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Cork Walks: Shandon

Drop in to Civic Trust House to pick up your free Cork Walks self-guiding tour of Shandon leaflet.

Here's Cork City Council's description of the walk:

The Shandon Walk , the first of a series of planned urban Walks was offically launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr.Dara Murphy on September 22nd last (2009). Implemented by Cork City Council and funded by the Department of Transport, it is hoped that it will be the first of a series of such walks throughout the city.  This self guided walk will be of interest to both tourists and Corkonians alike.

There are 3 elements to the walk:

 a leaflet with a map and description of sights along the way; 

 ten information panels at key locations along the route;

fingerpost directional signs to help guide you between the information panels.

This walk traverses some of the most historically significant parts of Cork. At its centre is the Shandon area which includes the Butter Exchange complex and the Firkin Crane. Its imposing architecture speaks of the wealth and power which the merchant princes of the city once exercised and which is reflected in many of the street names of the city today.

The walk is not simply a tour through the past. Shandon Street, the North Main Street, and Paul Street remain busy trading thoroughfares. The old Custom House is now incorporated into the Crawford Art Gallery. The Butter Museum and Firkin Crane are now home to heritage and cultural bodies. Continuity and renewal are interwoven in the life of a city. It is hoped that this walk will contribute to the understanding of these processes in the life of this city.

Funded by the Department of Transport and delivered by Cork City Council this is one of only ten projects selected nationwide for European Mobility Week (16th- 22nd September) 2009 that encompass a, ’permanent measure in a town or urban area which reallocates space in favour of sustainable transport’.