Midleton
Encyclopedia
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork
, Ireland
. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City
on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare
. A satellite town of Cork City, Midleton is part of Metropolitan Cork
.
led by Barry Fitz Gerald established an abbey at a weir on the river to be populated by Cistercian Monks from Burgundy. The abbey became known as “Chore Abbey” and “Castrum Chor”, taking its name from the Irish word (weir), although some say that “Chor” comes from “Choir” or “Choral”. The abbey is commemorated in the Irish name for Midleton, , or “Monastery at the Weir”, and of the local river Owenacurra or meaning "River of the Weirs". St John the Baptist's Church, belonging to the Church of Ireland
was erected in 1825 and today still stands on the site of the abbey.
Captain Walter Raleigh
(later Sir Walter) had an association with Midleton, living for periods in nearby Youghal
between 1585 and 1602. His presence came about due to a distribution of land in reward for helping suppress the Second Desmond Rebellion
of 1579-1583. As part of this suppression he was ordered to seize Barry’s Castle at nearby Cahermore. The Seneschal
, or steward of Imokilly, on being expelled from the castle, took refuge in the Abbey, but was again forced to flee by Raleigh.
Raleigh is credited with planting the first potato
es in Europe, also at Youghal
.
The town gained the name Midleton or “Middle Town” as the main midway town between Cork and Youghal
. It was incorporated as a market town and postal depot in 1670, receiving its charter from Charles II
, as the “borough and town of Midleton”. Later it would become a post town of the Great Southern and Western Railway
.
Alan Brodrick
, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons
and Lord Chancellor of Ireland
was made the first Baron and Viscount Midleton
in 1715 and 1717, respectively. He is commemorated by Broderick St in the town.
Elizabeth Villiers, former mistress
of William of Orange
, founded the private school named Midleton College in 1696. The school is traditionally associated with the Church of Ireland
. Past pupils include Isaac Butt
, founder of the Home Rule League
and John Philpot Curran
, lawyer and father of Sarah Curran
amongst its past pupils. Rachael Kohler, an Irish International field hockey
player, was also educated there.
The town is the site of Cork Distilleries, formed in 1825, merged into Irish Distillers in 1967, and owned by French spirits group Pernod Ricard
. Distilling of whiskey, vodka and gin now takes place at the new Midleton distillery complex
opened in 1975. The Old Midleton Distillery which boasts the world’s largest pot still – a copper vessel with a capacity of 140,000 litres – has been restored as a visitor-centre and hosts a number of attractions, including Ireland’s largest working water-wheel (with a diameter of 7m). Paddy Whiskey, produced in the town, takes its name from Patrick J Flaherty, a salesman for Cork Distilleries in the 1920s.
The world-famous Jameson Whiskey is produced in the town.
At the top of the main street stands a monument to 16 Irish Republican Army
men killed on 20 February 1921 during the Irish War of Independence
. Twelve of the IRA men were killed in fighting with members of the British Army
at the nearby Clonmult Ambush
, while four more were captured and later executed. The incident was the biggest single loss of life for the IRA during the war. Captain Sean O'Shea led the Clonmult boys and is buried as head of the Republician Plot at Midleton cemetery. Nearby stands a monument marking the 200th anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
.
Two houses designed by Augustus Pugin, later the architect of the Houses of Parliament in London, stand at the bottom of Main Street. They now form one building and house McDaid's bar - a popular music venue.
is the state’s first gas-fired power station as well as Ireland’s only oil refinery. Many Midleton residents also commute to jobs in Cork, Carrigtwohill
and Little Island. Traditionally the main commercial and retail area of the town was on the Main Street and this continues to offer varied shopping primarily with local ownership. In recent years the commercial part of Midleton has expanded to the old site of Midleton Mart, now called Market Green. A number of multinational retailers have established themselves in Midleton including Tesco
, Lidl
, McDonalds
, Boots and most recently Aldi
. The Market Green shopping centre is located at the northern end of the town. This includes a five-screen cinema, Tesco and other stores. A locally owned supermarket, Hurley's Super-Valu, is also located at the northern end of the town opposite the so-called 'Gooses Acre'. Lidl, Aldi and McDonalds are located in a new shopping and residential area alongside the river. On Saturdays the park next to Super-Valu is the site for the popular Midleton Farmers' Market - one of the first such markets to be established since their renaissance in Ireland. Midleton is also the home of one of Ireland's premier tourist destinations - the Old Midleton Distillery which includes the largest pot-still in the world.
and the coast to the south. In times past, the channel from the Harbour to nearby Ballinacurra
, was navigable by barges up to 300 tonnes. Due to silting over the years, the channel is now extremely shallow.
Railway, a company that was later taken over by the Great Southern & Western Railway. Midleton was the location of the railway works for this company.
The line between Midleton and Cork was closed for regular use between 1963 and 2009. Occasional use (mainly transport of beet from Midleton to the Mallow Sugar Factory) continued for many years after 1963, but even the sporadic usage of the line came to an end in 1988, with the final train to use the track being a passenger excursion for Midleton GAA supporters to Dublin for the final of the All Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (in which Midleton played). The reopening of the line was completed by Iarnród Éireann
on the 30 July 2009.
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from Wales and France....
. A satellite town of Cork City, Midleton is part of Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork is an unofficial term which refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that surround it. The term was used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...
.
History
In the 1180s advancing NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
led by Barry Fitz Gerald established an abbey at a weir on the river to be populated by Cistercian Monks from Burgundy. The abbey became known as “Chore Abbey” and “Castrum Chor”, taking its name from the Irish word (weir), although some say that “Chor” comes from “Choir” or “Choral”. The abbey is commemorated in the Irish name for Midleton, , or “Monastery at the Weir”, and of the local river Owenacurra or meaning "River of the Weirs". St John the Baptist's Church, belonging to the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
was erected in 1825 and today still stands on the site of the abbey.
Captain Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
(later Sir Walter) had an association with Midleton, living for periods in nearby Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
between 1585 and 1602. His presence came about due to a distribution of land in reward for helping suppress the Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
of 1579-1583. As part of this suppression he was ordered to seize Barry’s Castle at nearby Cahermore. The Seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
, or steward of Imokilly, on being expelled from the castle, took refuge in the Abbey, but was again forced to flee by Raleigh.
Raleigh is credited with planting the first potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es in Europe, also at Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
.
The town gained the name Midleton or “Middle Town” as the main midway town between Cork and Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
. It was incorporated as a market town and postal depot in 1670, receiving its charter from Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, as the “borough and town of Midleton”. Later it would become a post town of the Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
.
Alan Brodrick
Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton
Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton PC was an Irish lawyer and politician.-Background:He was the second son of Sir St John Brodrick of Ballyannan, near Midleton in County Cork, by his wife Alice , daughter of Laurence Clayton of Mallow, County Cork and sister of Colonel Randall Clayton M.P., of...
, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
and Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
was made the first Baron and Viscount Midleton
Viscount Midleton
Viscount Midleton, of Midleton in the County of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1717 for Alan Brodrick, 1st Baron Brodrick, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland and former Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Brodrick, of Midleton in the...
in 1715 and 1717, respectively. He is commemorated by Broderick St in the town.
Elizabeth Villiers, former mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
of William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, founded the private school named Midleton College in 1696. The school is traditionally associated with the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
. Past pupils include Isaac Butt
Isaac Butt
Isaac Butt Q.C. M.P. was an Irish barrister, politician, Member of Parliament , and the founder and first leader of a number of Irish nationalist parties and organisations, including the Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society in 1836, the Home Government Association in 1870 and in 1873 the Home...
, founder of the Home Rule League
Home Rule League
The Home Rule League, sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was a political party which campaigned for home rule for the country of Ireland from 1873 to 1882, when it was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party.-Origins:...
and John Philpot Curran
John Philpot Curran
John Philpot Curran was an Irish orator, politician and wit, born in Newmarket, County Cork. He was the son of James and Sarah Curran.-Career:...
, lawyer and father of Sarah Curran
Sarah Curran
Sarah Curran was the youngest daughter of John Philpot Curran, an eminent Irish lawyer. She lived in the priory in Rathfarnham and was the great love of Irish nationalist Robert Emmet.-Biography:...
amongst its past pupils. Rachael Kohler, an Irish International field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player, was also educated there.
The town is the site of Cork Distilleries, formed in 1825, merged into Irish Distillers in 1967, and owned by French spirits group Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
. Distilling of whiskey, vodka and gin now takes place at the new Midleton distillery complex
New Midleton Distillery
The Midleton distilleries complex is situated outside Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland. It is owned by Pernod-Ricard. Located alongside is the Old Midleton Distillery which was established in the early 17th century.-History:...
opened in 1975. The Old Midleton Distillery which boasts the world’s largest pot still – a copper vessel with a capacity of 140,000 litres – has been restored as a visitor-centre and hosts a number of attractions, including Ireland’s largest working water-wheel (with a diameter of 7m). Paddy Whiskey, produced in the town, takes its name from Patrick J Flaherty, a salesman for Cork Distilleries in the 1920s.
The world-famous Jameson Whiskey is produced in the town.
At the top of the main street stands a monument to 16 Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
men killed on 20 February 1921 during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
. Twelve of the IRA men were killed in fighting with members of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at the nearby Clonmult Ambush
Clonmult Ambush
The Clonmult Ambush took place on 20 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence.Irish Republican Army volunteers occupying a farmhouse in Clonmult, County Cork were surrounded by a force of British Army, RIC and Auxiliaries. In the action that followed, twelve IRA volunteers were killed,...
, while four more were captured and later executed. The incident was the biggest single loss of life for the IRA during the war. Captain Sean O'Shea led the Clonmult boys and is buried as head of the Republician Plot at Midleton cemetery. Nearby stands a monument marking the 200th anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
.
Two houses designed by Augustus Pugin, later the architect of the Houses of Parliament in London, stand at the bottom of Main Street. They now form one building and house McDaid's bar - a popular music venue.
Midleton today
Midleton has a growing population, employed locally in retail, light manufacturing, food production, tourism and whiskey distilling. At nearby WhitegateWhitegate, County Cork
Whitegate is a small village on the eastern shore of Cork Harbour in County Cork, Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballincarroonig or Ballincarroony. It was once a busy fishing port and well known for its lace-making. In the 20th century Ireland's only Oil Refinery was built on Corkbeg...
is the state’s first gas-fired power station as well as Ireland’s only oil refinery. Many Midleton residents also commute to jobs in Cork, Carrigtwohill
Carrigtwohill
Carrigtwohill, officially Carrigtohill , is a village in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland with a population of 4,869 . It is located east of Cork city, bypassed by the N25 road and is part of Metropolitan Cork. Carrigtwohill is one of the fastest growing towns in Ireland. It is a major...
and Little Island. Traditionally the main commercial and retail area of the town was on the Main Street and this continues to offer varied shopping primarily with local ownership. In recent years the commercial part of Midleton has expanded to the old site of Midleton Mart, now called Market Green. A number of multinational retailers have established themselves in Midleton including Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
, McDonalds
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Boots and most recently Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
. The Market Green shopping centre is located at the northern end of the town. This includes a five-screen cinema, Tesco and other stores. A locally owned supermarket, Hurley's Super-Valu, is also located at the northern end of the town opposite the so-called 'Gooses Acre'. Lidl, Aldi and McDonalds are located in a new shopping and residential area alongside the river. On Saturdays the park next to Super-Valu is the site for the popular Midleton Farmers' Market - one of the first such markets to be established since their renaissance in Ireland. Midleton is also the home of one of Ireland's premier tourist destinations - the Old Midleton Distillery which includes the largest pot-still in the world.
Geography
The town is located in a fertile valley below hills to the north with Cork HarbourCork Harbour
Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...
and the coast to the south. In times past, the channel from the Harbour to nearby Ballinacurra
Ballinacurra, County Cork
Ballinacurra is a small harbour village on the outskirts of Midleton, County Cork. It is about 20 miles east of Cork city.The village grew up around the where the Owenacurra River meets the east channel of Cork Harbour...
, was navigable by barges up to 300 tonnes. Due to silting over the years, the channel is now extremely shallow.
Demographics
The town caters for a rural population of 26,663 that come from the surrounding areas of Midleton.Railway
The railway line to Midleton was opened on 10 November 1859 by the Cork & YoughalYoughal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
Railway, a company that was later taken over by the Great Southern & Western Railway. Midleton was the location of the railway works for this company.
The line between Midleton and Cork was closed for regular use between 1963 and 2009. Occasional use (mainly transport of beet from Midleton to the Mallow Sugar Factory) continued for many years after 1963, but even the sporadic usage of the line came to an end in 1988, with the final train to use the track being a passenger excursion for Midleton GAA supporters to Dublin for the final of the All Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (in which Midleton played). The reopening of the line was completed by Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
on the 30 July 2009.
Sport
- Midleton GAAMidleton GAAMidleton Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland.-History:The concept of a Gaelic Athletic Association was first mooted in 1883 when a sub-committee of the Irish Republican Brotherhood was formed with the ideal of...
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club. - Midleton RFC is the local rugbyRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club - Midleton Aikido Club [Martial Art]
See also
- Middletown, County ArmaghMiddletown, County ArmaghMiddletown is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies two miles from Tynan and close to the border with County Monaghan. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 240 people...
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Cork)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...
- Metropolitan CorkMetropolitan CorkMetropolitan Cork is an unofficial term which refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that surround it. The term was used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...
- Midleton (Parliament of Ireland constituency)Midleton (Parliament of Ireland constituency)Midleton was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800. Incorporated by Charter, 1671 whereby it was granted to Sir John Brodrick with a Corporation sovereign, two bailiffs and 12 burgesses. It was disenfranchised at the Act of Union and compensation of £15,000 paid to...
- Midleton Very RareMidleton Very RareMidleton Very Rare is a premium blended Irish whiskey, produced by Irish Distillers at their distillery, in the East Cork town of Midleton, from which it gets its name. Midleton Very Rare is considered by many to be the finest of Irish blended whiskey as well as among the finest Irish whiskeys in...