The Mardyke ( ga, An Mhuirdíog) is an area in

Cork city Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city's ...

, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the

River Lee The River Lee (Irish: ''An Laoi'') 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 ...

near the city centre. It was historically left as open space because the land along the north channel of the river is prone to flooding. From east to west these open spaces are: Presentation Brothers College, a boy's secondary school; the Mardyke ground of Cork County Cricket Club; Fitzgerald Park, which includes

Cork Public Museum Cork Public Museum ( ga, Músaem Poiblí Chorcaí) is a city museum in Cork, Ireland. Housed in a mid-19th century building within Fitzgerald Park in the Mardyke area of the city, the museum's exhibits focus mainly on the history and archaeolo ...

;

Sunday's Well Sunday's Well () is a suburb of Cork city in Ireland. It is situated in the north-west of the city, on a ridge on the northern bank of the River Lee. Sunday's Well is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central. The area's GAA club i ...

Lawn Tennis Club; and the athletic grounds of

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...

History

The original dyke was constructed in 1719 by Edward Webber, the city clerk, who owned what were then marshy islands west of the walled city. He drained and landscaped the area, building a dyke topped by a straight

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

leading to a redbrick

teahouse A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whi ...

in Dutch style. The area became fashionable and the promenade was dubbed the Red House Walk or Meer Dyke Walk after the Meer Dyke in Amsterdam. Dutch influence was strong among the

Protestant Ascendancy The ''Protestant Ascendancy'', known simply as the ''Ascendancy'', was the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland between the 17th century and the early 20th century by a minority of landowners, Protestant clergy, and members of th ...

in the decades after the

Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...

. After Webber's death the land was bought and further developed by future

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

James Morrison. The route of the promenade corresponds to the modern streets Dyke Parade and Mardyke Walk. The Mardyke is mentioned in the second verse of the folksong, '' I Know My Love'': "There is a dance house in Mar'dyke 'sic''/ And there my true love goes every night". The Mardyke is also mentioned in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: "The leaves of the trees along the Mardyke were astir and whispering in the sunlight. A team of cricketers passed, agile young men in flannels and blazers, one of them carrying the long green wicket bag." Fitzgerald Park and Cork Public Museum, Cork - panoramio

Fitzgerald Park and Cork Public Museum, Cork - panoramio

Parkland

In the early 20th century, the then

Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork in Ireland. The office holder is elected annu ...

Edward Fitzgerald, proposed that a large public exhibition be held in Cork in the Mardyke area. 44 acres of Mardyke parkland were hence set aside as the site of the 1902 Cork International Exhibition. The central section of the Mardyke exhibition site (approximately 12 acres) is now known as

Fitzgerald's Park Fitzgerald's Park or Fitzgerald Park ( ga, Páirc Mhic Gearailt) is a public park in Cork city and the location of the Cork Public Museum. The park is located on the Mardyke and is a short distance from Cork city centre and University College ...

, and includes the

and a large children's play area. The area of the park is joined to

across the

by Daly's bridge (a pedestrian suspension bridge known locally as the "Shakey Bridge").

Cricket

The Mardyke is the home ground of Cork County Cricket Club, who have played there since their formation in 1874. The ground has played host to three first-class matches in 1947, 1961 and 1973. All three involved

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

playing

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. It too fell victim to the floods of 2009.

References

{{Cork City Geography of Cork (city)