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Street and trade directories of the principal cities and towns in Ireland are invaluable sources of information for historians, genealogists, place-name specialists, historical geographers and many other researchers. For Cork city and county, these directories date from the late 1780s to the mid-1940s and are among the most widely consulted sources in our Local Studies library. The range of information they contain is very detailed, including names of the heads of households on very many of the city streets, information on businesses, public institutions, and educational and medical establishments. The directories often have very informative and attractively designed (sample below) advertisements on businesses in the city and county.