Fermoy

Fermoy is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. Its population is about 5,800, environs included (2006 census). It is located in the barony of Fermoy.

The town's name comes from the Irish and refers to a Cistercian abbey founded in the 13th century.

Medieval Times
A Cistercian abbey was founded in Fermoy in the 13th Century. At the dissolution of the monasteries during the Tudor period, the abbey and its lands passed through the following dynasties: Sir Richard Grenville, Robert Boyle and William Forward. However, the site could hardly have been regarded as a town and, by the late 18th century, was little more than a few cabins and an inn.

18th and 19th century
In 1791, the lands around Fermoy were bought by a Scotsman, John Anderson. He was an entrepreneur who developed the roads and started the mail coach system in Ireland. He designed the town and the streets remain much the same as they were originally built. In 1984, some of his descendants, living in Australia, named a winery, Fermoy Estate, after the town he established. A plaque and bust in his honour were unveiled by the town park in 2001.

Garrison Town
Fermoy was the site of a major British Army barracks, when Ireland was under imperial rule. In 1797, when the army was looking to establish a new and permanent base, Anderson gave them the land as an inducement to locate in Fermoy. Anderson and the town received considerable economic benefit from the arrangement. In 1806 the first permanent barracks, the East Barracks, were built. They were located on 16½ acres of land and provided accommodation for 112 officers and 1478 men of infantry, and 24 officers, 120 men, and 112 horses of cavalry. A general military hospital of 130 beds was also built. In 1809 West Barracks was built. This also had a 42-bed hospital. When both barracks were complete there was accommodation for 14 field officers, 169 officers, 2,816 men, and 152 horses. By the 1830 s this was the largest military establishment on the island of Ireland. The town of Fermoy expanded around these facilities and retained its British military facilities until 1922, when the Irish Free State was first established.

20th Century – Present
During the War of Independence, Fermoy was the scene of the first attack for arms by the IRA against British troops, during which Private Jones was killed. This resulted in several reprisals, most notably when British troops looted and burned part of the town centre. One of those who led the raid, IRA Commandant Michael Fitzgerald, was subsequently captured but never tried for the offence. He later became the first IRA man to die on hunger strike during the War of Independence.

Geography
Fermoy is situated on the river Blackwater and therefore has steep hills corresponding to the river valley. The downtown area of Fermoy is located in a flood plain and has flooded relatively often in recent years, (approximately once a year on average).

Economy
Industries in and around the town include chemical production (by Micro Bio), ice-cream manufacturing (by Silver Pail), and power product manufacturing (by Anderson Power). The town's industries also include electronics manufacturing and assembly by Sanmina-SCI Corporation, formerly Space Craft Incorporated. Moorepark Research Institute, near Fermoy, is one of the Irish state's agricultural and food research institutes. Fermoy town is also a market town for the surrounding areas and has a number of supermarkets including SuperValu, Lidl and Aldi.

Education
St. Colman's College is one of the best-known local secondary schools. Loreto Convent and Coláiste an Chraobhín are also located in the town.

Tourism
The Blackwater river is one of the town's major attractions and is very popular for its salmon and coarse fishing. The scenic river-side walk at Barnane is considered to be one of the town's most attractive amenities.

The town's two annual regattas – usually in early May and early September – are hosted by Fermoy Rowing Club and serve to attract over a thousand visitors each day. Fermoy Rowing Club celebrated its 125 th Anniversary in 2009 and Fermoy Regatta, by coincidence, celebrated its 70th Anniversary in the same year.

Fermoy hosted a poetry festival for the first time in 2012.

Fermoy Weir Controversy
Since 2006, members of Fermoy Rowing Club and members of several of the local Angling clubs have been involved in an ongoing campaign against the Irish Government's controversial plan to radically alter the town's historic weir.

In December 2009 the then Minister of State for Natural Resources, Conor Lenihan TD, gave the owners of Fermoy Weir, Fermoy Town Council, a year to repair the damaged fish pass at the heart of the structure.

As of February 2012 this work has yet to begin.

Transport
For many years the main N8 Cork–Dublin road ran through Fermoy, and the town square was a major bottleneck on the route. However, the M8 motorway bypass, which included a new bridge over the Blackwater to the east of the town was opened in late 2006. The former N8 through the town is now a regional road, the R639, and Fermoy's traffic problems have been greatly eased. The town used to be connected to the Irish railway system, on a line from Mallow to Waterford, with a junction to nearby Mitchelstown through Ballindangan (see Irish railway history). Fermoy railway station opened on 17 May 1860, and finally closed on 27 March 1967.

The nearest airport is Cork Airport, approximately 45 km to the south, about half an hour off a quiet road.

A number of bus services serve the area, with the Bus Eireann services from Cork to Dublin and Dublin to Cork calling at Fermoy.

Religion
The Christian Brothers, the Presentation and Loreto Sisters maintain a presence in the town.

People

 * Fermoy is home to US born Irish dancer Michael Flatley.
 * The 1st Baron Fermoy was Lord Lieutenant of County Cork but was not from Fermoy. Diana, Princess of Wales was a granddaughter of Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy. The current Baron Fermoy is Maurice Roche, 6th Baron Fermoy, a first cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales and distant cousin to her sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
 * Patrick Andrew Collins (1844–1905), a US Representative from Massachusetts and mayor of Boston, was born near Fermoy.
 * John Stanislaus Joyce, father of James Joyce, author of Ulysses, was born in Fermoy.
 * John Magnier, owner of Coolmore Stud was born in Fermoy.
 * James McConnell (1815–1883) was born in Fermoy, and was a founder member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He was also Locomotive Superintendent of the Southern Division of the London & North Western Railway from 1847 to 1862.
 * Arthur O'Callaghan (1837–1930), Member of Parliament in New Zealand
 * Brother Colm O'Connell, Irish missionary and coach of world famous track athletes, is from Caherduggan.
 * Mike Ross, professional rugby union player for Leinster and Ireland, is from Ballyhooly near Fermoy

Books written about Fermoy and surroundings

 * Fermoy on the Blackwater, by Bill Power, 2009 (Brigown Press, 410 pages, 240 colour illustrations throughout).
 * Fermoy: A local history by Niall Brunicardi (First Published 1975)
 * John Anderson of Fermoy, the forgotten benefactor by Niall Brunicardi (First Published 1983)
 * To die by inches: An account of the Fermoy Poor Law Union during the Great Famine, 1845–1850 by Edward Garner (First Published 1986)
 * Críchad an Chaoilli: Being the Topography of Ancient Fermoy by Patrick Power (First Published 1932) (University College Cork)
 * A sketch of the Blackwater, from Youghal to Fermoy by Samuel Hayman (First Published 1860)
 * Fermoy, 1841 to 1890: A local history by Niall Brunicardi (First Published 1978)
 * The diary of Wilfrid Saxby Barham, captain "The Buffs," during the great war 1914–1915: Fermoy-Dover-Armentieres-Ypres by Wilfrid Saxby Barham (First Published 1918)
 * A sense of Fermoy by J.J. Bunyan (First Published 1983)

Film
Some aerial scenes from 1966 war film The Blue Max were filmed near Fermoy, with the nearby Blackwater viaduct featuring prominently on screen.

In the 1980s, a well-received coming-of-age film called 'Clash of the Ash' was shot in Fermoy.

Twin towns
Fermoy is twinned with:
 * 🇵🇱 Nowa Dęba, Poland
 * 🇫🇷 Ploemeur, France