I suppose this thread is the final confirmation that i am the biggest dullard that ever posted on this site but this is a topic that intrests me.Cork has more suburbs but im talking about the city centre size of the two cities.I personally think myself that Cork is marginally bigger because you have the quaysides and the centre spills into inner city areas like McCurtain, Shandon and Barrack Streets.I would also class the whole central island as city centre.Cork streets weren’t developed with the same structure and organisation than Limericks were because the city was built on the old waterways and canal network.It’s architecture is a lot different to Limerick and Dublin but i think that’s a good thing because i prefer the victorian architecture and the brighter buildings to the georgian architecture.
Now Limericks streets were very well planned with the georgian grid system.I like that style.The main streets in Limerick stretch out a bit longer.I mean like it’s a fair old walk from the hunt museum down to the O’Connell monument.Henry Street starts at the junction with South Circular Road and it finishes at the top of Arthurs Quay.Then you have the Sarsfield to William street,Bedford Row to Thomas Street and Shannon to Roches street stretches.I think Cork city centre covers a bigger area but the city centre is more of a radiant shape which makes it more intimate and closer together.For example i could be on Pana then i could go down Princess Street and be on the South Mall within three minutes.Limerick city centre feels bigger and more stretched out because it’s laid out in block formation which means it takes a long and squared shape.I personally feel myself that i can get around the centre of Cork a bit quicker despite the fact that it would in my opinion have a bigger city centre.
Limerick is miles ahead. The Georgian grid layout and design reminds me of the cicus in Bath Cork is very badly designed. Lacks depth and any real characther. Give me Dublin, Limerick or Waterford any day. Cork reminds of some north eastern coastal english shithole like hull, middlesborough or grimsby
Cork has character in abundance.Did you ever watch the sunset over the shandon steeple and the marina?What about the calls of the echo sellers?It has a nice big city/small town feel.I like Limerick and Waterford too but i think Cork is a better city than Limerick.Waterford isn’t as good as Cork and Limerick but it’s better than Dublin.Dublin is too big and i just don’t like it.
Cork main streets were built over the old waterways network.Pana, the Grand Parade and The South Mall were once rivers.The Huguenots settled in and formed the Paul Street, French Church Street and Careys Lane area.Before the waterways were filled in the North and South Main Street axis was the main central core of Cork City.Limerick city centre was created by a man with a vision.He bought land where he planned to build a new townland on and he hired an Italian architect to draw up the plans for the modern day Limerick city centre.I find the following to be just fascinating reading.
The new, broad wide and elegant streets of Newtown Pery quickly attracted the city’s wealthiest families who left the old overcrowded narrow lanes and streets of medieval Limerick (Englishtown & Irishtown) and marked the decline of the ancient and medieval quarter of Limerick. These parts of the city were left to the poorer citizens of Limerick and became characterised by poverty and squalor. Unfortunately some tangible links to Limerick’s eventful past were lost as historically important buildings were lost due to lack of maintenance such as the Exchange, Ireton’s Castle[/URL] (from the siege of Limerick), and a collection of Flemish and Dutch styled housing that started after the [URL=‘http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution’]Glorious Revolution(with some surviving up to the mid 20th Century) that fronted onto Nicholas Street, Mary Street, Broad Street & Mungret Street that were eventually knocked due to poor condition.
