Shandon ( ga, An Seandún meaning "the old fort") is a district on the north-side of

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' ...

. Shandon lies north 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 ...

and North Gate Bridge, the northernmost point of the medieval city. Several landmarks of Cork's north-side are located in the area, including the bell tower of the Church of St Anne, the

Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne The Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne (), also known as Saint Mary's Cathedral, The North Cathedral or The North Chapel, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at the top of Shandon Street in Cork, Ireland. It is the seat of the Bishop of ...

, Saint Mary’s Dominican Church & Priory, and Firkin Crane Arts Centre. Shandon is referred to in the song "The Bells of Shandon", which was written by

Francis Sylvester Mahony Francis Sylvester Mahony (31 December 1804 – 18 May 1866), also known by the pen name Father Prout, was an Irish humorist and journalist. Life He was born in Cork, Ireland, to Martin Mahony and Mary Reynolds. He was educated at the Jesuit ...

under the pen name of "Father Prout". Shandon Street is a principal street in the area, and was originally called Mallow Lane. Shandon is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central.

History

North Infirmary-St Annes Church 1 - PeterH

Shandon was one of a number of settlements in and around ancient Cork, and takes its name from an old fort (''sean dún'') in the area. A medieval church dedicated to St. Mary was built close to the site of the fort, and referred to in 12th century texts as 'St. Mary of the Mountain'. A later castle, built on or close to the site of the more ancient fort, became the official residence of the

President of Munster The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munste ...

from the 16th century. This castle ( Shandon Castle) and the original church of St. Mary (St. Mary of the Mountain) were both destroyed during the

Siege of Cork The siege of Cork took place during the Williamite war in Ireland in the year of 1690 in Ireland, 1690, shortly after the Battle of the Boyne when James II of England, James II attempted to retake the English throne from William III of England ...

in the late 17th century. The eponymous Shandon Street, originally known as Mallow Lane, was established by the Anglo-Normans as a way to give access to North Gate drawbridge.

Events

Shandon Street Festival is an annual event which takes place during the summer.

Demographics

As of the 2016 census, the Shandon area (including Shandon A and Shandon B electoral divisions) included 3144 residents. Of these, 50% were Catholic, 16% were other religions, 26% had no religion, and 8% had not stated a religion.

Landmarks

Religious buildings in the area include the

(the Catholic cathedral and mother church of the

Diocese of Cork and Ross The Diocese of Cork and Ross ( ga, Deoise Chorcaí agus Rosa) is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly. The cathedral church of the diocese is Cathedral ...

, known locally as the "North Cathedral"), the Church of St Anne (a Church of Ireland church known as "St Anne's, Shandon"), and Saint Mary's Dominican Church (a Catholic church of the

Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

on Popes Quay). Other landmarks in the area include the Firkin Crane (a theatre and dance venue), Cork Butter Museum, the Shandon Craft Centre, and

Skiddy's Almshouse Skiddy's Almshouse is the oldest inhabited building in the city of Cork. It was built in 1718 and finished in 1719. It was the second almshouse built using a bequest from Stephen Skiddy for the city's poor, either Catholic or Church of Ireland ...

People associated with Shandon

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 ...

(1814–1898), 1st Baronet Arnott of Woodlands, Shandon * William Black (1841–1898), Scottish novelist who wrote ''Shandon Bells'' in 1883 * Patrick Hennessy (1915–1980), painter *

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister ...

(1917–1999),

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

* Ignatius O'Brien (1857–1930), 1st Baron Shandon, lawyer, politician *

Jimmy McCarthy James MacCarthy (born 1953) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Early life and career (1953–1979) MacCarthy was born in Macroom, County Cork, Ireland to Ted MacCarthy (died 1998) and Betty MacCarthy (died 2009). He has 11 siblings. The family ha ...

(b.1953), songwriter of "The Mad Lady and Me" which mentions "Shandon Bells" in the chorus

References

{{Cork City Geography of Cork (city) Shandon