Great Island

Great Island
Native name:
An tOileán Mór
Cobh, the largest town on Great Island.
Great Island is located in island of Ireland
Great Island
Great Island
Location in Ireland
Geography
LocationCork Harbour
Coordinates51°51′57″N 08°16′02″W / 51.86583°N 8.26722°W / 51.86583; -8.26722
Length8 km (5 mi) east>west (approx)
Width4 km (2.5 mi) north>sth (approx)
Administration
CountyCounty Cork
Demographics
PopulationApproximately 14,000[1][2]

Great Island (Irish: An tOileán Mór)[3] is an island in Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee and close to the city of Cork, Ireland. The largest town on the island is Cobh (called Queenstown from 1849 to 1920). The island's economic and social history has historically been linked to the naval, ship-building, and shipping activities in the town's environs.[4]

In the early 21st century, a different marine industry has arisen. Tourism and related services have become a significant part of the local economy, including cruise ships attracted by the Port of Cork berthing facilities on the island. This is the only dedicated cruising ship berth in the Republic of Ireland.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ "Clean-up to centre on Cobh after 12,000 left stranded". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 17 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  2. ^ The island comprises two electoral districts: Cobh Urban (which had a population of 6,525 in the 2016 census) and Cobh Rural (the latter including the separate Fota Island,aka the townland of Foaty (8,353)
  3. ^ "An tOileán Mór". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Cobh Town Development Plan 2013 – Volume 1: Main Policy Material" (PDF). Planning Policy Documents. Cork County Council. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018. the past [and] future economic prosperity of Cobh is intrinsically linked with the harbour and facilities for ship access
  5. ^ "Cork set for €15 million tourism boost this summer as cruise liner grows". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Future of this town has to be in tourism". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Port of Cork cruising towards €15m terminal". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018. The Port of Cork currently boasts the only dedicated cruise ship berth in Ireland — in Cobh [on Great Island]