Notable Corkonians include Michael Collins, Jack Lynch, Mother Jones, Roy Keane, Sonia O'Sullivan, Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton.

Cork borders four other counties: Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary to the north-east and Waterford to the east.

The south-west region, including West Cork, is one of Ireland's main tourist destinations,[5] known for its rugged coast and megalithic monuments and as the starting point for the Wild Atlantic Way.

[6] Local industry and employers include technology company Dell EMC, the European headquarters of Apple, and the farmer-owned dairy co-operative Dairygold.

County Cork is located in the province of Munster, bordering Kerry to the west, Limerick to the north, Tipperary to the north-east and Waterford to the east.

This occurred during the Devonian period when Ireland was part of a larger continental landmass and located south of the equator.

[10][11] The region's topography of peaks and valleys are characterised by steep ridges formed during the Hercynian period of folding and mountain formation some 300 million years ago.

The Environmental Protection Agency carried out a survey of surface waters in County Cork between 1995 and 1997, which identified 125 rivers and 32 lakes covered by the regulations.

[15] A collection of the marine algae was housed in the herbarium of the botany department of the University College Cork.

[22][23][24] Cork is also one of just three counties to border two bodies of water – the Celtic Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Much of what is now county Cork was once part of the Kingdom of Deas Mumhan (South Munster), anglicised as the "Desmond", ruled by the MacCarthy Mór dynasty.

After the Norman invasion in the 12th century, the McCarthy clan were pushed westward into what is now West Cork and County Kerry.

[citation needed] In 1491 Cork played a part in the English Wars of the Roses when Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne spread the story that he was really Richard of Shrewsbury (one of the Princes in the Tower), landed in the city and tried to recruit support for a plot to overthrow King Henry VII of England.

The mayor of Cork and several important citizens went with Warbeck to England, but when the rebellion collapsed they were all captured and executed.

[28][29] In 1601 the decisive Battle of Kinsale took place in County Cork, which was to lead to English domination of Ireland for centuries.

The activity of IRA flying columns, such as the one under Tom Barry in west Cork, was popularised in the Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes The Barley.

On 11 December 1920, Cork City centre was gutted by fires started by the Black and Tans in reprisal for IRA attacks.

Over 300 buildings were destroyed; many other towns and villages around the county, including Fermoy, suffered a similar fate.

For the remainder of the war, the county saw sporadic guerrilla fighting until the Anti-Treaty side called a ceasefire and dumped their arms in May 1923.

County Cork has two Gaeltacht areas in which the Irish language is the primary medium of everyday speech.

These are Múscraí (Muskerry) in the north of the county, especially the villages of Cill Na Martra (Kilnamartyra), Baile Bhúirne (Ballyvourney), Cúil Aodha (Coolea), Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), and Oileán Chléire (Cape Clear Island).

The village of Ballingeary is a centre for Irish language tuition, with a summer school, Coláiste na Mumhan, or the College of Munster.

[38] The port of Cobh in County Cork was the point of embarkation for many Irish emigrants travelling to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States.

[39] West Cork is known for its rugged natural environment, beaches and social atmosphere, and is a common destination for British, German, French and Dutch tourists.

[48] Cork's main transport is serviced from: Common surnames in the county include Barry, Buckley, Callaghan, Connell, Connor, Crowley, Lynch, McCarthy, Murphy, O'Leary, O'Sullivan, Sheehan, Walsh, and Fitzgerald (the latter with a Norman derivation).