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Stories / myths in Cork?

funnydoggy

Has anyone heard any myths/conspiracy theories/stories about people in Cork, or about Cork itself?

For instance -- there's a story that my grandad likes to tell that there are underground IRA tunnels throughout the city. Not sure if fact or what but always fun to think about !

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Ludo

Dickens novel Great Expectations (hated it when had to read it for inter cert years ago) and character Miss Havisham was based on a stay at Havisham House in Rochestown...apparently.

Mav11

Itssoeasy wrote: »

I mean it was an ambitious thing to build when it was built. It’s a very distinctive looking church.

AFAIK it was the first concrete church built in Ireland and there was some resistance to it, particularly from traditional stone masons. Been a while since I read it, but “Stone Mad” by Seamus Murphy gives a good insight into it.

discostu1

saabsaab wrote: »

'Before becoming a hotel in 2008, the building were Maldron is housed today used to be the North Infirmary Hospital in 1720 and was later used to secretly treat the wounded soldiers from the war. Due to its history, the hotel is considered one of the most haunted places in Ireland. Guests have reported seeing the ghost of a woman who is believed to have died while giving birth back when the hotel was an infirmary, while broken mirrors and equipment have terrified guests and staff alike. Rumour has it that in between rooms 318 and 319 there is a closed off room, 325, which cannot be accessed on its own and is said to be a hive of paranormal activity.'

Thats a great story reminds me that we were told that Vernon Mount was haunted and to keep away, I suspect this was to keep us away from a house that was starting to fall apart but it has a dark history http://www.vernonmountpark.ie/abduction.php

saabsaab

'Before becoming a hotel in 2008, the building were Maldron is housed today used to be the North Infirmary Hospital in 1720 and was later used to secretly treat the wounded soldiers from the war. Due to its history, the hotel is considered one of the most haunted places in Ireland. Guests have reported seeing the ghost of a woman who is believed to have died while giving birth back when the hotel was an infirmary, while broken mirrors and equipment have terrified guests and staff alike. Rumour has it that in between rooms 318 and 319 there is a closed off room, 325, which cannot be accessed on its own and is said to be a hive of paranormal activity.'

discostu1

I was listening to a podcast on the Voynich manuscript and hadnt realised that Voynichs with was Ethel Boole daughter of George Boole of Boolean mathematics fame and her Uncle was Geroge Everest the mountain is named after him. She was born in Ballintemple and had a fascinating life
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Voynich

saabsaab

Yester wrote: »

There's an active nuclear reactor in the Science Building in UCC. They can't go near it in case it blows up and kills us all.

Article about it here..

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-10077085.html

the beer revolu

Itssoeasy wrote: »

I mean it was an ambitious thing to build when it was built. It’s a very destructive looking church.

It was certainly bold and modern at the time.
I think it has aged beautifully and still looks great - and modern.

Itssoeasy

the beer revolu wrote: »

Yeah, that Turner's Cross church myth is just that.
I thought it was the architect was supposed to have commuted suicide because no one liked the church?
Anyway, doesn't take much digging to bust that one.

I mean it was an ambitious thing to build when it was built. It’s a very distinctive looking church.

discostu1

Most of what is now Ballyphehane was market gardens even parts of Turners Cross which was more swampy were used for growing vegetables, the earth is very dark and rich

whisky_galore

Cork once had botanic gardens.

https://www.yaycork.ie/corks-mysterious-botanic-gardens-have-vanished-but-parts-remain-among-the-graves/

discostu1

St Johns Cemetery now St Johns Park at the back of ParkOwen at the top of Quaker road was said to be the burial place of The Templars its a lovely peaceful place if its in your 5km. some great info here on interesting graveyards in the City here https://www.corkcity.ie/en/media-folder/planning/cork-city-s-burial-places.pdf

beer enigma

Temple Hill Graveyard, rumours there are Knights Templar buried there

Temple Hill Graveyard, Ballintemple Cork.
A Knights Templar church was built at Ballintemple in 1392
Temple Hill, Churchyard Lane, and Ballintemple itself derive their names from an ecclesiastical and burial site at the top of Temple Hill. , while the graveyard remains, no archaeological evidence of an adjoining church has been subject to modern survey.
The graveyard itself has been subject to survey, and while it may have been used in the early medieval period The earliest known burial to have taken place at the mysterious graveyard at Temple Hill in Cork was a gruesome one. After the 1690 Siege of Cork, the intestines of Henry FitzRoy – 1st Duke of Grafton and an illegitimate son of King Charles II were buried here, while his body went back to England. The earliest remaining extant burial markers (with discernable dates) are dated to the early 18th Century. The antiquary and folklorist Thomas Crofton Croker surveyed the graveyard in the early 19th century. Croker records a folksong relating to the graveyard as well as documenting a marker for an 18th-century burial of a Lieutenant Henry Richard Temple who died with his young wife during a journey from the Caribbean (via Ireland) to England. During one such survey in the early 1800s, Croker was chased by locals who mistook his survey for grave robbery. The graveyard is accessible but closed to new burials (save to a few families with existing burial rights).

[Deleted User]

the beer revolu wrote: »

I also can't help thinking that if you put a path wide enough around a puddle, the path could be a mile long.
The claim was always that the circumference of the Lough was a mile, not some arbitrary path around it that includes footpaths along the road that have no doubt changed over the years.

Indeed.
It's not a mile, simples

the beer revolu

macraignil wrote: »

The church at the end of Summer hill north (Trinity Presbyterian Church) has a small defect in the angle of the stone spire and the story I was told was that the stone mason who built it killed himself due to the embarrassment of making the mistake.

.

There certainly is a slight kink in that spire and I was glad to see that they didn't take it out when it was refurbed, a couple of years ago.

I suspect that the story of the suicide was conflated with the (untrue) story of the suicide regarding Turner's Cross church

the beer revolu

Augeo wrote: »

Outside is 1200/1300m.... 6 furlong... 3/4 of a mile..... Under 15 minute walk at normal pace.

I also can't help thinking that if you put a path wide enough around a puddle, the path could be a mile long.
The claim was always that the circumference of the Lough was a mile, not some arbitrary path around it that includes footpaths along the road that have no doubt changed over the years.

[Deleted User]

shtpEdthePlum wrote: »

These are terrific lads keep em coming.

The outside is a mile and the inside is a kilometer. Roughly. I walk it every day and can attest to this being just about right. Very imprecisely.

Additionally the four-faced liar is a Norrie myth and the story of Cha and Miah is a Sorrie one.

Outside is 1200/1300m.... 6 furlong... 3/4 of a mile..... Under 15 minute walk at normal pace.

Mav11

macraignil wrote: »

The church at the end of Summer hill north (Trinity Presbyterian Church) has a small defect in the angle of the stone spire and the story I was told was that the stone mason who built it killed himself due to the embarrassment of making the mistake.

The green area in the middle of the old part of UCC (The Quod) should never be crossed by a student as any one who does will never get their degree.

One of the first torpedoes developed was first fired in Cork harbor. Just did some searching and this inventor may be the source of the story I heard.

The round tower in Cloyne in east Cork will be some day be surrounded by the sea.

http://www.camdenfortmeagher.ie/the-brennan-torpedo/

macraignil

The church at the end of Summer hill north (Trinity Presbyterian Church) has a small defect in the angle of the stone spire and the story I was told was that the stone mason who built it killed himself due to the embarrassment of making the mistake.

The green area in the middle of the old part of UCC (The Quod) should never be crossed by a student as any one who does will never get their degree.

One of the first torpedoes developed was first fired in Cork harbor. Just did some searching and this inventor may be the source of the story I heard.

The round tower in Cloyne in east Cork will be some day be surrounded by the sea.

discostu1

2 Patricks Bridges have collapsed but n the 1800s

. St Patrick’s Bridge:

In the late 1700s, the butter and beef trade made Cork a wealthy City but getting access from the city’s southern hills was an issue. A new bridge was proposed by the expanding population.

There was opposition though from the ferrymen near the proposed site (i.e. on the northern side of Patrick Street) who operated ferry boats on the River Lee. Their petition to the Corporation of Cork was turned down and in 1786, the go-ahead for the raising of money for the project was given. The Corporation took out financial loans and tolls would be placed on the bridge to repay the debt. Mr Michael Shanahan was chosen to be the architect and chief contractor of the operation. From 1788, he set about planning the project and on 25 July of that year, the foundation stone was laid. It took a half a year to nearly complete the whole job.

Unfortunately, on 17 January 1789, disaster occurred as a flood swept through the Lee Valley. A boat tied up at Carroll's Quay (then Sand’s Quay) broke loose and crashed against the uncompleted centre arch or keystone and destroyed it. The bridge was rebuilt and christened on 29 September 1789.

In November 1853, disaster happened again when St Patrick's Bridge was swept away by another flood. The rebuilding of the new bridge was conducted by architect John Benson. In November 1859, the new St Patrick's Bridge was opened and christened. Disaster struck again when the bridge had to be reconstructed due to a ship which struck it. It was built back up again and was opened on 12 December 1861 for public traffic. The bridge has undergone maintenance work over the last number of decades.

Itssoeasy

That the railway tunnel out of cork isn’t a mile long. The myth that Patrick’s bridge collapsed in the early 1980s. Yes, there was work done on it but I was told for years that the bridge collapsed as in fully collapsed into the river.

discostu1

Even to most Cork folk its now the Tramore road but to older folk and to "locals" it was always the Hang Dog Road ,,,,,,,,,,,,,with good reason http://homepage.tinet.ie/~douglasweekly/hangdog8.html

WHL

The old Cork to Mallow road was so twisty that I remember hearing that it was 20 miles from Cork to Mallow but only 19 from Mallow to Cork 😂

partyguinness

Jaysus I have a load of stories about Cork but I have mental block at the moment...give me time.

shtpEdthePlum

the beer revolu wrote: »

What myth?
Up until the mechanism was restored/replaced sometime in the 90s (at a guess) the four faces showed a different time. I remember it well.

What's the Cha and Miah myth?
They were comedy characters - actors.

Yeah that's all I meant about Shandon, the minute hands on the east and west faces still always go ahead of the north and south hands in the ascent from the half hour to the hour but they all line up at the hour again... Allegedly because Sorries have always been that bit behind Northsiders, but they always catch up eventually

Nice bit here about the Two Working Men.
https://thesilvervoice.wordpress.com/tag/cha-and-miah/

There's the story of the Yank who came to visit Cork.

First, they saw the Capitol and the American said "Waaaaaow what's thaaat?"

The guide gave him the details, five floors tall, rebuilt 2017, former cinema-turned retail outlet.

Next, passing the Western Gateway building he said "Waaaaaaow what's thaaat?"

Six floors tall, completed in 2009, office building the guide told him.

At the end of the day the guide was wrecked from all the questions and as they passed the County Hall bucko asks "Waaaaaaaaaaow what's thaaat?"

"I've no idea," the guide tells him. "That wasn't there this morning."

hans aus dtschl

the beer revolu wrote: »

The story goes that it was to be built in Ovens but brown envelopes had it moved to its current site - arguably the foggiest part of Cork!
No Idea if this is true or not.

No, this isn't true, but it's nearly true.

The alternate location was in Ahanesk East Cork, south of Carrigtohill, east of where the existing dump is.
A Cork East TD at the time (from Glounthaune) heavily tried to influence the decision towards the Carrigtohill site.
He said it was near the railway line. Another thing in its favour was the fact that boat planes used the site for a short time, and these were potentially the future of air travel.

The decision of the current site was never properly documented/published. And in my opinion (and in the opinion of TD Corry too) the only reason the current site was selected was because it suited the person selling the land. The explanation given now is that the hills at the Carrigtohill location would be too severe. But that must be nonsense, because they're nothing at all compared to Spur Hill/Airport Hill! In their defence though, at least the Ahanesk site would probably have been very foggy too.

Finally, there is an old WWI airfield near Mogeely, on the train line. I often confused this one with the above info. It's another site altogether unrelated to the above.

the beer revolu

cml387 wrote: »

Doea anyone know the story about why the airport is where it is, and was there skullduggery involved?

The story goes that it was to be built in Ovens but brown envelopes had it moved to its current site - arguably the foggiest part of Cork!
No Idea if this is true or not.

danoriordan1402

There were stories flying around how the locals used to pee on the Blarney Stone after a night of drinking. Leave it nice and ripe for the tourist Q's in the mornings. I think it stemmed from the Fight Club book, the author may have mentioned the story in there.

It used to be easy enough to get into the grounds 25 years ago, never up the winding stairs to the stone though. These days no chance.

whisky_galore

the beer revolu wrote: »

What's the Cha and Miah myth?
.

That they were funny?

cml387

Doea anyone know the story about why the airport is where it is, and was there skullduggery involved?

the beer revolu

shtpEdthePlum wrote: »

These are terrific lads keep em coming.

The outside is a mile and the inside is a kilometer. Roughly. I walk it every day and can attest to this being just about right. Very imprecisely.

Additionally the four-faced liar is a Norrie myth and the story of Cha and Miah is a Sorrie one.

What myth?
Up until the mechanism was restored/replaced sometime in the 90s (at a guess) the four faces showed a different time. I remember it well.

What's the Cha and Miah myth?
They were comedy characters - actors.