Midleton Totally Explained

Everything about Midleton totally explained

It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellite town of Cork City, Midleton is officially part of Metropolitan Cork.

Midleton today

Midleton has a growing population, employed locally in retail, light manufacturing, food production, tourism and whiskey distilling. At nearby Whitegate is the state’s first gas-fired power station as well as Ireland’s only oil refinery. Many Midleton residents also commute to jobs in Cork, Carrigtwohill and Little Island. Traditionally the main commercial and retail area of the town was on the Main Street and this continues to offer varied shopping primarily with local ownership. In recent years the commercial part of Midleton has expanded to the old site of Midleton Mart, now called Market Green. A number of multinational retailers have estabished themselves in Midleton including Tesco, LIDL, Boots and most recently Aldi. The Market Green shopping centre is located at the northern end of the town. This includes a five-screen cinema, Tesco and other stores. A locally owned supermarket, Hurley's Super-Valu, is also located at the northern end of the town opposite the so-called 'Gooses Acre'. LIDL and Aldi are located in a new shopping and residential area alongside the river. On Saturday's the park next to Super-Valu is the site for the popular Midleton Farmers' Market - one of the first such markets to be established since their rennaisance in Ireland. Midleton is also the home of one of Ireland's premier tourist destinations - the Old Midleton Distillery which includes the largest pot-still in the world.

History

In the 1180s advancing Normans led by Barry fitz Gerald established an abbey at a weir on the river to be populated by Cistercian Monks from Burgundy. The abbey became known as “Chore Abbey” and “Castrum Chor”, taking its name from cora or weir in Irish, although some say that “Chor” comes from “Choir” or “Choral”. The abbey is commemorated in the Irish name for Midleton, Mainistir na Corann, or “Monastery at the Weir”, and of the local river Owenacurra or Abhainn na Cora meaning "River of the Weirs". St John the Baptist’s Church, belonging to the Church of Ireland was erected in 1825 and today still stands on the site of the abbey. Paddy Whiskey, produced in the town, takes its name from Patrick J Flaherty, a salesman for Cork Distilleries in the 1920s. The world-famous Jameson Whiskey is produced in the town.
At the top of the main street stands a monument to 16 Irish Republican Army men killed on 20 February 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. Twelve of the IRA men were killed in fighting with members of the British Army at nearby Clonmult while four more were captured and later executed. The incident was the biggest single loss of life for the IRA during the war. Captain Sean O' Shea led the Clonmult boys and is buried as head of the Republician Plot at Midleton cemetery. Nearby there's a monument to mark the 200th anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Geography

The town is located in a fertile valley below hills to the north with Cork Harbour and the coast to the south. In times past, the channel from the Harbour to nearby Ballinacurra (Irish: Baile na Cora, meaning “Town at the Weir”), was navigable by barges up to 300 tonnes. Due to silting over the years, the channel is now extremely shallow.

Demographics

The town caters for a rural population of 26,663 that come from the surrounding areas of Midleton.

Transport

Railway

The railway line to Midleton was opened on 10th November 1859 by the Cork & Youghal Railway, a company that was later taken over by the Great Southern & Western Railway. Midleton was the location of the railway works for this company.
Included in Ireland’s National Development Plan is the re-opening by 2009 of the former railway to Cork which was closed for regular use in 1963. Occasional use (mainly transport of beet from Midleton to the Mallow Sugar Factory) continued for many years afterwards, but even the sporadic usage of the line came to an end in 1988, with the final train to use the track being a passenger excursion for Midleton GAA supporters to Dublin for the final of the All Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (in which Midleton played). Whilst the reopening of the line was originally promised to be completed by 2007 Iarnród Éireann have now been granted a railway order to carry out the work necessary to reopen the line, which is scheduled for April 2009.

Other

Nearest airport Cork Airport

Sport

Midleton GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.Further Information

Get more info on 'Midleton'.

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