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Skibbereen

Coordinates:51°32′55″N9°15′49″W/ 51.5486°N 9.2636°W/51.5486; -9.2636
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For the song, seeSkibbereen (song).

Skibbereen
Irish:An Sciobairín
Town
New Bridge over the River Ilen
New Bridge over theRiver Ilen
Skibbereen is located in Ireland
Skibbereen
Skibbereen
Location in Ireland
Coordinates:51°32′55″N9°15′49″W/ 51.5486°N 9.2636°W/51.5486; -9.2636
CountryIreland
ProvinceMunster
CountyCounty Cork
Population
(2022)[1]
2,903
Time zoneUTC±0(WET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+1(IST)
Eircoderouting key
P81
Telephone area code+353(0)28
Irish Grid ReferenceW119334
Websitewww.skibbereen.ie

Skibbereen(/ˌskɪbəˈriːn/;Irish:An Sciobairín)[2]is a town inCounty Cork,Ireland.It is located inWest Corkon theN71national secondary road.TheRiver Ilenruns through the town; it reaches the sea about 12 kilometres away, at the seaside village ofBaltimore.As of the2022 census,the population of the town was 2,903.[1]The town of Skibbereen, sometimes shortened to "Skibb", is in theCork South-WestDáil constituency,which has three seats.

Toponymy

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Skibbereen is located on theRiver Ilen.In his bookThe Origin and History of Irish Names of Places(1869), the historianPatrick Weston Joycesuggests that the Irish place nameSciobairínorScibirínderives from the small boats orskiffs(scibs) that were common on this stretch of the river.[3]

History

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Prior to 1600, most of the land in the area belonged to the nativeMacCarthy Reaghdynasty.[4]The town charter dates back to 1657 and a copy can be seen in the town council chambers. In 1631, Skibbereen received an influx of refugees fleeing from theSack of Baltimore.The "Phoenix Society" was founded in Skibbereen in 1856 and was a precursor to theFenianmovement.[5]

1798 memorial

A statue, the 'Maid of Erin' erected in 1904, sits on top of a memorial to commemorate four failed uprisings against British rule, the dates of which are engraved on each side of the plinth: 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867.[6]

Skibbereen Town Hall

Skibbereen was once a stop on the West Cork Railway, which scheduled trains from West Cork to Cork City. The construction of the railways took place between 1851 and 1893 and by 1961, all West Cork railway lines were closed. Skibbereen also had a separate terminus station on the narrow-gaugeSchull and Skibbereen Tramway and Light Railway.[7]Skibbereen Town Hallwas erected in around 1862.[8][9]

Famine

[edit]
Skibbereen1847; a sketch by Cork artistJames Mahony(1810–1879) commissioned forIllustrated London News20 February 1847

The region around Skibbereen experienced a significant famine in the years 1845–52, a time referred to asThe Great Hungeror Great Famine (Irish:an Gorta Mór). The Skibbereen Heritage Centre estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 victims of the Famine are buried in the famine burial pits of Abbeystrewery cemetery close to the town.[10]While there is some question on the accuracy of census data from the famine era,[11]records indicate a drop of population from 58,335 in 1841 to 32,412 in 1861.[12]

Site of Famine Burial Pits at Abbeystrowery

Skibbereenis also the name of a song about the Famine, and the impact it and theBritish Governmenthad on the people of Ireland. The song, known asDear 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.[13]

A permanent exhibition to commemorate the memory of the victims of the Great Famine is sited at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre.[14]Skibbereen was also 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.[15]The National Famine Commemoration Committee agreed that the centrepiece of the memorial day would rotate between theFour Provinceson an annual basis.[16]

Media

[edit]
High Street, Skibbereen

TheSkibbereen Eagle,a newspaper founded in 1857, published both local and international stories. For example, it published an editorial that "toldLord Palmerstonthat it had 'got its eye both upon him and on the Emperor of Russia'."[17]And a 1914 article said "We give this solemn warning toKaiser Wilhelm:The Skibbereen Eagle has its eye on you."[18]This newspaper was superseded by theSouthern Star,which was founded in Skibbereen in 1889.[19][20]

Sport

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O'Donovan Rossa GAAis the localGaelic Athletic Associationclub. The local secondary school St. Fachtna's was a finalist in 1982 and a winner in 1991 of theHogan CupforGaelic football.

Skibbereen Rowing Club is situated on the outskirts of the town, and is one of the most successful clubs in Ireland.[21]Club membersPaulandGary O'Donovanwon silver at the 2016 summer Olympics in themen's lightweight double sculls,[22]the first Olympic medal won by Irish rowers.[23]Paul O'Donovan and fellow club memberFintan McCarthysubsequently won gold at the2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

A.F.C.Skibbereen is the local association football (soccer) club, with other sports clubs including Skibbereen Golf Club,[24]Skibbereen Rugby Club, and Skibbereen Athletics Club.[25]

Education

[edit]

There are four primary schools located in the town, including Abbeystrewry National School (a mixed school), Gaelscoil Dr. Uí Shúilleabháin (a mixed Irish-speaking school), St. Patrick's Primary School (boys), and Scoil Naomh Seosamh (girls)

The town's previous three secondary schools (Rossa College, St Fachtna's De la Salle and Mercy Heights) were amalgamated into a new school, called Skibbereen Community School, which opened in September 2016.[26]

Demographics

[edit]

As of the2016 census,in terms of ethnicity, the Skibbereen Urban and Skibbereen Rural electoral divisions were 75.6% white Irish, 18.8% other white ethnicities, 0.6% black, 1.2% Asian, 1% of other ethnicity, and 2.9% with no stated ethnicity.[27][28]As of 2016, 5.4% of Skibbereen's urban population identified with aUKnationality,[29]compared to an average of 2.6% for the county as a whole.[30]

In terms of religion, the2011 censusrecorded the population as being 79% Catholic, 11.5% other stated religion, 7% with no religion, and 1.5% not stated.[31]

Notable people

[edit]
See also:Category:People from Skibbereen

Culture and leisure

[edit]

Arts Festival

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The Skibbereen Arts Festival occurs annually, taking place at the end of July and including community-based projects as well as a mix of national and international films, theatre, visual art and music acts.[35]

Agricultural Festival

[edit]

The Carbery Show takes place on the third Thursday of July each year.[citation needed]The show includes agricultural, horticultural, livestock, craft, bakery and other competitions, as well as a pet show, and trade exhibition. The first Carbery Show took place in 1836.[36]

Music

[edit]

A number of different music events are held each year, with several bars and venues in town (including "Baby Hannah's" ) hosting musical acts.[citation needed]Skibbereen has also hosted theCork X Southwest Music & Arts Festivalover several years. The 2011 festival was held at Liss Ard Estate and featuredPatti Smith,Echo & the Bunnymen,Balkan Beat Box,Fredand others across a two-day lineup.[37]

Beaches

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Just outside Skibbereen isTragumnabeach, and the town's location near the coast means that sea fishing, scuba diving, sailing, and kayaking are possible locally.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"Census Mapping - Towns: Skibbereen - Population Snapshot".Census 2022.CSO.Retrieved19 February2024.
  2. ^"An Sciobairín/Skibbereen".Placenames Database of Ireland(logainm.ie).Retrieved28 November2021.
  3. ^Weston Joyce, Patrick(1869).The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, Volume 2.Dublin: McGlashan & Gill. p. 42.Skibbereen in Cork [..] is situated at the mouth of the river Ilen, on a little creek much frequented by small vessels, formerly-and still in some places-called 'scibs' (Eng. skiff); and Scibirín, as the place is called in Irish, means a places frequented by skibs or boats
  4. ^MacCarthy Reagh of Carbery(O'Hart 1892)
  5. ^"Book pays tribute to towns fine patriots".The Southern Star.23 June 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 21 August 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  6. ^"The Maid of Erin".Statues - Hither & Thither.Retrieved31 December2023.
  7. ^LM (15 September 1906)."Schull and Skibbereen Light Railway".The Locomotive Magazine.Vol. 12, no. 169.OCLC762067807.
  8. ^"Skibbereen Town Hall, North Street, The Square, Gortnaclohy, Skibbereen, County Cork".National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.Retrieved31 December2023.
  9. ^"Skibbereen Town Hall".Skibbereen Heritage Centre.Retrieved31 December2023.
  10. ^"Skibbereen Heritage Centre - Great Famine Commemoration Exhibition".Skibbheritage.com.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  11. ^JJ Lee (1981). JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (ed.). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population".Economy and Society:54.
  12. ^"Census of Ireland 1861: Part I, Area, Population, and Number of Houses, by Townlands and Electoral Divisions Provinces of Leinster and Munster".Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. 1861. p. 164.Archivedfrom the original on 31 January 2016.Retrieved24 January2016.
  13. ^Hughes, Herbert (1915).Irish Country Songs.Vol. II. Boosey & Hawkes. pp. 76–84.Retrieved8 June2020.
  14. ^"Skibbereen Heritage Centre".Skibbheritage.com.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  15. ^"National Famine Memorial Day".Littleshamrocks.com.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2009.Retrieved6 September2009.
  16. ^"Skibbereen to be focal point of Famine Memorial Day".BreakingNews.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 22 February 2012.Retrieved11 August2016.
  17. ^Cobham Brewer, E (1898).Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.London: Cassell, and Co. Ltd.
  18. ^Philip Howard (2000)."The Press Gang - The World in Journalese"(PDF).Institute for Cultural Research. p. 15.Archived(PDF)from the original on 23 March 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  19. ^"Southern Star Newspaper".Archivedfrom the original on 17 August 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  20. ^"About Us - History".southernstar.ie.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2014.
  21. ^"Skibbereen Rowing Club".Archivedfrom the original on 4 August 2016.Retrieved12 August2016.
  22. ^"Ireland's O'Donovan brothers become web sensations after medal win".The Guardian.14 August 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2017.Retrieved16 August2016.[...] Paul, who trains with his brother at Skibbereen Rowing Club, agreed [...]
  23. ^"Silver for Ireland! The O'Donovan brothers do the country proud with amazing Olympic rowing final race".Irish Independent.12 August 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 31 March 2017.Retrieved16 August2016.It is the first ever Olympic medal for Irish rowing
  24. ^"Skibbereen & West Carbery Golf Club, Co Cork, Ireland".Skibbgolf.com.Archivedfrom the original on 29 July 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  25. ^"Skibbereen Athletic Club".Skibbac.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2 August 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  26. ^"Skibbereen's impressive new Community School takes shape".Southern Star.16 October 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 1 November 2016.Retrieved31 October2016.
  27. ^"Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Electoral Division Skibbereen Urban".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2017.Retrieved7 September2017.
  28. ^"Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Electoral Division Skibbereen Rural".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Archivedfrom the original on 7 September 2017.Retrieved7 September2017.
  29. ^"Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Electoral Division Skibbereen Urban".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2017.Retrieved7 September2017.Of 2,663 Skib Urban residents, 143 indicated a UK nationality. Or 5.37%
  30. ^"Census 2016 Sapmap Area: County Cork County".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Archivedfrom the original on 18 November 2018.Retrieved7 September2017.Of 412,826 Cork County residents, 10,774 indicated a UK nationality. Or 2.61%
  31. ^"Skibbereen Urban And Rural".AIRO - Census Mapping Module: Cork County.MaynoothUniversity.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 25 August 2017.Retrieved24 July2017.
  32. ^"News & Events | National University of Ireland".Nui.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 30 January 2016.Retrieved11 August2016.
  33. ^"Deaths".Ireland Newspaper Extracts.Retrieved8 October2015.
  34. ^Kamp, David (19 September 2017)."How Jeremy Irons Rescued and Restored a 15th-Century Irish Castle".Vanity Fair.Retrieved13 June2024.
  35. ^"Official Website Skibbereen Arts Festival".Skibbereenartsfestival.com. 11 August 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2021.Retrieved25 September2021.
  36. ^"About".carberyshow.ie.Carbery Show Website.Retrieved9 February2020.
  37. ^"Cork X South West Festival website".Corkxsw.com. Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2011.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forSkibbereen.
Wikimedia Commons has media related toSkibbereen.
Wikisourcehas the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle "Skibbereen".
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