No, Cork didn't get its name from the brewing industry that thrives in the city. Murphy's and Bemish are world-famous beers, but other fluids put the cork in Cork, which comes from the Gaelic "corcaigh," meaning marsh. Cork City is built on water. Indeed, the city center is on an island in the River Lee, just upstream from the Cork Harbour, and the river divides the city into distinct north and south regions. Throughout its 1,000-plus years of existence, Cork has been an important port and mercantile center. Its rich history includes invasions by the Vikings and Normans. Cork, the second-largest city in Ireland with about 175,000 people, is also the site of the University College, an international jazz festival and many cathedrals. The city is the focal point of County Cork, the largest of the nation's 32 counties with a land area of 2,880 square miles.