Skibbereen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skibbereen Irish: An Sciobairín
Town
New Bridge over the River Ilen
Skibbereen Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Cork
Population  (2022)	2,903
Time zone	UTC±0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing key	P81
Telephone area code	+353(0)28
Irish Grid Reference	W119334

Skibbereen, often called "Skibb," is a lively town in County Cork, Ireland. It's located in the beautiful area of West Cork. The River Ilen flows right through the town, heading out to the sea about 12 kilometers away near the village of Baltimore. You can also find Tragumna beach nearby, which is a popular spot for tourists.

Skibbereen is part of the Cork South-West area for government elections. In 2022, the town had a population of 2,903 people.

What's in a Name? Skibbereen's Meaning

Skibbereen is built along the River Ilen. A historian named Patrick Weston Joyce wrote in 1869 that the Irish name Sciobairín or Scibirín likely comes from the small boats, called skiffs (or scibs), that were often seen on this part of the river. So, the name might mean "little skiffs."

Skibbereen's Past: A Look at History

Before the 1600s, most of the land in this area belonged to the local MacCarthy Reagh family. Skibbereen officially became a town in 1657. You can see a copy of its original town charter in the town council offices.

In 1631, many people came to Skibbereen seeking safety after the Sack of Baltimore, a difficult event where the village of Baltimore was attacked. Later, in 1856, a group called the "Phoenix Society" started in Skibbereen. This group was an early part of the Fenian movement, which worked for Irish independence.

1798 memorial

There's a special statue in Skibbereen called the 'Maid of Erin'. It was put up in 1904 to remember four times when people tried to rise up against British rule. The dates of these events – 1798, 1803, 1848, and 1867 – are carved into the statue's base.

Skibbereen was once an important stop on the West Cork Railway. This railway connected towns in West Cork to Cork City. The railway lines were built between 1851 and 1893, but by 1961, all the West Cork railway lines were closed down. Skibbereen also had a separate station for a smaller, narrow-gauge railway called the Schull and Skibbereen Tramway and Light Railway. The Skibbereen Town Hall was built around 1862.

The Great Famine: A Difficult Time

Skibbereen 1847; a sketch by Cork artist James Mahony for Illustrated London News

The area around Skibbereen faced a terrible time between 1845 and 1852. This period is known as The Great Hunger or the Great Famine (in Irish, an Gorta Mór). During this time, many people suffered from a lack of food.

The Skibbereen Heritage Centre believes that between 8,000 and 10,000 people who died during the Famine are buried in special burial pits at Abbeystrewery cemetery, which is near the town. While it's hard to know the exact numbers from that time, records show that the population in the area dropped from 58,335 in 1841 to 32,412 in 1861.

Site of Famine Burial Pits at Abbeystrowery

There's also a famous song called Dear Old Skibbereen that tells the story of the Famine and how it affected the people of Ireland. The song is like a conversation between a father and his son, where the son asks why his father had to leave his home.

To remember the people who suffered during the Great Famine, there is a special exhibition at the Skibbereen Heritage Centre. Skibbereen was also chosen to host Ireland's first National Famine Memorial Day on May 17, 2009, because it was one of the areas most affected by the Famine.

News and Media in Skibbereen

High Street, Skibbereen

The Skibbereen Eagle was a newspaper that started in 1857. It reported on both local news and big international stories. For example, it once famously wrote that it was "watching" important leaders like Lord Palmerston and Kaiser Wilhelm. This newspaper was later replaced by The Southern Star, which began in Skibbereen in 1889 and is still published today.

Sports in Skibbereen

Skibbereen has many sports clubs!

Gaelic Games

O'Donovan Rossa GAA is the local club for Gaelic Athletic Association sports like Gaelic football and hurling. The local secondary school, St. Fachtna's, even won the Hogan Cup for Gaelic football in 1991!

Rowing Success

Skibbereen Rowing Club is located just outside town and is one of the most successful rowing clubs in Ireland. Many of its members have achieved great things.

• Paul and Gary O'Donovan won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's lightweight double sculls event. This was the first Olympic medal ever won by Irish rowers!
• Paul O'Donovan and fellow club member Fintan McCarthy won gold medals at both the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. They are truly amazing athletes!

Other Sports

A.F.C.Skibbereen is the local soccer club. Other sports clubs in town include Skibbereen Golf Club, Skibbereen Rugby Club, and Skibbereen Athletics Club.

Learning in Skibbereen: Schools

Skibbereen has several schools for young people.

Primary Schools

There are four primary schools in the town:

• Abbeystrewry National School (for both boys and girls)
• Gaelscoil Dr. Uí Shúilleabháin (an Irish-speaking school for both boys and girls)
• St. Patrick's Primary School (for boys)
• Scoil Naomh Seosamh (for girls)

Secondary School

The town's three older secondary schools (Rossa College, St Fachtna's De la Salle, and Mercy Heights) joined together to form a new school called Skibbereen Community School. This new school opened in September 2016.

Who Lives in Skibbereen? Population Facts

In 2011, there were 2,670 people living in Skibbereen. Most of them (79%) were Catholic, while 11.5% belonged to other religions, and 7% said they had no religion.

By 2016, the population had grown slightly to 2,778. In that year, about 75.6% of people in Skibbereen were White Irish, and 18.8% were from other White backgrounds. A small number of people were Black (0.6%), Asian (1.2%), or from other ethnic groups (1%).

As of the 2022 census, Skibbereen's population was 2,903. The numbers showed that 64.1% were White Irish, 21.8% were other White ethnicities, 0.6% were Black or Black Irish, 3.6% were Asian or Asian Irish, and 1.2% were Irish Traveller.

Fun and Culture in Skibbereen

Skibbereen hosts several exciting events and festivals throughout the year.

Festivals

• The annual Skibbereen Arts Festival usually happens at the end of July. It features local projects, movie showings, theater performances, art displays, and music.
• The Carbery Show is an agricultural festival also held in July. It has competitions for farming, gardening, livestock, crafts, and baking. There's also a pet show and trade exhibits. The first Carbery Show took place way back in 1836!

Music Scene

You can often find live music in Skibbereen, with several bars and venues hosting musical acts. Skibbereen has also been home to the Cork X Southwest Music & Arts Festival over the years. The 2011 festival, held at Liss Ard Estate, featured famous artists like Patti Smith and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Important Places: Amenities

For healthcare, Skibbereen has the Skibbereen Community Hospital and the Skibbereen Medical Centre.

Famous Faces: Notable People from Skibbereen

Many interesting people have connections to Skibbereen:

• Agnes Mary Clerke: An astronomer and writer born in Skibbereen.
• Seamus Davis: A physicist who grew up in Skibbereen.
• Tony Davis: A former Gaelic footballer and TV analyst.
• Canon James Goodman: A clergyman who collected Irish folk music.
• Jeremy Irons: An English actor who has a fishing cottage nearby.
• Percy Ludgate: Designed an early type of computer, born in Skibbereen.
• Fintan McCarthy: Olympic gold medallist in rowing.
• Kieron Moore: An actor.
• Gary O'Donovan: Olympic silver medallist in rowing.
• Paul O'Donovan: Olympic gold medallist in rowing.
• Gavin Coombes: An Irish rugby union player.
• Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa: A Fenian leader who worked in Skibbereen.
• David Puttnam: An English film producer.
• Don Wycherley: An actor.

Images for kids

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  Skibbereen Town Hall

See also

In Spanish: Skibbereen para niños