Ringaskiddy is a small town of about 400 inhabitants located 21 kilometres south east of Cork City. The Port of Cork’s deepwater berth at Ringaskiddy is of huge importance to the region both from a commercial and a tourism perspective. Facilities at the deepwater berth can handle a range of cargo types, including roll-on roll-off, lift-on lift-off and dry bulk. Swansea-Cork Ferries operate a sailing to the UK out of Ringaskiddy, while Brittany Ferries sail out of Ringaskiddy to Roscoff, France. The village is also one of two free ports in Ireland, the other being in Shannon.

Ringaskiddy is a significant centre of pharmaceutical manufacture at an international level. Firms such as Pfizer, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson all have major production facilities at Ringaskiddy. These create high-quality employment opportunities while contributing to both the local and national economy. The industrialisation of Ringaskiddy began in 1969, when Pfizer constructed a citric acid plant in what was then a fishing village. The Pfizer Ringaskiddy complex is now the largest Pfizer production facility in the world outside the US.

The deepwater berth at Ringaskiddy is also one of Cork Harbour’s premier shore fishing location. During the winter months, bottom fishing will produce flatfish, whiting and codling. Ray is caught during the summer, while coalfish and conger can be caught all year round.

A new €52 million state of the art National Maritime College of Ireland opened its doors to students in October 2004. Located near the bridge to Haulbowline Island on a Naval Service site, the college is one of the most sophisticated centres of its kind in the world. Some 750 full-time students can be offered training at the National Maritime College through the partnership of the Navy/Cork Institute of Technology/FOCUS Education. The first third level College to be delivered under the Public Private Partnership model, the National Maritime College offers Naval training/education using Navy staff and Merchant Navy training using staff from the Cork Institute of Technology. Equipment complementing all courses is state-of-the-art and includes simulation in the areas of navigation, bridge training, communications, engineering/machinery operations, liquid cargo handling, liquid cargo damage control and vessel traffic systems. The college offers a comprehensive workshop for both seamanship and mechanical engineering, jetty and lifeboat facilities and facilities for survival training..