| Cultural Cork By Malcolm Rogers
Malcolm Rogers travels south to the ‘real capital’ of Ireland —the
city of Cork.
Cork has been very lively this year with the European Capital of Culture
celebrations taking place throughout the city. To add to the festivities
it's now the time of year to prepare for a long established part of the
Corkonian cultural calendar — the Cork Jazz Festival.
They say that jazz was invented after a load of musical instruments were
picked up from a battlefield after a French military band had fallen in
the service of colonialism in Louisiana. (Presumably rap music was invented
after a lorryload of drum machines were stolen, but I digress.) Jazz was
a product of the now beleaguered city of New Orleans; a coming-together
of styles which ranged from the blues to gospel. The fusion produced one
of the richest genres of music the world has ever seen, and to this day
jazz is a multi-layered adventure in music. And the good news is you'll
be able to sample most of that varied, musical menu in Cork this month.
From Friday October 28 until Monday November 1 the likes of Chick Corea,
the McCoy Tyner Trio, Dave Holland, Joshua Redman, Roy Haynes and Acker
Bilk, along with many more, will be playing everything from free-form modern
jazz to traditional New Orleans style. Who knows, you might even hear a
bluebeat version of “Where I sported and played ’neath each green leafy
shade, on the banks of my own lovely Lee.”
Some 40,000 music fans will travel next week to Cork to sample some terrific
music, a crackling atmosphere, and craic levels hovering near the maximum
allowed under the Geneva Convention. Renowned as Europe’s friendliest Jazz
Festival, Cork has hosted many of the jazz greats in its 28-year history,
including: Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich,
Mel Torme, Cleo Laine, Dave Brubeck, Benny Carter, Joe Zawinul, Art Blakey,
Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis and Stephane Grappelli.
It’s Ireland’s biggest and most prestigious jazz event and one of the
most important events on Ireland’s arts and cultural calendar.
This year some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries will entertain the fans
in over 75 venues throughout the city. The main concert venues are the Everyman
Palace Theatre, Cork Opera House and the Triskel Arts Centre. The famous
Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel offers world class
jazz on five stages day and night (daytime sessions have free admission).
The easy-to-find Guinness Jazz Trail offers entertainment in over 40 pubs
and clubs and most of it free of charge, too.
Ringing the Changes
Cork may be small in comparison to other European cities, but it’s more
ancient than most of them. Founded by Saint Finbarr some 1000 years ago,
it is a place of cathedrals, churches, bridges and hills, with architecture
dating from the late Georgian period through to Victorian. The city centre
— being an island surrounded by the Lee and the sea — has developed its
own distinct village atmosphere. Cork even has its own distinct slang —
derived from sources as diverse (and surprising) as Hindustani (the Munster
Fusiliers brought words home with them) to Shelta (the language of the Gypsies).
Not forgetting influences from Irish, English, French, Norse, Dutch, German,
etc. Just a few examples: ‘langered’ means drunk, ‘bockety’ means ricket
and a ‘fooster’ means a tizzy.
The city can also boast to being something of a campanological paradise.
Campanology? The bells, the bells. It’s the only place where you can ring
out your own tune across the city, at St. Ann's in Shandon, to be exact.
It is here, high on a hill overlooking the old town, and for a small fee,
that they provide you with sheet music — and your own rendition of Danny
Boy or My Own Lovely Lee peels out from the bell tower. As it says in Father
Prout's sonorous lines “Tis the bells of Shandon, That sound so grand on,
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.”
You can't really miss the church — it’s the only one thereabouts with
an eleven foot salmon weather vane atop the tower. In fact it may be the
only salmon-festooned church steeple in the entire world.
The main ecclesiastic centre in Cork, however, is in honour of the city’s
founder St. Finbarr. Eschewing the biblical advice not to build his house
on dodgy ground, in the seventh century Finbarr founded an abbey and school
here on the swampy ground by the river — hence the name Corcaigh, meaning
‘marshy place’.
By the ninth century, however, things took a turn for the Norse. The
Vikings arrived with their trademark blend of pillaging, looting and destruction
and Finbarr's monastery was no more. So conveniently was Cork placed that
it became the bridgehead for further Norse forays around the Irish countryside.
But then a familiar story began to unravel. The Vikings soon settled in,
realised that trading was more lucrative than raiding and before long were
integrating with the native Celts.
Any peace was short-lived, though, because history (as ever) had another
shock in store for Ireland. The Normans fetched up on our shores and history
unfolded in the city in its usual bleak fashion.
Today the traces of that bitter history can be seen in the cityscape,
although it would be fair to say that Cork has no really spectacular sights.
It's more of a very pleasant place to wander.
Some Corking Days Out
Cork city is an ideal place to base yourself for some corking days out.
Co. Cork boasts a dramatic coastline with some of the finest views in Ireland.
There's plenty to do and a lot of history waiting out there to be rediscovered.
Re-live the world’s first steeplechase in Buttevant. The town on the
River Awbeg, is mentioned by Edmund Spenser in his poem Faerie Queene and
gets its name from “Boutez-en-avant” (Push Forward), the French cry of the
Barry family who founded the local castle. A commemorative monument to the
world’s first recorded steeplechase can be found in the main street of the
town, facing Doneraile, the other town involved in this momentous occasion
for punters around the world.
The bones of the story are that a two-horse race between rival horsemen
Blake and O’Callaghan occurred here in 1752.The original challenge was laid
down between the two to chase the 4.5 miles from the steeple at St. John’s
in Buttevant to St. Mary’s in Doneraile clearing all the fences and obstacles
that they encountered on their way. The prize was a hogshead of brandy.
This race marked the beginning of the famous National Hunt Steeplechase.
The monument is an impressive 8ft by 4ft bronze plaque, depicting O’Callaghan
and Blake on horseback jumping a bank with a church steeple in the background.
Take a photo on Fota. Just north of Cobh is the 700 acre Fota Estate.
Surrounding the Regency mansion is Fota Wildlife Park and Arboretum. The
latter is probably one of the finest tree and shrub collections on these
islands with specimens from all round the world. Cork’s mild climate means
that even sub tropical plants can thrive in this part of Munster. The Wildlife
Park concentrates on breeding and re-introducing animals to their natural
habitat, and at least one species (the white-tailed eagle) has been saved
from extinction through the work of Fota. In all some seventy species of
animals — including giraffes, flamingos, cheetahs and zebras — are all honorary
Corkonians thanks to this Wildlife Park.
Kiss the Blarney Stone. The 15th century Blarney Castle is the most visited
castle in Ireland. Even if it's only for a sociological study, you really
have to visit what is probably one of the three most famous castles in the
world and the only one which has bequeathed its name to the English language.
Just in case you don't know the story (unsubstantiated), a series of unfulfilled
appointments between McCarthy Mor, the Lord of Blarney and Queen Elizabeth
I, led to the Queen dismissing any further overtures from him as 'a load
of old blarney'.
Even if you're a bit ‘iffy’ about this sort of paddywhackeray, the village
of Blarney is set amidst exquisite scenery — don’t miss the Groves of Blarney,
or Blarney Lake — noted for its red trout.
Have a banquet at Blackrock Castle on the banks of the Lee. The imposing
edifice is about a mile downriver from the city centre. Originally built
in 1582 by Lord Mountjoy as a harbour fortification guarding Cork’s busy
merchandising fleet, the gaunt stone walls today house a magnificent banqueting
hall, as well as bar and restaurant if you prefer something more intimate.
After dinner and drinks you can enjoy fine views across the Lee or walk
off those calories with a saunter along the river. Tel 00 353 21357414.
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