Politics

Constituency Boundaries - The Constitution provides that each county shall return three Members of Parliament to Dáil Éirinn, the Irish House of Commons. The Constitution does not define the term "county", but Article 17(3) defines the area of a county as being composed of "the whole or part of a province". Under the current system, the six counties of Ulster are divided into 18 constituencies. Article 19(2)(b) of the Constitution requires that the number of seats allocated to each county "shall be equal to the number of persons entitled to vote in the county." However, since the introduction of proportional representation in 1981, the number of seats allotted to each county has been determined by the Electoral Act 1993 rather than by the Constitution.Cork is located in the south west corner of Ireland. Its capital city is Cork City. The county covers an area of 2,816 square kilometres and had a population of 830,926 according to the 2016 census. There are four main urban areas within the county: Cork City, Midleton, Bandon and Youghal. The southern part of the county is dominated by mountains and hills, while the north east contains lowlands and plains. The highest peak is Carrigtohill Mountain, which reaches 708 metres above sea level. The lowest points are found along the River Lee near Kinsale.

Cork Harbour lies to the southwest of the county. This large natural harbour is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the Mizen Head peninsula. The harbour is used for leisure activities such as sailing, fishing and yachting. There are several lakes in the county including Lough Hyne, Lough Currane, Lough Derg, Lough Sheelin, Lough Allen, Lough Beg, Lough Oughterard, Lough Swilly, Lough Fermoy and Lough Key West. Cork City, Midleton, and Bandon are situated on the coast. They are known collectively as the "Three Towns". Youghal is located inland and is surrounded by hilly countryside. It is a popular tourist destination because it offers beautiful scenery and historical sites. The name Cork derives from Corcaigh meaning 'rock' in Irish. In English, the name of the county became pronounced as 'Corkey'.are 24 baronies in Ireland. They were known as "baronships" in earlier times. Each barony had its own castle, court, bishop, sheriff, coroner, constable, and gaolers. In modern times, each barony is represented by one member of parliament. A barony is an old English term meaning "boundary area", or "borough". In Ireland it refers to a former administrative division of counties into hundreds, baronies, and later into civil parishes. The Irish word for a baron is "barróg", plural "barrógaí". In the Republic of Ireland, there are 24 baronies, while Northern Ireland has 23. Each barony has a chief executive appointed by the Government. The current Chief Executive of the Office of Public Works is John O'Donoghue. Barony is used as a surname by some people in Ireland and Britain.parishes and townlands[edit] Cork City Council has published a list of civil parishes and townlands within the city boundaries. This information includes the name of each parish/townland, population figures, area of land, and the location of the civil parish/townland boundary.

The Civil Parish Boundaries map provides a visual representation of the area covered by each civil parish. These maps show the location of the civil parishes and town lands within the city boundaries. Each civil parish covers a specific geographic area within the city. Each civil parish contains one or more towns and villages. Townlands are defined areas of land within a civil parish. Townlands are used to define local government districts and electoral divisions. There are over 300 civil parishes and townland boundaries in Cork City.and upland habitats Cork County has many different kinds environments. There are over 40 peaks within the county. Upland habitats are very important to wildlife. This video highlights some of the unique features of Cork County.and lakes[edit] Three rivers flow through the center city of Cork. They include the Lee, the Blackwater and the River Lee. There are over 30 lakes within the county. The EPA surveyed all the waters in Cork.and forestry The term "peatland" refers to areas where peat forms naturally. In Ireland, peatlands cover about 5% of land surface, mostly in upland regions such as Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Clare. They form in wetter climates where there is sufficient rainfall, usually during periods of high humidity, to allow waterlogged vegetation to grow. The resulting accumulation of plant material creates layers of soil known as peats. These soils are often acidic and nutrient poor, making them unsuitable for agriculture.

Peatlands are important habitats, particularly for birds. Many bird species use them for nesting and feeding. There are over 300 different species of birds found within Irish peatlands. Some of the most common include the curlew, lapwing, plover, snipe, woodcock, wren and warbler. Cork forests provide habitat for over 350 species of plants and animals, including many rare and endangered species. Cork forests are home to over 200 species of trees, shrubs and herbs. This includes some of the oldest living oak trees in Ireland. Cork forests also support a wide variety of fungi, lichens and mosses. Ireland has the largest area of natural woodland in Europe. About 30% of Ireland’s total land mass is covered by tree plantations. However, much of this is planted pine rather than native broadleaf species. Native broadleaf species are generally slower growing and less suitable for timber production. Cork forests are one of the few remaining large tracts of native broadleaf woodland in Ireland. There are four main types of cork forest: valley bottoms; lowland river valleys; mountain slopes; and coastal dunes. Each type provides unique ecological benefits. For example, valley bottom cork forests contain a mix of mature trees and young saplings. Young trees are able to take advantage of nutrients carried downslope by meltwater streams. Mountain slope cork forests consist mainly of old, tall trees. These trees benefit from the protection afforded by steep terrain. Coastal dune cork forests are dominated by Mediterranean scrub species. The dunes themselves protect the trees from strong winds and salt spray.crow - Corvus cornix