The Glen, Cork

Last updated

The Glen
An Gleann
Suburban area
Location map Ireland County Cork.png
Red pog.svg
The Glen
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°54′45″N8°27′46″W / 51.91250°N 8.46278°W / 51.91250; -8.46278
Country Ireland
Province Munster
County County Cork
Irish grid reference W681734

The Glen (Irish : An Gleann, meaning 'the valley') is a predominantly residential area on the north side of Cork City, Ireland. The area consists of mostly social housing estates near an ancient glacial valley known as the 'Glen River Park' (or the 'Glen Amenity Park', formerly 'Goulding's Glen'). The Glen is within the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central, and made up of the electoral division of the Glen A (An Gleann A) and Glen B (An Gleann B). [1] [2] The Glen A electoral division recorded a population of 2,354 in the 2011 census. [3]

Contents

History

Geology

Looking eastwards at The Glen valley in 'Glen River Park'. The Glen River (obscured by foliage from this angle) runs parallel to the left of the footpath. Glen Valley, The Glen, Cork city.jpg
Looking eastwards at The Glen valley in 'Glen River Park'. The Glen River (obscured by foliage from this angle) runs parallel to the left of the footpath.

During the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene periods, it is believed that the River Lee valley was occupied by a glacier which melted and the water which sought an outlet created a ravine or glacial valley that now makes up what is known as 'Glen River Park', so named because the Glen River flows through the valley on an east–west axis, and joins the River Bride and the Kilnap River in the Blackpool Valley to form the Kiln River. [4] [5]

Gouldings

In the 1850s W. and H.M. Goulding built a large factory in The Glen that was used to make phosphate fertilizers and the area became known as 'Goulding's Glen'. [6] The factory closed and was demolished in the mid-20th century and very little of it remains today. The land was donated to the people of Cork by Sir Basil Goulding in the late 1960s and was subsequently developed as an amenity park. [7]

19th century railway tunnel

One of four ventilation shafts constructed c.1850 for a subterranean railway tunnel under The Glen. The adjacent metallic train sculpture was added c.2000 Cork Railway Tunnel Ventilation Shaft (Arderin Way, The Glen).png
One of four ventilation shafts constructed c.1850 for a subterranean railway tunnel under The Glen. The adjacent metallic train sculpture was added c.2000

The Glen is also the location of a subterranean railway tunnel that was constructed from 1847 to 1855 to connect Mallow to Cork city. The tunnel had four ventilation shafts, all of which are still standing and two of these are located in The Glen. One is located in Arderin Way and the other can be found in Glentrasna Drive. [8]

Early 20th century events

On Saturday, 11 December 1920, the day after martial law was proclaimed during the Irish War of Independence, a six-man IRA squad ambushed a convoy from K Company of the Auxiliary Division at 'Dillon's Cross', not far from Victoria Barracks (renamed Collins Barracks after independence) in Cork City. British forces sustained casualties of one dead and twelve wounded, while the IRA squad escaped unharmed. The usual route taken by military convoys to or from the barracks took them past Dillon's Cross. There was an old stone wall roughly 50 yards long running between Balmoral Terrace and the houses at the corner of the Cross. It was here that the members of A Company decided to lay their ambush. Behind the wall was a field known as 'O'Callaghan's Field', leading down to 'Gouldings Glen', which would provide an excellent escape route for the ambush party. Due to the proximity of Victoria Barracks – just a few hundred yards, the action would have to be quick. It was planned to stop the convoy of Auxiliaries, hurl bombs into the lorries, fire a quick volley of revolver shots and get away as rapidly as possible. [9] Sean Healy a member of the ambush party, described their escape through The Glen after the attack was carried out:

It was now a case of every man for himself to try and make a safe getaway. Under cover of darkness, and hugging the walls, we ran towards 'Goulding’s Glen' and reached it in safety. A large stream ran through The Glen. This was swollen by the winter rains. We crossed the bridge over the stream and got away into the open country by Blackpool. I stayed at the house of Lt. D. Duggan’s father that eventful night. Bloodhounds were used in the search but all their efforts to trace us failed. [10]

Retaliation by the Auxiliaries resulted in the Burning of Cork.

In his story "The Ugly Duckling", Irish playwright, novelist, and short-story writer Frank O'Connor writes of the relationship between a man and his home town. Here he describes his return to Cork city from Dublin:

Then, long after, he found himself alone in Cork, tidying up things after the death of his father, his last relative there, and was suddenly plunged back into the world of his childhood and youth, wandering like a ghost from street to street, from pub to pub, from old friend to old friend, resurrecting other ghosts in a mood that was half anguish, half delight. He walked out to Blackpool and up 'Goulding's Glen' only to find that the big mill pond had all dried up, and sat on the pond remembering winter days when he was a child and the pond was full of skaters, and summer nights when it was full of stars. His absorption in the familiar made him peculiarly susceptible to the poetry of change. [11]

Late 20th century housing developments

Most of the present housing estates in The Glen were built in the 1970s in an area to the south of the valley and generally consisted of three bedroom terraced houses (generally six per block) and a number of free standing flat blocks (two bedroom flats with 18 per block). [12] Most of the flats were demolished or refurbished during the Glen Regeneration Project. Like most housing estates and urban areas developed on the outskirts of Irish cities in the 1960s and 1970s, the area was not equipped with adequate facilities for new families that had moved in, an issue that would later be rectified by a regeneration plan. Initial facilities developed with the housing estates include St Brendan's Church and two primary schools; St Mark's Boys National School and St Brendan's Girls School.

The area is near Blackpool Shopping Centre and retail park which was developed during the 2000s. [13]

Regeneration

View across the Glen valley of new housing built during Phase I of the Glen Regeneration Project. View of New Housing Across Glen Valley.jpg
View across the Glen valley of new housing built during Phase I of the Glen Regeneration Project.

During the 2000s, The Glen underwent significant changes as part of the Glen Regeneration Project. Phase I of the project which was completed in 2006 involved using new infill housing to occupy obscure areas and provide passive supervision of public space. A series of new, mainly single-storey terraced houses were used to form a coherent edge to the development where it meets the Glen amenity park, with the re-formed embankment to the park planted with native trees and shrubs in keeping with local biodiversity. Much needed community facilities were provided in the form of a day-care centre which overlooks the Glen Park. The centre is flanked by a care-taker's apartment, and opens onto a semi-private landscaped garden which is shared with a number of the residential units. Additional community facilities will be provided as part of subsequent phases of the Regeneration. One of the existing flat blocks was demolished and the other two refurbished to provide a mix of housing with private outdoor space and better security. Much of the unresolved public space was addressed by extending private space out to the existing road network, which allowed for new gardens and boundary walls as well as new driveways or parking bays to be provided to the existing houses. A new green space was created in the centre of the scheme. [12]

Phase II of the project commenced in October 2010. This phase of the project comprises the development of 59 new houses, and a substantial community facility adjacent to St Brendan's Church in the heart of the Glen. The community services centre will house a number of local educational, family and youth services when completed. [14] This scheme builds on the substantial work undertaken in the first Phase of the Glen Regeneration where over 84 homes were upgraded and 80 new homes were provided at a cost of €26.5M. [15]

A new housing estate was developed in a large field in The Glen known as 'Susie's field'. The houses are now in areas known as Glentrasna Crescent & Glentrasna Avenue. The development commenced on site in January 2007 and was completed in July 2009. The scheme is housed on a 3-hectare / 7-acre site and comprises 109 housing units all of varying types and sizes. Units include 3 and 4 bed semi-detached houses, 2 bed sheltered houses, two and three bed apartments, duplex units as well as a Crèche. There are 26 dwellings, both 3 and 4 bed, allocated as Affordable type units. The layout of the scheme was dictated by the sloping nature of the site, which resulted in a terraced development from a North-Westerly to a South-Easterly direction. Many of the units have views of the City and of North Cork. [16] Cork City Council collaborated with the Steiner Kindergarten to provide a preschool facility as part of the Susie's field development. [17]

Cork Military Graveyard, at the top of Assumption road and adjacent to the Susie's field development was converted into a small park with a playground for children in 2010. It is now called the Military Cemetery Park. [17]

Glen River Park

View of 'Glen River Park'. The Glen River can be seen in addition to walkways and a large soccer pitch. A Cork City Council depot can also be seen in the background. View of Glen River Park, Cork city.jpg
View of 'Glen River Park'. The Glen River can be seen in addition to walkways and a large soccer pitch. A Cork City Council depot can also be seen in the background.

Since the land (then known as Goulding's Glen) was gifted to the people of Cork in the 1960s, Cork City Council have developed the area as the Glen Amenity Park (Glen River Park) – with walkways, seating and plenty of green space in what is otherwise a totally urban setting. Care has been taken in the development of the Glen River Park to preserve the natural attractiveness of the area. [18]

The park is located in a deep steep-sided valley and includes a range of habitats that are of biodiversity value. At the heart of the site is one of the city's most diverse wetland areas which includes ponds, wet grassland, wet woodland and swampy areas of emergent vegetation including common reedmace, sweet-grass, canary reed-grass and common reed, providing a valuable refuge for birds, insects and other wildlife and of biodiversity value. Bird species which nest in the area include some that are restricted to wetland areas such as moorhen and reed bunting. Artificial lagoons created at the Glen are a feature of the park. [19] [20] The park also includes a soccer pitch and a Cork City Council depot. [21]

The park was at the centre of a controversy in 2002 and 2003 when some local politicians and environmental groups opposed a decision by An Bord Pleanála to permit a housing development in an area of the park known as 'Murphy's Quarry' which contained sandbanks used by sand martins as a nesting area. [7] [22] The development went ahead and is now known as Pynes Valley, Ballyvolane.

Road network and transport

The main road through The Glen to which all housing estates are connected is 'Glen Avenue'. The 1.2 km road commences at a junction with the North Ring Road (R635) on its west end and ends at a junction with Ballyhooly Road (R614) in Dillon's Cross in the east. The main access routes to the city by vehicle are via the N20 (connected to the North Ring Road) and the R614 which encompasses the Ballyhooly Road and Summerhill North.

The Glen is primarily served by Bus Éireann route 7A. The route operates between the city centre and Glenthorn via The Glen, Blackpool Village and Dublin Hill. Buses depart hourly from Glenthorn between 8.25am and 6pm on Mondays to Saturdays.

Sport and leisure

Glen Rovers GAA is located here just beyond the North Ring Road near Dublin Hill. The Glen Boxing Club is also located on the North Ring Road near Glen Avenue.

The Glen Resource and Sports Centre which opened in March 2001 offers a range of activities, from six all-weather soccer pitches (two convertible to tennis courts) to the zip-line in addition to indoor activities such as yoga and karate classes. [23] In 2014, the country's first publicly owned artificial ski slope opened in the centre. It is 30 m long, 5 m wide with a gradient of about 14%, consisting of an artificial all-weather perma-snow surface with an in-built pad underneath to absorb the shock of falls. [24] Educational courses are also provided in the centre, some of which are run by University College Cork for adults continuing their education.

A parkrun event takes place in the Glen River Park on Saturday mornings. [25]

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glengarriff</span> Tourist village in County Cork, Ireland

Glengarriff is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the northern head of Glengarriff Bay, a smaller enclave of Bantry Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballymun</span> Large northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland

Ballymun is an outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland, at the northern edge of the Northside, the green-field development of which began in the 1960s to accommodate a housing crisis in inner city areas of Dublin. While the newly built housing was state-of-the-art at the time, comprising high-rise tower blocks and flat complexes, residents were moved in years before shops, schools and other infrastructure were fully ready, and the area became well known for both a strong community spirit and considerable social challenges. Ballymun has several sub-districts such as Sillogue, Coultry, Shangan and Poppintree, and is close to both the Republic of Ireland's only IKEA store and to Dublin Airport. The area is the source of one Dublin river, and parts lie in the floodplain of another, and there are a number of parks.

A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castlemilk</span> District of Glasgow, Scotland

Castlemilk is a district of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies to the far south of the city centre, adjacent to the Croftfoot and Simshill residential areas within the city to the north-west, the town of Rutherglen - neighbourhoods of Spittal to the north-east and Fernhill to the east, Linn Park and its golf course to the west, and the separate village of Carmunnock further south across countryside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballincollig</span> Town in Cork city, Ireland

Ballincollig is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at which time the Ballincollig Electoral Division had a population of 18,621 people. It is located beyond the green belt from the suburbs of Bishopstown and Wilton. Historically home to the Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills which is now a Regional Park, the town has seen much growth in recent years as a satellite of Cork City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmerstown</span> Suburb of Dublin, Ireland

Palmerstown is a civil parish and suburb in western Dublin on the banks of the River Liffey. It forms part of the South Dublin local authority and the Dublin Mid-West parliamentary constituency. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey and the Strawberry Beds, to the west by Lucan, to the south-west by Clondalkin, to the south by Ballyfermot and to the east by the village of Chapelizod. Palmerstown village is situated near the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. The area is situated near the major junction of the M50 motorway and the N4. It lies approximately 7 km west of O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre. The Old Lucan Road, once the main route from the city to the west, passes through the centre of Palmerstown village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crumlin, Dublin</span> Suburb of Dublin, Ireland

Crumlin is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Formerly a rural area, it became heavily built up from the early 20th century onwards. Crumlin is the site of Ireland's largest children's hospital, Our Lady's Children's Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool, Cork</span> Suburb in Munster, Ireland

Blackpool 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. Blackpool is part of the Cork North Central Dáil constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oatlands, Glasgow</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Oatlands is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated south of the River Clyde, falls within the Southside Central ward under Glasgow City Council, and is part of the Gorbals historic area. Its boundaries are Hutchesontown and the Southern Necropolis cemetery to the west, Polmadie to the south, Shawfield to the east, and Glasgow Green public park to the north.

Mahon is an area to the south-eastern side of Cork, Ireland. Mahon gets its name from Lough Mahon, a wide stretch of the upper section of Cork Harbour. It was once a semi-rural peninsula, but from the late 20th century was subject to residential development, and has a number of housing estates and developments. The area was generally known as the Ring of Mahon, and is the site of Ringmahon House. Mahon is within the Cork South-Central Dáil constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas, Cork</span> Suburb in Cork city, Ireland

Douglas is a suburb, with a village core, in Cork city, Ireland. Douglas is also the name of the townland, Roman Catholic parish, Church of Ireland parish and civil parish in which it is contained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knocknaheeny</span> Suburb in Cork North-Central, Cork, Ireland

Knocknaheeny is an electoral division and suburb in Cork city, Ireland. Just over 2 km from the city centre, it is located north of the River Lee on hills overlooking the city. It is a mainly residential area, and contains a number of terraced council housing estates. Apple's headquarters for Europe is located here and employs about 5,000 people.

Glenbrook is a village in the townland of Lackaroe, between Passage West and Monkstown in County Cork, Ireland. Monkstown, Glenbrook and Passage West are three villages along Cork Harbour's R610 route. The Cross River Ferry at Glenbrook links the Owenabue Valley with East Cork, Fota Island and Cobh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cork (city)</span> City in County Cork, Munster, Ireland

Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the province of Munster and third largest on the island of Ireland. At the 2022 census, it had a population of 224,004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clongriffin</span> Suburban development north of Dublin

Clongriffin is a community in northern Donaghmede, on the northern fringe of Dublin, Ireland. The settlement was based on a master plan vision from major developer Gannon Homes, with significant investment in transport infrastructure and also community and recreational amenities. Development slowed during the downturn in the economy, although activity renewed in recent years, with planning permission secured for a hotel and a range of additional homes including a 16-storey apartment block with residential lounges and roof gardens..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dripsey</span> Village in County Cork, Ireland

Dripsey is a village in County Cork on the R618 regional road around 20 km (12 mi) west of Cork City. It is situated on a tributary of the River Lee, the Dripsey River. It is in the Catholic parish of Inniscarra. The Dripsey area hosts a water treatment plant, the Cork offices of the Environmental Protection Agency, and an award-winning garden center. The village has one pub, a primary school and a pre-school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenbeigh</span> Village in County Kerry, Ireland

Glenbeigh or Glanbehy is a village and civil parish on the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The parish includes Rossbeigh beach, Coomasahran Lake and a number of important rock art sites. Owing to its natural heritage, history and its location on both the Ring of Kerry and Wild Atlantic Way, Glenbeigh is a tourist destination.

Tramore Valley Park is a park on the southside of Cork in Ireland. With an area of approximately 160 acres (65 ha), the park site is located on a landfill site which closed in 2009. While parts of the park opened in mid-2015, and had been targeted to open more completely during 2016, the park was not completely opened until May 2019. It is managed by the Glen Resource Centre on behalf of Cork City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Applewood, Swords</span> Neighbourhood of Swords, near Dublin, Ireland

Applewood is a neighbourhood in the suburban town of Swords, near Dublin, Ireland. It was built around the year 2002 by property developer Gerry Gannon. It has been designed "village-style" with shops in the centre and housing estates surrounding this. In 2006, it won the Best Urban Village award at the National Tidy Towns competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cork railway tunnel</span> Railway tunnel in Cork, Ireland

The Cork railway tunnel is a railway tunnel in Cork, Ireland. The 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) tunnel was built between 1847 and 1855 and runs from Blackpool to Kent Station on the Lower Glanmire Road. It is the longest operational rail tunnel in Ireland, and is included on the Record of Protected Structures maintained by Cork City Council.

References

  1. ↑ "An Gleann A / The Glen A". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Database. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "An Gleann B / The Glen B". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Database. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "County Cork Geology". cork.travelinireland.com. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Landscape strategy" (PDF). Cork City Council. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Phosphorus: From urine to fire". UL. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Group seeks to protect the nests of sand martins". 15 May 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Cork City Buildings". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Auxiliaries ambushed at Dillon's Cross". eircom.net. 16 May 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  10. ↑ White, Gerry; O'Shea, Brendan (16 May 2006). "The Burning of Cork by Gerry White & Brendan O'Shea". ISBN   9781856355223 . Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  11. ↑ "I am filled with longing to be back in my home town" . The Independent. 21 October 2000. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  12. 1 2 "Glen Regeneration Project – Phase I". Cork City Council. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "£8m expansion planned for shopping centre". Irish Times, 17 February 1999. Retrieved 2020.
  14. ↑ "Director's Report to the City Development Board" (PDF). Cork City Development Board. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  15. ↑ "Official opening of major housing refurbishment projects in the city". Cork City Council. 11 October 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  16. ↑ "Susie's Field Development". Cork City Council. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Cork City Development Plan 2009‐2015 – Two year Progress Report ‐ April 2011" (PDF). Cork City Council. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  18. ↑ "Recreation & Amenity". Cork City Council. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  19. ↑ "Cork City Development Plan" (PDF). Cork City Council. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  20. ↑ "Biodiversity in Cork city" (PDF). The Heritage Council. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "About us". Cork City Council. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  22. ↑ "Cork's Glen - JCB protest halts demolition of bird sanctuary". 29 April 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  23. ↑ "The Glen Resource Centre". 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  24. ↑ "Northside ready to go on piste with ski slope". The Irish Examiner. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Home | Glen River parkrun | Glen River parkrun".
  26. ↑ O'Neill, Ryan. "Cork remembers post-punk icon Finbarr Donnelly". Cork Independent , 12 June 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.