- Baltimore, County Cork
Baltimore ( _ga. Dún na Séad) is a harbour town in western
County Cork , Province of Munster,Ireland . Although the name Baltimore is an anglicisation of Irish words ( _ga. "Baile an Tí Mhóir") meaning "Town of the Big House", the Irish-language name for Baltimore is that of the O'Driscoll castle, "Dún na Séad" ("Fort of the Jewels"). The recently restored castle is open to the public and overlooks the town. The town's name is properly pronounced differently than Baltimore in the USA. (Bal-timore rather than Ball-timore).History
Baltimore was sacked in
1631 by Algerianpirate s, and reminders of the incident still exist in the form ofpub names, like "The Algiers Inn". It is believed thatNapoleon obtained his famous white mare from the area.The title of
Baron Baltimore was derived from the Irish Baltimore. In turn, the now much bigger and more well knownBaltimore, Maryland in the United States got its name fromCecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , and is thus indirectly named for the Irish one.Places of interest
One of the most notable landmarks in the area is the
Baltimore Beacon , also known as Lot's Wife. This large stone structure at the entrance to Baltimore Harbour was originally built at the order of the British government after the1798 rebellion . It was part of a series of lighthouses and beacons dotted around the Irish coast, forming a warning system.Tourism
Baltimore attracts many visitors from within Ireland and the population booms in summer months due to the large number of summer homes that have been built in the area in the last ten years. Baltimore also attracts visitors from elsewhere in Europe and the world, particularly those interested in seafaring.Baltimore has also became a very popular venue for scuba diving, due largely to the number and variety of shipwrecks in the bay. These include a World War Two submarine (The
U-260 ) and the bulk carrierKowloon Bridge .Transport
*Ferries sail from Baltimore to
Schull further along the coast, toSherkin Island , and to the more remoteCape Clear Island
*Nearest airportCork Airport
*Baltimore railway station opened on2 May 1893 , but finally closed on1 April 1961 . [cite web | title=Baltimore station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-11]ee also
* List of towns in Ireland
*Baltimore (Parliament of Ireland constituency) (to 1800)
* List of RNLI stationsExternal links
* [http://www.baltimore-ireland.com/ Baltimore official site]
* [http://www.baltimorelifeboat.ie Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat]
* [http://www.baltimorewoodenboatfestival.com Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival]
* [http://www.coastsandreefs.net/coastssite.php?c=6 Marine life at Baltimore coast]
* [http://www.baltimore-sailing-club.com Baltimore Sailing Club]References
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