When St Fin Barre founded his monastery in Cork in the 7th century, its reputation was so great
that it quickly grew to be a very extensive and rich foundation.
Then came the sea - robbers, the Norsemen, who found the monasteries of Ireland such comparitavely easy
prey that they eventually established " jumping - off " places around the coast and Cork was one of these.
But the Norsemen, as soon as they discovered that the treasures of the monasteries were not inexhaustible
and that trading was more profitable than plundering, became great pioneers of commerce and laid the
sure foundations of the cities where they had settled.
Ultimately by intermarriage and association, the Norsemen became part of the Irish nation.
For this reason it is not surprising to find that when Henry 11 arrived in Ireland in 1172, the Irish chieftain of
Desmond, Dermot McCarthy, was in possession of the City of Cork. He was the first Irish chieftain to make
his submission to the King, and in return he was promptly thrust out of the city, which was without delay
strongly fortified by the English.
Then began a more deadly struggle for possession; the English garrison had "to watch their gates hourly,
to keep them shut at meals and from sun to sun, nor to suffer any stranger to enter the city with his weapon".
In Tudor and Stuart times, the city was always on the losing side: it espoused the cause of Perkin Warbeck
and was duly scourged; it sided with Charles 1 and was quickly overwhelmed by Cromwell; it stood by
James 11 and had to surrender ignominiously.
Castle and walls and fortifications of all kinds have long since disappeared, as well as numerous abbeys
and churches which were once the pride of the place.
Reference: 1970 AA Illustrated Road Book of Ireland.
