Why You Should Visit Cork

Have a meal in Ireland’s food capital

Cork is rightfully known as Ireland’s food capital, thanks to a winning combination of high-quality local producers and a slew of talented chefs. Whether you’re browsing the centuries-old English Market’s overflowing stalls or sampling dishes at the best of the city’s many cafes and restaurants, Cork has a strong food culture. This is likely to be the most important reason why you should visit cork.

Gain a better understanding of coffee culture

Cork’s first love is food, but coffee is quickly catching up. Cork City is full of fantastic cafes where you can try some of Ireland’s best native coffee roasters. Cork Coffee Weekend, which takes place in January, is an annual showcase of the city’s best independent coffee shops. If you prefer hot chocolate, O’Conaill’s hot chocolate and coffee shop, a local favourite, is widely regarded as the best in the country.

Take part in Ireland’s largest Jazz Festival

Every October, the Cork Jazz Festival, which was founded in 1978 and is sponsored by Guinness, draws tens of thousands of music fans to Cork, making it one of the most successful festivals of its kind. The festival continues to attract major headliners despite having hosted such jazz greats as Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and Mel Tormé over the years. Robert Glasper, a Grammy winner, and Rodrigo and Gabriela, an acoustic guitar duo, were among the headliners in 2016. During the festival, acts from outside the jazz world perform in pubs and venues throughout the city. Live at the Marquee and the Cork Midsummer Festival are two notable festivals in Cork.

Find out where Michael Collins stayed the night before he died

If you’re interested in Irish history, stay at the Imperial Hotel on South Mall in Cork, where famous Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins spent his final night. Collins was killed in an ambush by Irish Republicans who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which he had helped to negotiate, on August 22, 1922, in the village of Béal na Bláth, after setting out from here for a tour of West Cork.

Learn about the city’s turbulent history

Visit the city’s Military Museum at Collins Barracks, the Cork City Gaol, where revolutionary nationalist Constance Markievicz and other rebels were once imprisoned, or the prison at Spike Island to learn more about Cork’s pivotal role in the Irish War of Independence.

Bishop Lucey Park, to see the old city walls

Cork was once a completely walled city, with fortified gates at the North and South Gate Bridges, though only small sections of the original fortifications remain today. Following extensive damage during the Siege of Cork in 1690, it is thought that the old walls and defensive towers were either demolished or left to decay. During the construction of Bishop Lucey Park in the 1980s, a section of the 17th-century city wall was discovered, along with artefacts from the period, which are now on display at the Cork Public Museum.

The Shandon Bells are to be rung

Since 1722, when it replaced another church destroyed during the Siege of Cork, St. Anne’s Church has stood on its current site in Cork’s Shandon district. It has become a well-loved landmark as the city’s oldest church in continuous use. Because each clock tells a slightly different time, the clock tower is affectionately referred to as “The Four Faced Liar” by locals. But it is the bells of St. Anne’s that inspired the song “The Bells of Shandon.” Visitors to the church can climb the 132 steps to the belfry and ring the six-tonne set of eight bells for themselves, which are among the country’s last remaining original 18th century church bells, as well as enjoy panoramic views of the city.

To tour one of the country’s most beautiful public buildings

The Lewis Glucksman Gallery, designed by Irish architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, has won numerous awards, including the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland’s Best Public Building Award in 2005. The gallery’s architecture has received a UK Civic Trust award as well as a RIBA award. It is described as the “cultural and artistic centre” of the University College Cork campus.

At Blackrock Observatory, you can go stargazing

Blackrock Castle Observatory, whose interactive Cosmos at the Castle exhibition has been recognised internationally as an outstanding themed attraction, moved into a 16th-century castle just outside of Cork City in 2007. Visitors can learn about the origins of the universe and get a closer look at the night sky as part of the self-guided tour. As part of the launch of Ireland’s first-ever satellite, the Observatory has just announced that it will begin developing an outreach programme.

Hear Cork’s unique accent

People from Cork are said to have one of Ireland’s most distinctive accents, a lilting brand of Hiberno-English that is often described as musical – see, for example, an interview with Olympic medal-winning rowers Paul and Gary O’Donovan (from Skibbereen). The Cork accent has been mocked by comedians such as Tommy Tiernan, but it is ranked among the best Irish accents in at least one survey.

This is why we strongly believe you should visit Cork at least once!