Cork is the capital of County Cork in the Republic of Ireland.
Cork, Ireland's second largest city, is located on the Lee and is an important seaport. It is also a distribution centre for the surrounding agricultural region. Industries include two breweries, distilleries, software production, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Cork has an international airport, and the port has ferry services to Roscoff in France and Swansea in Wales.
Cork has a keen sense of its own identity—one national newspaper is based in the city, rather than in Dublin, and University College, now part of the National University of Ireland, was founded in 1845. Amongst other notable buildings are the 19th-century Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland cathedrals, St Mary's and St Finbarr's. The city started as a religious settlement founded in AD 622 by St Finbar and has been a major trading centre since Viking occupation in the 11th century.
