Cork is an ancient city, settled by the Vikings that grew from maritime trade with Northern Europe and Britain in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Century.
The connection with the river and the sophistication of the architecture combined with the landscape of the surrounding hills to create a rich urban landscape of uniqueness and rarity. The expansion of the city in the Georgian period before the end of the Napoleonic Wars created buildings of fine detail represented by sophisticated craftsmanship and design.
The building forms and materials were influenced by available local materials combined with local circumstances and the particular construction methods of other trading cities. Distinctive slate hanging in Cork is also only seen in Devon, Cornwall and Brittany and brickwork facades are closely reminiscent of Dutch architecture of Amsterdam and 18th Century London houses.
a rare pale stone
quay walls Form 18th & 19th Century
The quayside landscape is ancient. Many quays were formed in massive stone walls built with the rubble stone of the city walls and even earlier Viking settlements. These can be seen around the west of the city from Parliament bridge. To the East are the fine late 18th and early 19th Century quay walls which have been finely crafted in cut stone blocks in an interlocking and precise manner reminiscent of the most ancient quayside piers and harbours in history.
The quayside landscape reflects our place as a trading maritime city and bears testament to the works of our ancestors for generations. To protect this legacy is our duty as it is part of our identity.
Pacata Hibernia Map Of Cork (circa 1587)
