
    Between 8,000 and 10,000 people lie in unmarked pits in this small graveyard — the town whose name became shorthand for the Famine's worst.
  • Kindred Spirits, Midleton
    Nine great steel feathers in a circle, honouring the Choctaw Nation's $170 gift to Ireland in 1847 — sent sixteen years after their own Trail of Tears.
  • Kinsale
    Christmas Eve 1601: the Gaelic order's last throw fails in a dawn attack that went wrong. Nine centuries of Ulster kingship ended here, 300 miles from home.
  • Béal na Bláth
    The bend in the road where Michael Collins was shot on 22 August 1922, in his own county, by his own former comrades.
  • Spike Island
    Monastery, fortress, for a few years in the mid-19th century probably the biggest prison in the British Empire, holding convicts awaiting transportation, then a garrison — 'Ireland's Alcatraz'.
On the ground in Cork

Every pin is placed by its documented coordinates. All the monuments of Ireland →

Everything on the site about County Cork

The county

History

Monuments and heritage

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Quick answers
What is the Irish name for County Cork?

Corcaigh. Cork is one of the 6 counties of Munster (Cúige Mumhan).

Who ruled County Cork in the Middle Ages?

Around 1014 it was held by Desmond (MacCarthy); by 1450, Earldom of Desmond (FitzGerald). The full era-by-era chronology is on this page.

What surnames come from County Cork?

Names historically associated with Cork include Ahern, Barrett, Barry, Begley, Boyce, Broderick, Buckley, Cagney, among others.

What does Corcaigh mean?

Corcaigh, said “KUR-kig”, means marsh — from corcach, a marsh. The swampy ground of the Lee that the city was built on and over.

What is the population of County Cork?

584,156 at the 2022 census, against 854,118 in 1841, before the Famine.

What is the county town of Cork?

Cork. County Cork covers about 7,508 km², which makes it the largest of the 32 counties.

Who are famous people from County Cork?

Among the best-known people born in Cork are Michael Collins, Mary Harris Jones, Ethel Lilian Voynich, William Trevor, James Barry, Agnes Mary Clerke. The full list, with their birthplaces, is on this page.

What did the Famine do to County Cork?

The census counted 854,118 people in Cork in 1841 and 649,000 in 1851 (the 1851 figure is approximate): a change of -24% in ten years, through death and emigration.

Sources for this page

A clean copy for school projects or the family file; collapsed sections print in full.

The chronology of who held the county is this site's own reading of the standard histories onto today's county borders, and says so where the fit is rough. Quoted passages are marked and licensed. Spotted an error? Say so — corrections are credited.

Trace your ancestors in Cork

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