Cork Night Life

daveohdave

It's a long time since I did a pub crawl in from Blackpool - about which my friends made the same claims - but I drive up and down the street fairly regularly and all I see on the street are regular people, plus the occasional drunk, which is par for the course anywhere in Cork, or Ireland for that matter.

Funnily enough my friends never complained about pub crawls up or down Barracka, despite a much larger complement of drunks - ourselves included - and the ever-present whispers of stabbings.

Fear of the unknown. I'd say most of the naysayers have never set foot in the Northside.

Rebecca Gleeson

Thanks lads! Must say i was a bit put off after reading the comments but id hate to loose that much money like.

Rebecca Gleeson

Any of ye ever do the cork city pub crawl or the rebel one?

who_me

Is it the Maldron you're staying at? If so, it's fine, you're about 1-2 minutes walk from the Opera House, not in the middle of some ghetto! Yes, you'd find drunks stumbling about even during the day, as you'll find in most other areas around the city centre, or any other Irish city centre. It's a nice spot actually, near Shandon and the Firkin Crane centre.

Back to the original question: could check out this thread too for some suggestions.

Was in Deep South at the weekend (reasonably sized bar, big beer garden, newly opened) and it was hopping, good atmosphere in there. Very central, perfect for a bank holiday weekend. Also tried the Bowery.. a club with a nice roof-top bar; great in hot weather!

Rebecca Gleeson

Staying in the Shandon area, after hearing its real rough. Thanks for the commment

Dixie Chick

Shandon Street is NOT that rough for goodness sake. I live just off Shandon street, yes there are pubs etc on the street and can be the odd drunk or quarehawk around but there is no need to be rebooking, you will be FINE. There are a good few hostels around Shandon as well and August will see it busy with tourists, you will be fine!!!

Now, for pubs etc

22 and 23, ye need to go to Sober Lane. You can get Pizza and a pitcher of beer for €20 (or a bottle of wine) and its a busy young pub. They do other lovely food as well. Its good craic for a night
As you are Shandon, definitely try a restaurant on the North Quay called the BierHalle 9well its called something like the Riutic Stone now) but its a cool menu with all craft beers and its reasonable too. Over the bridge then, and you are into the city!
The Vicarstown Bar is a popular spot at the moment and once you are in the area you ahev lots of bars and clubs etc as this is where the student life is, and also generally busy besides that

Ye will have a great time!!

ETA: Barrack Street has the likes of Tom Barrys which has a lovely Beer Garden and also Fionnbarras on Douglas street has a huge beer garden and a nice crowd generally.

SusieBlue

Bar/Pub wise you couldn't go wrong with Sobar Lane, the bodega, and SoHo. Also love the new An Brog since they done it up. All also do lovely food and cocktails apart from An Brog.

Club wise I wouldn't go past Voodoo Rooms, only decent spot in town at the moment IMO! Always very busy tho so go early if your going all. Havanas is good too but quite a young crowd and horrible door staff.

Places to avoid would be The Hanover, which is a lovely vene but very rough and The Savoy which is like a kids disco and also very rough.

Have fun

Rebecca Gleeson

@ DIXIE CHICK that's what everyone's been saying, in sure its a ok area if there's tourist around, was going to go to so ho for food but read the prices and that's a no go.

evilivor

Rebecca Gleeson wrote: »

Staying in the Shandon area, after hearing its real rough. Thanks for the commment

Shandon is absolutely fine – that hostel is busy and only a few minutes from town.

Rebecca Gleeson

Thanks all for the comments :-)

Rebecca Gleeson

Heard the Shandon bells is something to do can ring the bells when you get to the top

Dixie Chick

Rebecca Gleeson wrote: »

@ DIXIE CHICK that's what everyone's been saying, in sure its a ok area if there's tourist around, was going to go to so ho for food but read the prices and that's a no go.

Oh Soho are expensive alright. Definitely go for the Bierhalle and Soberlane, you wont go wrong price wise

Soho is nice, but its expensive, the cocktails are very expensive, almost a tenner a pop, not worth it really.

There are lots of palces that do a set menu, you will see it on the boards outsides the restaurants. Honestly Cork is a great city!

Oh ya, a restaurant right next to ye, called The Four Liars (named after the Shandon tower) has a byob menu for drink so ye could eat there and brink some wine for a small corkage fee!!!

Rebecca Gleeson

Thanks Dixie chick looking forward to it now

yenom

Rebecca Gleeson wrote: »

I wouldn't know cork, should have looked up the area first.

Stay with Shandon. It's fine. All you have here is a load of Southsiders making the most of it. It's fine. I've often gone drinking in the pubs around that area.

Rebecca Gleeson

Thanks in sure it will be grand

Rebecca Gleeson

*im

daveohdave

The service in Deep South is cat, I won't be going in there again.

Rebecca Gleeson

Where's that dave?

who_me

daveohdave wrote: »

The service in Deep South is cat, I won't be going in there again.

Weirdly, I've found it pretty good, even when busy - as it was this bank-holiday weekend. I buy at the front of the bar as I walk in and it's always been quieter there than back further. Outside there are two bars in the beer garden, and the one at the very back is generally not that bad.

Rebecca Gleeson

Any of ye tried Cubin's????

SusieBlue

Rebecca Gleeson wrote: »

Any of ye tried Cubin's????

Closed down last June, and has since reopened as The Hanover. Very rough crowd, wouldn't go near the place when it was Cubins let alone now. Not a great spot, scummy enough in my own experience. It also wouldn't attract any crowd at all, being so near other well established clubs (The Bowery, Havanas and Voodoo). The fact that they have free entry all weekend says a lot!

Rebecca Gleeson

Ok stay away from there then, my partner wanted too go there.

DrBass

gimmick wrote: »

Ive never seen a junkie in Cork.

Are you being serious?

daveohdave

I couldn't say I've seen many readily-identifiable junkies either, despite having lived in the city centre for a time, and having worked and had friends in the Northside. Plenty of winos and shedloads of drunks, but very few junkies. Where do ye be hanging out exactly? Are they special junkies, do they look significantly different to Spud and the gang?

Rebecca Gleeson

Are any of the pubs/clubs ye recommended hard to get into? Heard corks nearly impossible to go out in with the bouncers, i don't look 23 at all.

Rebecca Gleeson

Not going to be hanging around most days, doing tours and that.

SusieBlue

Rebecca Gleeson wrote: »

Are any of the pubs/clubs ye recommended hard to get into? Heard corks nearly impossible to go out in with the bouncers, i don't look 23 at all.

You wouldn't want to be too drunk trying to get into Havanas or Voodoo, particularly Havanas. Just once you behave yourself in the queue and aren't off your face you should be okay. Also, the earlier the better, try to be at whichever venue you choose before half 11, the earlier you go in, the better your chances.

Cork door security are notorious for being on power trips. Most of the pubs are grand, just those two clubs, and maybe Reardens and The Bowery that would be iffy.

Rebecca Gleeson

@ white rose thanks

Pablo Escobar

gimmick wrote: »

Ive never seen a junkie in Cork. Shandion street is not all that bad. Nicer areas around certainly, but far from the worst.

I'm usually not one to scaremonger and I don't pass by Shandon Street too often, but anytime I've been there recently, I've seen trouble. The last time I saw the Off-License at the bottom being attacked by a gang of youths. It's certainly not a desirable area at the moment.

As for junkies, they are everywhere. It used to not be like this.

stylie

Shandon is fine, people are making it out to be like the bronx. You can get mugged anywhere in Cork which goes the same for any City.
I would pub crawl Plunkets St, the western road, north main street and finally Baracks street. Then on your second day start on McCurtain St and drink towards the strip clubs. Blarney St is a good pub crawl but make sure to get a cab to the top and drink downhill.

The number 215 passes the Commons Inn every 30mins but going by some of the posters here they never stepped foot on a bus in their lives. The Commons has the added benefit of potential fights on your step depending on whose wedding,christening,communion,conformation, wake or funeral it is.