Glanmire

Glanmire (Irish: "Gleann Maighir" ) is a suburb in Metropolitan Cork, Ireland with a population of 15,498 is actually made up of several small towns and villages, including Glanmire Village, Riverstown, Brooklodge, Glyntown, Copper Valley and Sallybrook. There also is an area outside Glanmire called Upper Glanmire, which includes Whites Cross, Ballyphilip, Templemichael and Buck Leary's Cross.

History

Glanmire has a long history that dates back to early Christian Ireland. The stone bridge located in Riverstown is one of the oldest constructions in Cork. Oliver Cromwell is reputed Fact|date=February 2007 to have ridden over it, when he inspected Glanmire during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Brian of Glanmire, nephew of the Gaelic king Brian Boru, lived here. At the parish church located on a hill above the village, Sarah Curran, lover of the hanged Robert Emmet married Captain Henry Sturgeon in 1805.

In the 1800s Glanmire was much smaller, and mainly just consisted of the village area. It was a highly industralised area with woolen factories and mills scattered around the nearby river Glashaboy. A smallpox fever once killed many people in the village. Riverstown House, actually located nearer Brooklodge, was resided in at this time. It was in the 20th century that Glanmire started to expand. In the later half of the century, more houses and facilities were built. A new primary school was built in Riverstown in 1979, while a new, modern secondary school, Glanmire Community College, was built in Brooklodge in 1996.

In 2006, a new primary school was built for the Glanmire area. "Gaelscoil Ui Drisceoil" operates from the Old Christians RFC clubhouse in Rathcooney.

In January 2006 a sewage spill in the Buttlarstown River caused widespread concern over the quality of the drinking water from Glashaboy Waterworks. This was rectified at the cost of 1.5 million euro. Though for a time water in the Cobh, Little Island and Glounthaune areas were deemed unsafe for public consumption.

Sports

The most popular Gaelic sports in Glanmire are hurling and Gaelic football. Sarsfields Gaelic Athletic Association club was established in 1906 at the Pike Inch in Sallybrook. In 1944 Sarsfields split into two separate clubs, Sarsfields Hurling Club and Glanmire Football Club. In 1951 the Sarsfields senior hurling team won their first Cork Senior Hurling Championship and the following year Paddy Barry represented Sarsfields as captain of Cork and Cork won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Sarsfields regained the County title in 1957.

Other sports popular in Glanmire are basketball, football (Riverstown & Brooklodge soccer clubs), rugby (Old Christians), camogie (Sarsfields), women's football, pitch and putt (St. Stephens), inline hockey, badminton, and martial arts such as karate and tae kwon do.In 2008 Sarsfields Hurling Club won the Cork Senior Hurling Championship beating Bride Rovers in the final.

External links

* [http://www.glanmireparish.ie Glanmire Parish]
* [http://www.gacacork.com/ Glanmire Area Community Association]
* [http://www.sarsfields.ie Sarsfields Hurling Club's]
* [http://homepage.eircom.net/%7Etimbrackencourt/ Glanmire Community Information]
* [http://www.gaelscoilgleannmaghair.com/ Gaelscoil Ui Drisceoil Glanmire - All Irish Primary school for Glanmire Parish]
* [http://glanmire.freetoasthost.info/index.html Glanmire Toastmasters]
* [http://www.oldchristiansrfc.ie/ Old Christians Rugby club information, upcoming matches, latest results]
* [http://www.entemp.ie/press/2004/20041126.htm/ Population: DETE: Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment]

ee also

*List of towns and villages in Ireland
* Metropolitan Cork