First vist to Cork

aligator_am

Hi Gang,

Am a Dub and never been down to Cork, am planning on visiting at some point after the new year, would appreciate any tips on good spots to visit and good hotels, B&Bs etc

I know you guys have some excellent restaurants and in fairness I love seafood so I can see that being a winner

Am looking forward to heading down to your neck of the woods, I know that my dad has been all over the world and he's said the nicest folk he ever met were the Corkonians so that in itself is good enough for me.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
Al

CorkMan

I recommend seeing the Blackrock Observatory. You take the no 2 bus from besides the bus station before 6.30PM. (link i)

Shandon Bells is a great landmark of Cork. To get there look at (link ii) and you can see Shandon above the tree. If you follow where the bus is going and make the very first left and keep going straight ahead, you will arrive at Shandon Bells.

St Finbarres Cathedral is the biggest church in Cork by far and the oldest. It is in (link iii). If you get the No 14 bus on Patrick Street (Gamestop side) you will definitely see it. Patrick Street (The O' Connell Street of Cork) is a simple 10 minute walk away (most) from where you came.

The Cork City Goal is a top attraction too. It is a bit out of the way regards bus services, so I would recommend a Taxi. I went there twice in primary school, secondary school and with a course I did a couple of years back, it is definitely good. Here is the website: http://www.corkcitygaol.com/

Páirc Uh Chaoimh is another landmark. It is a 50,000 capacity standing stadium and is home to the Cork hurling and gaelic football teams. If you go into google directions and ask to get from Patrick St, Cork to Páirc Uh Chaoimh it will tell you much better than I can.


(i)http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cork,+Ireland&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.150864,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cork,+County+Cork,+Ireland&ll=51.898784,-8.466951&spn=0.00148,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.8991,-8.467407&panoid=hLfo8d-4xGPUO57z4N7HQQ&cbp=12,57.35,,0,5.54 (You queue outside the red Bus Eireann stop, to the left of the car next to the yellow pole)

(ii)http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=cork+city,+ireland&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.150864,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cork,+County+Cork,+Ireland&ll=51.900435,-8.472176&spn=0.011837,0.042272&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=51.900476,-8.472556&panoid=qyXJUsyDJ4NfcNMgpyP9nA&cbp=12,324.55,,1,-3.55

(iii)http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.894841,-8.479134&spn=0.005972,0.021136&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.894841,-8.479134&panoid=q04Y7NswvJWVMZIyEI5X_w&cbp=12,237.04,,0,-11.63

For accomodation I would recommend Fernroyd House. Here is its link on trip advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186600-d589776-Reviews-Fernroyd_House_B_B-Cork_County_Cork.html

I am not sure about SeaFood as I don't eat it, but "Cook St" off Patrick Street is the main center for all of Cork.

Balmed Out

Around the city id visit Blarney castle, St Finbarres and Shandon. The city centre isnt full of specific sites but its a lovely place to wander around. Presuming your driving then it would be a pity not to visit one or preferably both of
a) Kinsale and Charlesfort. 25 minutes drive from cork. Some nice restraunts including fishy fishy.
b) The close side of West Cork. 45 minutes drive to clonakilty. Check out Castlefreke, the galley head in ardfield just outside town. Lovely scenic walks and beaches. Also dunmore, inchadoney etc very nice in same area. Take a trip to Glandore and have a tea in Hayes looking out on the bay, check out drumbeg stone circle on the way back. Lots of good fish restraunts, in bandon check the Poachers Rest, in Clonakilty check Deasys, in Rosscarberry theres a really good one too that i cant think of name off.

magicianz

Restaurant wise, while not specialising in fish, I would recommend luigi malones, never had a bad meal there and it's just across from the opera house.

If your interested in pizza, there's a place called milano on oliver plunkett street. If you have your back to brown Thomas on patrick street, you go down Winthrop street to your left (just where it starts to bend coming from the northside) , and the next road you meet is oliver plunkett street. To the left there is various sports shops and a few restaurants and a nightclub. Milanos is on the left if you just keep walking that way. To the right there's a lot of shops, a few pubs, and probably one of the busiest pubs in the city which is the brog, right at the end of the street.

Also, when you walk down winthrop street, the GPO will be straight infront of you. Just to the left of it there's a side street. If you go down this street, on the left hand side, you will come across a small glass door and a small sign above saying "the fish hatch". Never tried it myself yet but it's a new takeaway place that specialises in fish. If anyone has any experiences of it throw em up.

glasto

Luigi's is very average, and Milanos is only a Pizza Express. I'd recommend Cafe Paradiso ( veggie food, expensive but worth it), Les Gourmandises for French food, the cafe upstairs in the English market, or Clancy's or the Woodside for pub lunches. Augustine's in the Clarion is meant to be great but I haven't tried it yet. There are loads of good places in Kinsale too.

kingtut

Don't forget your passport!!!

Ardennes1944

Theres feck all here

aligator_am

Thanks for all the replies and tips guys and gals, not too sure when I'll be heading down but would say maybe around the start of February or so, so long as the ice has melted by then

Thanks again for the advice, much appreciated.
Al

magicianz

By personal experiences I'd steer clear of clancys, 3 bad meals there, never again!

Max001

Of all the ways to describe Cork that have made me laugh over the years, 'Venice of the South' (south meaning south of Ireland) made me laugh the hardest. A local newspaper or tourist body used the term recently, I forget which. As you may gather, the city ran out of 'objectivity' long ago

Gabbro

The Cork Top Ten iPhone app lists the top 10 permanent attractions in Cork and their locations on the map - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cork-top-ten/id378765378?mt=8
It is free

Aglomerado

aligator_am wrote: »

Hi Gang,


I know you guys have some excellent restaurants and in fairness I love seafood so I can see that being a winner
Al

Greene's in MacCurtain Street has some excellent seafood, I had the monkfish there last week, gorgeous!

gbee

IMO, you can give the Blackrock Castle a miss on a normal day, not worth the trouble, the 'observatory' part is part of CIT/UCC and not normally open to the public, the other attractions are for the smallies.

Cork City Gaol, recommended.

yipyip

In my opinion I would recommend:

Food wise:

• Market lane (Oliver Plunkett St): Have not ate their yet...but great word back; suppousedly amazing food (including fish) for affordable price...
• Hardwood: Once again haven't got around to eating here but by reports v. good food!
• Star Anise (Bridge St): v good
• Augustines (in the Clarion Hotel): That bit more pricey...would recommend for evening meal out!
• Boardwalk (beside Clarion...co owned by the famous Niall Prenderville): good reasonable priced food
• Rosinnis (an Italian, on Princes St): Very good food average price of main dish is 20ish
• Old Oak (pub grub)
• Lennoxs (famous chipper)

Town wise:
Kinsale and I would recommend 'Fishy Fishy' to eat; restaurant and also take away fish and chips
Clonakilty...perhaps

Pub wise:
Tom Barrys
Long Island (Cocktail Bar)
Suas (Roof top bar)
The Old Oak (good atmosphere and live bands,,,for all ages)

Enjoy your stay

gbee

Blackrock Castle ... I'd not bother
Cork City Goal ...
Cork Museum Fitz Park ... Meh
Crawford Gallery ... depends on show if you've been to Dublin, nothing to see here.
The English Market ...
Lewis Glucksman Gallery ... not visitor friendly
Lifetime Lab .... if you are a child or parent bringing children.
Shandon Church OK Butter Museum we'll if you're in the area otherwise X
St Finbarr's ~ Chrischurch in Dublin is better
UCC ~ again not if you've seen Dublin's offerings.

Just my own opinion.

glasto

I can second Hardwood, and the Franciscan Well pub/brewery nearby.