Blackpool, County Cork

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Blackpool is a suburb of Cork city in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the city, on the N20 road to Mallow.

Blackpool, as well as being a suburb, can be regarded as the commercial and social centre of the working class districts on the northside of Cork City.

Traditionally, Cork has been divided between the areas north of the River Lee and on the southside of the city, each containing a vibrant working class ethos, with an intermediate status for the "middle parish" in the city centre. The Northside was bordered by the traditionally upper class area of Montenotte while the Southern side was bordered by its own Italianate suburb of Blackrock. The northside and southside's differences were displayed in rivalry through its schools, Brass Bands and came to a fore through the hurling rivalry, between Glen Rovers (the Glen) and St Finbarr's (the Barrs), from the North and South sides respectively. However it took little to raise a sense of superiority between the denizens of each part of the city.

While some richer suburbs on the northside were built on hills to escape the smells which arose from the city. Blackpool, in common with London, with its East and West Ends, was affected by any odours from the city centre which would arrive on the prevailing southwesterly wind. To this it would add its own contribution, earning the nickname the "Belfast of the South", due to its concentration of industries like tanning, bacon curing, brewing and distilling.

A vibrant, working class community developed, its identity reinforced by its association with icons such as Jack Lynch, hurler and Taoiseach (prime minister of the Republic of Ireland), Christy Ring (commonly regarded as the greatest hurler of all time), Danny La Rue, Charlie Hurley etc.

At the centre of Blackpool is its fine 20th Century Roman Catholic Parish Church: The Church of The Annunciation, which was designed by noted stone carver Seamus Murphy RHA who worked in the locality.