Historic Butter Road to feature in Cork ’20’ International Rally
The timing of a new publication documenting the history of the 1747 Butter Road coincides with this weekend’s Cork ’20’ International Rally, where sections of the historic route will serve as competitive stages.
The route features as Stages 11 and 14 of the rally on Sunday, bringing modern competition cars to the roads originally constructed to link North and East Kerry to the Cork Butter Market.
Author and historian Joe Harrington has detailed the 60-mile turnpike in his new book, Once Upon A Road: The History and Times of an Irish Butter Road. The 1747 Turnpike from Listowel to Cork. Built following an initiative by Castleisland man John Murphy, the road carried agricultural trade, commercial traffic, and local history across two centuries.
Harrington’s research draws on parliamentary records, estate papers, and local folklore, charting the route’s evolution from the 18th century through the Famine and the War of Independence.
The book will be officially launched at the Cork Butter Museum on October 2, just days after rally crews navigate the same historic stretch of road
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