Skibbereen (Irish: An Sciobairín) in Ireland is known as the capital of West Cork. The name "Skibbereen" (often shortened to "Skibb") means "little boat harbour". The river Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore. Prior to 1600 most of the land belonged to the native McCarthy tribe - today McCarthy remains the town's most common surname. West Cork (Irish: Iarthar Chorcaí) in south-west Ireland, lies in Irelands largest county, County Cork. ...

At the height of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) in 1847 the body of an unnamed boy, taken for lifeless, was placed in a coffin in the Town Square and conveyed for burial to the Abbey Cemetery. As he was lowered into the pit, the youth regained consciousness and walked unaided from the grave. It is probable that some 8,000-10,000 Famine victims are buried in the Famine Burial Pits of Abbeystrewery Cemetery. Bridget ODonnell and her two children during the famine The Great Famine or the Great Hunger (Irish: An Gorta Mór or An Drochshaol), known more commonly outside of Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, is the name given to a famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Skibbereen Eagle, a newspaper founded in 1857, became famous by declaring it was "keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia" over his expansionist designs on China. This newspaper was superseded by the Cork County Southern Star, founded in 1889, its first editor D.D. Sheehan, and included amongst its shareholders one Michael Collins. 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Daniel Desmond Sheehan, usually known as D.D. Sheehan (May 28, 1873 – November 28, 1948) was an Irish journalist, labour leader, barrister, and author. ... Michael John Collins (Irish name Micheál Eoin Ó Coileáin; October 16, 1890 – August 22, 1922), an Irish revolutionary leader, served as Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, as Director of Intelligence for the IRA, as a member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations, as...

Later in 1922 the then General Michael Collins has his last meal in the Eldon Hotel in Skibbereen before he was shot in an ambush later that evening. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Skibbereen is also the name of a song about the Famine, and the impact it and the British Government had on the people if Ireland. The song, known as Dear Old Skibbereen, takes the form of a conversation between a father and a son, in which the son asks his father why fled the land he loved so well. The father relates to his son how the famine ruined his farm in Skibbereen, and killed his wife. Unable to pay taxes,

...the landlord and the bailiff came to drive us all away.

They set the roof on fire with their cursed English spleen,

And that's another reason why I left old Skibbereen.

In the final verse the son swears he will return to Skibbereen to take vengeance on the government that he holds accountable. A fine version can be found on the soundtrack to the PBS mini-series, "The Long Journey Home", performed by Sinead O'Connor.

• Skiberreen History

See also: List of towns in the Republic of Ireland