Shandon in Co. Cork is one of the oldest continuously inhabited parts of the city.The name comes from the irish word SEAN DUN meaning Old Fort This stood on the North bank of the river Lee. The civil survey of 1654 is the first detailed account of Shandon. A settlement of 351 buildings is recorded,largely alligned along the principal roadways of Mallow lane and Mallow Street. The road to Blarney the route to the cattle mart, Blarney Street and the cattle market are all recorded. On the east side, Shandon castle lane, Church lane, a malting house, a slaughter house and six mills are recorded. The three principal streets of Mallow lane, Mallow Street and Blarney lane accounted for almost one fifth of the built up area of the entire city. The North Strand (now the Popes Quay)was the most valuable land in the area. The principal throughfares all have medieval origins as do the Market Place. Shandon castle lane and Church lane peter off into the countryside on their eastern ends and the area along the Kiln river is entirely underdeveloped.

In 1769, John Rocque made a map which presented an entirely different picture. The main difference was the development of the riverside on both the north channel of the river Lee and its tributary, the Kiln. The north bank of the Lee is now occupied by trading concerns whose names survive in the area; Farren, Pope, Knapp and Punch. The west bank of the Kiln, is also heavily developed. The east west routes of Shandon castle lane and church lane now continue east to meet the west bank of the Kiln. Laneways run south off Shandon castle lane to access the north quays and a new housing development of five streets runs north off the eastern part of the lane. Church lane now runs east off Shandon street. As the shipping on the river in Rocques map shows, by 1759 the North Channel of the Lee has become the port of Cork.

Further Development

During the Williamite wars of the 1690's Cork was besieged and Shandon castle served as an artillery position for the Williamite forces. The castle was never rebuilt subsequent to the siege and was eventually demolished in 1750. In 1690, the church of St. Marys, Shandon was rebuilt on the lower east side of Shandon street(demolished 1879). A new church, St.Anne Shandon was built on the site of the graveyard of old St. Marys in 1722. In 1716, the Greencoat school was built, on the site of the modern Kinlay House, for the education of 20 boys and 20 girls. Skiddy's almshouse was built by Cork Corporation in 1718 on the site of old St. Marys churchyard, to ajoin the Greencoat school. In 1721, the North Charitable Infirmary was completed. This was the first public charitable hospital in the city.