The Cork City Council crest is an excellent example of simple, representative design, but the County Council one is much more interesting. Well, for nerds anyway. Here’s the logo:

And here’s your anecdote for the pub:

TeachNet: In May 1899 Mr. Robert Day was appointed by the Council to select the most appropriate design for the seal of Cork County Council from 65 submissions. The winning entry was from Guy and Company Ltd., Cork, and is described as follows:

“The design contains within the trefoil shape the shields of four ancient boroughs corporate, Youghal, Kinsale, Bandon and Cork, the latter occupying the central position as the chief city of the province, and which gives its name to the county. In the angles of the trefoil are placed the shields of three of the less important towns within the jurisdiction of the County Council. The whole enclosed in circular form, the upper part bearing the title and at the bottom the year of institution. The raised outer rim is composed of a running border of shamrocks. Celtic ornament is introduced into the sunk trefoil shape.”

The three towns not mentioned are Castlemartyr, Charleville and Midleton, all of which had been boroughs corporate prior to the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act, 1840. Clonakilty had also been a chartered borough but surprisingly never had a shield or coat of arms and this perhaps explains its omission from the shield.