Mallow, County Cork
Mallow (; or "Magh Eala") is a town in County Cork, Ireland, approximately thirty-five kilometres north of Cork. Mallow is in the barony of Fermoy. It is the administrative centre of north County Cork, and the Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town. Mallow is part of the Cork East Dáil constituency. Name. The earliest form of the name is "Magh nAla", meaning "plain of the stone". In the anglicisation "Mallow", "-ow" originally represented a reduced schwa sound (), which is now however pronounced as a full vowel . In 1975, "Mala"—a shortening of  Magh nAla—was among the first Irish placenames adopted by statute, on the advice of the Placenames branch of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. In the "Annals of the Four Masters", compiled in the 1630s, "Magh nAla" is misrepresented as "Magh Eala", the Donegal-based authors being insufficiently familiar with Cork places. P.W. Joyce in 1869 surmised that in "Magh Eala" , "Ealla" referred to the river Blackwater, and connected the name to the nearby barony of Duhallow. Professor T. F. O'Rahilly in 1938 interpreted "Magh Eala" as "plain of the swans". This false etymology remains widely cited and has caused resentment  by some of the official "Mala" as being a gratuitous simplification of "Magh Eala". However, the name "Mala" has been used in Irish for more than 300 years. History. Evidence of pre-historic settlement is found in Beenalaght (13.6 km/8.5 miles south-west of Mallow), where an alignment of six standing stones lie on a hill to the west of the Mallow-Coachford Road. (grid ref: 485 873, Latitude: 52.035818N Longitude: 8.751181W). During the Irish War of Independence, the town was the HQ of the North Cork Militia – known as North Cork Rifles. The town's RIC barracks was the  only one captured nationwide during the war. In retaliation, several main street premises were subsequently torched by the British Army. Mrs King, wife of Captain W H King, RIC was killed during an attack on her husband near Mallow Railway station. In retaliation, British military and Black and Tans killed three railway workers-Patrick Devitt, Daniel Mullane and Bennett. The killings prompted industrial action by the National Railworkers Union in Britain and Ireland. Geography. Mallow lies on the River Blackwater, and developed as a defensive settlement protecting an important fort on the river. Some of the highest naturally occurring readings  of radon ever have been recorded in Mallow, prompting local fears regarding lung cancer. Demography. As of the 2016 census, the town had a population of 12,459. In the same census the population was reportedly made up of 76% white Irish, 1% white Irish travellers, 12% other white ethnicities, 4% black, 2% Asian, 2% other, with 3% not stating their ethnicity. Economy. Mallow developed in the late 16th century as a plantation town. It prospered throughout the centuries as a market town due to its rich agricultural hinterland. Irish statesmen such as Thomas Davis and William O'Brien were both born  in Mallow in the 19th century. The main street in Mallow is called Davis Street (although commonly referred to as Main Street), and joins with William O'Brien Street outside Mallow Town Hall. At the point where Davis Street meets O'Brien Street there is a monument to J.J. Fitzgerald, a little-known local politician who was involved in establishing both Mallow Urban District Council and Cork County Council. The town developed an industrial base in the early 20th century, based largely on its agricultural capability, with dairy produce and sugar beet supplying the Sugar Factory, Rowntree Mackintosh, Bournes and Dairygold. Changes  in the European Union sugar subsidy programme resulted in the closure of the sugar beet factory in mid-2006, after 75 years continual production. One of the last sugar beet plants to be closed in Ireland. Transport and communications. Road. Mallow lies at the convergence of several important routes: National Primary Route 20 (N20) north-south road between Cork (35 km) and Limerick (70 km), National Secondary Route 72 (N72) east-west between Dungarvan (51.5 km) and Killarney (41.5 km), National Secondary Route 73 (N73) northeast to Mitchelstown and the M8 motorway (21 km). Bus. Mallow is a stop on the  Bus Éireann 51 bus service from Cork to Galway and 243 bus service from Cork to Newmarket service. Rail. The Mallow railway viaduct which straddles the Blackwater, commonly known as the "Ten Arch Bridge", was bombed and destroyed during the Irish Civil War. It was rapidly rebuilt in girder form due to its importance in connecting the Cork, Tralee and Dublin lines. An additional line east through Fermoy and Lismore to the Waterford South station closed in 1967. Mallow railway station was opened on 17 March 1849 by the Great Southern and Western Railway. It is served by trains to  via Limerick Junction to Dublin Heuston, Cork and Killarney, Farranfore and Tralee. Onward connecting trains link Mallow via Limerick Junction to Limerick, Ennis, Athenry and Galway as well as Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford. Air. The nearest airports are Cork Airport (42.5 km), Kerry Airport (70 km) and Shannon Airport (84 km). Kerry Airport is accessible by train from Farranfore railway station. There is a flying club at nearby Rathcoole Aerodrome, and a helicopter charter company in nearby Dromahane. Mallow Racecourse, now known as Cork Racecourse, became an emergency airfield on 18 April 1983, when a Mexican Gulfstream II business  jet piloted by Captain Reuben Ocaña made a precautionary landing. A temporary tarmacadam runway of 910 m (3,000 ft) in length which was paid for by the plane's insurers was laid to enable the aircraft to leave five weeks later. In the meantime Captain Ocaña became a local celebrity. On 23 May 1983 just before the plane departed, the Captain said his farewell to the people of Ireland in the Irish language. The runway was subsequently used for parking during race meets and for learner driving. Light aircraft have occasionally landed at the racecourse on the grass area. The  F3A World Model Aircraft Aerobatic Championship was held there in 2001. The 1983 incident formed the basis of the 2010 film "The Runway". Sport. Founded in 1882, Mallow Rugby Club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country. Former players include Munster Second Row Ian Nagle, who played juvenile rugby for Mallow and Ulster Prop Jerry Cronin, who played juvenile and Junior Rugby for the club. The town's association football club, Mallow United Football Club, was founded in 1926 and fields senior, junior, schoolboy, and schoolgirl football teams in the Munster Leagues. The local racecourse, Cork Racecourse , now renamed "Cork Racecourse Mallow", plays host to large horse racing events. Mallow GAA is the town's GAA club, and fields teams in hurling and Gaelic football. The club won the 2017 Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship. Mallow Golf Club, founded in 1947, is located just outside Mallow and has 18 holes. Mallow AC is a local running club. Amenities. Mallow has a cinema as well as other community amenities such the Youth Centre and a nearby swimming pool. It also has several gyms. The town also has several pubs and nightclubs. International relations. Mallow is twinned with the  towns of