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Skibbereen (; ) is a 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 a ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
. It is located in West Cork on the N71
national secondary road A national secondary road ( ga, Bóthar Náisiúnta den Dara Grád) is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national ...
. The name "Skibbereen" (sometimes shortened to "Skibb") means "little boat harbour". The
River Ilen The River Ilen () is a river in West Cork, Ireland. It rises at Mullaghmesha mountain and flows southwards for 37 kilometres into the Celtic Sea. Its five main tributaries are, the Saivnose, Coarliss, Achrinduff, Glounaphuca and Clodagh. It ...
runs through the town; it reaches the sea about 12 kilometres away, at the seaside village of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. As of the Census of Ireland 2011, the population of the town (not including the rural hinterland) was 2,568. Skibbereen is in the Cork South-West (
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland rea ...
) constituency, which has three seats.


History

Prior to 1600, most of the land in the area belonged to the native MacCarthy Reagh dynasty - today McCarthy remains the town's most common surname. The town charter dates back to 1657 and a copy can be seen in the town council chambers. In 1631, Skibbereen received an influx of refugees fleeing from the
Sack of Baltimore A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), an Ir ...
. The "Phoenix Society" was founded in Skibbereen in 1856 and was a precursor to the
Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...
movement. A statue, the 'Maid of Erin' erected in 1904, sits on top of a memorial to commemorate four failed uprisings against British rule, the dates of which are engraved on each side of the plinth: 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867. Skibbereen was once a stop on the West Cork Railway, which scheduled trains from West Cork to Cork City. The construction of the railways took place between 1851 and 1893 and by 1961, all West Cork railway lines were closed. The original railway bridge is still visible by the West Cork Hotel.. Skibbereen also had a separate terminus station on the narrow-gauge Schull and Skibbereen Tramway and Light Railway.


Famine

The region around Skibbereen experienced a significant famine in the years 1845–52, a time referred to as
The Great Hunger The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...
or Great Famine (Irish: ''an Gorta Mór''). The Skibbereen Heritage Centre estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 victims of the Famine are buried in the famine burial pits of Abbeystrewery cemetery close to the town. While there is some question on the accuracy of census data from the famine era, records indicate a drop of population from 58,335 in 1841 to 32,412 in 1861. ''Skibbereen'' is also the name of a song about the Famine, and the impact it and the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
had on the people of Ireland. The song, known as '' Dear Old Skibbereen'', takes the form of a conversation between a father and a son, in which the son asks his father why he fled the land he loved so well. A permanent exhibition to commemorate the memory of the victims of the Great Famine is sited at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Skibbereen was also the focal point of Ireland's first National Famine Memorial Day on 17 May 2009. The town was selected as it was in one of the areas worst affected by the Great Famine. The National Famine Commemoration Committee agreed that the centrepiece of the memorial day would rotate between the Four Provinces on an annual basis.


Media

The ''
Skibbereen Eagle Skibbereen (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork on the N71 national secondary road. The name "Skibbereen" (sometimes shortened to "Skibb") means "little boat harbour". The River Ilen runs through the town; it r ...
'', a newspaper founded in 1857, published both local and international stories. For example, it published an editorial that "''told Lord Palmerston that it had 'got its eye both upon him and on the Emperor of Russia'.''" And a 1914 article said "''We give this solemn warning to Kaiser Wilhelm: The Skibbereen Eagle has its eye on you.''" This newspaper was superseded by the '' Southern Star'', which was founded in Skibbereen in 1889.


Sport

O'Donovan Rossa GAA is the local
Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
club. The local secondary school St. Fachtna's was a finalist in 1982 and a winner in 1991 of the
Hogan Cup The Hogan Cup ( ga, Corn Uí Ógáin), also known as the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior A Football Championship, is the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools (sometimes referred to as colleges) in Ireland. The com ...
for
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by ki ...
. Skibbereen Rowing Club is situated on the outskirts of the town, and is one of the most successful clubs in Ireland. Club members Paul and
Gary O'Donovan Gary O'Donovan (born 30 December 1992) is an Irish rower. Together with his brother Paul he won the gold medal in the lightweight double sculls at the 2016 European Rowing Championships, silver in the same discipline at the 2016 Summer Olympic ...
won silver at the 2016 summer Olympics in the men's lightweight double sculls, the first Olympic medal won by Irish rowers. Paul O'Donovan and fellow club member
Fintan McCarthy Fintan McCarthy (born 23 November 1996) is an Irish lightweight rower. He is an Irish national champion and a world and Olympic champion. He won the men's lightweight double sculls championship title with Paul O'Donovan at the 2019 World Rowing ...
subsequently won gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. A.F.C.Skibbereen is the local association football (soccer) club, with other sports clubs including Skibbereen Golf Club, Skibbereen Rugby Club, and Skibbereen Athletics Club.


Education

There are four primary schools located in the town, including Abbeystrewry National School (a mixed school), Gaelscoil Dr O'Suilleabhain (a mixed Irish-speaking school), St. Patrick's Primary School (boys), and Scoil Naomh Seosamh (girls) Until 2016, there were three secondary schools: Rossa College (mixed sex), St Fachtna's De la Salle (boys), and Mercy Heights (girls). The three schools merged into one school called Skibbereen Community School which opened in September 2016.


Demographics

As of the 2016 census, in terms of ethnicity, the Skibbereen Urban and Skibbereen Rural electoral divisions were 75.6% white Irish, 18.8% other white ethnicities, 0.6% black, 1.2% Asian, 1% of other ethnicity, and 2.9% with no stated ethnicity. As of 2016, 5.4% of Skibbereen's urban population identified with a UK nationality, compared to an average of 2.6% for the county as a whole. In terms of religion, the 2011 census returns recorded the population as being 79% Catholic, 11.5% other stated religion, 7% with no religion, and 1.5% not stated.


Notable people

* Marian Barry, trade unionist * Agnes Mary Clerke, astronomer and writer born in Skibbereen *
Ambrose Coghill Sir Joscelyn Ambrose Cramer Coghill, 7th Baronet (30 September 1902 – 6 June 1983) was an Anglo-Irish actor and aristocrat, being the 7th Baronet of Coghill (1778) (1981–1983). He was born in Skibbereen in County Cork in Irelan ...
, actor and aristocrat *
Bob Crowley Bob Crowley (born 10 June 1952) is a theatre designer (scenic and costume), and theatre director. He lives between London, New York and West Cork in the south west of Ireland. Career Born in Cork, Ireland on 10 June 1952, Bob Crowley is th ...
, theatre designer who keeps a home in Skibbereen *
Seamus Davis Seamus may refer to: * Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin Film and television * Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy'' * Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'' * Seamus Mc ...
, physicist and member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences grew up in Skibbereen * Tony Davis, former Gaelic footballer and television analyst for
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
's ''
The Sunday Game ''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 1 ...
'' programme * Edward Galloway (1840-1861) first soldier in the American Civil War to be mortally wounded; His brother was Major Andrew Power Gallwey mortally wounded at Port Hudson and died in Baton Rouge on 9 July 1863. *
Canon James Goodman Canon James Goodman (22 September 1828 – 18 January 1896) was a Church of Ireland clergyman, a piper and a collector of Irish music and songs. Life As a cleric Goodman was born in Ballyameen, Dingle, County Kerry and was raised in Ventry ...
, clergyman and collector of Irish folk music *
Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...
, English actor who maintains a fishing cottage in Skibbereen *
Percy Ludgate Percy Edwin Ludgate (2 August 1883 – 16 October 1922) was an Irish amateur scientist who designed the second analytical engine (general-purpose Turing-complete computer) in history. Life Ludgate was born on 2 August 1883 in Skibbereen, ...
, designer of an analytical engine, born in Skibbereen *
Fintan McCarthy Fintan McCarthy (born 23 November 1996) is an Irish lightweight rower. He is an Irish national champion and a world and Olympic champion. He won the men's lightweight double sculls championship title with Paul O'Donovan at the 2019 World Rowing ...
, Olympic gold medallist (rowing – lightweight double sculls, 2020) *
Kieron Moore Kieron Moore (born Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin, anglicised as Kieron O'Hanrahan) (5 October 1924 – 15 July 2007) was an Irish film and television actor whose career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. He may be best remembered for his role as ...
, actor *
Gary O'Donovan Gary O'Donovan (born 30 December 1992) is an Irish rower. Together with his brother Paul he won the gold medal in the lightweight double sculls at the 2016 European Rowing Championships, silver in the same discipline at the 2016 Summer Olympic ...
, Olympic silver medallist (rowing – lightweight double sculls, 2016) *
Paul O'Donovan Paul O'Donovan (born 19 April 1994) is an Irish lightweight rower. He is an Olympic gold medallist in lightweight double sculls where he set a new world's best time for that event and is a five-time world champion in single and double sculls. ...
, Olympic gold medallist (rowing – lightweight double sculls, 2020) *
Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa ( ga, Diarmaid Ó Donnabháin Rosa; baptised 4 September 1831, died 29 June 1915)Con O'Callaghan Reenascreena Community Online (dead link archived at archive.org, 29 September 2014) was an Irish Fenian leader and member ...
,
Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...
leader who worked in Skibbereen *
David Puttnam David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, HonFRSA, HonFRPS, MRIA (born 25 February 1941) is a British film producer, educator, environmentalist and former member of the House of Lords. His productions include ''Chariots of Fire'', which wo ...
, English film producer *
Jasper Wolfe Jasper Travers Wolfe (3 August 1872 – 27 August 1952) was an Irish Independent politician (Ireland), Independent politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork West (Dáil constituency), Cork West from 1927 to 1933. He was born into a ...
,
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...
and solicitor *
Don Wycherley Don Wycherley (born 15 September 1967, Skibbereen, County Cork) is an Irish actor. He played Father Cyril McDuff in ''Father Ted'', Father Aidan O'Connell in ''Ballykissangel'', and Raymond in '' Bachelors Walk''. Wycherley is a fluent Irish ...
, actor


Culture and leisure


Arts Festival

The Skibbereen Arts Festival occurs annually, taking place at the end of July and including community-based projects as well as a mix of national and international films, theatre, visual art and music acts.


Agricultural Festival

The Carbery Show takes place on the third Thursday of July each year. The show includes agricultural, horticultural, livestock, craft, bakery and other competitions, as well as a pet show, and trade exhibition. The first Carbery Show took place in 1836.


Music

A number of different music events are held each year, with several bars and venues in town (including "Baby Hannah's") hosting musical acts. Skibbereen has also hosted the Cork X Southwest Music & Arts Festival over several years. The 2011 festival was held at Liss Ard Estate and featured
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...
, Echo & the Bunnymen,
Balkan Beat Box Balkan Beat Box (BBB) is an Israeli musical group. Founded by Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan in 2003, BBB was later joined by Tomer Yosef who became a core member. The group plays Mediterranean-influenced music that incorporates Jewish, Southeastern ...
,
Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...
and others across a two-day lineup.


Beaches

Just outside Skibbereen is Tragumna beach, and the town's location near the coast means that sea fishing, scuba diving, sailing, and kayaking are possible locally.


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References


External links


Official WebsiteSkibbereen Heritage Centre
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Cork