Cork Docklands: History Memory and Change

Above:Cork Docklands, Kennedy Quay and Custom House Quay from R+H Hall, 1949. (CPM Collection)

Cork Docklands: History, Memory, and Change

A collaborative heritage project documenting the transformation of Cork’s historic docklands through photography, oral history, and museum curation.

Overview

Cork Docklands: History, Memory, and Change is a joint initiative by photographer Mike Seaborne, folklorist James Furey, and Cork Public Museum.
The project explores the transformation of Cork’s historic docklands—once a major industrial and maritime hub—into Ireland’s largest urban regeneration area.
Through visual documentation, oral testimonies, and archival research, it aims to preserve the docklands’ evolving identity and cultural memory for future generations.

Above: Daniel Breen (museum curator) at the pop-up 'Antiques Roadshow' at St Lukes Church, during the St Lukes 200th Anniversary, Aug 2025.

Origins and Development

With the relocation of port operations to Ringaskiddy, Cork’s docklands have entered a new phase of redevelopment, blending industrial heritage with modern design.
Photographer Mike Seaborne began documenting the changing landscape in 2023, inspired by his earlier work on London’s East End, in the 1980's.
In 2024, the Cork Public Museum joined as a partner, expanding the scope to include oral history and material culture, ensuring a multidimensional record of the area’s transformation.

Above: A selection of exhibition panels from Cork Docklands: History, Memory and Change

Oral History: Voices of the Docklands

In 2025, folklorist James Furey launched an oral history programme to capture the human stories behind the docklands’ renewal.
Through interviews with residents, former dockworkers, business owners, and community advocates, the project records personal perspectives on change, resilience, and identity.

Each interview is transcribed, catalogued, and preserved to professional archival standards, with selected excerpts shared publicly through exhibitions and digital platforms.

Keywords: Cork oral history, docklands community, maritime heritage, industrial history

Key Themes Emerging from the Research

• Transformation and Heritage: Balancing regeneration with respect for industrial history.
• Social Cohesion: Remembering the docklands’ strong community bonds.
• Resilience and Adaptation: Reflecting innovation and perseverance amid change.
• Human-Centred Urbanism: Advocating inclusive, sustainable redevelopment.

Together, these themes reveal how the docklands’ renewal is not only physical but deeply cultural—linking memory, identity, and place.

Above:Postcard Port of Cork Docklands River Lee The Quays, CPM Lawrence Collection

Photographic Documentation

Since 2023, Mike Seaborne has made over eighty site visits, producing more than four hundred images of the evolving waterfront.
His photographs document both the remnants of heavy industry and the rise of new developments along the River Lee.
This collection, housed within the Cork Public Museum’s Docklands Archive, integrates photography, oral testimonies, and historic materials to create a comprehensive record of change.

Public Engagement and Exhibitions

Public engagement lies at the heart of the project. Exhibitions at European Maritime Week 2025, St. Luke’s 200th Festival, and Cork Heritage Week have showcased Seaborne’s imagery and Furey’s oral histories, sparking public dialogue about Cork’s heritage and urban future.
The museum continues to collect artefacts, photographs, and personal memorabilia from former dockworkers and residents, many of which are being digitised for long-term access.

Above: Mike Seaborne and Dara McGrath at European Maritime Week 2025

Above: Opening of the St Lukes 200th Anniversary exhibition Aug 2025

Future Vision

The project team plans to expand both the photographic and oral history archives.
Upcoming work includes new interviews, portrait photography, and deeper thematic analysis.
The Cork Public Museum will preserve these collections permanently and host a major exhibition uniting visual, oral, and material histories to tell the story of Cork Docklands—past, present, and future.

Conclusion

Cork Docklands: History, Memory, and Change exemplifies how collaboration between artists, historians, and institutions can illuminate the social and cultural dimensions of urban regeneration.
By combining photography, oral testimony, and curatorial expertise, the project safeguards the docklands’ industrial heritage while documenting its ongoing transformation as a vital part of Cork’s future.

 Below: A selection of photographs by Mike Seaborne from his ongoing project

With thanks to the Creative Ireland Fund and Cork City Council for their ongoing support of this project. 

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If you wish to enquire about this project. Pease contact us at: museum@corkcity.ie