Blackpool, Cork

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Blackpool is a suburb of Cork city in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the city, on the N20 road to Mallow.

Blackpool, as well as being a suburb, can be regarded as the commercial and social centre of the working class districts on the northside of Cork City.

Traditionally, Cork has been divided between the largely working-class areas north of the River Lee and largely middle-class areas on the southside of the city, with an intermediate status for the "middle parish" in the city centre. The northside and southside's social differences came to a fore through the hurling rivalry, between Glen Rovers (the Glen) and St Finbarr's (the Barrs), from the North and South sides respectively.

While some richer suburbs on the northside were built on hills to escape the smells which arose from the city, Blackpool was affected by any odours from the city centre which would arrive on the prevailing sourthwesterly wind. To this it would add its own contribution, earning the nickname the "Belfast of the South", due to its concentration of industries like tanning, bacon curing, brewing and distilling.

A vibrant, working class community developed, its identity reinforced by its association with icons such as Jack Lynch, hurler and Taoiseach (prime minister of the Republic of Ireland), Christy Ring (commonly regarded as the greatest hurler of all time), Danny La Rue, Charlie Hurley etc.

At the centre of Blackpool is its fine 20th Century Roman Catholic Parish Church: The Church of The Annunciation, which was designed by noted stone carver Seamus Murphy RHA who worked in the locality.

Blackpool, Cork

See also