Ringaskiddy
Encyclopedia
Ringaskiddy is a village south of Cork city
, in County Cork
, Ireland
. Located across Cork harbour
south from Cóbh
, and connected to Cork city by the N28
road
the village is now a major ferry
port Port of Cork
with passenger ferry services to France
& the United Kingdom
.
Ringaskiddy has seen huge development in recent years. Indeed, this development is set to continue, the Port of Cork
has announced plans to build a container terminal there. These plans are expected to meet with much local opposition given the lack of proper infrastructure in the wider area. Any upgrade to the N28 road - an essential prerequisite before a new container terminal in Ringaskiddy is even considered - seems unlikely at any time in the future. Despite recent investments, infrastructure remains poor in the area. No bus service exists with the nearest town, Carrigaline
, and the bus service which links the village with Cork City is intermittent, expensive and has a journey time of up to 45 minutes. There is only one shop in the village. The village is close to Cork Airport and the City, as well as picturesque areas such as Crosshaven
, Monkstown
, and Currabinny.
type fortification exists on the hilltop at Ringaskiddy. This complements the other forts and towers in the harbour. This tower can be accessed from the Lough Beg road leading to one of the Pfizers plants and is an excellent viewpoint.
, GlaxoSmithKline
, Centocor
, Novartis
and Recordati. Ringaskiddy port handles much of the vehicle imports for the southern part of the country each year.
Plans to locate a domestic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy recently fell through. Although this facility would have relieved the pressure on the countries landfill programme, locals and environmentalists feared the incinerator would have had a grave impact on health and the environment in the harbour area. Even more recently the plans were rebuilt and are no longer fallen through.
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...
, in County Cork
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,...
. Located across Cork harbour
Cork 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...
south from Cóbh
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
, and connected to Cork city by the N28
N28 road
The N28 road is a national primary road in Ireland. It connects the port at Ringaskiddy southeast of Cork to the city itself.The road leaves Cork from an interchange on the N25 Southern Ring ring road near Douglas. It runs southwards towards Carrigaline, joining the Carrigaline Road...
road
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
the village is now a major ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
port Port of Cork
Port of Cork
Port of Cork is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. It is a major ferry port and is one of two free ports in Ireland, the other being in the Shannon area...
with passenger ferry services to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
& the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Ringaskiddy has seen huge development in recent years. Indeed, this development is set to continue, the Port of Cork
Port of Cork
Port of Cork is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. It is a major ferry port and is one of two free ports in Ireland, the other being in the Shannon area...
has announced plans to build a container terminal there. These plans are expected to meet with much local opposition given the lack of proper infrastructure in the wider area. Any upgrade to the N28 road - an essential prerequisite before a new container terminal in Ringaskiddy is even considered - seems unlikely at any time in the future. Despite recent investments, infrastructure remains poor in the area. No bus service exists with the nearest town, Carrigaline
Carrigaline
Carrigaline is a single-street town in County Cork, Ireland. It is about 12 km from Cork City which can be reached by car in 25 minutes...
, and the bus service which links the village with Cork City is intermittent, expensive and has a journey time of up to 45 minutes. There is only one shop in the village. The village is close to Cork Airport and the City, as well as picturesque areas such as Crosshaven
Crosshaven
Crosshaven is a village in County Cork, Ireland. Origins of the Irish name of Crosshaven include; - mouth of the river Sabhrann , and . The village is located in a scenic area with views of Wood, and Cork Harbour.-Transport:...
, Monkstown
Monkstown, County Cork
Monkstown is a village in County Cork, Ireland, in the old barony of Kerrycurrihy. It lies 9 miles southeast of Cork city on the estuary of the River Lee, facing Great Island and looking onto Monkstown Bay....
, and Currabinny.
Places of interest
A Martello TowerMartello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
type fortification exists on the hilltop at Ringaskiddy. This complements the other forts and towers in the harbour. This tower can be accessed from the Lough Beg road leading to one of the Pfizers plants and is an excellent viewpoint.
Industry
Ringaskiddy is now a major industrial centre - particularly for companies in the pharmachem industry including PfizerPfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
, Centocor
Centocor
Janssen Biotech, Inc., formerly Centocor Biotech, Inc., is a biotechnology company that was founded in Philadelphia in 1979 with an initial goal of developing new diagnostic assays using monoclonal antibody technology....
, Novartis
Novartis
Novartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number three in sales among the world-wide industry...
and Recordati. Ringaskiddy port handles much of the vehicle imports for the southern part of the country each year.
Plans to locate a domestic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy recently fell through. Although this facility would have relieved the pressure on the countries landfill programme, locals and environmentalists feared the incinerator would have had a grave impact on health and the environment in the harbour area. Even more recently the plans were rebuilt and are no longer fallen through.
Naval training
- On March 30, 2006, the National Maritime College of IrelandNational Maritime College of IrelandThe National Maritime College of Ireland NMCI is the first third level college in Ireland to be built under the Government’s Public-Private Partnership scheme. The partners include Cork Institute of Technology , the Irish Naval Service and Focus Education. The college offers both courses and...
was officially opened in Ringaskiddy. This college provides the only training in Ireland of Merchant NavyMerchant NavyThe Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
personnel. The Irish Naval ServiceIrish Naval ServiceThe Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
also carry out their non-military training in the College. - The Irish Naval Service base at Haulbowline is adjacent to the village. One of Ireland's deepest quays is located in Ringaskiddy, and the port there also plays host to ferries from SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and RoscoffRoscoffRoscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
. The opening of the maritime college has attracted a student population to the village, and the growth of industry in the area sees heavy traffic on the roads each day.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links
- Ringaskiddy Website
- Ringaskiddy to Swansea Ferry operated by Fastnet LineFastnet LineFastnet Line operate a passenger & freight ferry service from Ringaskiddy, Cork, Ireland to Swansea, Wales.-History:From 1987 to 2006, the Swansea Cork ferry was operated by Swansea Cork Ferries Limited, an Irish-based company. The service ceased operating after the 2006 season...