Munster
Encyclopedia
Munster
is one of the Provinces of Ireland
situated in the south of Ireland
. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland
, the ancient kingdoms were shire
d into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties. In modern times, clusters of counties have been attributed to certain provinces but these clusters have no legal status. The province itself, while enjoying common usage and forming a strong part of local identity
, has no official function for local government purposes. Apart from County Clare
, much of the area lies in the South constituency for elections to the European Parliament
. Geographically, Munster covers a total area of 24675 km² (9,527.1 sq mi) and the most populated city is Cork
.
and the legendary Clanna Dedad led by Cú Roí
and to whom the celebrated Conaire Mór
also belonged. During the Early Middle Ages
, most of the area was part of the Kingdom of Munster
, ruled by the Eóganachta
dynasty, who succeeded the once mighty Dáirine
and Corcu Loígde
overlords from the early 7th century onwards, perhaps beginning with the notable career of Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
. Later rulers from the Eóganachta who would dominate a greater part of Ireland were Cathal mac Finguine
and Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
. Notable regional kingdoms and lordships of Early Medieval Munster were Iarmuman
(West Munster), Osraige (Ossory), Uí Liatháin
, Uí Fidgenti
, Éile
, Múscraige
, Ciarraige Luachra, Corcu Duibne
, Corcu Baiscinn, and Déisi Muman. By the 9th century the Gaels
had been joined by Norse
Vikings who founded towns such as Cork
, Waterford
and Limerick
, for the most part incorporated into a maritime empire by the Dynasty of Ivar
, who periodically would threaten Munster with conquest in the next century. Around this period Ossory broke away from Munster. The 10th century century saw the rise of the Dalcassians
(probably descendants of the ancient Mairtine
, a sept of the Iverni/Érainn), who had earlier annexed Thomond
, north of the Shannon
to Munster. Their leaders were the ancestors of the O'Brien dynasty and spawned Brian Bóruma, perhaps the most noted High King of Ireland
, and several of whose descendants were also High Kings. By 1118 Munster had fractured into the Kingdom of Thomond under the O'Briens, the Kingdom of Desmond under the MacCarthy dynasty
(Eóganachta), and the short-lived Kingdom of Ormond
under the O'Kennedys
(another Dalcassian sept).
The three crowns
of the Munster flag represent these three late kingdoms. This flag can easily be confused with the flag of Dublin which has three castle
s in a similar pattern on a blue background; it also resembles the lesser coat-of-arms of Sweden, the Three Crowns
.
There was Norman
influence from the 14th century, due to adventuring of the FitzGerald
, de Clare
and Butler
houses, two of whom carved out earldoms within the Lordship of Ireland
, the Earls of Desmond eventually becoming independent potentates, for a time the greatest in Ireland, while the Earls of Ormond remained closer to England. The O'Brien of Thomond and MacCarthy of Desmond surrendered and regranted
sovereignty to the Tudors in 1543 and 1565, joining the Kingdom of Ireland
. The terrible Desmond Rebellions
, led by the FitzGeralds, soon followed. Much of the area was almost three centuries later also hit hard in the Great Hunger, especially the west. After the kingdom was merged into the United Kingdom
, there was a war in the 20th century
resulting in secession of the Irish Free State
. There was a brief Munster Republic
during the Irish Civil War
, soon defeated by the Irish Army
— the Free State became a republic
in 1937.
The Irish leaders Michael Collins
and earlier Daniel O'Connell
came from families of the old Gaelic Munster gentry.
. The area is famed for Irish traditional music. Munster has a strong sporting heritage, being the birthplace of the modern Gaelic games
, especially hurling
— the provincial rugby union side Munster Rugby
are a prominent identity symbol and are amongst the elite of Europe. There are many ancient castles and monasteries in the province; this coupled with the vast green countryside and three cities makes it a feature of the tourism
industry. A 5th century bishop named Ailbe is the patron saint
of Munster.
An ancient and frequently remarked upon feature of the spiritual life of Munster is the number of celebrated and notorious goddesses the province claims: Anann
, Áine
, Grian
, Clíodhna
, Aimend
, Mór Muman
, Bébinn, Aibell
, and the infamous Queen Mongfind
. Each is historically associated with certain septs of the nobility, but these relationships are not exclusive and many commoners have greatly enjoyed their company when offered. Several are known into modern times. Michael Collins was taught about Clíodhna
as a child. The survival of some elements of paganism is in part the result of South and West Munster's largely rugged terrain and relative isolation, even from the rest of Ireland, a fact shown also by archaeological studies. The druid-god of Munster is Mug Ruith
. A more shadowy figure is Donn
, who resides off the coast in Tech Duinn, beyond the mortal realm.
Despite this isolation, Munster was the province of Ireland with traditional trading and cultural links to the Continent. The Corcu Loígde are known to have had a trading fleet active along the French Atlantic coast, as far south as Gascony, importing wine to Munster. The Eóganachta had ecclesiastical ties with distant Germany, which show in the architecture of their ceremonial capital, the famous acropolis on the Rock of Cashel
.
As far as early writing, the vast majority of Irish ogham
inscriptions, in an alphabet apparently modelled on a Continental script, are found in Munster, principally in areas occupied by the Iverni, especially the Corcu Duibne. Later, Europe's first linguistic dictionary in any non-Classical language, the Sanas Cormaic
, was compiled by Munster scholars, traditionally thought to have been directed by the king-bishop Cormac mac Cuilennáin
(d. 908).
The School of Ross
in Munster was one of Europe's leading centers of learning in the Early Middle Ages.
Urban areas in bold have city status.
37.3bn euro). Munster also is wealthier than Slovenia
(pop. 2m), Lithuania
(pop. 3.5m), Latvia
(pop. 2.5m) and Kenya
(pop. 35m). Munster is the home to many modern capital intensive, highly productive private sector enterprises.
The Economy of Cork
and Economy of Limerick
are the main engines of the province's economy. The Cork harbour area was the centre of Ireland's heavy industry manufacturing sector. Cork had a steel mill, a shipyard, a car assembly plant, a tyre plant, a deep harbour, and a thriving textile sector in the mid twentieth century. However heavy taxes, excessive regulation, competition from larger centres of economic activity, and the sudden removal of protective tariffs upon membership of the European Economic Community caused a decline in the 1970s. Cork was Ireland's rust belt
city in the 1980s, as heavy industry moved out, and newer sectors tried to get established in as unemployment peaked.
Munster was the home of 'The Munster and Leinster Bank', which is parent of Ireland's largest bank Allied Irish Bank. Cork, in Munster, is also home of the two largest Irish owned retailing organizations, Dunnes Stores
, and the Musgrave Group
. Cork is also home to two of the three Irish stout brands; Murphy's Irish stout, and Beamish, as well as the 'Paddy' brand of Irish whiskey.
The Crescent Shopping Centre
is Munster's largest shopping center located in Dooradoyle
in Limerick City with over 110 shops in an estimated 100,000 square meters of retail space. Mahon Point Shopping Centre
located in Cork City has an estimated total retail floor area of 23,225 square meters and has 60 shops.
Shannon Airport
, a rich music tradition, the best food from land and sea, and landscapes of international renown, have all been influential in the development of the tourist sector in Munster.
Ireland's only oil refinery and oil storage facility is still located at Whitegate
.
The majority of Ireland's gas production comes from Kinsale Head in County Cork
, from where it is transported by pipeline
across the country.
Moneypoint power station located near Kilrush
in County Clare is Ireland's largest electricity generating station. It is Ireland's only coal powered station and is Ireland's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It is capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country.
The hydroelectric power plant at Ardnacrusha
to the north of Limerick City in County Clare is Ireland's largest river hydroelectric power station and is operated on a purpose built canal from the River Shannon. It was the largest infrastructural project undertaken by newly established Irish Free State
and was completed in 1927. For a time it was the largest hydroelectric power station in the world but was overtaken by the Hoover Dam
.
hubs with such multinationals as Apple, Intel, Amazon and Dell locating in the province. The Atlantic Quarter
in Cork is a new plan to create a smaller version of Dublin's IFSC
in Cork docklands. In Kerry, FEXCO
Financial Services in Killorglin
is a foreign exchange and global payments group.
Munster has developed into the centre of Ireland's pharmaceutical industry. The province plays an ever greater role in the bio-pharmaceutical industry and is successful in fighting off stiff competition from Switzerland and Singapore for inward investments in the bio-pharmaceutical area in companies such as Amgen and Pfizer and Roche (located in Clarecastle Co.Clare).
, Bausch & Lomb
, Dairygold, Dell
, Amazon
, Motorola
, Amgen, Pfizer
, Analog Devices, Fexco Financial Services, Vistakon, Waterford Crystal, Apple Computer
, Intel, Novartis, O2, Lufthansa Technik, Kerry Group, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Siemens
, Sony
and Blizzard Entertainment
. The largest employment hub in Munster is Metropolitan Cork
, with many large multinational firms located in the area. The second most important is the Shannon Free Zone
with over 120 international firms based there employing over 7,500 people.
is the largest natural harbour in Europe and has always had a long and important maritime history
.
Haulbowline Island is the location of the Irish naval fleet and the Irish Naval College.
The town of Cobh
and the village of Dunmore East
are the only cruise ship destination. Cobh is also where the Titanic made its last port of call before meeting its final destiny.
is considered rich pastureland and has historically contributed to the wealth of Munster. It is the best land in Ireland for dairy farming
.
, or more specifically Munster Irish
is spoken as a first language in Gaeltachtaí (Irish speaking areas);
The number of Gaelscoileanna (Irish language schools) has increased sharply in the last ten years. Children learn Irish and speak Irish in the Gaelscoileanna. Munster has the second highest number of Irish-medium primary schools (46) in Ireland and the highest number of Irish-medium secondary schools (22) of any Irish province.
The Limerick Leader (covers the Mid West)
, soccer, rugby, rowing, and basketball.
. The town of Thurles
in County Tipperary is the birthplace of modern GAA. Three of the four most successful teams in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
are from Munster; Cork GAA, Tipperary GAA
and Limerick GAA
. Clare GAA
and Waterford GAA
are also among the most prominent teams in the sport. The final of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship
is one of the most important days in the Irish GAA
calendar.
and Cork GAA, although Tipperary GAA
and Limerick GAA
have also won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
s. Kerry in particular are famous as the most successful team in the history of football.
representative side which competes in the RaboDirect Pro12
, winning in 2003,2009 and 2011 and in the Heineken Cup
, winning in 2006 and 2008. The Munster side is the only Irish side to have defeated the New Zealand All Blacks
.
League of Ireland
; Cork City F.C.
, Waterford United
, and Limerick FC as well as Tralee Dynamos F.C.
and Cobh Ramblers F.C.
In the A Championship
.
is one of the Provinces of Ireland
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
situated in the south of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
, the ancient kingdoms were shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
d into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties. In modern times, clusters of counties have been attributed to certain provinces but these clusters have no legal status. The province itself, while enjoying common usage and forming a strong part of local identity
Cultural identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics....
, has no official function for local government purposes. Apart from County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, much of the area lies in the South constituency for elections to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. Geographically, Munster covers a total area of 24675 km² (9,527.1 sq mi) and the most populated city is Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
History
In the early centuries AD, Munster was the domain of the IverniIverni
The Iverni were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century Geography as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis in their territory, and observes that this settlement has the same name as the island as a whole, Ivernia...
and the legendary Clanna Dedad led by Cú Roí
Cú Roí
Cú Roí mac Dáire is a king of Munster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "hound of the plain/field", or more specifically, "hound of the battlefield"...
and to whom the celebrated Conaire Mór
Conaire Mor
Conaire Mór , son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín...
also belonged. During the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, most of the area was part of the Kingdom of Munster
Kings of Munster
The name Munster is derived from the Gaelic God, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...
, ruled by the Eóganachta
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta were an Irish dynasty centred around Cashel which dominated southern Ireland from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, well into the 16th century...
dynasty, who succeeded the once mighty Dáirine
Dáirine
The Dáirine , later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They appear to have derived from the Darini of Ptolemy and to have been related to the Ulaid and Dál Riata of Ulster and Scotland...
and Corcu Loígde
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde , meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine, of whom they were the principal royal sept...
overlords from the early 7th century onwards, perhaps beginning with the notable career of Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He succeeded Cathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach of the Glendamnach branch in 628. He was the younger brother of a previous king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib...
. Later rulers from the Eóganachta who would dominate a greater part of Ireland were Cathal mac Finguine
Cathal mac Finguine
Cathal mac Finguine was an Irish King of Munster or Cashel, and effectively High King of Ireland as well. He belonged to the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the dominant Eóganachta kin-group whose members dominated Munster from the 7th century to the 10th...
and Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Fedelmid mac Crimthainn was the King of Munster between 820 and 846. He was numbered as a member of the Céli Dé, an abbot of Cork Abbey and Clonfert Abbey, and possibly a bishop...
. Notable regional kingdoms and lordships of Early Medieval Munster were Iarmuman
Iarmuman
Iarmhumhain was a Kingdom in the early Christian period of Ireland in west Munster. Its ruling dynasty was related to the main ruling dynasty of Munster known as the Eóganachta. Its ruling branch was called the Eóganacht Locha Léin or Ui Chairpri Lúachra. Their center was around Killarney, County...
(West Munster), Osraige (Ossory), Uí Liatháin
Uí Liatháin
The Uí Liatháin were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example The Expulsion of the Déisi...
, Uí Fidgenti
Uí Fidgenti
The Uí Fidgenti or Wood-Sprung People were an early kingdom of northern Munster, situated mostly in modern County Limerick, but extending into County Clare and County Tipperary, and possibly even County Kerry and County Cork, at maximum extents, which varied over time...
, Éile
Éile
Éile, Éle or Éli, commonly anglicised Ely, was an ancient and medieval kingdom of northern Munster in Ireland.-Overview:They claimed descent from Céin , a possibly mythical or spurious younger son of Ailill Aulom and brother of Éogan Mór, and thus kinship with the Eóganachta...
, Múscraige
Múscraige
The Múscraighe were an important Érainn people of Munster, descending from Cairpre Músc, son of Conaire Cóem, a High King of Ireland. Closely related were the Corcu Duibne, Corcu Baiscind, both of Munster, and also the Dál Riata of Ulster and Scotland, all being referred to as the Síl Conairi in...
, Ciarraige Luachra, Corcu Duibne
Corcu Duibne
The Corcu Duibne was a notable kingdom in prehistoric and medieval County Kerry, Ireland which included the Dingle Peninsula, the Iveragh Peninsula and connecting lands...
, Corcu Baiscinn, and Déisi Muman. By the 9th century the Gaels
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
had been joined by Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
Vikings who founded towns such as Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, for the most part incorporated into a maritime empire by the Dynasty of Ivar
Uí Ímair
The Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest...
, who periodically would threaten Munster with conquest in the next century. Around this period Ossory broke away from Munster. The 10th century century saw the rise of the Dalcassians
Dál gCais
The Dál gCais were a dynastic group of related septs located in north Munster who rose to political prominence in the 10th century AD in Ireland. They claimed descent from Cormac Cas, or Cas mac Conall Echlúath, hence the term "Dál", meaning "portion" or "share" of Cas...
(probably descendants of the ancient Mairtine
Mairtine
The Mairtine were an important people of late prehistoric Munster, Ireland, who by early historical times appear to have completely vanished from the Irish political landscape...
, a sept of the Iverni/Érainn), who had earlier annexed Thomond
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, north of the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
to Munster. Their leaders were the ancestors of the O'Brien dynasty and spawned Brian Bóruma, perhaps the most noted High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, and several of whose descendants were also High Kings. By 1118 Munster had fractured into the Kingdom of Thomond under the O'Briens, the Kingdom of Desmond under the MacCarthy dynasty
MacCarthy dynasty
The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...
(Eóganachta), and the short-lived Kingdom of Ormond
Ormond
-Places:* Ormond , an ancient kingdom in the Province of Munster* Ormond Beach, Florida, a city in Florida* Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida, a city in Florida** Ormond Beach Middle School, a middle school located in the city of Ormond Beach...
under the O'Kennedys
Kennedy (Ireland)
The Kennedy family of Ireland is a royal dynasty founded in the Middle Ages who were Kings of Ormond. Their founder was the nephew of High King Brian Boru . Kennedy is an anglicised form of the Irish "Ó Cinnéide". The name Cinnéide belonged Brian Boru's father Cennétig mac Lorcáin, King of Thomond,...
(another Dalcassian sept).
The three crowns
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
of the Munster flag represent these three late kingdoms. This flag can easily be confused with the flag of Dublin which has three castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s in a similar pattern on a blue background; it also resembles the lesser coat-of-arms of Sweden, the Three Crowns
Three Crowns
Three Crowns is a national emblem of Sweden, present in the Coat of Arms of the Realm of Sweden, and composed by three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background....
.
There was Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
influence from the 14th century, due to adventuring of the FitzGerald
FitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
, de Clare
De Clare
The de Clare family of Norman lords were associated with the Welsh Marches, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Ireland. They were descended from Richard fitz Gilbert, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England during the Norman conquest of England.-Origins:The Clare family descends from Gilbert...
and Butler
Butler dynasty
Butler dynasty refers to the several branches of the Butler family that has its origins in the Cambro-Norman family that participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Variant spellings include le Boteler and le Botiller. The surname has its origins in the hereditary office of...
houses, two of whom carved out earldoms within the Lordship of Ireland
Lordship of Ireland
The Lordship of Ireland refers to that part of Ireland that was under the rule of the king of England, styled Lord of Ireland, between 1177 and 1541. It was created in the wake of the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169–71 and was succeeded by the Kingdom of Ireland...
, the Earls of Desmond eventually becoming independent potentates, for a time the greatest in Ireland, while the Earls of Ormond remained closer to England. The O'Brien of Thomond and MacCarthy of Desmond surrendered and regranted
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
sovereignty to the Tudors in 1543 and 1565, joining the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
. The terrible Desmond Rebellions
Desmond Rebellions
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569-1573 and 1579-1583 in the Irish province of Munster.They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond – head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster – and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies against the threat of the extension of Elizabethan English...
, led by the FitzGeralds, soon followed. Much of the area was almost three centuries later also hit hard in the Great Hunger, especially the west. After the kingdom was merged into the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, there was a war in the 20th century
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
resulting in secession of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. There was a brief Munster Republic
Munster Republic
The Munster Republic was an informal and affectionate term used by Irish republicans to refer to the territory they held in the province of Munster at the start of the Irish Civil War...
during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, soon defeated by the Irish Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
— the Free State became a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
in 1937.
The Irish leaders Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
and earlier Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
came from families of the old Gaelic Munster gentry.
Culture
The culture of Munster features prominently in the overall culture of IrelandCulture of Ireland
This article is about the modern culture of Ireland and the Irish people. It includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and Irish people today. However, the culture of the people living in Ireland is not homogeneous...
. The area is famed for Irish traditional music. Munster has a strong sporting heritage, being the birthplace of the modern Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
, especially hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
— the provincial rugby union side Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
are a prominent identity symbol and are amongst the elite of Europe. There are many ancient castles and monasteries in the province; this coupled with the vast green countryside and three cities makes it a feature of the tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry. A 5th century bishop named Ailbe is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Munster.
An ancient and frequently remarked upon feature of the spiritual life of Munster is the number of celebrated and notorious goddesses the province claims: Anann
Anann
In Irish mythology, Anann was a goddess. 'Anann' is identified as the personal name of the Morrígan in many MSS of Lebor Gabála Érenn. With Badb and Macha, she is sometimes part of a triple goddess or a triad of war goddesses. As such, she may be a Celtic personification of death, and is depicted...
, Áine
Áine
Áine is an Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth and sovereignty. She is associated with the sun and midsummer, and is sometimes represented by a red mare. She is the daughter of Egobail, the sister of Aillen and/or Fennen, and is claimed as an ancestor by multiple Irish clans...
, Grian
Grian
Grian or Greaney is the name of a river, a lake, and region in the portion of the Sliabh Aughty mountains in County Clare. It formed part of the boundary of the kingdom of Síol Anmchadha....
, Clíodhna
Cliodhna
Clíodhna is a Queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In Irish literature, Cleena of Carrigcleena is the potent banshee that rules as queen over the sheoques of South Munster, or Desmond. She is the principal goddess of this country...
, Aimend
Aimend
In Irish mythology and genealogy, Aimend is the daughter of Óengus Bolg, king of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde. She marries Conall Corc, founder of the Eóganachta dynasties, and through him is an ancestor of the "inner circle" septs of Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach, and Eóganacht Áine, who...
, Mór Muman
Mór Muman
Mór Muman , also written Mór Mumhan or Mór Mumain, is stated to have been a daughter of Áed Bennán, sometime King of Munster, but may in fact represent a euhemerised sovereignty goddess, particularly associated with the Eóganachta.The Irish language tale Mór Muman 7 Aided Cuanach meic Ailchine Mór...
, Bébinn, Aibell
Aibell
As described by Donal O'Sullivan, Aibell "was the Fairy Queen of Thomond in Irish mythology; and her palace, Carraig Liath or The Grey Rock, is a hill overlooking the Shannon about a mile and a half above Killaloe, on the Clare side of the river."She is the principal fairy goddess of the Dál gCais...
, and the infamous Queen Mongfind
Mongfind
Queen Mongfind was the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary Irish High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldest three sons, Brion, Ailill and Fiachrae, ancestors of the historical Connachta, through whom she is an ancestor of many Irish and European nobility today...
. Each is historically associated with certain septs of the nobility, but these relationships are not exclusive and many commoners have greatly enjoyed their company when offered. Several are known into modern times. Michael Collins was taught about Clíodhna
Cliodhna
Clíodhna is a Queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In Irish literature, Cleena of Carrigcleena is the potent banshee that rules as queen over the sheoques of South Munster, or Desmond. She is the principal goddess of this country...
as a child. The survival of some elements of paganism is in part the result of South and West Munster's largely rugged terrain and relative isolation, even from the rest of Ireland, a fact shown also by archaeological studies. The druid-god of Munster is Mug Ruith
Mug Ruith
Mug Ruith is a figure in Irish mythology, a powerful blind druid of Munster who lived on Valentia Island, County Kerry. He could grow to enormous size, and his breath caused storms and turned men to stone. He wore a hornless bull-hide and a bird mask, and flew in a machine called the roth rámach,...
. A more shadowy figure is Donn
Donn
According to Irish mythology, Donn, or the Dark One, is the Lord of the Dead and father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, whom he gave to Aengus Óg to be nurtured...
, who resides off the coast in Tech Duinn, beyond the mortal realm.
Despite this isolation, Munster was the province of Ireland with traditional trading and cultural links to the Continent. The Corcu Loígde are known to have had a trading fleet active along the French Atlantic coast, as far south as Gascony, importing wine to Munster. The Eóganachta had ecclesiastical ties with distant Germany, which show in the architecture of their ceremonial capital, the famous acropolis on the Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...
.
As far as early writing, the vast majority of Irish ogham
Ogham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
inscriptions, in an alphabet apparently modelled on a Continental script, are found in Munster, principally in areas occupied by the Iverni, especially the Corcu Duibne. Later, Europe's first linguistic dictionary in any non-Classical language, the Sanas Cormaic
Sanas Cormaic
Sanas Cormaic , also known as Cormac's Glossary, is an early Irish glossary containing etymologies and explanations of over 1,400 Irish words, many of which are difficult or outdated. The shortest and earliest version of the work is ascribed to Cormac mac Cuilennáin , king-bishop of Munster...
, was compiled by Munster scholars, traditionally thought to have been directed by the king-bishop Cormac mac Cuilennáin
Cormac mac Cuilennáin
Cormac mac Cuilennáin was an Irish bishop and was king of Munster from 902 until his death. He was killed fighting in Leinster, probably attempting to restore the fortunes of the kings of Munster by reimposing authority over that province.Cormac was regarded as a saintly figure after his death,...
(d. 908).
The School of Ross
School of Ross
The School of Ross was a monastic institution located in what is now called Rosscarbery, County Cork, Ireland, but formerly Ross-Ailithir , from the large number of monks and students who flocked to its halls from all over Europe....
in Munster was one of Europe's leading centers of learning in the Early Middle Ages.
Counties
It comprises the counties of:| County/City | Population | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| County Clare County Clare -History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones... |
116,885 | 3,450 |
| County Cork County Cork County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county... |
518,128 | 7,500 |
| Cork city Cork (city) Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban... |
(213,580) | |
| County Kerry County Kerry Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective... |
145,048 | 4,807 |
| County Limerick County Limerick It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC... |
191,306 | 2,756 |
| Limerick city Limerick Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the... |
(90,000) | |
| County Tipperary County Tipperary County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local... |
158,652 | 4,305 |
| County Waterford County Waterford *Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,... |
113,707 | 1,857 |
| Waterford city Waterford Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland... |
(55,000) | |
| Total | 1,243,726 | 24,675 |
Urban Areas
In order of size (2006 census figures; urban areas with over 10,000 inhabitants):- CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
(190,384) - LimerickLimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
(90,757) - WaterfordWaterfordWaterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
(49,213) - EnnisEnnisEnnis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
(24,253) - Tralee (22,744)
- ClonmelClonmelClonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
(17,008) - KillarneyKillarneyKillarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
(14,603) - CarrigalineCarrigalineCarrigaline is a single-street town in County Cork, Ireland. It is about 12 km from Cork City which can be reached by car in 25 minutes...
(12,835) - CobhCobhCobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
(11,303) - MallowMallowMallow or Mallows may refer to:Nature:* Malvaceae, family of plants; in particular the following genera:** Abelmoschus** Althaea – Marsh mallow** Callirhoe – Poppy mallow** Corchorus – Jews Mallow, Molokia, Mlukhia...
(10,241) - MidletonMidletonMidleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
(10,048)
Urban areas in bold have city status.
Economy
The province of Munster contributes 40 billion euro (US$52.57bn) to Irish GDP (25% of total Irish GDP) (2004) (greater than the Economy of Northern IrelandEconomy of Northern Ireland
The economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has traditionally had an industrial economy, most notably in shipbuilding, rope manufacture and textiles, but most heavy industry has since been replaced by services...
37.3bn euro). Munster also is wealthier than Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
(pop. 2m), Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(pop. 3.5m), Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
(pop. 2.5m) and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
(pop. 35m). Munster is the home to many modern capital intensive, highly productive private sector enterprises.
The Economy of Cork
Economy of Cork
-Statistics:County Cork and County Kerry as part of the South-West Region, Ireland with a population of 620,000 has a GVA of €25bn.The South-West region has a labour force of nearly 300,000....
and Economy of Limerick
Economy of Limerick
-Statistics:County Clare, County Limerick and North Tipperary as part of the Mid-West region with a population of 360,000 has a GVA of €10.7bn....
are the main engines of the province's economy. The Cork harbour area was the centre of Ireland's heavy industry manufacturing sector. Cork had a steel mill, a shipyard, a car assembly plant, a tyre plant, a deep harbour, and a thriving textile sector in the mid twentieth century. However heavy taxes, excessive regulation, competition from larger centres of economic activity, and the sudden removal of protective tariffs upon membership of the European Economic Community caused a decline in the 1970s. Cork was Ireland's rust belt
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
city in the 1980s, as heavy industry moved out, and newer sectors tried to get established in as unemployment peaked.
Munster was the home of 'The Munster and Leinster Bank', which is parent of Ireland's largest bank Allied Irish Bank. Cork, in Munster, is also home of the two largest Irish owned retailing organizations, Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...
, and the Musgrave Group
Musgrave Group
The Musgrave Group is a major Irish food wholesaler, founded in Cork by the Musgrave brothers, Thomas and Stuart in 1876. Musgrave Group has become Ireland's largest grocery distributor. Today, the Group has operations in Ireland, United Kingdom and Spain. Musgrave is the largest private company in...
. Cork is also home to two of the three Irish stout brands; Murphy's Irish stout, and Beamish, as well as the 'Paddy' brand of Irish whiskey.
The Crescent Shopping Centre
Crescent Shopping Centre
The Crescent Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre in Limerick, Ireland. Located on what was at one time the outskirts of the city, in Dooradoyle, the centre now lies between the suburb of Raheen and the city proper...
is Munster's largest shopping center located in Dooradoyle
Dooradoyle
Dooradoyle is a suburb of Limerick city which is in County Limerick, Ireland built after the 1960s which remain in the Limerick County Council administrative area. Dooradoyle is in the Parish of St Paul, in the Diocese of Limerick...
in Limerick City with over 110 shops in an estimated 100,000 square meters of retail space. Mahon Point Shopping Centre
Mahon Point Shopping Centre
Mahon Point Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in the suburbs of Cork in Ireland. It is Munster's second largest shopping destination after the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick. The centre has over 60 stores including Debenhams, Next, Zara, Barratts, Tesco and a thirteen-screen Omniplex cinema...
located in Cork City has an estimated total retail floor area of 23,225 square meters and has 60 shops.
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
, a rich music tradition, the best food from land and sea, and landscapes of international renown, have all been influential in the development of the tourist sector in Munster.
Power generation
The majority of the Republic's power stations are located in Munster.Ireland's only oil refinery and oil storage facility is still located at Whitegate
Whitegate, County Cork
Whitegate is a small village on the eastern shore of Cork Harbour in County Cork, Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballincarroonig or Ballincarroony. It was once a busy fishing port and well known for its lace-making. In the 20th century Ireland's only Oil Refinery was built on Corkbeg...
.
The majority of Ireland's gas production comes from Kinsale Head in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, from where it is transported by pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
across the country.
Moneypoint power station located near Kilrush
Kilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
in County Clare is Ireland's largest electricity generating station. It is Ireland's only coal powered station and is Ireland's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It is capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country.
The hydroelectric power plant at Ardnacrusha
Ardnacrusha (village)
Ardnacrusha is a village in County Clare, Munster, Ireland located on the northern bank of the Shannon River. The name derives from the phrase Ard na Croise meaning "the height of the cross", due to a large cross marker placed there in 1111 A.D...
to the north of Limerick City in County Clare is Ireland's largest river hydroelectric power station and is operated on a purpose built canal from the River Shannon. It was the largest infrastructural project undertaken by newly established Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
and was completed in 1927. For a time it was the largest hydroelectric power station in the world but was overtaken by the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
.
I.T. & pharmaceutical industry
Munster is one of Ireland's most important I.T.Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
hubs with such multinationals as Apple, Intel, Amazon and Dell locating in the province. The Atlantic Quarter
Atlantic Quarter
The Atlantic Quarter is a proposed mixed-use residential and commercial development of 12 buildings on a 5-hectare site in the docklands area of Cork city, in Ireland...
in Cork is a new plan to create a smaller version of Dublin's IFSC
IFSC
IFSC may refer to:*International Financial Services Centre*International Federation of Sport Climbing*Indian Financial System Code...
in Cork docklands. In Kerry, FEXCO
FEXCO
FEXCO is an Irish-based financial services company.FEXCO was set up in 1981 by , originally to provide Bureau de change services to the Irish market. is now a global provider of , , Consumer and Internationally Traded Services....
Financial Services in Killorglin
Killorglin
Killorglin is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the river Laune, which has a rowing club and a new boathouse. The population of Killorglin is 4,150 although this expands considerably during Puck Fair due to visitors and returning emigrants.Killorglin is a major activity centre...
is a foreign exchange and global payments group.
Munster has developed into the centre of Ireland's pharmaceutical industry. The province plays an ever greater role in the bio-pharmaceutical industry and is successful in fighting off stiff competition from Switzerland and Singapore for inward investments in the bio-pharmaceutical area in companies such as Amgen and Pfizer and Roche (located in Clarecastle Co.Clare).
Metropolitan Cork & Shannon Free Zone
The following are some of the more important employers in the region: AOLAOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, Bausch & Lomb
Bausch & Lomb
Bausch & Lomb, an American company based in Rochester, New York, is one of the world's leading suppliers of eye health products, such as contact lenses and lens care products today. In addition to this main activity, in recent years the area of medical technology has been developed...
, Dairygold, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
, Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Amgen, Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, Analog Devices, Fexco Financial Services, Vistakon, Waterford Crystal, Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
, Intel, Novartis, O2, Lufthansa Technik, Kerry Group, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
and Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
. The largest employment hub in Munster is Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork
Metropolitan Cork is an unofficial term which refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that surround it. The term was used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...
, with many large multinational firms located in the area. The second most important is the Shannon Free Zone
Shannon Free Zone
Shannon Free Zone is a , international business park adjacent to Shannon International Airport, County Clare, Ireland which is 18 km from Ennis and 20 km from Limerick city. Businesses based on the site enjoy a very attractive tax package on their profits. This has served to attract a...
with over 120 international firms based there employing over 7,500 people.
Harbour
Cork HarbourCork Harbour
Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...
is the largest natural harbour in Europe and has always had a long and important maritime history
Maritime history
Maritime history is the study of human activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant...
.
Haulbowline Island is the location of the Irish naval fleet and the Irish Naval College.
The town of Cobh
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
and the village of Dunmore East
Dunmore East
Dunmore East is a popular tourist and fishing village village in County Waterford, Ireland. Situated on the west side of Waterford Harbour on Ireland's southeastern coast, it lies within the barony of Gaultier : a reference to the influx of Norman settlers in the area.-History:Iron Age people...
are the only cruise ship destination. Cobh is also where the Titanic made its last port of call before meeting its final destiny.
Golden Vale
The Golden ValeGolden Vale
The Golden Vale is an area of rolling pastureland in the civil province of Munster, southwestern Ireland. Covering parts of three counties, Limerick, Tipperary and Cork, it is the best land in Ireland for dairy farming....
is considered rich pastureland and has historically contributed to the wealth of Munster. It is the best land in Ireland for dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
.
International airports
- Cork Airport (Ireland's 3rd busiest airport)
- Kerry AirportKerry Airport-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
- Shannon AirportShannon AirportShannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
(Ireland's 4th busiest airport) - Waterford AirportWaterford AirportWaterford Airport , is south-east of Waterford. It is in Killowen near Waterford City serving the south-east of Ireland. The airport is operated by Waterford Regional Airport Plc. In 2009 112,000 passengers passed through the airport...
Major infrastructural projects
- The Limerick TunnelLimerick TunnelThe Limerick Tunnel is a 675m long, twin-bore road tunnel underneath the River Shannon on the outskirts of Limerick City. The tunnel forms part of the N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road. The tunnel is tolled....
- The Jack Lynch TunnelJack Lynch TunnelThe Jack Lynch Tunnel is an immersed tube tunnel and an integral part of the N25 southern ring road of Cork in Ireland. It is named after former Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, a native of Cork....
- The restoration of the Cork to Midleton railway line Cork Suburban RailCork Suburban RailThe Cork Suburban Rail network serves the Metropolitan Cork area in County Cork, Munster, Ireland.There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century however it suffered serious neglect and line closures in the 20th century...
(3 lines) - Limerick Suburban RailLimerick Suburban RailLimerick Suburban Rail is are a group of Iarnród Éireann commuter train services from Limerick Colbert to various other destinations on three different lines.* Limerick - Ennis calling at Sixmilebridge* Limerick - Nenagh calling at Castleconnell and Birdhill...
(2 lines) - The restoration of the Limerick to Galway railway line Western Rail Corridor
- The construction of M7M7 motorway (Republic of Ireland)The M7 motorway is a motorway in Ireland. The motorway runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas in County Kildare to Rossbrien on the outskirts of Limerick City. The M7 forms part of the Dublin to Limerick N7 national primary road. The section of the motorway bypassing Naas, an 8 km...
Limerick to Dublin - The construction of M8M8 motorway (Ireland)The M8 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, which forms part of the road from the capital - Dublin - to Cork city. The 149 km motorway commences in the townland of Aghaboe, County Laois and runs through the counties of Kilkenny, North Tipperary, South Tipperary and Limerick,...
Cork to Dublin - The construction of M9M9 motorway (Ireland)The M9 motorway is a motorway in Ireland linking the M7 at Kilcullen to Waterford. Opened in sections between 1994 and 2010, the final section opened on 9 September 2010....
Waterford to Dublin - The construction of N/M18M18 motorway (Ireland)The M18 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming part of the Limerick, Ennis to Galway national primary road, which, in turn, forms part of the Atlantic Corridor called for as part of the Transport 21 project.-Route:...
Limerick to Galway - The construction of M20 Limerick to Cork
- The M7M7 motorway (Republic of Ireland)The M7 motorway is a motorway in Ireland. The motorway runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas in County Kildare to Rossbrien on the outskirts of Limerick City. The M7 forms part of the Dublin to Limerick N7 national primary road. The section of the motorway bypassing Naas, an 8 km...
/N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road - The introduction of new Dublin-Cork railway line trains
- The Atlantic Quarter, Cork docklands.
- RiverpointRiverpointRiverpoint is a mixed-use building located in Limerick. It is currently the fourth-tallest storeyed building in the Republic of Ireland, the ninth tallest in Ireland and the third-tallest in Munster after the Cork County Hall and The Elysian both in Cork...
building, Limerick (tallest building in Limerick city) - Clarion Hotel, Limerick
- Cork County HallCork County HallThe County Hall is a 17-storey office block, owned by Cork County Council and housing its administrative headquarters. The building is located on Carrigrohane Road in the City of Cork...
, Cork (2nd tallest building in ROI at 67m) - The ElysianThe ElysianThe Elysian is a mixed-use celtic tiger-era building at Eglinton Street in Cork City, Ireland. Construction of the building was completed in early September 2008....
, Cork (tallest building in ROI at 80m) - Cork City Hall
- Turners Cross StadiumTurners Cross (stadium)Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. It is home to the Munster Football Association, and League of Ireland side Cork City FC....
- Pairc Ui ChaoimhPáirc Uí ChaoimhPáirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
- Pairc Ui RinnPáirc Uí RinnPáirc Uí Rinn is a stadium in Cork owned by the Gaelic Athletic Association . It was formerly Flower Lodge, a soccer ground home to several Cork teams in the 20th century, named after a Big House on whose grounds it was built.-Flower Lodge:...
- Thomond Park StadiumThomond ParkThomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
Irish language
The Irish languageIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, or more specifically Munster Irish
Munster Irish
Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea,...
is spoken as a first language in Gaeltachtaí (Irish speaking areas);
- in West Kerry (Corca Dhuibhne)
- in South Kerry (Uíbh Ráthach).
- in West Cork (Múscraí)
- in south-west Cork (Oileán Cléire)
- in south-west Waterford (Gaeltacht na Rinne or Gaeltacht na nDeise)
The number of Gaelscoileanna (Irish language schools) has increased sharply in the last ten years. Children learn Irish and speak Irish in the Gaelscoileanna. Munster has the second highest number of Irish-medium primary schools (46) in Ireland and the highest number of Irish-medium secondary schools (22) of any Irish province.
Third level institutions
- University College Cork 17,000 students
- Cork Institute of TechnologyCork Institute of TechnologyCork Institute of Technology , formerly the Regional Technical College, Cork, is an Institute of Technology in Ireland, located in Cork, Ireland opened in 1973. The institute has 17,000 students in art, business, engineering, music and science disciplines...
17,000 students - University of LimerickUniversity of LimerickThe University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
13,000 students - Waterford Institute of TechnologyWaterford Institute of TechnologyWaterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....
10,000 students - Limerick Institute of TechnologyLimerick Institute of TechnologyLimerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...
6,500 students - Institute of Technology, TraleeInstitute of Technology, TraleeInstitute of Technology, Tralee is a third-level educational institution located in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It was established in 1977 as the Regional Technical College, Tralee.-General information:...
3,500 students - Mary Immaculate College, LimerickMary Immaculate College, LimerickMary Immaculate College , also known as Mary I or MIC, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts, founded in 1898. It became academically linked to the University of Limerick in 1991. The college has approximately 3,500 students and 300 staff...
2,500 students - Cork College of CommerceCork College of CommerceCork College of Commerce is a college that was established by the business and education communities on the banks of the River Lee in Cork, Ireland in 1908...
- Central Technical Institute Waterford
- Central Technical Institute Clonmel
- Limerick Senior College
- West Clare VTOS
- Burren College of ArtBurren College of ArtBurren College of Art is an internationally recognized Irish non-profit independent art college specialising in undergraduate and graduate Fine Art education, located in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland. The Master of Fine Art programme is accredited by the National University of Ireland, Galway...
- Griffith College CorkGriffith College CorkGriffith College Cork is an independent education institution based in the former Skerry’s College Cork which it merged with Griffith College in 2005, where it runs courses in Business, Law, Secretarial, Media & Journalism, Design as well as evening courses in Psychology, Office Skills, Computing...
- Griffith College LimerickGriffith College LimerickGriffith College Limerick is a private college in Limerick city, Ireland. The college was established in 2006 when the Mid West Business Institute was acquired by Griffith College....
- Mid West Business InstituteMid West Business InstituteThe Mid West Business Institute was founded in 1988 and situated in Limerick, Ireland and is an independent third level business and technology college....
- Shannon College of Hotel Management
- Tipperary InstituteTipperary InstituteLIT Tipperary is a college of higher education, development agency and research centre in County Tipperary, Ireland and is one of the five constituent schools of Limerick Institute of Technology . Tipperary Institute was founded by the Irish Government in 1998 and opened two campuses in Thurles...
- Garda Síochána CollegeGarda Síochána CollegeGarda Síochána College is the education and training college of the Garda Síochána . It is located at McCan Barracks, Templemore, North Tipperary in Ireland. The college has been located in Templemore since 1964.-History:...
Television
- RTÉ CorkRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
- CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
based television broadcasting studios for RTÉ - South Coast TV - CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
based television company - Channel SouthChannel SouthChannel South was an Irish television channel, operated by City Channel, transmitting 24 hour local programming to Cork, Limerick, and parts of Kerry, Waterford, Clare and South Tipperary since November 2008....
Newspapers
- The Irish Examiner - CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
-based national newspaper - Evening EchoEvening EchoThe Evening Echo is an Irish evening newspaper based in Cork. It is distributed throughout the province of Munster, although it is primarily read in its base city of Cork. In Limerick, an altered local edition of the paper is sold...
- daily evening paper covering Cork city. Also a daily Limerick edition - The Avondhu - covers North East Cork, West Waterford, South Limerick and South Tipperary.
- The Munster Express - covers the South East.
- Nationalist & Munster Advertiser
The Limerick Leader (covers the Mid West)
Cork
- The Imokilly People (East Cork)
- The Carrigdhoun
- The Cork Weekly Free paper for Metropolitan CorkMetropolitan CorkMetropolitan Cork is an unofficial term which refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that surround it. The term was used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...
incorporating the Douglas Weekly - The CorkmanThe CorkmanThe Corkman is a weekly Irish newspaper.It is part of the Corkman Group and based in Mallow. The Kerryman is very similar to The Corkman, and focuses on the same topics. It is owned by the Independent News & Media group. The current editor is Brendan Malone...
- Cork Independent
- The Mallow Star
- The Southern StarThe Southern Star (County Cork)The Southern Star is a weekly regional newspaper based in Skibbereen, County Cork in Ireland.Established in 1889 as the Cork County Southern Star, it incorporated The Skibbereen Eagle, a newspaper founded in 1857, which became famous by declaring it was "keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia" over...
- The Vale Star
- The Avondhu
- Evening EchoEvening EchoThe Evening Echo is an Irish evening newspaper based in Cork. It is distributed throughout the province of Munster, although it is primarily read in its base city of Cork. In Limerick, an altered local edition of the paper is sold...
Limerick
- Limerick LeaderLimerick LeaderThe Limerick Leader is a weekly local newspaper in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in 1889. The newspaper is headquartered on O'Connell Street....
- Limerick PostLimerick PostrightThe Limerick Post is a free weekly newspaper, distributed throughout Limerick City and County, parts of Clare, Tipperary in the region of Munster, Ireland....
- Limerick Independent
- The Vale Star (South & East Limerick)
- The Weekly Observer (West Limerick)
Tipperary
- The Guardian, Nenagh
- The Tipperary Star
- The Nationalist, Clonmel and South Tipperaray
- "The Three Counties", Carrick-On-Suir
- "South Tipp Today", South Tipperary
Waterford
- The Waterford News and Star, Waterford City
- The Waterford Today, Waterford City
- The Munster Express, Dungarvan
- The Dungarvan Leader, Dungarvan
- The Dungarvan Observer, Dungarvan
Radio
- Red FMRed FM (Ireland)Cork's RedFM is an Irish radio station which broadcasts to Cork and the surrounding area, and is aimed at a youth audience.Cork's RedFM commenced broadcasting at 08:00 on 16 January 2002. The station was awarded Ireland’s first youth radio licence...
- Cork Youth-driven service - Clare FM - County Clare
- Tipp FM - County Tipperary
- Radio KerryRadio KerryRadio Kerry is a full service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland.Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on July 14 1990. The station headquarters are in Tralee, the principal town of County Kerry, with remote...
- County Kerry - WLR FM - Waterford City and County
- 96FMCork's 96FM96FM is one of three local radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland for Cork City and County in Ireland . It broadcasts from studios at Broadcasting House, St...
and C103 (dual franchise) - General service for CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban... - Limerick East community radio - Limerick East
- Live 95FMLive 95FMLimerick's Live 95fm is a radio station in the Republic of Ireland owned by UTV Radio, broadcasting to Limerick city and county-History:The station was launched from O'Connell Street in Limerick as the "New 95FM" on November 6, 1997 as a replacement for the previous local radio franchise holder...
- Limerick City and County, covering Thomond (Tuadh Mumhan North Munster) - West Limerick 102West Limerick 102West Limerick 102 is a community radio station broadcasting to the western parts of County Limerick in Ireland. The station operates on a non-commercial basis and has a five year license issued by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. The station went on air in May, 2005 and was officially opened...
- Limerick city and County - Spin SWSpin South WestSpin South West is an Irish radio station broadcasting from Raheen in Limerick City to the South West. It launched on 23 July 2007, and holds an Independent Regional Radio contract from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to broadcast to County Kerry, County Limerick, County Clare, North...
- province-wide- Based in Limerick city - Beat 102-103Beat 102-103Beat 102 103 is an independent regional radio station in Ireland licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland covering counties Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and South Tipperary in South East Ireland...
- Youth-driven service. Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, South Tipperary and East Limerick covering the Ormond (Urh Mumhan East Munster) - RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta "Camchuairt" - Tralee, County Kerry covering Desmond (Deas Mumhan South Munster)
- RTÉ lyric fmRTÉ lyric fmRTÉ lyric fm is an Irish classical music radio station, owned by the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland, on satellite, on Sky Digital in Ireland and United Kingdom and via the...
- 96-99FM - Cornmarket Row, Limerick City. Broadcast Country wide
Sport
The most popular sports in Munster are Gaelic gamesGaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
, soccer, rugby, rowing, and basketball.
Hurling
Munster is famous for its tradition of hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
. The town of Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
in County Tipperary is the birthplace of modern GAA. Three of the four most successful teams in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
are from Munster; Cork GAA, Tipperary GAA
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
and Limerick GAA
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
. Clare GAA
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
and Waterford GAA
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
are also among the most prominent teams in the sport. The final of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
is one of the most important days in the Irish GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
calendar.
Gaelic football
Traditionally, the dominant teams in Munster football are Kerry GAAKerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
and Cork GAA, although Tipperary GAA
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
and Limerick GAA
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
have also won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
s. Kerry in particular are famous as the most successful team in the history of football.
Rugby Union
Rugby is a popular game in the cities of Limerick and Cork. Munster is an Irish Rugby Football UnionIrish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
representative side which competes in the RaboDirect Pro12
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, winning in 2003,2009 and 2011 and in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
, winning in 2006 and 2008. The Munster side is the only Irish side to have defeated the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
.
Football
Association football is also a popular game in Munster. Three Munster clubs play in the AirtricityAirtricity
Airtricity was founded in 1997 in the Republic of Ireland and now is a renewable energy company owned by Scottish and Southern Energy...
League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
; Cork City F.C.
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, Waterford United
Waterford United
Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...
, and Limerick FC as well as Tralee Dynamos F.C.
Tralee Dynamos F.C.
Tralee Dynamos F.C. is an Irish football club, currently playing in the Newstalk A Championship in the Republic of Ireland. The club hails from Tralee, County Kerry in Ireland, and play their home matches at Cahermoneen. The club colours are red. The team were accepted to play in the newly formed A...
and Cobh Ramblers F.C.
Cobh Ramblers F.C.
Cobh Ramblers Football Club . is an Irish football club playing in the A Championship, the third tier of Irish football. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the league in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colman's Park...
In the A Championship
A Championship
The A Championship was the third tier in the Republic of Ireland football league system. It was created in 2008 by the FAI to act as the first stop for clubs hoping to move into the League of Ireland, but cancelled at the end of the 2011 season...
.
Munster sports stadia
- In order of capacity
- Tipperary GAA Thurles Semple StadiumSemple StadiumSemple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
55,000 - Limerick GAA Limerick Gaelic GroundsGaelic GroundsThe Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick hurling and football teams....
50,000 - Cork GAA Cork Pairc Ui ChaoimhPáirc Uí ChaoimhPáirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
45,000 - Kerry GAA Killarney Fitzgerald StadiumFitzGerald StadiumFitzgerald Stadium is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and is the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team....
38,000 - Clare GAA Ennis Cusack ParkCusack Park (Ennis)Cusack Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. It is the home of the Clare Gaelic football and hurling teams...
28 000 - Munster Rugby Limerick Thomond ParkThomond ParkThomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
Stadium 26 500 - Cork GAA Cork Pairc Ui RinnPáirc Uí RinnPáirc Uí Rinn is a stadium in Cork owned by the Gaelic Athletic Association . It was formerly Flower Lodge, a soccer ground home to several Cork teams in the 20th century, named after a Big House on whose grounds it was built.-Flower Lodge:...
18,000 - Waterford GAA Waterford Walsh ParkWalsh ParkWalsh Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Waterford, Ireland named after Willie Walsh, a well-known referee and long time campaigner for Gaelic games in Waterford It is the home of the Waterford Gaelic football and hurling teams. The ground currently has a capacity of 17,000...
17 000 - Kerry GAA Tralee Austin Stack ParkAustin Stack ParkAustin Stack Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It is one of the main grounds of Kerry GAA's Gaelic football and hurling teams. The first game in Kerry GAA played under floodlights took place here in November 2001...
15 000 - Waterford GAA Fraher FieldFraher FieldFraher Field is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium, located in Dungarvan, County Waterford, owned by the Waterford GAA County Board. It has a total capacity of around 15,000....
15 000 - Cork City F.C.Cork City F.C.Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
& Munster FA Turners Cross StadiumTurners Cross (stadium)Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. It is home to the Munster Football Association, and League of Ireland side Cork City FC....
7,450 - Waterford United Waterford Regional Sports CentreWaterford Regional Sports CentreThe Waterford Regional Sports Centre is part of Waterford Corporation's Municipal sporting facilities and home to Waterford United of the League of Ireland ....
6,000 - Limerick FC Limerick Jackman ParkJackman ParkJackman Park is a football ground in Limerick, Republic of Ireland located on the Lower Carey's Road, that is home to Limerick F.C. It is regularly used by almost every grade of football in Limerick, from schoolboy to women's international games. The capacity is 2,450. The ground has a single 261...
231 - Munster Rugby Cork Musgrave ParkMusgrave Park, CorkMusgrave Park is a rugby football stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces, one stand, three tribunes, one jogging track, and two VIP stands on the west side. Musgrave has a capacity of about 9,251 and is situated on Pearse Road in Ballyphehane...
8,300
- Tipperary GAA Thurles Semple Stadium
See also
- Provinces of IrelandProvinces of IrelandIreland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
- Desmond RebellionsDesmond RebellionsThe Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569-1573 and 1579-1583 in the Irish province of Munster.They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond – head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster – and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies against the threat of the extension of Elizabethan English...
- Éamon de ValeraÉamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
- Munster Gaelic Athletic AssociationMunster GAAThe Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
- Munster RugbyMunster RugbyMunster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
- Munster Senior Club Football ChampionshipMunster Senior Club Football ChampionshipThe Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
- Metropolitan areas in Ireland
- List of Irish language media
- New Munster Province