Great Leap Forward

Failed industrialization campaign undertaken by the Chinese communists between 1958 and early 1960. Mao Zedong hoped to develop labour-intensive methods of industrialization that would emphasize manpower rather than the gradual purchase of heavy machinery, thereby putting to use China's dense population and obviating the need to accumulate capital. Rather than building large new factories, he proposed developing backyard steel furnaces in every village. Rural people were organized into communes where agricultural and political decisions emphasized ideological purity rather than expertise. The program was implemented so hastily and zealously that many errors occurred; these were exacerbated by a series of natural disasters and the withdrawal of Soviet technical personnel. China's agriculture was severely disrupted, causing widespread famine in 1958–62. By early 1960 the government had begun to repeal the Great Leap Forward; private plots were returned to peasants, and expertise began to be emphasized again.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Leap, County Cork

Leap is a common English word, referring to a jump, see the Leap

Leap (Leim Ui Dhonnabhain in Irish) is a village in County Cork in Ireland. Its full Irish name means "O'Donovan's Leap" and is derived from the story of a chieftain called O'Donovan, who was pursued by English soldiers, but escaped them by jumping across a ravine at the bottom of the village. The name is pronounced "lepp" and not "leep."

Leap is located on the main west cork road (N71) which runs through West cork from Cork city (one hour drive away). It is in the parish of Kilmacabea which also includes Glandore village.

In the village itself it currently has 5 bars, of which 2 serve food and one is a music venue, furniture & hardware stores, a petrol station/post office/shop, and 2 other shops. There is also a gaelic football pitch at the bottom of the village.

It is used as a base for travelling around West cork and for sampling local tourist attractions including horse riding, various water sports, walking, golfing etc. nearby (30min) villages/towns are Skibbereen, Baltimore, Castletownshend, Union Hall, Glandore, Rosscarbery, Drinagh and Clonakilty.

Connolly's of Leap, a bar and musical venue closed in 2007. It had been a pub since 1810.