Cork Heritage Open Day Brochure

Cork Public Museum

The Kingsley Hotel

Fitzgerald Park Open 11am to 4pm Partial wheelchair access The Cork Public Museum is located in Fitzgerald Park on Mardyke Walk along the City’s western corridor. The museum was originally a private residence built by Charles Beamish in 1845 on land purchased from the Duke of Devonshire. Following the completion of the house the grounds (now Fitzgerald Park) were laid out with a fantastic variety of shrubs and trees. In 1886 the house became the home of the Bons Secours Sisters. During the later 19th century it became a private residence for Mr. Barry J. Sheehan (1880) and Mr. Cornelius Desmond (1897) respectively. It was sold in 1901 to the Incorporated Cork International Association. During the Exhibition of 1902/03 the Committee used the house for visiting dignitaries who included King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Having been handed over to the Corporation for the people of Cork the house became a museum in 1910. Following a Historical Exhibition in 1942 the building was reopened to the public in 1945. It was administered by UCC until 1963 and since then directly by the City Council.

Carrigrohane Road, Sunday’s Well Open 10am to 5pm Full wheelchair access

The Kingsley Hotel is located at the site of Cork’s old Lee Baths, the open-air swimming pool that operated from 1934 to 1986. An area upholding an abundance of history and intriguing stories of the people of Cork. The Lee Baths became the main swimming facility in the city and were used extensively by clubs such as Dolphin Swimming Club and Sundays Well Swimming Club in 1934. The pool was 50 yards long with a deep end of 7ft, and a shallow end of 4ft. Perhaps the best known of the lifeguards at the Lee Baths was Andy O’Brien, dubbed the ‘Brown Bomber’ because of his year-round tan. Mr. O’Brien was a high-board diver who lived locally and was the head lifeguard at the Lee Baths. Diving and swimming competitions were held regularly at the Lee Baths and water polo was practiced after public hours. Although used extensively in the summers for several decades, eventually the popularity of the Lee Baths began to wane. In the summer of 1985, the Corporation suffered a deficit of £35,000 in operating costs over the seven-week opening period of the facility that summer. Because of the summer that never was in 1985, Cork Corporation had no plans to open the Lee Baths in 1986. These operational costs coupled with the rise in popularity of new indoor swimming pools brought about the end of The Lee Baths, but the legacy and fond memories of the baths linger on. We honour this connection throughout the hotel, having named many of the business suites after eminent figures in the development and implementation of these historical baths. Brian Maher will give a talk on the history of the Lee Baths at 11am. Mauro Dias will give a talk on Biodiversity in the Lee Fields at 11.25am. Both talks will take place in the Kingsley Hotel.