Cork City, Ireland’s southern capital, is a place of tradition, continuity, change and legacy. It is a place of direction and experiment by people of ambition and determination, experiences and learning, of ingenuity and innovation, and of nostalgia and memory. Cork’s urban landscape is filled with messages about the past, and the nearby harbour and surrounding towns hold many secrets. Well-known local author Kieran McCarthy takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Cork’s history, unearthing tales of double-crossing and infighting and introducing us to many nefarious characters along the way.

For over twenty years, Kieran has actively promoted Cork’s heritage with its various communities and people. He has led and continues to lead successful heritage initiatives through his community talks, City and County school heritage programmes, walking tours, newspaper articles, books and his work through his heritage consultancy business. For the past 16 years, Kieran has written a local heritage column in the Cork Independent on the history, geography and its intersection of modern day life in communities in Cork City and County. He is the author of fourteen books local history books. In June 2009 and May 2014, Kieran was elected as a local government councillor (Independent) to Cork City Council. More on Kieran’s work can be seen at www.corkheritage.ie and www.kieranmccarthy.ie