County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is the largest and southernmost county of Ireland, situated in the province of Munster and named after the city of Cork, Ireland's second largest city. Cork County Council is the local authority for the county. Its largest market towns are Mallow, Macroom, Midleton and Skibbereen. Cork City is governed by the City Council. In 2016, the county's population was 542,196, making it the third most populous county in Ireland. Notable Corkonians include Michael Collins,Jack Lynch and Sonia O'Sullivan.