6 minute read
CORK CITY
CORK CITY
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With 206 places to stay, 253 places to eat, 326 things to do
Cork has always been an Atlantic City –orientated to the sea, born out of trading with the continent in the late medieval period and built and enriched by arrivals and settlers from Britain and all over Europe’s Atlantic coasts. Cork city centre is built in the embrace of two arms of the River Lee and linked by a series of bridges leading it to having the nickname “The Venice of the North”. The town itself is built upon a marsh hence the name Cork, (in Irish Corcaigh means marsh) the lazily flowing Waters of the River Lee lend to a sultry relaxed atmosphere. from the Narrow Streets on the north side of the river to the elevated views from the south, cork is a city of contrasts, history and magic.
Although not much remains of its medieval or early modern past, the streetscape is a testament to the waves of Irish, Vikings, Anglo-Normans, Huguenots, Quakers, and New English that made the city their home. The origins of Cork lie in a large 7th century monastic settlement. In the 21st century St Patricks street is the main thoroughfare in Cork City, affectionately called ‘Pana’ by older Corkonians, it is the main shopping street in Cork and the heart of the city. Since its redevelopment in 2004, it has twice won the award as Ireland’s best shopping street.
Heading away from “Pana”, Cork has a variety of offerings to visitors with some of the best food in the country being available to buy and eat in the city. Cork’s famous English Market had a royal visitor recently when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured the market while visiting the city. Mornings are the perfect time to enjoy what TV-chef Rick Stein rates as the “best covered market in the UK and Ireland”. As the city comes to life, it’s not so busy as it can get in the afternoon rush. Many of the food and deli stalls are still laying out their produce and you can pause to enjoy a coffee and a sweet treat as you wander the aisles and arcades. Leesiders have loved the English Market for two centuries and more. It’s a place to shop, meet and chat, at the heart of the city. Make sure to take your time, talk to the stall-holder, ask them about their produce and get a few samples!
To get an elevated view of Cork, from the English Market cross over the pedestrian bridge on the river and climb the short (but steep!) hill to Elizabeth Fort on Barrack Street. It’s a perfectly preserved 17th Century Star Fort, commanding views over the entire city. Walk the walls, see the great cannons and enjoy the panoramic views from the bastions. There’s a little lane beneath the walls of the Fort leading down to the river. It is Keyser’s Hill, believed to have been the first “street” in Cork, named by the Viking raiders who pulled their longboats up the Lee and settled there in the 9th century.
The bells of Shandon are a part of the skyline and are also an iconic symbol of Cork City. Once across the bridge walk back towards the city along Sunday’s Well. You might want to stop off at the historic, castellated Old Cork City Gaol for a tour, or continue straight on to the Shandon Bells in the tower at St Anne’s Church, an iconic part of city’s skyline since 1722. You can climb the tower to play pop songs on the bells and go higher for great views over the city. The celebrated Bells of Shandon are the soundtrack of Cork City and you can add your name to its playlist and let the whole city hear it when in this famous church.
Crossing the river when leaving the Shandon Bells will lead to the beautiful Fitzgerald park which is home to the Cork Public Museum. This park was named after a previous Lord Mayor of Cork in 1901, Edward Fitzgerald, it offers a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, with its beautiful tree lined avenues, brimming flower beds and rose garden to its many statues and sculptures and the large central fountain, this 18-acre park is a wonderful treat. Crossing the road will lead to University College Cork, its campus is full of many interesting buildings and features. From the Lewis Glucksman Gallery in the Lower Grounds to the Stone Corridor of the Main Quadrangle to the Crawford Observatory, UCC is a great place to spend a few hours.
Heading back towards the city at Shandon you can drop into the butter museum, it may not sound too intriguing but this
museum is full of history and has stories from right throughout the world. The Butter Exchange became the largest butter market in the world from the 1700’s onwards, and with cargo ships calling into Cork butter was exchanged for spices, tea, brandy, wine and other foreign commodities. The English and Dutch favoured lightly salted butter with the West Indies and tropics favouring heavily salted butter. The butter was then duly shipped in timber crates and firkins and shipped from Cork Harbour.
Heading slightly out of the city you can visit the Blackrock Castle Observatory, this is a stunning building that dates to the 1500’s. Today it blends both technology and history together, which makes for a compelling visit. Cosmos at the Castle is an award-winning interactive astronomy exhibition which highlights recent scientific discoveries and their implications for life in outer space. While at the Castle you can enjoy daily planetarium shows to learn about the wonders of the night sky, send a Message to Space at the Pan Galactic Station and play The Comet Chaser to save the Earth. At Blackrock Castle, you will find a working professional astronomical observatory, staffed by researchers from Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) engaged in searching for new planets around distant stars using telescopes at the castle and abroad. The integration of the public exhibition and the astronomical observatory makes this place a unique national research and education centre. Further afield on Fota Island to the north of the city centre you can see lions and cheetahs roaming the grounds of Fota Wildlife Park. This is a marvellous wildlife park that has a variety of animals and exhibitions from which you can see and learn while in the park.
A short trip back to the city centre allows you to grab a meal in any of the wonderful restaurants on offer and then visit many of the local pubs to sample Cork’s nightlife as well as having the craic with many of the local Corkonians. Cork City is vibrant, charming and you may even want to delay your journey of the Wild Atlantic Way for a day or two just to spend more time here.
