Mardyke

The Mardyke (Irish: An Mhuirdíog[1]) is an area in Cork city, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the River Lee near the city centre. It was historically left as open space, because the land along the north channel of the river is prone to flooding. From east to west these open spaces are: Presentation Brothers College, a boy's secondary school; the Mardyke ground of Cork County Cricket Club;[2] Fitzgerald Park, which includes Cork Public Museum;[3] Sunday's Well Lawn Tennis Club; and the athletic grounds of University College Cork.

For other uses, see Mardyke (disambiguation).

History

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.[4] 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.[4] Dutch influence was strong among the Protestant Ascendancy in the decades after the Williamite War in Ireland.[4] After Webber's death the land was bought and further developed by future mayor James Morrison.[4] 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".[5][6]

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."[7]

Fitzgerald Park and Cork Public Museum

Parkland
Further information: Fitzgerald's Park

In the early 20th century, the then Lord Mayor of Cork Edward Fitzgerald, proposed that a large public exhibition be held in Cork in the Mardyke area.[8] 44 acres of Mardyke parkland were hence set aside as the site of the 1902 Cork International Exhibition.[9] The central section of the Mardyke exhibition site (approximately 12 acres) is now known as Fitzgerald's Park,[10] and includes the Cork Public Museum and a large children's play area.[11] The area of the park is joined to Sunday's Well across the River Lee by Daly's bridge (a pedestrian suspension bridge known locally as the "Shakey Bridge").[12]

Cricket

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.[13] It too fell victim to the floods of 2009.

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References
  1. "An Mhuirdíog". Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  2. "About Cork County Cricket Club". Cork County Cricket Club. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  3. "Cork Public Museum, Fitzgeralds Park, Cork". Cork City Council. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007.
  4. McCarthy, Kieran. "4a. Challenges & Reclamation, Cork c.1690-c.1750". Cork Through my Eyes. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  5. Colum, Padraic (1922). "32. "I Know My Love" by Anonymous". Anthology of Irish Verse. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  6. "I Know My Love – a song about insecurity in love". Irish Music Daily. Nottingham, England. Retrieved 21 July 2015. The second verse refers to a dance house in The Mardyke. This is an area in the city Cork in Ireland.
  7. Joyce, James (1928). A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: The Modern Library. p. 101.
  8. "20th Century Cork > About Cork > CorkCity.ie". Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  9. "Collections & Research / Season Tickets for Cork International Exhibition 1902". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  10. "Cork's Beautiful Fitzgerald's Park, site of the International Exhibition of 1902/03". Archived from the original on 6 January 2012.
  11. "National and Forest Parks - Fitzgerald Park". Discover Ireland. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  12. "Shaky Bridge - 1927 (Shakey, Daly's)". Bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  13. "First-Class Matches played on Mardyke, Cork". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
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