County Cork Coat of Arms

In May 1899 Mr. Robert Day was appointed by the Council to select the most appropriate design for the seal of Cork County Council from sixty-five submissions. The winning entry was from Guy and Company Limited, Cork and is described as follows:

'The design contains within the trefoil shape the shields of four ancient boroughs corporate, Youghal, Kinsale, Bandon and Cork, the latter occupying the central position as the Chief City of the province, and which gives its name to the County. In the angles of the trefoil are placed the shields of three of the less important towns within the jurisdiction of the County Council. The whole enclosed in circular form, the upper part bearing the title and at the bottom the year of institution. The raised outer rim is composed of a running border of shamrocks. Celtic ornament is introduced into the sunk trefoil shape.

The three towns not mentioned are Castlemartyr, Charleville and Midleton all of which had been Boroughs Corporate prior to the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act, 1840. Clonakilty had also been a Chartered Borough but surprisingly never had a shield or coat of arms and this perhaps explains its omission from the shield.

Each IBD County Page has or will have (where possible) the relevant Coat of Arms. This is made possible thanks to a fantastic heraldry website called the International Civic Heraldry Website. Sometimes a description is not given due to lack of information, so if anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated. You may visit this superb site by using the link below.