91-555: County Cork has a number of rail-trails and greenways and, as of 2022, there are plans and proposals at various stages of preparation to create a network of walking trails for the county. The term " Cork Greenway " has been used in press coverage, but is not used officially. In July 2015, Irish Rail indicated they had no intention of re-opening the Midleton to Youghal section of the Cork and Youghal Railway as funds would be better spent on
182-726: A Celtic stone cult. This unproven connection between druids and megaliths has haunted the public imagination ever since. In Belgium, there are the Wéris megaliths at Wéris, a little town situated in the Ardennes . In the Netherlands, megalithic structures can be found in the northeast of the country, mostly in the province of Drenthe . Knowth is a passage grave of the Brú na Bóinne neolithic complex in Ireland, dating from c. 3500–3000 BC. It contains more than
273-752: A circular mound of earth. Sometimes it is also surrounded by an external stone kerb. Prominent examples include the sites of Brú na Bóinne and Carrowmore in Ireland, Maes Howe in Orkney , and Gavrinis in France. The third tomb type is a diverse group known as gallery graves . These are axially arranged chambers placed under elongated mounds. The Irish court tombs , British long barrows , and German Steinkisten belong to this group. Standing stones, or menhirs as they are known in France, are very common throughout Europe, where some 50,000 examples have been noted. Some of these are thought to have an astronomical function as
364-620: A large flat stone supported by three, four, or more standing stones. They were covered by a stone cairn or earth barrow . In Italy, dolmens can be found especially in Sardinia . There are more than 100 dolmen dating to the Neolithic (3500–2700 BC) and the most famous is called Dolmen di Sa Coveccada (near Mores ). During the Bronze Age , the Nuragic civilization built c. 800 Giants' grave ,
455-513: A marker or foresight. In some areas, long and complex "alignments" of such stones exist, the largest known example being located at Carnac in Brittany , France. In parts of Britain and Ireland a relatively common type of megalithic construction is the stone circle , of which examples include Stonehenge , Avebury , Ring of Brodgar and Beltany . These, too, display evidence of astronomical alignments, both solar and lunar. Stonehenge, for example,
546-509: A mountainous and flat landscape with many beaches and sea cliffs along its coast. The southwest of Ireland is known for its peninsulas and some in Cork include the Beara Peninsula , Sheep's Head , Mizen Head , and Brow Head . Brow Head is the most southerly point of mainland Ireland . There are many islands off the coast of the county, in particular, off West Cork . Carbery's Hundred Isles are
637-624: A number of old megaliths. Some of these ancient structures feature engravings, and the area is a World Heritage Site. Megaliths are also found within the Valley of Marvels in the East Hararghe area. In the mid-2nd millennium CE, the megalithic funerary monuments of Madagascar were constructed amid the emergent period of the Merina Kingdom . Some of the megaliths remain utilized by Malagasy -speakers for funerary practices (e.g., ceremony of turning
728-714: A part in the English Wars of the Roses when Perkin Warbeck , a pretender to the English throne spread the story that he was really Richard of Shrewsbury (one of the Princes in the Tower ), landed in the city and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow King Henry VII of England . The Cork people supported Warbeck because he was Flemish and not English; Cork was the only county in Ireland to join
819-601: A rectangular cist. An oversized capstone is placed over the stone slab burial chamber, giving the appearance of a table-top. These megalithic burials date to the early part of the Mumun pottery period (c. 1500–850 BC) and are distributed, with a few exceptions, north of the Han River . Few northern-style megaliths in North Korea and Manchuria contain grave goods such as Liaoning bronze daggers , prompting some archaeologists to interpret
910-489: A retail park. The Golden Vale is among the most productive farmland for dairy in Ireland. The chief milk processor is Dairygold , a farmer-owned co-operative based in Mitchelstown , which processes 1.4 billion litres a year, converting the milk into cheeses and powder dairy nutrition for infant formula . The city of Cork forms the largest urban area in the county, with a total population of 224,004 as of 2022. Cork
1001-592: A roof. Many portal tombs have been found to contain human remains, but it is debated if their primary function was use as burial sites. The megalithic structures in the northwest of France are believed to be the oldest in Europe based on radiocarbon dating. Though generally known as "dolmens", the term most accepted by archaeologists is "portal tomb". Local names for portal tombs exist in multiple locations, such as anta in Galicia and Portugal, stazzone in Sardinia , hunebed in
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#17328767010711092-519: A section of the Golden Vale pastureland that stretches from Kanturk in the north to Allihies in the south. The south-west region, including West Cork , is one of Ireland's main tourist destinations, known for its rugged coast and megalithic monuments and as the starting point for the Wild Atlantic Way . The largest third-level institution is University College Cork , founded in 1845, and has
1183-530: A survey of surface waters in County Cork between 1995 and 1997, which identified 125 rivers and 32 lakes covered by the regulations. Like many parts of Munster, Cork has fertile agricultural land and many bog and peatlands. Cork has around 74,000 hectares of peatlands, which amount to 9.8% of the county's total land area. Cork has the highest share of the national forest area, with around 90,020 ha (222,400 acres) of forest and woodland area, constituting 11.6% of
1274-529: A third of the total number of examples of megalithic art in all Europe, with over 200 decorated stones found during excavations. Nabta Playa at the southwest corner of the western Egyptian desert was once a large lake in the Nubian Desert, located 500 miles south of modern-day Cairo . By the 5th millennium BC, the peoples in Nabta Playa had fashioned an astronomical device that accurately marks
1365-537: A total student population of around 22,000. Local industry and employers include technology company Dell EMC , the European headquarters of Apple , and the farmer-owned dairy co-operative Dairygold . The county is known as the "rebel county", a name given to it by King Henry VII of England for its support, in a futile attempt at a rebellion in 1491, of Perkin Warbeck , who claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York . The local government areas of county Cork and
1456-631: A type of chamber tomb , and the term is used to describe the structures built across Atlantic Europe , the Mediterranean, and neighbouring regions, mostly during the Neolithic period, by Neolithic farming communities. They differ from the contemporary long barrows through their structural use of stone. There is a huge variety of megalithic tombs. The free-standing single chamber dolmens and portal dolmens found in Brittany , Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Wales , and elsewhere consist of
1547-926: A type of megalithic gallery grave that can be found throughout Sardinia with different structures. The earliest megalithic tombs in Sardinia are the circular graves of the so-called Arzachena culture , also found in Corsica , southern France and eastern Spain. Dolmens are also in Apulia and in Sicily. In this latter region, they are small structures located in Mura Pregne ( Palermo ), Sciacca ( Agrigento ), Monte Bubbonia ( Caltanissetta ), Butera (Caltanissetta), Cava Lazzaro ( Siracusa ), Cava dei Servi ( Ragusa ), Avola (Siracusa), and Argimusco in Montalbano Elicona ( Messina ). Dating to
1638-510: Is a common destination for British, German, French and Dutch tourists. The South-West Region , comprising counties Cork and Kerry, contributed € 103.2 billion (approximately US$ 111.6 billion) towards the Irish GDP in 2020. The harbour area east of Cork city is home to many pharmaceutical and medical companies. Mahon Point Shopping Centre is Cork's largest, and Munster 's second-largest, shopping centre; it contains over 75 stores including
1729-621: Is famous for its solstice alignment. Examples of stone circles are also found in the rest of Europe. The circle at Lough Gur , near Limerick in Ireland has been dated to the Beaker period, approximately contemporaneous with Stonehenge. The stone circles are assumed to be of later date than the tombs, straddling the Neolithic and the Bronze Ages . Megalithic tombs are aboveground burial chambers, built of large stone slabs (megaliths) laid on edge and covered with earth or other, smaller stones. They are
1820-481: Is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed. The county has 253 civil parishes. Townlands are the smallest officially defined geographical divisions in Ireland, with about 5447 townlands in the county. The county's mountains rose during a period mountain formation some 374 to 360 million years ago and include the Slieve Miskish and Caha Mountains on
1911-522: Is in Korea. Archaeologists estimate that there are 15,000 to 100,000 southern megaliths in the Korean Peninsula. Typical estimates hover around the 30,000 mark for the entire peninsula, which in itself constitutes some 40% of all dolmens worldwide (see Dolmen ). Northeast Asian megalithic traditions originated from Gojoseon , which was in modern-day Manchuria and North Korea . This was prominent within
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#17328767010712002-528: Is located in the province of Munster , bordering Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary to the north-east and Waterford to the east. The county shares separate mountainous borders with Tipperary and Kerry. The terrain on the Kerry border was formed between 360 and 374 million years ago, as part of the rising of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Caha Mountains mountains ranges. This occurred during
2093-496: Is often used to describe a single piece of stone, it also can be used to denote one or more rocks hewn in definite shapes for special purposes. It has been used to describe structures built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods. The most widely known megaliths are not tombs . The most common type of megalithic construction in Europe is the portal tomb —a chamber consisting of upright stones ( orthostats ) with one or more large flat capstones forming
2184-551: Is placed over the interment area and is supported by smaller propping stones. Most of the megalithic burials on the Korean Peninsula are of the southern type. As with northern megaliths, southern examples contain few, if any, artifacts. However, a small number of megalithic burials contain fine red-burnished pottery, bronze daggers, polished groundstone daggers, and greenstone ornaments. Southern megalithic burials are often found in groups, spread out in lines that are parallel with
2275-557: Is that of Brahmagiri, which was excavated by Wheeler (1975) and helped establish the culture sequence in south Indian prehistory. However, there is another distinct class of megaliths that do not seem to be associated with burials. In South Asia, megaliths of all kinds are noted; these vary from menhirs , rock-cut burial, chamber tomb, dolmens , stone alignment, stone circles and anthropomorphic statue figures. These are broadly classified into two (potentially overlapping) classes (after Moorti, 1994, 2008): Sepulchral (containing remains of
2366-451: Is the second-most populous city in the Republic of Ireland, and the third-most populous city on the island of Ireland . According to 2022 census statistics, the county has 13 towns with a population of over 4,000. The county has a population density of 77.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (202/sq mi). A large percentage of the population lives in urban areas. In the 1841 census, before
2457-457: Is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland , named after the city of Cork , the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region . Its largest market towns are Mallow , Macroom , Midleton , and Skibbereen . As of 2022 , the county had a population of 584,156, making it the third- most populous county in Ireland. Cork County Council is
2548-517: Is thus assumed that these structures (which have been characterized as the first known ceremonial architecture) were erected by hunter-gatherers . Göbekli Tepe's oldest structures are about 7,000 years older than the Stonehenge megaliths, although it is doubtful that any of the European megalithic traditions ( see below ) are derived from them. Dolmens and standing stones have been found in large areas in other parts of West Asia starting at
2639-711: Is traditionally associated with the county. It is sometimes heard at GAA and other sports fixtures involving the county. Several media publications are printed and distributed in County Cork. These include the Irish Examiner (formerly the Cork Examiner ) and its sister publication The Echo (formerly the Evening Echo ). Local and regional newspapers include the Carrigdhoun , the Cork Independent , The Corkman ,
2730-499: Is unclear what these giant anthropomorph statues symbolize. They usually occur in association with megalithic monuments and are located in megalithic burial grounds, and may have been connected with ancestor worship. At a number of sites in southeastern Turkey, ceremonial complexes with large T-shaped megalithic orthostats , dating from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN, c. 9600–7000 cal BC), have been discovered. At
2821-635: The Beara Peninsula , the Ballyhoura Mountains on the border with Limerick and the Shehy Mountains which contain Knockboy (706 m), the highest point in Cork. The Shehy Mountains are on the border with Kerry and may be accessed from the area known as Priests Leap, near the village of Coomhola. The upland areas of the Ballyhoura , Boggeragh , Derrynasaggart , and Mullaghareirk Mountain ranges add to
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2912-672: The Devonian period when Ireland was part of a larger continental landmass and located south of the equator . The region's topography of peaks and valleys are characterised by steep ridges formed during the Hercynian period of folding and mountain formation some 300 million years ago. Twenty-four historic baronies are in the county—the most of any county in Ireland . While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status
3003-523: The Dorset Cursus ), broad terraces, circular enclosures known as henges , and frequently artificial mounds such as Silbury Hill in England and Monte d'Accoddi in Sardinia (the prehistoric step pyramid). In Europe megaliths are, in general, constructions erected during the Neolithic or late Stone Age and Chalcolithic or Copper Age (4500–1500 BC). The megalithic structures of Malta are believed to be
3094-754: The Kilmichael Ambush in November 1920 and the Crossbarry Ambush in March 1921. The activity of IRA flying columns , such as the one under Tom Barry in west Cork, was popularised in the Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes The Barley . On 11 December 1920, Cork City centre was gutted by fires started by the Black and Tans in reprisal for IRA attacks. Over 300 buildings were destroyed; many other towns and villages around
3185-528: The Liao River basin in particular in the early phases. The practice of erecting megalithic burials spread quickly from the Liao River Basin and into the Korean Peninsula, where the structure of megaliths is geographically and chronologically distinct. The earliest megalithic burials are called "northern" or "table-style" because they feature an above-ground burial chamber formed by heavy stone slabs that form
3276-667: The MacCarthy Mór dynasty . After the Norman invasion in the 12th century, the McCarthy clan were pushed westward into what is now West Cork and County Kerry . Dunlough Castle , standing just north of Mizen Head , is one of the oldest castles in Ireland (AD 1207). The north and east of Cork were taken by the Hiberno-Norman FitzGerald dynasty , who became the Earls of Desmond . Cork City
3367-687: The Mallow Star , the Douglas Post , the East Cork Journal and The Southern Star . Local radio stations include Cork's 96FM and dual-franchise C103 , Red FM , and a number of community radio stations, such as CRY 104.0FM . Tourist sites include the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle , Blarney . The port of Cobh in County Cork was the point of embarkation for many Irish emigrants travelling to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or
3458-564: The Severn-Cotswold tombs of southwest England and the transepted gallery graves of the Loire region in France share many internal features, although the links between them are not yet fully understood. That they often have antechambers or forecourts is thought to imply a desire on the part of the builders to emphasize a special ritual or physical separation of the dead from the living. Megalithic tombs appear to have been used by communities for
3549-772: The Turkish border in the north of Syria close to Aleppo , southwards down to Yemen . They can be encountered in Lebanon , Syria, Iran , Israel , Jordan , and Saudi Arabia . The largest concentration can be found in southern Syria and along the Jordan Rift Valley ; these are threatened with destruction. They date from the late Chalcolithic or Early Bronze Age. Megaliths have also been found on Kharg Island and Pirazmian in Iran , at Barda Balka in Iraq . A semicircular arrangement of megaliths
3640-414: The local authority for the county, while Cork City Council governs the city of Cork and its environs. Notable Corkonians include Michael Collins , Jack Lynch , Mother Jones , Roy Keane , Sonia O'Sullivan , Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton . Cork borders four other counties: Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary to the north-east and Waterford to the east. The county contains
3731-607: The longest coastline in Ireland , alongside Mayo and Donegal . Cork is also one of just three counties to border two bodies of water – the Celtic Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Cork marks the end of the Wild Atlantic Way , the tourism trail from County Donegal 's Inishowen Peninsula to Kinsale The county is colloquially referred to as "The Rebel County", although uniquely Cork does not have an official motto. This name has 15th-century origins, but from
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3822-694: The 19th century, Cork was a centre for the Fenians and for the constitutional nationalism of the Irish Parliamentary Party , from 1910 that of the All-for-Ireland Party . The county was a hotbed of guerrilla activity during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921). Three Cork Brigades of the Irish Republican Army operated in the county and another in the city. Prominent actions included
3913-414: The 20th century, the name has been more commonly attributed to the prominent role Cork played in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) when it was the scene of considerable fighting. In addition, it was an anti-Treaty stronghold during the Irish Civil War (1922–23). Much of what is now county Cork was once part of the Kingdom of Deas Mumhan (South Munster ), anglicised as the "Desmond" , ruled by
4004-414: The 21 Gaelscoileanna and six Gaelcholáistí all across the county. According to the Irish Census 2006, there are 4,896 people in the county who identify themselves as being daily Irish speakers outside of the education system. The village of Ballingeary is a centre for Irish language tuition, with a summer school, Coláiste na Mumhan, or the College of Munster. The song "The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee"
4095-644: The Bada, Besoa and Napu valleys. Megaliths in South Asia are dated before 3000 BC, with recent findings dated back to 5000 BC in southern India. Megaliths are found in almost all parts of South Asia. There is also a broad time evolution with the megaliths in central India and the upper Indus valley where the oldest megaliths are found, while those in the east also old shows evidence of continued traditions of living megalithic practices until recently. A large fraction of these are assumed to be associated with burial or post burial rituals, including memorials for those whose remains may or may not be available. The case-example
4186-413: The Dáil. It is part of the South constituency for European elections . Cork is the largest county in Ireland by land area, and the largest of Munster's six counties by population and area. At the latest census in 2022, the population of the entire county stood at 584,156. Cork is the second- most populous county in the State, and the third-most populous county on the island of Ireland. County Cork
4277-447: The Early Bronze Age (2200–1800 BC), the prehistoric Sicilian buildings were covered by a circular mound of earth. In the dolmen of Cava dei Servi, archaeologists found numerous human bone fragments and some splinters of Castelluccian ceramics (Early Bronze Age) which confirmed the burial purpose of the artefact. Examples with outer areas, not used for burial, are also known. The Court Cairns of southwest Scotland and northern Ireland,
4368-570: The Malian Lakes Region, there are megaliths of an anthropomorphic nature (e.g., face, navel, scarifications ) that date between 600 CE and 700 CE. Between 1350 BCE and 1500/1600 CE, Senegambian megaliths (e.g., tumuli ) were constructed for the purpose of ancestral reverence . In the northwestern region of the Central African Republic , there are megaliths that were created for various purposes (e.g., burial, ritual performances). Between late 3rd millennium BCE and mid-2nd millennium CE, megaliths (e.g., monuments, cairn burials) were constructed in
4459-420: The Mediterranean sea. The word was first used in 1849 by the British antiquarian Algernon Herbert in reference to Stonehenge and derives from the Ancient Greek words " mega " for great and " lithos " for stone. Most extant megaliths were erected between the Neolithic period (although earlier Mesolithic examples are known) through the Chalcolithic period and into the Bronze Age . While "megalith"
4550-404: The Netherlands, Hünengrab in Germany, dysse in Denmark, and cromlech in Wales . It is assumed that most portal tombs were originally covered by earthen mounds. The second-most-common tomb type is the passage grave . It normally consists of a square, circular, or cruciform chamber with a slabbed or corbelled roof, accessed by a long, straight passageway, with the whole structure covered by
4641-471: The United States. Cobh (at the time named 'Queenstown') was the last stop of the RMS Titanic before it departed on its fated journey. Fota Wildlife Park , on Fota Island , is also a tourist attraction. Nearby is Fota House and Gardens and the Fota Golf Club and Resort ; a European Tour standard golf course which hosted the Irish Open in 2001, 2002 and 2014. West Cork is known for its rugged natural environment, beaches and social atmosphere, and
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#17328767010714732-608: The burials as the graves of chiefs or preeminent individuals. However, whether a result of grave-robbery or intentional mortuary behaviour, most northern megaliths contain no grave goods. Southern-style megalithic burials are distributed in the southern Korean Peninsula . It is thought that most of them date to the latter part of the Early Mumun or to the Middle Mumun Period. Southern-style megaliths are typically smaller in scale than northern megaliths. The interment area of southern megaliths has an underground burial chamber made of earth or lined with thin stone slabs. A massive capstone
4823-546: The city of Cork are administered by the local authorities of Cork County Council and Cork City Council respectively. The boundary between these two areas was altered by the 2019 Cork boundary change . It is part of the Southern Region and has five representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly . For elections to Dáil Éireann , the city and county are divided into five constituencies: Cork East , Cork North-Central , Cork North-West , Cork South-Central and Cork South-West . Together they return 18 deputies ( TDs ) to
4914-436: The county, including Fermoy , suffered a similar fate. During the Irish Civil War (1922–23), most of the IRA units in Cork sided against the Anglo-Irish Treaty . From July to August 1922 they held the city and county as part of the so-called Munster Republic . However, Cork was taken by troops of the Irish Free State in August 1922 in the Irish Free State offensive , which included both overland and seaborne attacks. For
5005-472: The dead) in present-day. Megalithic burials are found in Northeast and Southeast Asia. They are found mainly in the Korean Peninsula . They are also found in the Liaoning , Shandong , and Zhejiang in China, the East Coast of Taiwan , Kyūshū and Shikoku in Japan, Đồng Nai Province in Vietnam and South Asia . Some living megalithic traditions are found on the island of Sumba and Nias in Indonesia . The greatest concentration of megalithic burials
5096-431: The dead), or memorial stones where mortal remains along with funerary objects are placed; and Non-sepulchral including large patterned placement of stones over a wide area. The 'non-sepulchral' type is associated with astronomy and cosmology in South Asia and in other parts of the world (Menon and Vahia, 2010). In the context of prehistoric anthropomorphic figures in India, (Rao 1988/1999, Upinder Singh 2008) note that it
5187-511: The direction of streams. Megalithic cemeteries contain burials that are linked together by low stone platforms made from large river cobbles. Broken red-burnished pottery and charred wood found on these platforms has led archaeologists to hypothesize that these platform were sometimes used for ceremonies and rituals. The capstones of many southern megaliths have 'cup-marks' carvings. A small number of capstones have human and dagger representations. These megaliths are distinguished from other types by
5278-521: The early part of the Late Mumun. An example is found near modern Changwon at Deokcheon-ni, where a small cemetery contained a capstone burial (No. 1) with a massive, rectangularly shaped, stone and earthen platform. Archaeologists were not able to recover the entire feature, but the low platform was at least 56×18 m in size. The Indonesian archipelago is the host of Austronesian and Melanesians megalith cultures both past and present. Living megalith cultures can be found on Nias , an isolated island off
5369-483: The existing Waterford Greenway and Suir blueway was examined. The Cork Harbour Greenway runs from Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium to Passage West , along the route of the former Cork Electric Tramways and Lighting Company Blackpool — Cork tram line, and Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway . This trail or long-distance path-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . County Cork County Cork ( Irish : Contae Chorcaí )
5460-414: The existing network. They indicated support for a greenway , as it would free them from existing maintenance costs whilst retaining a license to re-open the route in the event that became an option. By April 2020, a €15 million euro project to open the Midleton to Youghal Greenway had begun but was being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic . The proposed trail would measure 23 kilometres. The first section of
5551-420: The fight. The mayor of Cork and several important citizens went with Warbeck to England, but when the rebellion collapsed they were all captured and executed. Cork's nickname of the 'rebel county' (and Cork city's of the 'rebel city') originates in these events. In 1601 the decisive Battle of Kinsale took place in County Cork, which was to lead to English domination of Ireland for centuries. Kinsale had been
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#17328767010715642-422: The greenway was opened in March 2024. The trailheads, for the initial 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch, are Midleton and Mogeely , with construction due to be complete on the whole trail by the end of 2024. Killeagh is also due to be part of the route. In July 2024, Dáil deputy David Stanton proposed that one side of the disused line be used as a bus corridor. In 2022, the possibility of linking Mallow to
5733-401: The islands around Long Island Bay and Roaringwater Bay. Fastnet Rock lies in the Atlantic Ocean 11.3 km south of mainland Ireland, making it the most southerly point of Ireland . Many notable islands lie off Cork, including Bere , Great Island , Sherkin , and Cape Clear . With an estimated 1,199 km (745 mi) of coastline, Cork is one of three counties which claims to have
5824-423: The largest concentration of dolmen in West Asia. In Saudi Arabia, only very few dolmen have been identified so far in the Hejaz . They seem, however, to re-emerge in Yemen in small numbers, and thus could indicate a continuous tradition related to those of Somalia and Ethiopia . The standing stone has a very ancient tradition in West Asia, dating back from Mesopotamian times. Although not always 'megalithic' in
5915-625: The long-term deposition of the remains of their dead, and some seem to have undergone alteration and enlargement. The organization and effort required to erect these large stones suggest that the societies concerned placed great emphasis on the proper treatment of their dead. The ritual significance of the tombs is supported by the presence of pre-historic art carved into the stones at some sites. Hearths and deposits of pottery and animal bone found by archaeologists around some tombs also implies that some form of burial feast or sacrificial rites took place there. Further examples of megalithic tombs include
6006-513: The marine algae was housed in the herbarium of the botany department of the University College Cork. Parts of the South West coastline are hotspots for sightings of rare birds, with Cape Clear being a prime location for bird watching. The island is also home to one of only a few gannet colonies around Ireland and the UK. The coastline of Cork is sometimes associated with whale watching, with some sightings of fin whales, basking sharks, pilot whales, minke whales, and other species. Cork has
6097-624: The most famous of these sites, Göbekli Tepe , parts of the oldest level (III) have been C14-dated as far back as to the mid-10th millennium BC (cal). On this level, 20 great stone circles (up to 20 meters in diameter) with standing stones up to 7 meters high have been identified. At least 5 of these circles have so far (as of 2019) been excavated. Many of the standing stones are richly ornamented with carved reliefs of "[b]ears, boars, snakes, foxes, wildcats, aurochs, gazelle, quadruped reptiles, birds, spiders, insects, quadrupeds, scorpions" and other animals; in addition, some of
6188-491: The most megaliths in Ethiopia. In 2nd millennium BCE, Namoratunga (Monolith Circles) megaliths were constructed as burials the eastern Turkana region of northwestern Kenya . Namoratunga , a group of megaliths dated 300 BC, was used by Cushitic -speaking people as an alignment with star systems tuned to a lunar calendar of 354 days. This site was excavated by B. N. Lynch and L. H. Robins of Michigan State University . Additionally, Tiya in central Ethiopia has
6279-404: The national total and approximately 12% of Cork's land area. It is home to one of the last remaining pieces of native woodland in Ireland and Europe. The hooded crow , Corvus cornix is a common bird, particularly in areas nearer the coast. Due to this bird's ability to (rarely) prey upon small lambs, the gun clubs of County Cork have killed many of these birds in modern times. A collection of
6370-412: The north of the county, especially the villages of Cill Na Martra ( Kilnamartyra ), Baile Bhúirne ( Ballyvourney ), Cúil Aodha ( Coolea ), Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh ( Ballingeary ), and Oileán Chléire ( Cape Clear Island ). There are 14,829 Irish language speakers in County Cork, with 3,660 native speakers in the Cork Gaeltacht. In addition, in 2011 there were 6,273 pupils attending
6461-435: The ocean, appear to have been abandoned early. Megalithic building then shifted to constructing networks of artificial islands on the coast that supported a multitude of common, royal and religious structures. Dating of the structures is difficult but the complex at Nan Madol on Pohnpei was probably inhabited as early as c. 800, probably as artificial islands, with the more elaborate buildings and religious structures added to
6552-456: The oldest in Europe. Perhaps the most famous megalithic structure is Stonehenge in England. In Sardinia, in addition to dolmens, menhirs and circular graves there are also more than 8000 megalithic structures made by a Nuragic civilisation, called Nuraghe : buildings similar to towers (sometimes with really complex structures) made using only rocks. They are often near giant's grave or the other megalithic monuments. The French Comte de Caylus
6643-572: The outbreak of the Great Famine, County Cork had a recorded population of 854,118. By the 2022 census , Cork city and county had a combined population of 584,156 people. As of the 2022 census, ethnically the population included 78.5% White Irish people, 9.9% other White background, 1.4% Asian and 1.1% Black. In 2022, the largest religious denominations in Cork were: Catholicism (71%), Church of Ireland (2.3%), Orthodox (1.2%), and Islam (1.2%). Those stating that they had no religion accounted for 15.7% of
6734-552: The population in 2022. Cork's main transport is serviced from: Common surnames in the county include Barry, Buckley, Callaghan, Connell, Connor, Crowley, Lynch, McCarthy, Murphy, O'Leary, O'Sullivan, Sheehan, Walsh, and Fitzgerald (the latter with a Norman derivation). Megalithic monument A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 structures or arrangements in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to
6825-510: The presence of a burial shaft, sometimes up to 4 m in depth, which is lined with large cobbles. A large capstone is placed over the burial shaft without propping stones. Capstone-style megaliths are the most monumental type in the Korean Peninsula , and they are primarily distributed near or on the south coast of Korea. It seems that most of these burials date to the latter part of the Middle Mumun (c. 700–550 BC), and they may have been built into
6916-523: The range of habitats found in the county. Important habitats in the uplands include blanket bog, heath, glacial lakes, and upland grasslands. Cork has the 13th-highest county peak in Ireland. Three rivers, the Bandon , Blackwater , and Lee , and their valleys dominate central Cork. Habitats of the valleys and floodplains include woodlands, marshes, fens, and species-rich limestone grasslands. The River Bandon flows through several towns, including Dunmanway to
7007-697: The regions (e.g., Eastern Adamawa , Oubanguian Ridge, Chad/Congo watershed ) in Central African Republic and Cameroon, throughout various periods (e.g., Balimbé: 2000 BCE – 1000 BCE; Early Gbabiri: 950 BCE – 200 BCE; Late Gbabiri: 200 BCE – 500 CE; Bouboun: 500 CE – 1600 CE), for various purposes (e.g., ritual practices, territorial marking). In the Ethiopian Highlands of Harar , the earliest construction of megaliths occurred. From this region and its megalith-building tradition (e.g., dolmens, tumuli with burial chambers organized in cemeteries),
7098-703: The remainder of the war, the county saw sporadic guerrilla fighting until the Anti-Treaty side called a ceasefire and dumped their arms in May 1923. Michael Collins , a key figure in the War of Independence, was born near Clonakilty and assassinated during the civil war in Béal na Bláth , both in west Cork. County Cork has two Gaeltacht areas in which the Irish language is the primary medium of everyday speech. These are Múscraí ( Muskerry ) in
7189-593: The sacred megalith sites. The fact that the beliefs are alive is a reason that most excavations have been stopped at the sites. Megalithic structures in Micronesia reach their most developed form on the islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae in the Eastern Caroline Islands. On these two islands there was extensive use of prismatic basalt columns to build upland building complexes such as those at Salapwuk on Pohnpei and Menka on Kosrae. These building sites, remote from
7280-550: The scene of a landing of Spanish troops to help Irish rebels in the Nine Years' War (1594–1603). When this force was defeated, the rebel hopes for victory in the war were all but ended. County Cork was officially created by a division of the older County Desmond in 1606. In the early 17th century, the townland of Leamcon (near Schull ) was a pirate stronghold , and pirates traded easily in Baltimore and Whiddy Island . In
7371-656: The stalled cairn at Midhowe in Orkney and the passage grave at Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey . There are also extensive grave sites with up to 60 megaliths at Louisenlund and Gryet on the Danish island of Bornholm . Despite its name, the Stone Tomb in Ukraine was not a tomb but rather a sanctuary. In association with the megalithic constructions across Europe, there are often large earthworks of various designs—ditches and banks (like
7462-718: The stones are carved in low profile with stylized human features (arms, hands, loincloths, but no heads ). On the younger level (II) rectangular structures with smaller megaliths have been excavated. In the surrounding area, several village sites incorporating elements similar to those of Göbekli Tepe have been identified. Four of these have Göbekli Tepe's characteristic T-shaped standing stones, though only one of them, Nevalı Çori , has so far been excavated. At Göbekli Tepe itself, no traces of habitation have so far been found, nor any trace of agriculture or cultivated plants, though bones of wild animals and traces of wild edible plants, along with many grinding stones, have been unearthed. It
7553-735: The subsequent traditions in other areas of Ethiopia likely developed. In the late 1st millennium BCE, the urban civilization of Axum developed a megalithic stelae -building tradition, which commemorated Axumite royalty and elites, that persisted until the Christian period of Axum . In the Sidamo Province, the megalithic monoliths of the stelae-building cultural tradition were utilized as tombstones in cemeteries (e.g., Arussi, Konso, Sedene, Tiya, Tuto Felo), and have engraved anthropomorphic features (e.g., swords, masks), phallic form, and some of that served as markers of territory. Sidamo Province has
7644-926: The summer solstice . Findings indicate that the region was occupied only seasonally, likely only in the summer when the local lake filled with water for grazing cattle . There are other megalithic stone circles in the southwestern desert. At Nabta Playa , located in Egypt and broader region of the Eastern Sahara , there is a megalithic cultural complex (e.g., sacrificed cow burial site, solar calendar , altar ) that dates between 4000 BCE and 2000 BCE. Likely part of Copper Age and Bronze Age cultural traditions of megalith-building , megaliths (e.g., dolmens ) were constructed in Mediterranean North Africa. In Cross-River State , Nigeria, there are megalithic monoliths of an anthropomorphic nature. At Tondidarou , in
7735-991: The tribes of Israel. The tradition of venerating standing stones continued in Nabatean times. Related phenomena, such as cupholes, rock-cut tombs and circles, also occur in West Asia. Megaliths occur in many parts of Melanesia , mainly in Milne Bay Province , Fiji and Vanuatu . Few excavations have been made and little is known about the structures. The megalith tomb Otuyam at Kiriwina has been dated to be approximately 2,000 years old which indicates that megaliths are an old custom in Melanesia. However very few megaliths have been dated. The constructions have been used for different rituals. For example, tombs, sacrifices and rituals of fecundity. Dance sites exist next to some megaliths. In some places in Melanesia rituals are continued to be held at
7826-607: The true sense, they occur throughout the area and can reach 5 metres or more in some cases (such as at Ader in Jordan). This phenomenon can also be traced through many passages from the Old Testament , such as those related to Jacob , the grandson of Abraham , who poured oil over a stone that he erected after his famous dream in which angels climbed to heaven (Genesis 28:10–22). Jacob is also described as putting up stones at other occasions, whereas Moses erected twelve pillars symbolizing
7917-466: The west of the town of Bandon before draining into Kinsale Harbour on the south coast. Cork's sea loughs include Lough Hyne and Lough Mahon , and the county also has many small lakes. An area has formed where the River Lee breaks into a network of channels weaving through a series of wooded islands, forming 85 hectares of swampland around Cork's wooded area. The Environmental Protection Agency carried out
8008-1052: The western coast of North Sumatra , the Batak people in the interior of North Sumatra, on Flores and Sumba island in East Nusa Tenggara and also Toraja people from the interior of South Sulawesi . These megalith cultures remained preserved, isolated and undisturbed well into the late 19th century. Several megalith sites and structures are also found across Indonesia. Menhirs, dolmens, stone tables, and ancestral stone statues were discovered in various sites in Java , Sumatra , Sulawesi , Lesser Sunda Islands , and New Guinea . The Cipari megalith site also in West Java displays monoliths, stone terraces, and sarcophagi. Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi houses ancient megalith relics such as ancestral stone statues, mostly located in
8099-607: Was found in Israel at Atlit Yam , a site that is now under the sea. It is a very early example, dating from the 7th millennium BC . The most concentrated occurrence of dolmens in particular is in a large area on both sides of the Jordan Rift Valley , with greater predominance on the eastern side. They occur first and foremost on the Golan Heights , the Hauran , and in Jordan, which probably has
8190-611: Was given an English Royal Charter in 1318 and for many centuries was an outpost for Old English culture. The Fitzgerald Desmond dynasty was destroyed in the Desmond Rebellions of 1569–1573 and 1579–1583. Much of county Cork was devastated in the fighting, particularly in the Second Desmond Rebellion . In the aftermath, much of Cork was colonised by English settlers in the Plantation of Munster . In 1491 Cork played
8281-671: Was the first to describe the Carnac stones . Pierre Jean-Baptiste Legrand d'Aussy introduced the terms menhir and dolmen , both taken from the Breton language , into antiquarian terminology. He mistakenly interpreted megaliths as Gallic tombs. In Britain, the antiquarians Aubrey and Stukeley conducted early research into megaliths. In 1805, Jacques Cambry published a book called Monuments celtiques, ou recherches sur le culte des Pierres, précédées d'une notice sur les Celtes et sur les Druides, et suivies d'Etymologie celtiques , where he proposed
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