Church of St Anne, Shandon 1.79

The Church of St Anne is a Church of Ireland church located in the Shandon district of Cork city in Ireland. It is situated on a hill overlooking the River Lee, and the church tower is a noted landmark and symbol of the city. The church bells were popularised in a 19th century song, and remain a visitor attraction.HistoryThe name Shandon comes from the Irish, Sean Dún, meaning "old fort". Shandon was one of 28 settlements in and around ancient Cork. A medieval church dedicated to St. Mary existed on this site and is mentioned in the decretals of Pope Innocent III in 1199 as "St. Mary on the Mountain". This church stood until the Williamite wars when it was destroyed during the siege of Cork (1690). In 1693 this was replaced by a church, also dedicated to St. Mary, and was located at the bottom of Mallow Lane, modern day Shandon Street. Due to population growth, it was decided to build anew on this ancient site and so in 1722 the present Church of St. Anne, Shandon was constructed.It is built with two types of stone; red sandstone from the original Shandon castle which stood nearby, and limestone taken from the derelict Franciscan Abbey which stood on the North Mall. On the approach to Shandon, it is possible to see both red and white coloured stone, and such is the affection that Shandon holds that citizens designated both colours to represent the city.