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Munster

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Munster (Irish: An Mhumhain, IPA: [ənˈvuːnʲ], Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four provinces of Ireland. The largest city in Munster is Cork.


History

The name is derived from the Celtic goddess, Muma. The province was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman (North Munster), Deas Mhuman (South Munster), Urh Mumhan (East Munster), Iar mumhan (West Munster), Ernaibh Muman (the Ernai tribe's portion of Munster), and Deisi Muman (the Deisi tribe's portion of Munster). Ultimately, these were all subsumed into the kingdoms of Thomond (North Munster), Desmond (South Munster), and Ormond (East Munster), all of which were eventually subsumed by surrender and regrant as Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland. The names exist only indirectly today, particularly in the case of Thomond. The three crowns represent these three kingdoms. This flag can easily be confused with the flag of Dublin which has three castles in a similar pattern on a blue background; it also resembles the lesser coat-of-arms of Sweden, the Three Crowns.

Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond (d. 1356), was described as the "ruler of Munster" in his lifetime.

In 1841 before the Great Famine, there were just under three million people living in the province of Munster, but the population dropped devastatingly low due to mass emigration in the 1840s and continued emigration up until the 1980s.

For 30 days during the Irish Civil War, the province of Munster broke away from the Irish Free State and established the Munster Republic in opposition to the acceptance of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Munster Republic was short lived and subsequently crushed by heavily-armed Irish Free State forces.

Counties

It comprises the counties of:

County/City Population Area
County Clare 110,800 3,147 km²
County Cork 480,909 7,457 km²
Cork city (190,384)
County Kerry 139,616 4,746 km²
County Limerick 183,863 2,686 km²
Limerick city (90,757)
County Tipperary 149,050 4,303 km²
County Waterford 107,942 1,837 km²
Waterford city (49,213)
Grand Total 1,172,170 24,607.52km²

Cities

Cork is the largest city conurbation, which has a population of 190,384 (2006) and 380,000 within the Greater Cork Area. (See Cork Co. Council population report below)

Other important cities are Limerick urban area 90,757 (2006) and Waterford 49,213 (2006).

Large towns over 7,000

In order of size of population

(* towns/suburbs in the Metropolitan Cork area) (** suburbs in the Limerick urban area)

  • (All figures - 2006 Census)

Economy

The province of Munster contributes 40 billion euro (US$52.57bn) to Irish GDP (25% of total Irish GDP) (2004) (greater than the Economy of Northern Ireland 37.3bn euro) (See "GDP stats" below). Munster also is wealthier than Slovenia (pop. 2m), Lithuania (pop. 3.5m), Latvia (pop. 2.5m) and Kenya (pop. 35m). Munster is the home to many modern capital intensive, highly productive private sector enterprises.

The Economy of Cork and Economy of Limerick are the main engines of the province's economy. The Cork harbour area was the centre of Ireland's heavy industry manufacturing sector. Cork had a steel mill, a shipyard, a car assembly plant, a tyre plant, a deep harbour, and a thriving textile sector in the mid twentieth century. (Cork people are proud to point out that this was greater than any other Irish city including Belfast, which did not figure in the automotive industry). However heavy taxes, excessive regulation, competition from larger centres of economic activity, and the sudden removal of protective tarifs upon membership of the European Economic Community caused a decline in the 1970s. Cork was Ireland's rust belt city in the 1980s, as heavy industry moved out, and newer sectors tried to get established in as unemployment peaked.

Munster was the home of 'The Munster and Leinster Bank', which is parent of Ireland's richest and largest bank Allied Irish Bank. Cork, in Munster, is also home of the two largest Irish owned retailing organizations, Dunnes Stores, and the Musgrave Group. Cork is also home to two of the three Irish stout brands; Murphy's Irish stout, and Beamish, as well as the 'Paddy' brand of Irish whiskey.

Shannon airport, a rich music tradition, the best food from land and sea, and landscapes of international renown, have all been influential in the development of the tourist sector in Munster.

Power generation

The majority of the Republic's power stations are located in Munster.

Ireland's only oil refinery and oil storage facility is still located at Whitegate.

The majority of Ireland's gas production comes from Kinsale Head in County Cork, from where it is transported by pipeline across the country.

I.T & Pharmaceutical Industry

Munster is one of Ireland's most important I.T. hubs with such multinationals as Apple, Intel, Amazon and Dell locating in the province. The Atlantic Quarter in Cork is a new plan to create a smaller version of Dublin's IFSC in Cork docklands. In Kerry, FEXCO Financial Services in Killorglin is a foreign exchange and global payments group.[1]

Munster has developed into the centre of Ireland's Pharmaceutical industry. The province plays an ever greater role in the bio-pharmaceutical industry and is successful in fighting off stiff competition from Switzerland and Singapore for inward investments in the bio-pharmaceutical area in companies such as Amgen and Pfizer and Roche(located in Clarecastle Co.Clare).[2]

Metropolitan Cork & Shannon Free Zone

The following are some of the more important employers in the region: AOL, Bausch & Lomb, Dairygold, Dell, Amazon, Motorola, Amgen, Pfizer, Analog Devices, Fexco Financial Services, Vistakon, Waterford Crystal, Apple Computer, Intel, Novartis, O2, Lufthansa Technik, Kerry Group, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Siemens, Sony. The largest employment hub in Munster is Metropolitan Cork, with many large multinational firms located in the area. The second most important is the Shannon Free Zone with over 120 international firms based there employing over 7,500 people.

Cork Harbour

Cork harbour is the largest natural harbour in Europe and has always had a long and important maritime history.

Haulbowline Island is the location of the Irish naval fleet and the Irish naval college.

The town of Cobh is one of Ireland's only cruise ship destinations.

International airports

Major infrastructural projects

Irish language

The Irish language, or more specifically Munster Irish is spoken as a first language in Gaeltachtaí (Irish speaking areas);

  • in West Kerry (Corca Dhuibhne)
  • in South Kerry (Uíbh Ráthach). Here, the language died out in the 1950s.
  • in West Cork (Múscraí)
  • in south-west Cork (Oileán Cléire)
  • in south-west Waterford (Gaeltacht na Rinne or Gaeltacht na nDeise)

The number of Gaelscoileanna (Irish language schools) has increased sharply in the last ten years. Children learn Irish and speak Irish in the Gaelscoileanna. Munster has the second highest number of Irish-medium primary schools(46) in Ireland and the highest number of Irish-medium secondary schools(22) of any Irish province.

Third level institutions



Munster media

Television

Newspapers

  • The Irish Examiner - Cork-based national newspaper
  • Evening Echo - daily evening paper covering Cork city. Also a daily Limerick edition
  • The Avondhu - covers North East Cork, West Waterford, South Limerick and South Tipperary.
  • The Munster Express - covers the South East.
  • Nationalist & Munster Advertiser

The Limerick Leader (covers the Mid West)

Clare

  • Clare Champion
  • Clare People
  • Clare Courier
  • Clare County Express

Cork

Kerry

Limerick

Tipperary

  • The Guardian, Nenagh
  • The Tipperary Star
  • The Nationalist, Clonmel

Waterford

  • The Waterford News and Star
  • The Munster Express, Dungarvan

Radio

  • Red FM - Cork Youth-driven service
  • Clare FM - County Clare
  • Tipp FM - County Tipperary
  • Radio Kerry - County Kerry
  • WLR FM - Waterford City and County
  • 96FM and C103 (dual franchise) - General service for Cork
  • Limerick East community radio - Limerick East
  • Live 95FM - Limerick City and County, covering Thomond(Tuadh Mumhan North Munster)
  • West Limerick 102 - Limerick city and County
  • Spin SW - province-wide
  • Beat 102-103 - Youth-driven service. Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, South Tipperary and East Limerick covering the Ormond(Urh Mumhan East Munster)
  • RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta "Camchuairt" - Tralee, County Kerry covering Desmond (Deas Mumhan South Munster)
  • RTÉ lyric FM - 96-99FM - Cornmarket Row, Limerick City. Broadcast Country wide

Sport

The most popular sports in Munster are Gaelic games, soccer and rugby.

Hurling

Munster is famous for its tradition of hurling. The town of Thurles in County Tipperary is the birthplace of modern GAA. Three of the four most successful teams in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship are from Munster; Cork GAA, Tipperary GAA and Limerick GAA. Clare GAA and Waterford GAA are also among the most prominent teams in the sport. The final of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship is one of the most important days in the Irish GAA calendar.

Gaelic football

Traditionally, the dominant teams in Munster football are Kerry GAA and Cork GAA, although Tipperary GAA and Limerick GAA have also won All-Ireland Senior Football Championships. Kerry in particular are famous as the most successful team in the history of football.

Rugby

Main article: Munster Rugby

Rugby is a popular game in the cities of Limerick and Cork. Munster is an Irish Rugby Football Union representative side which competes in the Magners' League, winning in 2003, and in the Heineken Cup, winning in 2006 and 2008. The Munster side is the only Irish side to have defeated the New Zealand All Blacks.

Soccer

Soccer is also a popular game in Munster. Four Munster clubs play in the FAI League of Ireland; Cork City, Waterford United, Cobh Ramblers and Limerick 37.

Munster sports stadia

In order of capacity

References

  1. ^ Colm Keena (13 November 2004). "Fexco posts €9.4m profit on improved turnover". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2008-03-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Roche Ireland pharmaceuticals & healthcare Clarecastle Co Clare Ireland

See also

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