Mallow (; ) 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, approximately thirty-five kilometres north 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 ...

. Mallow is in the barony of Fermoy. It is the administrative centre of north County Cork, and the Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town. Mallow is part of the Cork East Dáil constituency.

Name

The earliest form of the name is ''Magh nAla'', meaning "plain of the stone". In the

anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influe ...

"Mallow", ''-ow'' originally represented a reduced

schwa In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa (, rarely or ; sometimes spelled shwa) is a vowel sound denoted by the IPA symbol , placed in the central position of the vowel chart. In English and some other languages, it rep ...

sound (), which is now however pronounced as a full vowel . In 1975, ''Mala''—a shortening of ''Magh nAla''—was among the first Irish placenames adopted by

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by ...

, on the advice of the Placenames branch of the

Ordnance Survey of Ireland Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI; ga, Suirbhéireacht Ordanáis Éireann) is the national mapping agency of Ireland. It was established on 4 March 2002 as a body corporate. It is the successor to the former Ordnance Survey of Ireland. It and the ...

. In the ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

'', compiled in the 1630s, ''Magh nAla'' is misrepresented as ''Magh Eala'', the

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

-based authors being insufficiently familiar with

places. P.W. Joyce in 1869 surmised that in ''Magh Eala'' , ''Ealla'' referred to the river Blackwater, and connected the name to the nearby

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Duhallow. Professor T. F. O'Rahilly in 1938 interpreted ''Magh Eala'' as "plain of the swans". This

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

remains widely cited and has caused resentment by some of the official ''Mala'' as being a gratuitous simplification of ''Magh Eala''. However, the name ''Mala'' has been used in Irish for more than 300 years.

History

Evidence of pre-historic settlement is found in

Beenalaght Beenalaght (''An Seisear'' in Irish, meaning ''The Six'') is an alignment of six standing stones located on a flat pasture in Reanthesure, 0.5km west of the village of Bweeng, County Cork, Ireland. It is 13.6km (8.5 miles) south-west of Mallow, ...

(13.6 km/8.5 miles south-west of Mallow), where an

alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Struc ...

of six standing stones lie on a hill to the west of the Mallow- Coachford Road. (grid ref: 485 873, Latitude: 52.035818N Longitude: 8.751181W). During the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

, the town served as the headquarters of the North Cork Militia (also known as North Cork Rifles), a unit in the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...

(IRA). On 27 September, IRA commanders

Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...

and Liam Lynch led the Cork No. 2 Brigade in an attack against the military barracks in Mallow, which was garrisoned by elements of the

17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 21st Lance ...

. The successful attack saw the IRA capture large quantities of firearms and ammunition, partially burning the barracks in the process. In reprisal, angered soldiers from Buttevant and

Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,500 people. It is located in the barony of Condons and Clangibbon, and is in the Dá ...

went on a rampage in Mallow, burning several main street premises, including the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

and

creamery A creamery is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream ret ...

, on the next day. On February 1921, the IRA killed the wife of RIC Captain W. H. King during a botched assassination attempt on her husband near the Mallow railway station. In retaliation, a detachment of the

Black and Tans Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

briefly occupied the station, arresting and killing three of its occupants- Patrick Devitt, Daniel Mullane and Denis Bennett, all of whom were railway workers. The killings prompted an

industrial action Industrial action (British English) or job action (American English) is a temporary show of dissatisfaction by employees—especially a strike or slowdown or working to rule—to protest against bad working conditions or low pay and to increa ...

by the National Railworkers Union in Britain and Ireland.

Geography

Mallow lies on the River Blackwater, and developed as a defensive settlement protecting an important fort on the river. Some of the highest naturally occurring readings of

radon Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains th ...

ever have been recorded in Mallow, prompting local fears regarding lung cancer.

Demography

As of the 2016 census, the town had a population of 12,459. In the same census the population was reportedly made up of 76% white Irish, 1% white Irish travellers, 12% other white ethnicities, 4% black, 2% Asian, 2% other, with 3% not stating their ethnicity.

Economy

Mallow developed in the late 16th century as a

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

town. It prospered throughout the centuries as a market town due to its rich agricultural hinterland. Irish statesmen such as Thomas Davis and

William O'Brien William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons ...

were both born in Mallow in the 19th century. The main street in Mallow is called Davis Street (although commonly referred to as Main Street), and joins with William O'Brien Street outside Mallow Town Hall. At the point where Davis Street meets O'Brien Street there is a monument to J.J. Fitzgerald, a little-known local politician who was involved in establishing both Mallow Urban District Council and Cork County Council. The town developed an industrial base in the early 20th century, based largely on its agricultural capability, with dairy produce and sugar beet supplying the Sugar Factory,

Rowntree Mackintosh Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery was a British company formed by the merger of Rowntree's and John Mackintosh Co. The company was famous for making chocolate brands, such as Kit Kat, Aero and Quality Street (confectionery), Quality Street. It ...

, Bournes and Dairygold. Changes in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

sugar subsidy programme resulted in the closure of the sugar beet factory in mid-2006, after 75 years of continual production. One of the last sugar beet plants to be closed in Ireland.

Transport and communications

Road

Mallow lies at the convergence of several important routes: National Primary Route 20 ( N20) north-south

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types o ...

between

(35 km) and

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...

(70 km), National Secondary Route 72 ( N72) east-west between

Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre ...

(51.5 km) and

Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Cast ...

(41.5 km), National Secondary Route 73 ( N73) northeast to

Mitchelstown Mitchelstown () is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 3,740. Mitchelstown is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains, 12 km south-west of the Mitchelstown Caves, 28 km from Cahir, 50 ...

and the M8 motorway (21 km). Rth Mallow Town 02

Bus

Mallow is a stop on the

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidi ...

51 bus service from

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

and 243 bus service from

to Newmarket service.

Rail

The Mallow railway

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...

which straddles the Blackwater, commonly known as the "Ten Arch Bridge", was bombed and destroyed during 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 ...

. It was rapidly rebuilt in girder form due to its importance in connecting the

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...

and

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

lines. An additional line east through

and Lismore to the

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

South station closed in 1967. Mallow railway station was opened on 17 March 1849 by the

Great Southern and Western Railway The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland from 1844 until 1924. The GS&WR grew by building lines and making a series of takeovers, until in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was the ...

. It is served by trains to via Limerick Junction to Dublin Heuston,

and

Farranfore Farranfore () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It lies on the N22 road approximately midway between Tralee (10 miles or 17 km) and Killarney (9 miles or 15 km) and on the railway line connecting the two towns. Farranfo ...

and

. Onward connecting trains link Mallow via Limerick Junction to

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

, Athenry and

as well as

Carrick-on-Suir Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the s ...

and

Air

The nearest airports are

Cork Airport Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cro ...

(42.5 km),

Kerry Airport Kerry Airport ( gle, Aerfort Chiarraí; ), often called Farranfore Airport, is an international airport in Farranfore, County Kerry, Ireland. It is north of the Ring of Kerry and southeast of the county's capital Tralee. Passenger services a ...

(70 km) and Shannon Airport (84 km). Kerry Airport is accessible by train from

Farranfore railway station Farranfore railway station serves the village of Farranfore in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located a short distance away from Kerry Airport. History The station opened on 18 July 1859 as part of the Tralee & Killarney Railway which opened on ...

. There is a flying club at nearby Rathcoole Aerodrome, and a helicopter charter company in nearby Dromahane. Mallow Racecourse, now known as Cork Racecourse, became an emergency airfield on 18 April 1983, when a Mexican

Gulfstream II The Gulfstream II (G-II) is an American twin engine business jet designed and built by Grumman and then in succession, Grumman American and finally Gulfstream American. Its Grumman model number is G-1159 and its US military designation is C-11 ...

business jet piloted by Captain Reuben Ocaña made a precautionary landing. A temporary

tarmacadam Tarmacadam is a road surfacing material made by combining crushed stone, tar, and sand, patented by Welsh inventor Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1902. It is a more durable and dust-free enhancement of simple compacted stone macadam surfaces invented ...

runway of 910 m (3,000 ft) in length which was paid for by the plane's insurers was laid to enable the aircraft to leave five weeks later. In the meantime, Captain Ocaña became a local celebrity. On 23 May 1983 just before the plane departed, the Captain said his farewell to the people of Ireland in the Irish language. The runway was subsequently used for parking during race meets and for learner driving. Light aircraft have occasionally landed at the racecourse on the grass area. The F3A World Model Aircraft Aerobatic Championship was held there in 2001. The 1983 incident formed the basis of the 2010 film ''The Runway''.

Sport

Founded in 1882, Mallow Rugby Club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country. Former players include

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

Second Row

Ian Nagle Ian William Nagle (born 17 October 1988) is a retired Irish rugby union player, who last played for Italian United Rugby Championship side Zebre. Nagle began his career with home province Munster, before stints abroad with English sides Newcast ...

, who played juvenile rugby for Mallow and

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

Prop Jerry Cronin, who played juvenile and Junior Rugby for the club. The town's association football club, Mallow United Football Club, was founded in 1926 and fields senior, junior, schoolboy, and schoolgirl football teams in the Munster Leagues. The local racecourse,

Cork Racecourse Cork Racecourse, also known as Cork Racecourse Mallow, is a horse racing venue at Mallow, County Cork, Ireland which stages both National Hunt racing and Flat racing. It is located 35 km north of Cork and 64 km from Limerick The cours ...

, now renamed "Cork Racecourse Mallow", plays host to large

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

events.

Mallow GAA Mallow GAA is a Gaelic football and hurling club based in the town of Mallow, Cork, Ireland. The club plays in Cork GAA competitions, and is part of the Avondhu divisional board. Roll of honour * Cork Senior Hurling Championship Runners-Up 192 ...

is the town's GAA club, and fields teams in

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

and

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 ...

. The club won the 2017 Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship. Mallow Golf Club, founded in 1947, is located just outside Mallow and has 18 holes. Mallow AC is a local running club.

Amenities

Mallow has a cinema as well as other community amenities such the Youth Centre and a nearby swimming pool. It also has several gyms. The town also has several pubs and nightclubs.

People

* Sister Celeste Bowe (1931–1976),

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul ( la, Societas Filiarum Caritatis a Sancto Vincentio de Paulo), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, is a Society of Apostoli ...

nun and nurse was born in Newberry, Mallow * Elaine Crowley (b.1977), television presenter from Newtwopothouse near Mallow * Thomas Osborne Davis (1814–1845), nationalist, politician, author, poet and author of the rebel song " A Nation Once Again", was born here. * Carl Dodd (1942–2018), Irish Army officer who served as Chief of Staff of the

United Nations Truce Supervision Organization The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, its primary task was initially to provide the military co ...

(UNTSO) from 2002 to 2004, was born in Mallow. *

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

(b.1946), singer born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

who now lives near Mallow * John Hogan (1805–1892), a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

born in Mallow. * Paul Kane (1810–1871), Canadian painter * Joe Lynch (1925–2001), actor *

Joan Denise Moriarty Joan Denise Moriarty (died 24 January 1992) was an Irish ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher of ballet and traditional Irish dancer and musician. She was a key figure in the development of both amateur and professional ballet in Ireland. Ear ...

(c.1910–1992),

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

dancer, dance teacher and musician, and niece of John Francis (below), is believed to have been born in Mallow. * John Francis Moriarty (1855–1915) Attorney General for Ireland and judge of the

Irish Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal in Ireland was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877 as the final appellate court within Ireland, then under British rule. A ...

. *

Robert Murphy Robert, Rob, Bob or Bobby Murphy may refer to: Sports Ice hockey * Robert Ronald Murphy or Ron Murphy (1933–2014), Canadian ice hockey player * Bob Murphy (ice hockey) (born 1951), Canadian retired professional ice hockey player * Rob Murphy (ic ...

(1806–1843), mathematician and physicist. *

(1852–1928), nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher and author. *

Stephen O'Flynn Stephen O'Flynn (born 27 April 1982 in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a striker. Career League of Ireland O'Flynn was capped for Ireland at under-age levels. He also had spells at Cork City and Lim ...

(b.1982), former

League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...

and

NIFL Premiership The NIFL Premiership, known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and colloquially as the Irish League or Irish Premiership, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the North ...

footballer *

John Baptist Purcell John Baptist Purcell (February 26, 1800 – July 4, 1883) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 to his death in 1883, and he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1850. He formed the b ...

(1800–1883), Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 to his death. *Richard Quain (Irish physician), Richard Quain (1816–1898), physician to Queen Victoria, author of Quain's Dictionary of Medicine. *Seán Sherlock (b.1972), Labour Party (Ireland), Labour Party Teachta Dála, TD for Cork East Constituency, was born in Mallow *Sir Edward Sullivan, 1st Baronet (1822–1885), Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was born in Mallow.

International relations

Mallow is town twinning, twinned with the towns of * Tinley Park, Illinois, Tinley Park, Illinois, United States * Tréguier, Landreger, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, France

References

External links

*
Official website

Mallow town community website

Mallow Town Online Guide

accessed 11 June 2021 {{Authority control Mallow, County Cork, Towns and villages in County Cork