Mardyke

The original dyke was constructed in 1719 by Edward Webber, the city clerk, who owned what were then marshy islands west of the walled city.{{cite web|url=http://corkheritage.ie/?page_id=908|title=4a. Challenges & Reclamation, Cork c.1690-c.1750|last=McCarthy|first=Kieran|work=Cork Through my Eyes|access-date=19 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731054957/http://corkheritage.ie/?page_id=908|archive-date=31 July 2009|url-status=dead}} He drained and landscaped the area, building a dyke topped by a straight promenade leading to a redbrick teahouse in Dutch style. The area became fashionable and the promenade was dubbed the Red House Walk or Meer Dyke Walk after the Meer Dyke in Amsterdam. Dutch influence was strong among the Protestant Ascendancy in the decades after the Williamite War in Ireland. After Webber's death the land was bought and further developed by future mayor James Morrison. The route of the promenade corresponds to the modern streets Dyke Parade and Mardyke Walk.

The Mardyke is mentioned in the second verse of the folksong, I Know My Love: "There is a dance house in Mar'dyke [sic] / And there my true love goes every night".{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.bartleby.com/250/32.html|chapter=32. "I Know My Love" by Anonymous|last=Colum|first=Padraic|year=1922|title=Anthology of Irish Verse|access-date=21 July 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.irishmusicdaily.com/i-know-my-love|title=I Know My Love – a song about insecurity in love|work=Irish Music Daily|quote=The second verse refers to a dance house in The Mardyke. This is an area in the city of Cork in Ireland.|access-date=21 July 2015|location=Nottingham, England}}

The Mardyke is also mentioned in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: "The leaves of the trees along the Mardyke were astir and whispering in the sunlight. A team of cricketers passed, agile young men in flannels and blazers, one of them carrying the long green wicket bag."{{Cite book|title=A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|last=Joyce|first=James|publisher=The Modern Library|year=1928|location=New York|pages=101}}

File:Fitzgerald Park and Cork Public Museum, Cork - panoramio.jpg

In the 19th century, the western part of the Mardyke was a large open area called Cork Park.{{cite book |last1=O'Callaghan |first1=Liam |title=Rugby in Munster: A Social and Cultural History |date=31 July 2019 |orig-year=2011 |publisher=Cork University Press |isbn=978-1-78205-364-4 |language=en |page=37}} In the early 20th century, the then Lord Mayor of Cork Edward Fitzgerald, proposed that a large public exhibition be held in Cork Park.{{cite web| url=http://www.corkcity.ie/aboutcork/historyofcork/20thcenturycork/| title=20th Century Cork > About Cork > CorkCity.ie| access-date=6 February 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210205645/http://www.corkcity.ie//aboutcork/historyofcork/20thcenturycork/| archive-date=10 February 2012| url-status=dead}} Forty-four acres of Mardyke parkland were hence set aside as the site of the 1902 Cork International Exhibition.{{cite web|url= http://www.museum.ie/The-Collections/Documentation-Discoveries/July-2013/Pair-of-season-tickets-for-The-Cork-International | publisher = National Museum of Ireland | title= Collections & Research / Season Tickets for Cork International Exhibition 1902 |access-date = 24 March 2016}} The central section of the Mardyke exhibition site (approximately 12 acres) is now known as Fitzgerald's Park,{{cite web|url=http://www.riverviewcafe.ie/thepark.html|title=Cork's Beautiful Fitzgerald's Park, site of the International Exhibition of 1902/03|archive-date=6 December 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111206194022/http://www.riverviewcafe.ie/thepark.html }} and includes the Cork Public Museum and a large children's play area.{{cite web|url = http://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/fitzgerald-park/44826 | publisher = Discover Ireland | title = National and Forest Parks - Fitzgerald Park | access-date = 22 December 2016 }} The former western portion of Cork Park comprised grass sports pitches, and is now the main sports campus of University College Cork (UCC). Between Fitzgerald's Park and the UCC sports campus is a public road leading to Daly's Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge known locally as the "Shakey Bridge", which links the Mardyke with Sunday's Well across the River Lee.{{cite web|url = http://www.bridgemeister.com/bridge.php?bid=553 | publisher = Bridgemeister.com | title = Shaky Bridge - 1927 (Shakey, Daly's) | access-date = 22 December 2016 }}

{{main|Mardyke (cricket ground)}}

The Mardyke is the home ground of Cork County Cricket Club, who have played there since their formation in 1874. The ground has played host to three first-class matches in 1947, 1961 and 1973. All three involved Ireland playing Scotland.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/60/1301_f.html|title=First-Class Matches played on Mardyke, Cork|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=10 June 2011}} It too fell victim to the floods of 2009.

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{{Geographic location

|title = Neighbouring areas of Cork.

|Northwest = Shanakiel

|North = Sunday's Well

|Northeast = Shandon

|West = Victoria Cross

|Centre = Mardyke

|East = Cork City Centre

|Southwest = University College Cork

|South = Crosses Green

|Southeast = Cork City Centre

}}

{{Cork City}}

Category:Geography of Cork (city)