Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/435

Rh C O 11 K 405 monuments of the Pagan era, such as stone circles, druids altars, &quot;raths&quot; or circular mounds of earth, and stone pillars. There are two so-called druids altars, the most perfect at Castlemary near Cloyne, and certain pillar stones scattered through the county, with straight marks cut on the edges called Ogham inscriptions, the interpretation of which is still a subject of much controversy- The remains of the old ecclesiastical buildings are in a very ruinous condition, being used as burial-places by the county people. The principal is Kilcrea, founded by Cormack M Carthy about 1465, some of the tombs of whose descendants are still in the chancel ; the steeple is still nearly perfect, and chapter-house, cloister, dormitory, and kitchen, can be seen. Timoleague, situated on a romantic spot on a rising ground at the extremeend of Courtmacsherry Bay, contains some tombs of interest, and is still in fair condition. Buttevant Abbey contains some tombs of the Barrys and other distinguished families. All these were the property of the Franciscans. There aretwo round towers in the county, one in a tine state of preservation opposite Cloyne Cathedral, the other at Kinneigh. From the chapter seal of Koss, which is dated 1661, and seems to have been a copy of a much earlier one, there is a good representation of a round tower and stone roofed church, with St Fachnan, to whom the church is dedicated, standing by, with a book in one hand and a cross in the other. Of Mourne Abbey, near Mallow, once a preceptory of the Knights Templars, and Tracton Abbey, which once sent a prior to Parliament, the very ruins have perished. Of the castles, Lohort, built in the reign of king John, is by far the oldest, and in its architectural features the most interesting; it is still quite perfect and kept in excellent repair by the owner, the earl of Eginont. Blarney Castle, built by Cormack M Carthy about 1 449, has a world-wide reputation, to which Millikin s song, &quot; The Groves of Blarney, in no small degree contributed ; it is also bound up with the civil history of the county and the war of the great rebellion. Castles Mali on and Macroom have been incorporated into the residences of the earls of Bandon and Bantry. The walls of Mallow Castle attest its former strength and extent, as also the castle of Kilbolane. The castles of Kilcrea and Dripsy are still in good condition. (R.C.) Plan of Cork. 1 School of Design and Museum 2. Custom Huuse. 2. Theatre. 4. Court House 5. Quer.n s College. 6. Cathedral. I 7. Barracks. 8. Com Kxchnnpje. 1 9. Blind Asylum. CORK, a city and port, is a county in itself, 138 miles south-west of Dublin direct and 165 by rail, and 11 miles north-west of the port of Queenstown, in 51 53 39&quot; 3 N. lat and 8 20 V. long. Until lately it ranked as the second city in Ireland, but of late Belfast has far surpassed it in population, wealth, and commerce. The original site of the city seems to have been located in the vicinity of the cathedral, which was founded by St Fin-Barre about G22. In the 9th century this place was frequently pillaged by the Northmen or Danes. According to the Annals of the Four Masters, a fleet burned Cork in 821; in 846 the Danes appear to have been in possession of the city, for a hosting was made to demolish their fortress; and in 1012 a great fleet of foreigners burned Cork. The Danes then appear to have founded the new city on the banks of the River Lee for the purpose of trade. The city was anciently surrounded with a wall, and we find in the city council book an order for its reparation so late as the year 1748. In the beginning of the 1 8th century the ground on which the principal part of the present city is built consisted of numerous islands intersected by canals or connected by drawbridges, through which small vessels could pass at high tide. The river now consists of the north and south branches. Both are lined with fine quays of cut limestone, the north spanned by four and the south by as many more bridges. The principal streets are St Patrick Street, Grand Parade, South Mall, and Great George Street. There are 517 streets, roads, lanes, and public passages in the borough, measuring 54^ miles. St Patrick s Bridge is an elegant structure, commenced in 1859. Churches. There are eight Protestant parish churches, including the cathedral. St Luke s has lately been sepa rated from St Ann de Shandon. There are three Roman Catholic parish churches, and the church of St Patrick. The Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, Carmelite, and St Vincent de Paul orders have also their respective churches ; there are besides three convents and two monas teries. The principal church is the new Protestant cathedral, the foundation stone of which was laid, 12th January 1865. It succeeds a rather mean building, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1735 on the site of a very ancient cathedral which suffered during the siege of Cork in September 1689-90. This building is in the Early French style, and when completed will cost near .100,000. The tower and spires now being erected are the gift of two merchant princes of Cork Mr William Crawford and Mr Francis Wise and will cost 30,000. The entire cathedral is due to the indefatigable exertions and munificence of Dr John Gregg, bishop of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross The other Protestant churches are extremely poor externally, except St Nicholas and St Luke s ; the latter is a neat structure on the high ground north-east of the city. The Roman Catholic cathedral is being restored to suit the fine Gothic steeple which adjoins it. The other Roman Catholic churches, St Mary, St Peter and Paul, St Patrick, Holy Trinity, and St Vincent de Paul are magnificent structures, and rank amongst the finest modern ecclesiastical edifices in Ireland. There are also the Presbyterian, a Baptist, an Independent, and two esleyan Methodist places of worship, as well as a Friends meeting house. Public Buildings. The court house is an elegant Grecian structure with a Corinthian portico about 30 feet in height. The Corn Exchange, Savings Bank, Provincial Bank, and Bank of Ireland are handsome buildings of cut limestone. The custom-house is built at the juncture of the two branches of the River Lee, and commands the river. The Commercial Buildings, Chamber of Commerce, and Hiber nian, National, and Munster Banks all possess some archi tectural merit. Educational, Scientific, and Charitable Institutions. The Queen s College, built on the site of an old feudal castle, is a fine structure, in the Tudor-Gothic style. It was opened 1849, and now possesses a library of about 22,000 volumes, a good museum, and a laboratory furnished with all the apparatus necessary for the advancement of modern scientific inquiry. The Model School has a daily attendance of about 381 pupils; Christian Brothers, 1870 pupils ; Sisters of Charity, 750 pupils; Presentation Nuns, 1650 pupils ; Sisters of Mercy, 600 pupils; Presentation Brothers, 1 200 pupils. There are also the several parochial and industrial schools which are well attended. Under the auspices of the National Board is the Cork Agricultural School, about two miles from the city, for the purpose of educating pupils exclusively in agricultural science. The Cork Library, which was founded 1790, contains a valuable collection of books in every department of literature. The Royal Cork Institution, established by a royal charter in 1807, in addition to an extensive library of