Cork to pass Go on Rebel Monopoly board
Monopoly fans will have to learn a whole new language before rolling the dice on a customised Cork version of the legendary board game.
It is the first Irish county to get the exclusive Monopoly treatment and follows a nationwide poll which saw Cork come out on top for the honour.
Winning Moves, who make the game under license from Hasbro, will unveil their plans for the Rebel county version at Blarney Castle today.
It is set to become one of several Cork landmarks immortalised on the game.
Cobh’s Heritage Centre and Bantry Square, as well as Shandon and the South Mall are also in the running.
But Winning Moves has organised a public vote to decide what other property landmarks will make it on to the board.
Ireland’s tallest building, the near-empty Elysian, is sure to feature, the Mardyke, Lee Fields, and the Lee Road Waterworks should make it, and Fitzgerald Park or Bishop Lucey Park will have to fight it out to replace Regent’s Park.
But it remains to be seen which of Leeside’s salubrious leafy areas, like Rochestown, Montenotte, and Lovers Walk, will replace the traditional swanky Monopoly favourites like Piccadilly Mayfair, and Kensington.
The game makers have also promised lots of other twists and changes, including Cork-themed ‘Community Chest’ and ‘Chance’ playing cards.
The spirit and shape of the customised edition, as well as the rules and playing pieces will not be changed.
The corner squares — Go, Jail, Go To Jail, and Free Parking will also be retained — although it was not clear last night if clamping will feature in the Cork version.
Dan Taylor, the Monopoly manager at Winning Moves, will announce more details today. “We are thrilled to be making this exciting announcement that Cork is Passing Go,” he said.
“We were extremely taken with Cork’s great landmarks — historic, heritage and contemporary — and are sure this game will be both a fitting and lasting tribute to Cork.”
Voting lines will be set up to allow the public to choose their favourite property landmarks to appear on the board.
It is hoped the game will be on the shelves by October.
* Voting starts at 10.30am today and runs for two weeks. Nominations can be made by emailing cork@winningmoves.co.uk, or on facebook.com/corkmonopoly
* Monopoly first hit shop shelves in the US in 1935. Today it is played in 111 countries and in 43 languages.
* More than 275m games have been sold worldwide.
* The longest Monopoly game lasted for 70 straight days.
* The most expensive version of the game was produced by celebrated San Francisco jeweller Sidney Mobell. Valued at $2m, it featured a 23-carat gold board and diamond-studded dice.
* Ireland has one world champion Monopoly player. The others come from the US, Singapore, Italy, New Zealand, Britain, Japan, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan and Spain.
* Tokens from the US Monopoly: Here & Now Edition were flown into space aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2007.
* Nearly 3,000 fans united in 2008 to set the world record for the most people playing.
