Shandon ( meaning "the old fort") is a district on the north-side of

Cork city Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...

. Shandon lies north of the

River Lee The River Lee () is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's city centre is b ...

and North Gate Bridge, the northernmost point of the medieval city. Several landmarks of Cork's north-side are located in the area, including the bell tower of the Church of St Anne, the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, Saint Mary’s Dominican Church & Priory, and Firkin Crane Arts Centre. Shandon is referred to in the song "The Bells of Shandon", which was written by

Francis Sylvester Mahony Francis Sylvester Mahony (31 December 1804 – 18 May 1866), also known by the pen name Father Prout, was an Irish humorist and journalist. Life He was born in Cork (city), Cork, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Ireland, to Martin ...

under the pen name of "Father Prout". Shandon Street is a principal street in the area, and was originally called Mallow Lane. Shandon is part of the Dáil constituency of

Cork North-Central "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

History

North Infirmary-St Annes Church 1 - PeterH

Shandon was one of a number of settlements in and around ancient Cork, and takes its name from an old fort (''sean dún'') in the area. A medieval church dedicated to St. Mary was built close to the site of the fort, and referred to in 12th century texts as 'St. Mary of the Mountain'. A later castle, built on or close to the site of the more ancient fort, became the official residence of the President of Munster from the 16th century. This castle ( Shandon Castle) and the original church of St. Mary (St. Mary of the Mountain) were both destroyed during the Siege of Cork in the late 17th century. The eponymous Shandon Street, originally known as Mallow Lane, was established by the Anglo-Normans as a way to give access to North Gate drawbridge.

Events

Shandon Street Festival is an annual event which takes place during the summer.

Demographics

As of the 2016 census, the Shandon area (including Shandon A and Shandon B electoral divisions) included 3144 residents. Of these, 50% were Catholic, 16% were other religions, 26% had no religion, and 8% had not stated a religion.

Landmarks

Religious buildings in the area include the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne (the Catholic cathedral and mother church of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, known locally as the "North Cathedral"), the Church of St Anne (a Church of Ireland church known as "St Anne's, Shandon"), and Saint Mary's Dominican Church (a Catholic church of the Order of Preachers on Popes Quay). Other landmarks in the area include the Firkin Crane (a theatre and dance venue), Cork Butter Museum, the Shandon Craft Centre, and Skiddy's Almshouse.

People associated with Shandon

John Arnott Sir John Arnott, 1st Baronet JP (26 July 1814 – 28 March 1898) was a British-Irish entrepreneur and a major figure in the commercial and political spheres of late-19th century Cork. He was also founder of the Arnotts department chain. Ba ...

(1814–1898), 1st Baronet Arnott of Woodlands, Shandon *

William Black William Black may refer to: Politicians * William Black (Ontario politician) (1867–1944), speaker of the Legislature of Ontario and Conservative MLA * William Black (Canadian politician) (1869–1930), Progressive party member of the Canadian Hou ...

(1841–1898), Scottish novelist who wrote ''Shandon Bells'' in 1883 * Patrick Hennessy (1915–1980), painter *

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...

(1917–1999),

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

* Ignatius O'Brien (1857–1930), 1st Baron Shandon, lawyer, politician * Jimmy McCarthy (b.1953), songwriter of "The Mad Lady and Me" which mentions "Shandon Bells" in the chorus

References

{{Cork City Geography of Cork (city) Shandon