Cllr Kieran McCarthy’s tour of Cork Docklands takes place on Saturday 9 November leaving at 2pm from Kennedy Park on Victoria Road (free, two hours).  Some of the themes covered in the talk will be the development of such sites as the Marina and the Atlantic Pond and how they came into being, and the historic structures that still exist in the area. Much of the story of Cork’s modern development is represented in their environs. The origin of the current Docklands is a product of centuries of reclamation and negotiation of swampland.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “Ever since Viking age time over 1,000 years ago, boats of all different shapes and sizes have been coming in and out of Cork’s riverine and harbour region continuing a very long legacy of trade. Port trade was and still is the engine in Cork’s development. To complement the growth of the port, extensive reclamation of swampland took place as well as physical infrastructure quays, wharfs and warehouses.  I’m a big fan of the different shapes of these wharfs, especially the timber ones that have survived since the 1870s. Perhaps the theme that runs through the new walking tour is connections. The tour explores very interesting sites such as Jewtown, Hibernian Buildings, the old electricity power station, the Gas Works, the Docks, the old City Park Racecourse, the early story of Fords, and Kennedy Park. All these topics are all about connecting the city to wider themes of exportation and importation of goods, people and ideas into the city through the ages”.