Blackpool, Cork

Blackpool (Irish: An Linn Dubh) is a suburb of Cork city in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated in the north of the city, on the N20 road to Mallow.

The first official reference to Blackpool in Cork City as an urban centre was in relation to the building of a Guard House in 1734 mentioned in the Cork Corporation minute book. Its early development can be traced to it being on the main thoroughfare from Cork City to the north with roads leading to the important destinations of Mallow, Limerick and Dublin. Dublin Street and Hill in Blackpool were named after this route. Weaving became identified with Blackpool from its early beginnings and it was later recalled that the cabins of Blackpool were a hive of wool combing and weaving. The success of weaving in Blackpool can in part be attributable to British Army and Naval contracts that accrued to the area. The Revolutionary War period (1793–1815) was a buoyant time for weaving in Blackpool as a result. But after the war ended and the Act of Union of 1801 eventually allowed cheaper industrial clothing to invade the Irish market it marked the end of the cabin weaving industry of Blackpool. Many of the weavers from Blackpool emigrated to Britain. Thereafter Blackpool had a concentration of industries such as tanning, bacon curing, brewing and distilling. As well as being a suburb, Blackpool is regarded by some as a now faded commercial and social centre of working class districts on the northside of Cork City. A vibrant working class community developed, its identity reinforced by the area's association with icons such as Taoiseach (Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland) and hurler Jack Lynch, Christy Ring (commonly regarded as the greatest hurler of all time) and footballer Charlie Hurley.

Blackpool was a vibrant, close community and many of the people depended on the industrial employment offered by companies such as Gouldings, Harringtons, Dennys, Sunbeam, Irish Distillers and Murphy's Brewery. There are so many clubs associated with Blackpool which flourished over the years including the Harriers, St Finbarr's Pipe Band, Glen Boxing Club and, the most famous, the Glen Rovers hurling club.

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