23 July 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh has officially re-opened Elizabeth Fort tourist attraction. One of Cork City’s top free attractions has reopened to the public and is looking forward to welcoming visitors back to enjoy its spectacular views and fascinating history.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh officially re-opened one of Cork City’s top free attractions Elizabeth Fort today. Pictured Elmarie McCarthy Cork City Council Cormac McCarthy and Rebecca Archer members of the Elizabeth Fort team.
Picture: Clare Keogh
Perched on a high vantage point off Barrack St, Elizabeth Fort is one of Cork’s hidden gems. A 17th-century star fort, Elizabeth Fort was originally built as a defensive fortification on high-ground outside the city walls, and has played a major role in the military and social history of Cork City. One of the focal points of the siege of Cork in 1690, the fort also served as a convict depot for prisoners awaiting transportation to Australia and most recently a garda barracks.
Visitors can explore Elizabeth Fort free of charge and enjoy the panoramic views of the city below from the fort walls. Whilst there – why not visit the exhibition “Walls, Women, Water” which tells the story of the development of the fort, and of Cork City, through maps, images and text. It also recounts the tragic story of the 150 female convicts and their children whose tragic last steps on dry land were from Elizabeth Fort to their ill-fated ship, ’The Neva’.
Elizabeth Fort has been approved by Fáilte Ireland as eligible to sign up to the COVID-19 Safety Charter, demonstrating that the fort is operating in line with current Government public health advice and with safety and cleaning protocols in place.
Lord Mayor Cllr Joe Kavanagh said “I’m delighted to help re-open one of Cork City’s favourite medieval attractions! Last year, Elizabeth Fort was on many people’s ‘must-see’ lists and welcomed 70,000 people through its medieval walls. With “staycations” very much the order of the day, I’d like to encourage you all to (re)discover Elizabeth Fort.”
