CORK TRAVEL GUIDE: 30+ Best Things to Do in Cork, Ireland
Places to See | Where to Shop | Where to Stay | Restaurants Serving Traditional Food | Transportation
CITY
Cork city sits on the River Lee and is the third largest city in all of Ireland. It is known for its musical culture, art, and delicious Irish cuisine. The population is around 125,000.
MONEY
In Ireland, the Euro is used.
LANGUAGE
Irish and English
WEATHER
July is the hottest month in Cork, it averages 60°F (16°C). On the other end, the coldest is usually January at 41°F (5°C). Winter months have a lot of rainfall, peaking at 150 mm. It is lowest in the summer where it can be just 60 mm.
PLACES TO SEE IN CORK
BLARNEY CASTLE & BLARNEY STONE
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The most famous parts of the estate are the castle and gardens, which are both enormous and beautiful. The Blarney Castle itself is large and has many different walls. To kiss the Blarney stone, you have to hold onto a railing and lean back over the tall distance between the top of the wall and the ground. It is said to give the gift of eloquent speech to all who embrace it with their lips.
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
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Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Parish sits on River Lee and very close to where the shopping streets are located in Cork City Centre. The architecture is interesting and worthy of a detour when sightseeing in Cork. The church is located at 7 Father Mathew Quay.
PUB HOPPING IN CORK
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This is a popular tradition of visiting many pubs within Cork. Some of the most notable are South County Bar, The Poor Relation Pub, Mutton Lane Inn, Dan Lowery's Tavern, The Rob Roy, and The Corner House.
ELIZABETH FORT IN BARRACK STREET
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This 17th-century fort had the city grow around it, using the building as a prison, barracks, and police station. It is open for viewing from 12 pm to 5 pm on Sundays and 10 am to 5 pm from Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed on Mondays.
ST. PETER AND PAUL’S CHURCH
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St Peter and Paul’s Church is a Catholic Church which is quite popular in Cork. It is worth visiting to see the true daily life of the Irish Catholics. It has been open since 1866.
ST. ANNE'S CHURCH SHANDON
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St. Anne’s Church Shandon is located in the Shandon District of Cork. Finished in 1726, it has a great view of the River Lee and has many visitors still to this day. The bells in the church ring for special events, and have done so for hundreds of years.
FITZGERALD PARK
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This park is open from 10 am to 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 8:30 am to 9 pm during weekdays. This is a large green space that has a fountain, museum, walking paths, sculptures, and well-kept landscaping.
BALLYCOTTON CLIFF WALK
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The Ballycotton Cliff Walk is a cliff track from Ballycotton village to the Ballyandreen Beach. On this, you see a meadow on one side and the ocean on the other. It is over five miles, so prepare yourself before you attempt this walk.
GLENVIEW GARDENS & HOBBIT HOUSE
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These gardens and a replica of a hobbit home from Lord of the Rings attract thousands of visitors every year. It is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day, except for Tuesdays when it is closed. It is a magical place—not just for kids but for adults as well.
FOTA WILDLIFE PARK
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The Fota Wildlife Park is 100 acres of protected wildlife on an island near Cork. Annually, about 440,000 visitors view the island and its animal inhabitants. It is open from 10 am to 4:30 pm every day.
CAMDEN FORT MEAGHER
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Camden Fort Meagher is a coastal defense building created almost four hundred years ago. Most of the fort is actually underground in vast tunnels. The cost of visiting is five Euros for an adult. Private sessions need to be reserved for the winter when the fort is closed off to the public.
OTHER PLACES TO SEE IN CORK
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Spike Island Prison
Go to Nano Nagle Place for beautiful gardens
University College Cork
Collins Barracks, Cork Military Museum
Crawford Art Gallery
Ballincollig Regional Park
St Fin Barre’s Cathedral
Blackrock Castle
Everyman Theater
Triskel Arts Center
Butter Museum
Cork Opera House
The Lough Cork
Red Abbey Cork
WHERE TO SHOP IN CORK
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PATRICKS STREET
St. Patricks Street is the main shopping center in the city of Cork. Twice it has won the award of the best shopping street in Ireland. Some stores you can find here include Pandora, Holland & Barrett, Penneys, and Brown Thomas.
MERCHANTS QUAY SHOPPING CENTRE
This location is open from 9 am to 9 pm on Friday, 2 pm to 6 pm on Sunday and 9 am to 6 pm every other day. Here you can find a retro-inspired shopping area with many stores, such as Debenham’s, Mark and Spencers, and Dunnes Store.
WILTON SHOPPING CENTRE
On Thursdays and Fridays, this location is open from 9 am to 9 pm, and on Sundays, it is open from 12 pm to 6 pm. Every other day it is open from 9 am to 7 pm. This modern shopping center has it all, from clothing stores to video game stores to restaurants.
THE ENGLISH MARKET
Open from 8 am to 6 pm every day except for Sundays when it's closed, the English Market is an 18th century inspired market. Here you can find organic produce and locally produced foods. Perfect for anyone wanting to taste a bit of the true Ireland while they visit.
Lets be friends!
WHERE TO STAY IN CORK
5 Star: Hayfield Manor Hotel ($250 a night)
4 Star: The Kingsley Hotel ($112 a night)
3 Star: Garnish House ($95 a night)
RESTAURANTS SERVING TRADITIONAL FOOD IN CORK
Photo: Electric Cork
RESTAURANTS SERVING TRADITIONAL FOOD IN CORK
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ELECTRIC CORK
The Electric Cork restaurant is one of the best eating places in Cork. Going there is an experience. For those eager to try fish and chips, be sure to visit their fish bar for the traditional fish and chips as well as other seafood dishes. The location is open from 10 am till late, every day.
LIBERTY GRILL
This restaurant, which is open from 8 am to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Sundays, and open from 8 am to 9 pm every other day, is a center for some New England inspired dishes. This bistro style setting has porridge, salads, wine, and seafood, among many other dishes.
MARKET LANE
This restaurant serves many Irish foods, such as seafood pasta, lamb plates, trouts, and steaks. It is open from 1 pm to 9:30 pm on Sundays, 12 pm to 10 pm on Thursdays, 12 pm to 10:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and every other day it is open from 12 pm to 9:30 pm.
CORK LOCAL FOODS
Salmon on Soda Bread: Irish smoked salmon on a traditional brown soda bread. It is very simple yet contains the spirit of delicious Irish seafood.
Tripe and Drisheen: Drisheen is a pudding made out of blood, fat, and breadcrumbs. It is boiled and cooked in an intestine. This is a true Irish specialty, and may not be suitable for all.
Bacon and Cabbage: This is a traditional family meal in Ireland, mixing bacon and cabbage up together. It is commonly also used with white parsley sauce.
TRANSPORTATION IN CORK
Airport: Cork Airport is the third largest airport in Ireland, serving 2.3 million passengers in 2017.
Buses: Bus Eireann services the Cork area. A single ticket costs €2.10.
Taxis: Many taxi companies operate inside of Cork, such as Cork Taxi Co-Op, Satellite Taxis, ABC Taxis, and Sun Cab.
Text by Alex Orr: Alex is from Bentonville, Arkansas. His favorite hobbies include reading novels and comics. He also loves to travel and would do so more often if it wasn’t so expensive.
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