Cork, city, county borough and seat of the county of Cork, located on the Lee River, at the head of Cork Harbour inlet. It is the second largest city in Ireland after Dublin. Located in the southern part of the island, Cork is an important distribution center for the surrounding agricultural region, and it exports cattle and other products. Industrial establishments include breweries, distilleries, and factories for the production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Among the notable buildings of the city are the 19th-century Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, Saint Mary's (1808) and Saint Finbar (1880), respectively; and Queen's College, Cork (1849), which has been part of the National University of Ireland since 1908.
The city dates from a religious settlement founded in AD622 by Saint Finbar. During the 11th century the Danes made it a trading station encircled with walls. In 1172 Cork was taken by King Henry II of England, and in 1649, during the English Civil War, it fell to Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England during the Commonwealth. The town changed hands once more in 1689 when it was captured by John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, for the English crown. In 1920 parts of Cork were burned down by British forces after Irish nationalists raided a British military convoy. Population (1996) 180,000.
