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's ...

. 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 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 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, shortly after the Battle of the Boyne when James II attempted to retake the English throne from King William III. In a combined land and sea operation, W ...

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, 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 (1917–1999),

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of 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 legislature) and the o ...

* Ignatius O'Brien (1857–1930), 1st Baron Shandon, lawyer, politician * Jimmy McCarthy (b.1953), songwriter of "The Mad Lady and Me" which mentions "Shandon Bells" in the chorus

References

{{Cork City Geography of Cork (city) Shandon