Cork City Guide
Cork’s residents are fiercely proud of the Republic’s second Capital, naming it the “true capital” of Ireland. With the second largest natural harbour in the world, Cork is a gateway to the wild, romantic climes of the Irish coast, and the city itself has recently been revamped, with vast urban redevelopment, a swanky new waterfront, a buzzing cultural scene, with music theatre and film festivals and of course, the famed nightlife. Cork has a fascinating but turbulent history, from its days as a seat for Perkin Warneck, a pretender to Britain’s Crown, to the burning and destruction of the medieval quarter in 1920 by Irish police reservists.
Cork is packed with cultural sights, from the Cobh Heritage Centre, with its exhibitions detailing the 19th century mass migration of the Irish people to New York, to the Cork City Gaol, with its wax figures and gory sound effects, and the Cork Public Museum, with its varied collection of relics from the city’s political history. The eco-conscious will love the Cork Vision Centre, showing the city’s attempts at conservation, and art buff should head to the Crawford Art Gallery, for exhibits of work by Irish and international artists. Nights out in Cork have progressed beyond pubs full of sozzled Stag and Hen parties, with a slick arts centre and opera house, as well as several trendy clubs and bars.
The city has garnered a well-deserved reputation as a glutton’s paradise – the county is home to two dozen farmers markets, and the locals love their grub, and it shows with scores of excellent, reasonably priced restaurants and pubs. The bustling 19th-century English Market in Cork's city centre is where you’ll find food supplied direct from local growers daily. Top buys include cheeses and cured meats from Gubbeen, pork from Caherburg, and artisan bread from Arbetus.
There are plenty of reasonably priced hotels and hostels in the city centre, but if you want to upgrade to a luxurious countryside retreat, why not hire a car and stray from the city centre? If you take the Ring of Kerry, a famous tourist route through the majestic rural scenery of County Kerry, you will find Kenmare, a picturesque village that is home to the Sheen Falls Lodge Hotel, a five star sixteenth-century manor. Lord Landsdowne’s former pile is surrounded by rivers and rugged hills, and it’s an easy walk to the grand Sheen River Falls, where you can try your hand at a spot of salmon fishing, before sending it back to the hotel kitchen for supper.
At only 20 miles from Cork’s City Centre, Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry is a boutique hotel with chic, individually designed rooms, located on an upscale farm, which provides the hotel restaurant with a glut of delicious, ethically sourced local dishes. For Car Hire to drive out to the country, try Avis or Budget Ireland, and make sure your travel insurance covers you on the road.
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