#fitzgerald park mardyke

[streetsofdublin]

PAVILION OF LIGHT BY DARMODY ARCHITECTURE

The Mardyke is an area in Cork city, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the River Lee near the city centre.

BANDSTAND IN MARDYKE GARDENS IN CORK CITY I have photographed this bandstand a number of times but this time I had a number of problems but the main one was that I had to edit out a number of children who kept getting in the way but it is nice to see that they like the structure as much, if not more, than I do. The other issue is that they structure is no longer uniformly white and there is…

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#bandstand #Darmody Architecture #Fitzgerald Park #Fotonique #FX30 #Infomatique #Mardyke #Modern Structure #Public Park #Puplic space #river lee #Sony #streets of cork #William Murphy

[dougrobyngoold]

A Sunny Day = Lots of Walking - Cork, Ireland

We started our day off with a walk through the University of Cork, just a couple of blocks from where we are staying. Lots of students hurrying to class and a lot of traffic on some very narrow roads - no one seems to get too concerned about the combination of people and cars on the narrow streets - guess it is just everyday life for them!

We walked by the old jail, which is actually located on campus.

We crossed the Gaol Bridge and walked over to Fitzgerald Park. We walked through the park and crossed Daly's Bridge over the River Lee.

Daly's Bridge, also known as The Shakey Bridge.

We continued along the River Lee, walking away from the town center, making our way towards Old Cork Waterworks Experience.

We spent well over an hour at the old power plant. It was actually worth checking out, cool old buildings and equipment, and tons of information about the old plant and renewable energy.

We did the self-guided tour - which included a visit to the boiler room and a view of the River Lee. The property is in pristine condition and we enjoyed our visit.

We headed back toward town, crossing the river on the Thomas Davis Bridge and walking by the Mardyke Sports Grounds and through Fitzgerald Park again. We made our way to St. Fin Barre's Cathedral. Quite an impressive building:

We continued walking toward the town center, crossed over the River Lee, and had lunch at The Spit Jack Cork. The food was delicious and the service was great. After lunch, we headed up to the Elizabeth Fort.

Built in 1601, the fort was originally located outside of the city walls. The city eventually grew and surrounded the fort - on one side of the fort is a fuel store and you will miss the fort if you aren't looking for it, as it is hidden between storefronts and a little ways off the road. We had a nice time exploring the grounds, taking in the awesome views of Cork, and visiting the small museum on the grounds. Entry is free.

We tried to locate different buildings from the fort walls, but we had a hard time following the sign on the wall that identified different landmarks. We think that the skyline of Cork has changed since that sign was put on the wall.

Fortunately, those are just replicas and not the real thing! They use to put the heads of executed people on posts outside the walls of the fort to discourage further uprisings. That would definitely deter me!

Nice view of St. Fin Barre's Cathedral through the fort walls.

The courtyard and old barracks at the fort. Inside the buildings was an exhibit about the women prisoners and the fate of a ship that sunk as it was transporting prisoners to Australia.

We had a nice first day in Cork, not sure what the next couple days of weather will bring. We have been so fortunate during our travels across the UK and Ireland, but the weather is definitely cooling off and rain is promised the next couple of days. Keeping our fingers crossed and our umbrellas handy!

#cork #ireland #museums #forts #cathedrals

[unowritingabroad]

Voyaging to the Past

(Today’s entry was submitted by Lauren Chauvin)

Preceding to my time in Ireland I cannot recall the last time I ran an errand while enthralled with anxiety. To bring myself comfort while living over four thousand miles away from my significant other, I wrote letters every day for the first ten days. It removed a great deal of weight off my shoulders to put pen to paper and unload my inner stress. On the eleventh day it was time to physically send the letters. I searched online for the nearest post office, Sunday Well’s was located approximately fifteen minutes away. I took screenshots of the map as well as the step-by-step directions assuming it would pair perfectly with my decent sense of direction. I puffed myself up the best I could and headed out. I crossed the street and headed off to the right in search of Mardyke Walk. It was a picturesque alleyway like street overgrown with leaves at every turn. I was smitten immediately, but still boiling over with apprehension. I felt more at ease once I noticed graffiti depicting a pop culture reference that was akin to my world back at home. I strolled on past a strikingly beautiful park. There were just as many roses as there were people; it was like nothing I had ever seen before. My stomach settled as I realized I was excited to mail off my letters for a new reason. A new longing to explore Fitzgerald Park arose with intensity. I continued down Mardyke walk over the charming pedestrian bridge, up the staircase like sidewalk, to the final turn of my journey. I turned right as if I knew exactly where I was. Google maps had indicated that I needed to go two-hundred forty meters, a number that meant nothing to me in hindsight. I walked on for a couple of minutes until I began to panic believing that I passed it up. I went all the way back to the staircase-sidewalk before realizing my distress was premature. Two-hundred and forty meters later my letters were mailed, and the afternoon was free for wasting.

I witnessed a grand display of reckless youth as soon as I approached the bridge. Boys of unidentifiable ages were climbing the railings and throwing themselves off into the river. It was brilliant. I stood in awe of these wild creatures. When I was younger and less logical I never attempted any feat even close to what they were doing that afternoon. It made me smile, but the corners of my mouth truly stretched once I sauntered into the gardens of the park. Nowhere in the US has ever offered me views like Fitzgerald Park. I felt like I found what I was looking for in Ireland. To feel as cooled off as the kids I got an ice cream. I meandered around the playground observing all the equipment that was better than anything I’d seen before. Then, I came upon the most fairy tale like fountain I’ve ever seen. It was chockfull of lily pads as if there was a frog prince nearby. I sat down, ice cream in hand and just enjoyed the silence of my own mind. There was music playing and people chatting all around, but it was nowhere near as overwhelming as it would have been at home. 

During my time in the park, I realized that I feel safer in Cork than I do in my own hometown. I didn’t feel like I needed to look over my shoulder because everyone was plainly minding their own business. People were lounging in the grass sopping up the sun while others sat on benches conversing about life, it was tranquil. I cannot recall the last time I knew such peace. I’ll be looking for this everywhere when I get home.

#unowritingabroad #UNO Cork Ireland

[aaronkenneally]

Shakey Bridge, Sundays Well, Cork City Daly's bridge is a pedestrian bridge spanning the River Lee in Cork, Ireland. Known locally as the Shakey Bridge, it joins Sunday's Well on the northside, to Fitzgerald's Park in the Mardyke area on the south. Completed in 1926 and opened in 1927, it is the only suspension bridge in Cork City. #canon_photos #photosofireland #photography #ireland #shoplocal #photosofcork #cork #shakeybridge #shakeybridgecork #dalysbridge Visit www.aaronkenneally.ie for more photos. (at Daly's bridge)

#canon_photos #shoplocal #photosofcork #dalysbridge #cork #photography #photosofireland #shakeybridgecork #ireland #shakeybridge

[aaronkenneally]

Father Matthew Memorial Fountain, Fitzgerald Park, Mardyke Walk, Cork, Cork City

[aaronkenneally]

Shakey Bridge, Sundays Well, Cork City Daly's bridge is a pedestrian bridge spanning the River Lee in Cork, Ireland. Known locally as the Shakey Bridge, it joins Sunday's Well on the northside, to Fitzgerald's Park in the Mardyke area on the south. Completed in 1926 and opened in 1927, it is the only suspension bridge in Cork City. #canon_photos #photosofireland #photography #ireland #shoplocal #photosofcork #cork #shakeybridge #shakeybridgecork #dalysbridge Visit www.aaronkenneally.ie for more photos. (at Daly's bridge)

#photosofcork #photosofireland #dalysbridge #cork #ireland #shakeybridgecork #shakeybridge #photography #canon_photos #shoplocal

[aaronkenneally]

Father Matthew Memorial Fountain, Fitzgerald Park, Mardyke Walk, Cork, Cork City