Clodagh Finn: Dublin’s street is ahead, but Cork’s Grafton St has a trump card

The Dublin thoroughfare might be the flashy showcase but the Cork street arguably has a greater claim to the name

Grafton St, Cork, which has links to the 1690 siege of the city.

Thu, 22 Jul, 2021 - 09:55

Clodagh Finn is a journalist, writer and collector of stories. Her recent book, The Irish in the Resistance, co-authored with John Morgan, shines a light on the forgotten contributions of the Irish who resisted Hitler during WW2.

It is, perhaps, the only time when Dublin unquestionably wins out over Cork. I’m talking about Grafton St, or rather the little-known tale of two Grafton streets; the one in Dublin, a wonderland with magic in the air, as the song has it, and the one in Cork which is narrow, truncated, and, well, rather dank.

Put them side by side and even a proud Corkonian (is there another kind?) might concede that the Dubs have it.