Some days ago, I stumbled over the old song "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg, for the movie Finian's Rainbow. And I got curious about this place. According to the Wikipedia article on the song,
There is no actual Glocca Morra in Ireland (though there is a Glockamara, pronounced the same way). How Are Things in Glocca Morra?
So I wondered: where is this Glockamara? Google Maps and MapQuest show no such place name and a quick Google search revealed nothing.
But searching Google a little more revealed this news item from an Irish news outlet: <http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0122/rta.html>. It mentions that one of the people killed in a traffic accident was "from Glockamara in North Cork". Another news item on the same accident <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-24716397.html> says that this person was "from Glockamara near Mitchelstown in Co Cork".
And there I got stuck. I searched Google Maps for such a place name in a circle of about 20 km around Mitchelstown (northeastern Cork) and found nothing. Back to Google and searched further.
Finally, after several DAYS of wading through Google results, I stumbled on this webpage: <http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/pdf/489662566.pdf>. This is a PDF document from the Cork County Council, titled "Cork County Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws for Regional & Local Roads", dated December 2010. On page 140, it says
R639 The Moorepark Interchange to Gloccamara
On the R639 from the proposed 60 Kph speed limit on the north eastern side of the north eastern roundabout (Irish National Grid 181,990.10E, 101,295.59N) at Moorepark Interchange to the existing 80 Kph speed limit on the southern side of Gloccamara (Irish National Grid 181,198.60E, 107,612.58N).
R639 Gloccamara to the Ballybeg Interchange
On the R639 from the existing 80 Kph speed limit on the northern side of Gloccamara (Irish National Grid 180,925.29E, 109,381.98N) to the proposed 60 Kph speed limit on the southern side of Ballybeg Interchange (Irish National Grid 181,198.60E, 107,612.58N).
With the aid of a converter also found on the web somewhere, I turned these Irish National Grid locations into Latitude/Longitude:
Gloccamara (Irish National Grid 181,198.60E, 107,612.58N) 52.220452, -8.275731
Gloccamara (Irish National Grid 180,925.29E, 109,381.98N) 52.236326, -8.279933
Google Maps claims that these two spots are about 2 km from each other on the R667 (rather than the R639?) about 3-5 km south of Mitchelstown: the northern point about half a kilometer north of "Gortnahown" (and immediately south of the M8); the southern, near "Caherdrinny" (about 1 km north of "Kilworth Camp"). However, nowhere does it show a place called "Gloccamara" (or anything even very close to it). Nonetheless, there is a small unlabeled village (???) at a T-intersection about half a kilometer north of the southern point. You can find it on Google Maps at 52.222397, -8.278713.
And what I'm wondering: I know there are one or two 'Catters in Ireland. Is there anybody near (even vaguely near) Mitchelstown who could drive this road and find out where this "Gloccamara" is. Find out if the little crossroads group of houses (and, it appears, a store and a gas station) is the (not so?) imaginary Gloccamara.
BB,
NightWing
(in Colorado, USA, which is why he doesn't go himself :-)