Washington Street () is a street in central
Cork city
Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...
, Ireland. Built in 1824, it runs from the old medieval town centre onto the site of the western marshes, and today links the Western Road and Lancaster Quay with the
Grand Parade.
History
The street, established in 1824, was originally named "Great George's Street" in honour of
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
. In 1918, the people of Cork renamed it as a tribute to
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
. Popular opinion still holds that the renaming was done to quell altercations involving the local population and American sailors fraternizing with local women.
Events
In 1921, one member of the public was killed as police lorries on the street were attacked during the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...
.
In 2000, one person was killed when the facade of a Washington Street building partially collapsed. Several premises on the street (and the street itself) were closed shortly afterwards to facilitate checks and works on other buildings in the area. The street was, again, temporarily closed in early March 2020 following another structural failure.
Buildings
Larger buildings on Washington Street include
Cork Courthouse (1828) and St Augustine's Catholic Church (1942). The street also has a number of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
See also
*
List of places named for George Washington
This is a list of memorials to George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and first president of the United States.
Federal holiday
Presidents' Day, Washington's Birthday has been a fe ...
References
{{authority control
Roads in County Cork
Streets in Cork (city)