Cork City : Perspectives of an Urban Past

Cork City has a very long and striking history which extends back to its Viking origins and beyond to the church which tradition claims was founded by St Finbarr c.600.

In this book two natives of Cork and graduates of UCC present a scholarly survey of the city's history through its manifestations across the ages.

The first part, by Dr Jefferies, explores the early history of Cork, from the enigmatic Finbarr, through the development of the town in the middle ages and its emergence as a major Atlantic seaport in the seventeenth century.

Dr O'Brien deals with the modern history of Cork, including the Georgian and Victorian eras, the 'Troubles' leading to Irish independence and civil war, and the continued development of Cork into contemporary times.

Each chapter presents a sketch of Cork at a particular period in time and analyses the forces for change and continuity which shaped the city and its people.