Passage West
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Passage West (locally known as "Passage"; ) is a port town 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 on the west bank of
Cork Harbour Cork Harbour () is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" (after Port Ja ...
, some 10 km south-east of
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
city. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets. Passage West was designated a conservation area in the 2003 Cork County Development Plan.


History

The buildings in the town centre are mainly late 18th and early 19th century, while the architecture of nearby Glenbrook and Monkstown is mainly from the later Victorian period. In 1690, at the time of the landing of the
Duke of Marlborough General (United Kingdom), General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an Engl ...
with his army to lay siege to
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, Passage was described as an insignificant fishing village. Its development from an obscure hamlet to a town may be principally attributed to its deep safe anchorage. The advancement of Cork's commercial trade was an important benefit to Passage. Owing to the shallowness of the channel above the town, vessels of over 150 tons were unable to proceed to Cork and were compelled to discharge their cargoes here. These were either unloaded onto lighters and brought up the river to Cork or put ashore and taken to the city in carts or on horseback. The only road to Cork then was via Church Hill through the site of the present Capuchin Monastery at Rochestown and then through what is now the entrance to the farmyard at Oldcourt, and on to
Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
and Cork. In 1836, a new quay was built where the vessels could berth and land their passengers and freight.
Sir John Arnott Sir John Arnott, 1st Baronet JP (26 July 1814 – 28 March 1898) was a Scottish-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. Backg ...
was chiefly responsible for the building of the granaries, intended for the storing of the freight from the vessels. The freight from one ship only was received there before the channel was dredged. The town then possessed three hotels and two dozen public houses. The dredging of the channel largely ended the importance of Passage as a port. The ferry between Passage and Carrigaloe increased trade in the town. Until the opening of the Cork to Cobh Railway, the daily traffic on this ferry included up to 300 covered-in cars (jingles) carrying passengers from Cork. During the first twenty days of August 1836, over 20,000 people crossed on the ferry. The boats were flat-bottomed ones worked by a system of cables and pulleys, and capable of taking heavy cargoes. This ferry dated back to the reign of
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
or earlier. In his reign, it was leased to a Patrick Terry for a yearly rent of 35 shillings. The opening of a railway line to
Cobh Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...
(then known as Queenstown) caused the demise of the Passage ferry; however, in the early 1990s a car ferry service was opened between nearby Glenbrook and Carrigaloe on
Great Island Great Island () is an island in Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee and close to the city of Cork, Ireland. The largest town on the island is Cobh (called Queenstown from 1849 to 1922). The island's economic and social history has histo ...
. In the 19th century, Passage West became a bathing resort for the citizens of Cork, and the houses at Glenbrook and Toureen were in demand during the summer. Fr. T.R. England, P.P. records in the Parish Register that Passage and Monkstown had many visitors during the summer season. According to a census taken by him in 1831, the population of Passage was 1,457, of whom 1,136 were Catholics. There were two
hydropathic Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and tr ...
establishments in Glenbrook. The Victoria Baths were opened about 1808 and were prosperous for a while. It closed owing to lack of support soon after the extension of the railway to Monkstown. The other baths were situated almost directly opposite the Victoria Baths and were run in conjunction with St. Ann's Hydro, a
hydropathic Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and tr ...
facility near
Blarney Blarney () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork City in Ireland. It is located approximately north-west of the city centre. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone. Blarney is part of the Dáil ...
. The opening of
Passage railway station Passage railway station was on the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway in County Cork, Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Euro ...
on the
Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway known locally to the locals aThe Black Bridge(CB&PR) was a narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The line originally opened in 1850 as a Irish standard gauge railway between Cork and Passage West ...
in June 1850 saw an increase in visitors to the town, which was for some time the railway terminus. The railway was extended to Monkstown in August 1902 and two years later to
Crosshaven Crosshaven () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in lower Cork Harbour at the mouth of the River Owenabue, across from Currabinny Wood. Originally a fishing village, from the 19th century, the economy of the area became more rel ...
. From that time Passage was no longer popular as a tourist resort, Crosshaven taking its place. The railway was closed in 1932. Passage railway station opened on 8 June 1850 and finally closed on 12 September 1932. In November 2007, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the closure of the railway, a historical walking and cycle trail was created. This was part-funded by the Irish Heritage Council and Cork County Council. It consists of a series plaques with historical photographs and explanatory text. The largest of Passage's industries were the two dockyards. Hennessy's yard was situated in what is now Fr O'Flynn Park. In 1815 this yard was involved in launching the ''City of Cork'', the first steamship built in Ireland. The other and bigger dockyard was the Royal Victoria Dockyard, which was laid down in 1832 and cost £150,000 to build and equip. It received its name from
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
on her first visit to Cork in 1849. The yard changed ownership several times, and during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
was employing over 1,000 people. By 1925, most of the workers were paid off owing to a slump in the shipbuilding trade, and it completely closed down in 1931. The Rushbrooke Dockyard was re-opened in 1940 and gave employment to many men who previously worked in the Royal Victoria Yard. The first steamship to cross the Atlantic to America was under the command of Lt. Richard Roberts, R.N., a native of Passage West. The paddle shaft of ''The Sirius'' can be seen today and forms part of a memorial to Captain Roberts and his achievement. It is erected near the site of the now-demolished baths on the road to Monkstown just beyond the Cross River Ferry. In John Windele's ''Historical and descriptive notices of the City of Cork'', published in 1839, Passage is described as consisting of two old irregular streets extending in a kind of forked direction. From 1763, two fairs were held there yearly, one on the first of May, and the other on 25 July. The fairs were held in the vicinity of Fair Hill, from, which the latter received its name. On Saturday a weekly market was held in a house on the site of the C.Y.M.S. Hall. In 1752, in the Market House,
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
- the founder of Methodism - addressed the people of Passage whom he described afterwards, as "as dull a congregation as I have seen. They would have been rude only they were afraid." The old courthouse was a Wesleyan Chapel and was built some time after his visit here. According to Shaw Mason's "Survey of the South of Ireland", Irish was the language spoken in 1809 by the inhabitants of the town's cottages and similarly "humble" dwellings. Other larger houses include Toureen House (which was the former Custom's House), and Toureen Terrace (which was known as Mariner's Row, as most of the houses were occupied by seafaring captains). Dock Cottages and Terrace and Marina View were built to accommodate dockyard workers. Passage, together with Monkstown, was first constituted a Local Authority with Town Commissioners in July 1920. A year later it became an Urban District with an Urban Council. Owing to abuses a Public Inquiry was held in 1938 and the Urban Council dissolved. The area: was then placed under a Manager, and in 1942 It was de-urbanised and put under a Manager with Town Commissioners. Passage West was directly affected by the events of the
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
, and saw a large scale landing of Free State (pro-treaty) troops on 2 August 1922. These 1,500 men, well equipped with artillery and armour as part of a wider offensive, went on to capture
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
city from the badly armed republican troops who were holding it. Many of the local homes took in the soldiers and fed them. It is said that Captain Jeremiah Collins, who was well known in Cork circles for aiding the cause, not only welcomed them into his home, but to mark the victorious landing, he raised the flag in front of his house "Carrigmahon" which overlooked the water. Irish political leader
Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...
once made a speech from a building in the centre of the town.
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
, Methodist founder, also preached in the town.


Recent development

Though seeing a relatively high unemployment rate for much of the late 1980s and early 1990s, in the 20 years between the 1991 and 2011 census, the population of the Passage West area grew by 60% (from 3,606 as of the 1991 census, to 5,790 by the 2011 census). According to the 2016 census returns, approximately 50% of the private housing in the area was built in this period. In 2006, property development company Howard Holdings acquired the former Royal Victoria Dockyard site from Haulbowline Industries, a stevedoring business owned and managed by the Hill family. In December 2007, they held a public display of plans for the redevelopment of the site. However the project was subsequently cancelled due to collapse of Ireland's property boom.


Local government

Prior to 2014 Passage West was governed by a
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
. The council had nine members and covered the town of Passage West itself as well as the neighbouring village of Monkstown. The last mayor of Passage West was Councillor John Daly of Fine Gael. Following the introduction of the
Local Government Reform Act 2014 The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...
all town councils in Ireland were abolished.
Cork County Council Cork County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chorcaí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...
assumed direct control of the former town council's functions in May 2014.


Sport

The town is home to
Passage West GAA Passage West GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Passage West, in County Cork, Republic of Ireland. The club fields teams in both Gaelic football and hurling. It is a member of the Seandún division of Cork GAA. The c ...
, whose grounds are located in the Maulbaun area of the town. The local association football (soccer) club, Passage AFC, play their games at Rockenham Park on Cork Road, with other facilities at Maulbaun. Passage West Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the harbour, and has won several gold and silver medals in the all-Ireland rowing finals.


Twinning

Passage West is twinned with the French town of
Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Chasseneuil-du-Poitou (, literally ''Chasseneuil of Poitou'') is a commune in the Vienne department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France. It lies 7 km north of the centre of Poitiers. Its inhabitants are called the '' ...
. The twinning charter was signed by the mayors of the two towns at the Town Hall in Passage West in 1997. Annual exchange visits for both members of the Town Council and local residents are organised.


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland * St. Peter's Community School


References


External links


Passagewestmonkstown.ie
(archived) {{County Cork Towns and villages in County Cork