Leap (; or ''An Léim'') is a village in

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) 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 ...

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 ...

, situated at the north end of

Glandore Glandore (, meaning ''harbour of the oak trees'') is the name of both a harbour and village in County Cork, Ireland. Glandore is located about an hour's drive south-west of Cork city. The village has several pubs, with traditional music. It i ...

Harbour, several miles inland from the seacoast. Leap is located on the N71 national secondary road which runs through

West Cork West Cork ( ga, Iarthar Chorcaí) is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administrative area of Cork County Council, and includes the towns of Bantry, Castletownbe ...

from Cork city. It is in the parish of Kilmacabea which also includes

village.

Name and history

The Irish name of the village, ''Léim Uí Dhonnabháin'', means "O'Donovan's Leap" and is reputedly derived from the story of a chieftain called

O'Donovan The O'Donovans are an Irish family. Their patronymic surname derives from Irish ''Ó Donnabháin'', meaning the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán, referring to the 10th century ruler of the Uí Fidgenti, Donnubán mac Cathail. During the ...

, who was pursued by

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

soldiers, but escaped them by jumping across a ravine on the western side of the village. In 1684,

Jeremiah O'Donovan (MP Baltimore) Jeremiah O'Donovan ( ga, Diarmaid Ó Donnabháin), The O'Donovan of Clan Loughlin, Lord of Clan Loughlin, was MP for Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland, in James II's Patriot Parliament of 1689, alongside his kinsmen Daniel O'Donovan (MP Baltimore) ...

, Lord of Clan Loughlin, obtained

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

from

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

. His extensive landholdings in the surrounding countryside were erected into the Manor of O'Donovan's Leap, or the Manor of the Leap.

Amenities

The village has four bars (of which two serve food and one which is a music venue) and a fast food diner. Connolly's of Leap has been a bar since 1810. The local anglican community is serviced by

Leap Church Leap Church is a small Gothic Revival Anglican church located in Leap, County Cork, Ireland. It was completed between 1810 and 1828. It is part of Ross Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross. History Leap church was comp ...

. The village also has a furniture and hardware store, a petrol station/shop and a hairdresser and a beauty salon. An amenity park was opened in 2021.

References

Towns and villages in County Cork O'Donovan family {{cork-geo-stub

Name and history

Amenities

See also

References