Picture the sounds: the squelch of boots as workers reclaimed land from the swamp, and the slap of water against the sides of wooden boats floating by. By the 18th century, a canal sliced off Lapp’s Island from the center, following what’s today Parnell Place. Folks had to cross a bridge to pop over and say hello - so, if you thought finding parking was tough now, try visiting your neighbor across the canal for a cup of tea back then!
But Cork loves to reinvent itself. By 1832, the city decided enough with all this island-hopping and joined Lapp’s Island solidly to the main city. Today, the Custom’s House sits out on the tongue of what was once this separate patch, while Lapp’s Quay hugs the south, reminding us that even in the city’s busiest spots, adventure in Cork often begins with a little bit of boldness and a good deal of mud.
