Diarmuid O'Sullivan
Cork hurler Diarmuid O'Sullivan is one of the best loved hurlers in the game. He also has the nickname of 'The Rock' because of his size.
Image courtesy of The Irish TimesDiarmuid O'Sullivan
Image courtesy of The Irish Times
Image courtesy of The Irish Times
Diarmuid O'Sullivan
Cork hurler Diarmuid O'Sullivan is one of the best loved hurlers in the game. He also has the nickname of 'The Rock' because of his size.
Image courtesy of The Irish TimesHurling
Hurling in County Cork is a tradition that goes back many centuries.
Cork share the honour with Kilkenny of having won the most All-Ireland Senior Hurling Titles with 30 apiece.
They have also managed to win the Munster Hurling Championship 50 times during that time.
The colours of the cork hurling team are red and white and they have the nickname 'The Rebels'.
Horse Racing
It is no lie to say that horse racing as we know it today owes a lot to the people of Cork. The first Steeplechase ever was run locally between Buttevant and Doneraile over 250 years ago.
Chasing from steeple to steeple or point-to-point began in 1752 when Mr. Blake challenged his neighbour Mr. O'Callaghan, to race across country from Buttevant church to Doneraile church some four and a half miles away.
They had to jump stone walls, ditches and hedges. By keeping the steeple of the church in view (steeplechasing) both riders could see their finishing point.
A racecourse was set up in Mallow in 1924 and it still hosts both Jump and Flat racing today.
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Crosshaven in County Cork is home to the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Founded in 1720, it is the oldest yacht club in the world.
It was founded by William O'Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin and five of his friends and they called it 'The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork'.
Since then, the club has developed and now has roughly 1,500 members. Cork Week, which is held every two years, is regarded as Europe's best fun regatta and attracts contestants from all over the world.
Millstreet Horse Show
The Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, County Cork hosts the annual Millstreet Horse Show. It is Ireland's single largest show jumping event with a total of around 10,000 entries, from 128cm ponies loose jumping to top-level Grand Prix show jumping.
The Horse Show usually takes place in late Summer and lasts for 5-6 days. This is because they run so many different competitions during the show.