Cork

Cork is a city I visited during my stay in Ireland in 2022. I was with my ex-partner, who had a house in a village near Kilkenny, and it was from that village that I explored various places in this truly beautiful country. Before Cork, I had visited Dublin, Galway, and especially Skellig Michael, which was the most important destination for me and the real motivation for the entire trip. We originally planned to visit Cork on the way back from Portmagee, but we changed plans because it was simply too tiring and we would have risked not fully enjoying the visit. From the village, Cork was about an hour and a half by car, a journey neither short nor long, but definitely something that could be done easily in a day. I don't remember exactly where my interest in this city began, but I really wanted to see it. From what I had learned, Cork was more modern and youthful and probably slightly different from the other places I had seen up to that point. Having rescheduled the visit allowed me to enjoy the exploration even more because I was able to approach it with greater rest and a clear mind.
Shortly after our departure, we crossed a bridge that I later learned was called the Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge. This bridge looked like a triangular tower with an elongated top. It was made of reinforced concrete, and the structure gave the impression of entering a portal, like in a science fiction film. This was due not only to the imposing height of the tower but also to the tie rods that provided depth and created the impression of being sucked into the tower-portal. Being on the passenger side, I was able to photograph the bridge, although I had to partially forgo enjoying the effect created by the structure. The other memory I have of the trip before reaching the city center was a road that ran along the sea, or more precisely, those inlets where the sea entered.
Cork was divided from north to south by the River Lee, and I remember we parked in the northern section and then crossing one of the many bridges to reach the southern part where the historic center was located. The River Lee was very wide, and this immediately gave me the opportunity to see the city's architecture, where I noticed a predominance of modern steel and glass buildings, some very colorful; the view reminded me a bit of the east side of Dublin along the riverfront. Fortunately, entering the more central part, I saw that Cork still had some beautiful neoclassical buildings that had also been impeccably restored. Personally, I hadn't planned any sightseeing tours; I was in the hands of my ex, who had been to the city several times and was excited to return to the streets of Cork. Not having researched the places to see made it a bit confusing for me to understand where I was, so I simply followed my ex, trusting her. We wandered down a beautiful, colorful main street filled with restaurants and shops, a narrow, intimate street that I later learned was called Oliver Plunkett St. Still following my ex, we wandered through the narrow streets until we reached a wider main street, characterized by countless shops; it was undoubtedly one of the main ones. I remember my ex looking for specific places, but she couldn't remember their exact locations. However, this led us to wander around in a spontaneous, adventurous way, as if we were searching for something that had been hidden, a sort of urban Indiana Jones.
Our search focused on a restaurant and pub my ex remembered, located in the Saints Peter and Paul area. Before we even found it, we decided to check out the church of the same name, which was located at the end of a narrow, curved street. I must say that the church's location was even more unique than the church itself, as it was disproportionate to the size of the structure. The church was built of red brick, with a gray and white central section dominated by a highly decorated arched entrance and three rose windows above it. The bell tower was integrated into the structure, to the right of the entrance, and was slightly taller than the roof, but of a modest size. While the dramatic view of the church at the end of a curved street was beautiful, this still meant a limited view when studying and photographing the structure. Although I took several detailed photos, the location of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul was still limiting from a creative or research perspective. However, I have a particular memory of that visit, a memory imbued with the thrill of discovery, because I would never have imagined that such a narrow street could lead to such a beautiful and moderately large structure. I remember that we stopped in that area for lunch, and the place was very beautiful because the interior had a modern, minimalist design that still left the details of the classic brick structure exposed.

Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge

Church of Saints Peter and Paul

After lunch, the plan wasn't at all demanding or stressful, but it was a matter of reaching Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, located across the river to the southwest of the city center. The River Lee split, "isolating" Cork's historic center, which also had smaller canals to the south. The walk to the cathedral gave me the opportunity to discover other buildings in the city, ranging from classical brick to more modern ones. While retaining the original urban layout, they were finished with flat plaster. It goes without saying that I personally appreciated the classical buildings more, even though some of the newer ones were very colorful and created a cheerful atmosphere. The cathedral appeared to us from a bridge crossing the river, from the rear, where, however, the bell tower could also be fully appreciated. We reached it via narrow streets and entered the area from the rear. The cathedral was enclosed and protected by a large stone fence that enclosed a very large area resembling a park. The cathedral was immersed in greenery, surrounded by tall trees and even a labyrinth of low hedges. It felt like a place unto itself, despite being within an urban context. Structurally, the church was constructed of stone and in the Gothic style, but this detail caused a misunderstanding with my ex. She pointed out that the style was Gothic Revival, at which point I laughed. In Italy, the term revival is associated with something old that is re-proposed, often in the artistic field in a more folkloristic manner. In other words, the term revival refers to something that isn't to be taken seriously but rather a tribute or a new interpretation that doesn't live up to the original. Hearing this term associated with a cathedral that was nevertheless an important and complex structure made me laugh. My ex, not understanding, pointed out that the revival style could be seen in the absence of buttresses. I had to explain what I wrote here, managing to avoid an argument sparked by a "lost in translation" that I've discovered is very common between two people speaking two different languages. Structurally, the cathedral's front was an example of symmetry and perfection: three arched entrances surmounted by a central rose window and the two bell towers. Everything was symmetrical and all built of stone. Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral may have been Gothic Revival, but it was truly a cathedral of the kind that was originally built as a power station. As I've written elsewhere, in fact, I believe these structures were not conceived as places of worship but were a technology of the past where frequencies and symmetries led to the production of energy, for both individual and collective purposes. From this perspective, even without buttresses, Cork Cathedral perfectly represented this type of energy structure.
I don't remember why we didn't visit the cathedral inside, but if I'm not mistaken, it was because my ex-girlfriend had underestimated it, again because of the revival argument that seemingly downplayed the structure's importance. We left the area, retracing our steps using different roads, thus discovering new views of the city. On the way back to our car, I tried to take some last photos, both of new structures and of others I'd already photographed, hoping to capture them from a new and better perspective, but I don't think I succeeded. When I think of Cork, I recall the feelings I had about the city during my stay in Ireland. I remember being so satisfied with that experience, so much so that I considered it one of the highlights of that adventure. Thinking back to Cork today, I only have those feelings, but in reality, the city was nothing special compared to the things I normally enjoy when visiting a new place. Thinking back rationally, what I loved about Cork wasn't the city itself but rather the time I spent there in harmony. It was probably this, not any particular monument or building I saw. Cork was probably the peak of my connection with my ex-partner, and this was reflected in my visit to the city, where I just enjoyed the simple things in life. The fact is, I still have fond memories of Cork, but they relate to the sensations I felt then. This aspect should be revisited, perhaps by returning to the city and starting to explore the places that most impressed me back then. The visit to Cork, which arose for a reason I no longer remember, took on a positive meaning closely tied to the feeling I immediately felt after the visit: something different and, at the same time, strange, something I never remember experiencing while visiting a new city.

Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral

Facade of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral

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A.M.