Skibbereen

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For the song, see Skibbereen (song).
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Skibbereen
An Sciobairín
—  Town  —
Skibbereen is located in Ireland
Skibbereen
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°32′55″N 9°15′49″W / 51.5486°N 9.2636°W / 51.5486; -9.2636Coordinates: 51°32′55″N 9°15′49″W / 51.5486°N 9.2636°W / 51.5486; -9.2636
Country Ireland
Province Munster
County County Cork
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference W119334
Former railway bridge across the Ilen.

Skibbereen (Irish: An Sciobairín), is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland.[1] It is located on the N71 national secondary road. The name "Skibbereen" (often shortened to "Skibb") means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.

Contents

[edit] History

Skibbereen Post Office, 2006

Prior to 1600 most of the land belonged to the native McCarthy tribe - today McCarthy remains the town's most common surname. The town charter dates back to 1657 and a copy can be seen in the town council Chambers.

[edit] Famine

It is probable that some 8,000-10,000 Famine victims are buried in the Famine Burial Pits of Abbeystrewery Cemetery.

Skibbereen is also the name of a song about the Famine, and the impact it and the British Government had on the people of Ireland. The song, known as Dear Old Skibbereen, takes the form of a conversation between a father and a son, in which the son asks his father why he fled the land he loved so well. The father relates to his son how the famine ruined his farm in Skibbereen, and killed his wife. As the man was unable to pay taxes,

...the landlord and the bailiff came to drive us all away.
They set the roof on fire with their cursed English spleen,
And that's another reason why I left old Skibbereen.

In the final verse the son swears he will return to Skibbereen to take vengeance on the government that he holds accountable. A version can be found on the soundtrack to the PBS mini-series, "The Long Journey Home," performed by Sinead O'Connor. In the film Michael Collins the Collins character, played by Liam Neeson, sings the song. There is also a version by The Dubliners.

Skibbereen has not forgotten the victims of the Great Famine. A permanent exhibition at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre commemorates that tragic period in Irish history. Skibbereen was the focal point of Ireland's first National Famine Memorial Day on 17 May 2009. The town was selected as it was in one of the areas worst affected by the Great Famine, with a mass grave at Abbeystrewery containing the remains of between 8,000 and 10,000 people.[2]

The National Famine Commemoration Committee has agreed that the centerpiece of the new memorial day should rotate between the Four Provinces on an annual basis. [3]

[edit] Media

The Skibbereen Eagle, a newspaper founded in 1857, became famous by declaring it was "keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia" over his expansionist designs on China. This newspaper was superseded by the Southern Star[1], founded in 1889, its first editor D.D. Sheehan, and included amongst its shareholders one Michael Collins.


[edit] Industry

[edit] Transport & communications

[edit] Sport

The local college St. Fachtna's was a finalist in 1982 and a winner in 1991 of the Hogan Cup (Gaelic football).

[edit] People

[icon] This section requires expansion.

[edit] Music, local entertainment, and outdoor adventure

The town has strong musical traditions with many different music events held each year. A few bars in town also host various musical acts throughout the week. Baby Hannah's is a popular place for locals to see bands from as far as Poland come play on occasion.

Skibbereen is home to the annual Cork X Southwest Music & Arts Festival. In 2011, Cork X SW was held at Liss Ard Estate and featured Patti Smith, Echo & the Bunnymen, Balkan Beat Box, Fred and Yuck among its two-day lineup. The festival had a camp ground where attendees were able to either pitch a tent or park a camper for both Saturday and Sunday night. Beyond food and merchandise vendors, there was also a section of the festival called Vibrations where there were drum circles and free expression platforms. Besides being home to the festival, the Liss Ard Estate offers several options for walking, swimming, exploring, and discovering the magic of the sky garden crater.

Also in Skibbereen is the Russagh Mill Hostel and Adventure Center, which offers a wide range of activities such as sea kayaking in the local Lough Hyne marine lake, abseiling, archery, orienteering, rock climbing, hill walking, and team building. A number of local schools go to Russagh Mill on field trips and it is a popular stop for cyclists and backpackers. The hostel is owned by Michael Murphy, a highly accomplished outdoor enthusiast, a member of the first and subsequent successful expeditions to Mt. Everest, as well as being one of the top Irish canoe coaches. Murphy has grown up in the area and now lives on his family farm. Also, the hostel invites volunteers from all over the world to work in exchange for room and board, as well as occasional participation in some of the outdoor activities offered at the Mill. Skibbereen's location near the coast of Ireland makes it a perfect place to pursue sea fishing, scuba diving, sailing, and kayaking.

Also, just outside of town is the Tragumna Beach where many people go to swim during the warmer months.

[edit] Sewerage Scheme

Cork County Council are currently delivering a sewerage scheme to Skibbereen at a cost of €13,100,000.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Skibbereen.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.myguideireland.com/skibbereen
  2. ^ "National Famine Memorial Day". http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Irish-Famine-Memorial-Day.html. 
  3. ^ http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/0108/ireland/mhsnmhojsnmh/
  4. ^ http://www.skibbgolf.com
  5. ^ http://www.skibbac.com/
  6. ^ http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20County%20Council/Departments/Divisional%20Services/Water%20Services/New%20Schemes
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