Rosscarbery Explained

Rosscarbery
Native Name Lang:ga
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Munster
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:County Cork
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Clonakilty
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population As Of:2016
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population:490
Timezone1:WET
Utc Offset1:+0
Timezone1 Dst:IST (WEST)
Utc Offset1 Dst:-1
Coordinates:51.578°N -9.0317°W

Rosscarbery [2] is a village and census town in County Cork, Ireland. The village is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay. Rosscarbery is in the Cork South-West (Dáil Éireann) constituency, which has three seats.

History

The area has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic period, as evidenced by several Neolithic sites such as portal dolmens. The area is also home to a number of Bronze Age remains, including a number of stone circles and ring forts. There are two inscribed stones in Burgatia, and several (later) holy wells nearby.

Rosscarbery was home to the School of Ross, a major centre of learning, at one time being a university town, and one of the major cities in Europe, around the 6th century. Due to its popularity as a centre of pilgrimage it was also known as Ros Ailithir ("Wood of the Pilgrims").[3] The hereditary chieftains of the area, or tuath, were the O'Learys, known as Uí Laoghaire Ruis Ó gCairbre, until it passed to Norman control in the early thirteenth century.[4] The entire region had belonged to the ancient Corcu Loígde, of whom the O'Learys were one of the leading septs.

In March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, Tom Barry's 3rd Cork (IRA) Brigade attacked and destroyed the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks in Rosscarbery. Two RIC officers were killed in the attack, and nine others were injured.[5] [6] There is a plaque on the site of the former barracks, beside the current Garda station, commemorating the event.[7]

Demographics

In the 20 years between the 1991 and 2011 census, the population of Rosscarbery grew by approximately 17%, from 455 to 534 people.[8] As of the 2016 census, the population was 490.[8]

As a tourist area, there are a number of holiday homes around Rosscarbery,[1] which results in an annual swell in population during summer months.

Religion

The Church of Ireland's dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross were effectively merged during rationalisation in the 1860s. The bishop of this tridiocese, Paul Colton, is based in Cork.

There is a cathedral in Rosscarbery, an unusual feature for what is now a relatively small settlement. It is a Church of Ireland cathedral - St. Fachtna's Cathedral. St Fachtna's is the smallest cathedral in Ireland, and is the size of a typical parish church.

The Catholic church, in the diocese of Cork and Ross, is also called St. Fachtna's and dates from 1820.[9]

Places of interest

Square

An annual horse fair is held in Rosscarbery's square every year in August.[10]

Beaches

Rosscarbery is a tourist destination in the summertime, being in proximity to at least three beaches. The nearest of these, the "Warren Beach", is about a mile from the village, and is designated a blue flag beach, along with the nearby Owenahincha beach. Extensive coastal erosion at Warren Beach resulted in remedial works being undertaken throughout 2004 and 2005. Rosscarbery Pitch & Putt Club is located at the beach.

Estuary

Rosscarbery has a tidal estuary and mudflat on the south side of the main road and causeway (N71) and a large brackish lagoon on the north side. At the west end of the causeway, south of the main road is a small lagoon with reed beds.[11]

Antiquities

Bohonagh is a recumbent stone circle located 2.4 km east of Rosscarbery.[12] It dates to the Bronze Age and a boulder-burial is located nearby.[13]

Castle Salem is also near the village, and was the home to the Morris family from around 1660 until the early 1800s. The castle is now a guest house and run by the family who bought the castle in 1895.

Transport

Rosscarbery is on the N71 road that runs through counties Cork and Kerry. The nearest town is Clonakilty (10km (10miles) to the north-east).Cork city is 53km (33miles) to the north-east.

There are bus routes serving Rosscarbery that operate along the N71.

The nearest airport is Cork Airport.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Carbery Rangers, founded in 1887. In November 2003, Carbery Rangers won their first ever football County Junior A title, and subsequently a Junior Munster, Intermediate County, Munster, and All-Ireland titles. The club has since graduated to the senior ranks.

Rosscarbery Rowing Club competes at regattas in West Cork and at the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation Championships each August.

People

Annalistic references

See Annals of Inisfallen (AI)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sapmap Area - Settlements - Rosscarbery . Census 2016 . CSO . April 2016 . 18 August 2018 . 18 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180818150606/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=999A4DA5-0DDB-40F7-8376-8194102E4D5A . dead .
  2. Web site: Ros Ó gCairbre / Ross Carbery . Irish Placenames Commission . logainm.ie . 16 March 2020 .
  3. Book: McNamara, Martin. The Psalms in the early Irish church. limited. Sheffield Academic Press. 2000. 9781850759256. Sheffield. 68.
  4. Book: O'Flanagan . P. . Buttimer . C.G. . Cork History and Society . Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County . Geography Publications . Dublin . 1993 . 216.
  5. Web site: Home advantage – Ronan McGreevy on Tom Barry and the Rosscarbery attack . Irish Times . irishtimes.com . 22 March 2021 . 27 October 2021 .
  6. Book: Leeson, DM . The Black and Tans: British Police and Auxiliaries in the Irish War of Independence, 1920-1921 . Oxford University Press . 9780199598991 . 2011 . 142 .
  7. Web site: Old RIC barracks, Rosscarbery - Plaque image . theoldric.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20120331180904/http://theoldric.com/topic/587/Old-RIC-barracks-Rosscarbery-Co-Cork-2009 . 2012-03-31 .
  8. Web site: Rosscarbery (Ireland) Census Town . City Population . 27 October 2021 .
  9. Web site: Rosscarbery Parish . corkandross.org .
  10. Web site: Irish Examiner . Annual Horse Fair in Rosscarbery . 26 August 2016 .
  11. Web site: Bird watching and habitats in West Cork County Coastline - Rosscarbery . birdwatchirelandwestcork.ie .
  12. Web site: Bohonagh . The Megalithic Portal . 2008-06-11.
  13. Book: Weir, A. 1980 . Early Ireland. A Field Guide . Blackstaff Press . Belfast . 113.
  14. Web site: 1901 census - Killorglin/Langford . census.nationalarchives.ie .
  15. Web site: 1901 census - Barry's father the 3rd entry (B T). census.nationalarchives.ie.
  16. Web site: 1911 census - Rosscarbery/Fair Lane . census.nationalarchives.ie .
  17. News: U20 Grand Slam winner Hodnett to debut as Munster name team to face Southern Kings. 12 February 2020. The42. 14 February 2020.