Cork, its city and environs have for centuries benefited from the natural maritime haven that is its harbour. Amongst the largest of its kind in the world, Cork Harbour has been a porous site of settlement, migration, international trade, fortification, and leisure, and holds deep cultural and economic relevance.

Fittingly presented in the Long Room of the city’s old Custom House (Crawford Art Gallery), this exhibition is inspired by Cork’s motto – Statio Bene Fide Carinis (a safe harbour for ships) – and coincides with the 300th anniversary of the world’s oldest established yacht club: Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Addressing the maritime traditions of Cork and the south of Ireland, this exhibition considers the concept of a ‘safe harbour’ as an anchorage in cultural, social, naval, and other terms. It features objects that describe the harbour and river, shipping and leisure, defence, mobility of people – including Napoleon’s physician, Dr James Roche Verling – and Cork’s global connectedness.

Drawn from Crawford Art Gallery’s own extensive collection, the exhibition includes works by Willem Van de Velde (1611-1693), Sarah Grace Carr (1794-1837), George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson (1806-1884), Robert Lowe Stopford (1813-1898), Norah McGuinness (1901-1980), David Lilburn and Jamie Murphy, among others.

Curated by Dr Michael Waldron.