Holiday in Cork City and wonder why you never visited this wonderful City before! Cork City, the jewel in the crown of Ireland, is young, vibrant, and full of charm. The city is awash with attractions that make for an unforgettable break.
Get captured by the hustle and bustle of the city and indulge yourself with high calibre restaurants and cafes, a diverse mix of night life, historical buildings, and an impressive shopping district. All of these attractions, and more, have all played their part in confirming Cork as one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2010 by popular travel site, Lonely Planet.
We have compiled a list of memorable and noteworthy attractions for you to visit and enjoy in Cork City and County.
Visit our page on Irish Holiday Packages for great holiday deals. To travel to Cork by ferry, book a ferry to Rosslare or a ferry to Dublin, and make the short journey by car through some of Ireland’s most beautiful scenery to Ireland’s rebel county, Cork.
The English Market
The English Market is a truly unique attraction that will literally consume your senses. This historic building, established in 1788, is a popular indoor food market for both local and international visitors.
The market is renowned for its diverse range of prime cut meats and fresh fish, tropical fruit, fine wine merchants, and other niche delicacies.
The market received a Gold Medal from the Europa Nostra heritage foundation for preserving the Victorian architecture and theme within the market after a severe fire damaged much of the market.
University College Cork
University College Cork (UCC) stands on vast and magnificent grounds just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. The university was founded in 1845 and was originally named Queen’s College Cork. Many monarchical monuments and statues remain in place to this day.
The campus overlooks the city from its vantage point and contains a mix of historic and contemporary buildings. Contained within the quadrangle corridors you will find many restored Ogham Stones and beautiful writings of Celtic origin.
The on campus Lewis Glucksman Art Gallery contains over 350 works in its collection and holds many art exhibitions throughout the year.
The Crawford Art Gallery
The Crawford Art Gallery building dates back to 1724 and is a magnificent example of Georgian architecture in Cork city. The gallery contains a strong collection of 18th & 19th century Irish and European art. The gallery also includes Greek and Roman statues cast by renowned Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. More than 200,000 visitors are attracted each year to the 2,500 strong paintings, sculptures, prints, and various other works of art.
Festivals of Cork
The Cork Jazz Festival sponsored by Guinness attracts thousands of visitors in October to the bars, clubs, and even streets of Cork to join in a mardi gras style celebration of Jazz. The Cork Film Festival is another popular festival that celebrates the production of fine film and culture, from big budget films to independent films and documentaries. The Cork Film Festival occurs every November and has been running since 1956. It is a major showcase for Irish film production.
During June and July each year, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork’s largest stadium, plays host to a number of concerts in a large marquee. Acts that have played the annual “Live at the Marquee” music festival include Paul Simon, Jay Z, Paul Wheeler, Kanye West, and Christy Moore.
Sport in Cork City
Cork has a proud and enthusiastic sporting tradition with Munster playing nearly half their home matches at Musgrave Park and the remainder in Thomond Park, Limerick. Cork people are also very loyal and passionate about their Gaelic games with the footballers and hurlers strongly supported across the region. Hurling and football are the national sports of Ireland and attending a game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh during the summer months is practically a requirement by law!
Cork City Shopping
Cork City always had strong shopping quarters, but recent developments in the city centre are making Cork City an absolutely fantastic place to shop in. The city centre has undergone a major pedestrianisation and redesign and these changes have further connected the high street stores with the side street boutiques that are spread throughout the city.
Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre, Debenhams, Patrick Street, Blackpool Shopping Centre, Paul St. Shopping Centre, Mahon Point Shopping Centre, Wilton, and the newly developed Dunnes Stores Shopping Centre on Patrick Street are just some of the key shopping districts in Cork City.
Cork Opera House
The centrally located 1,000 seated Cork Opera House is home to many great productions throughout the year, and not just opera. The cream of Irish comedians, the works of playwrights both past and present, drama, classical dance, and musicians, have all graced the stage at the mainstay of Cork culture that is the Cork Opera House.
The Half Moon Theatre within the Opera House serves as a popular night time venue with an active programme of live concerts and DJs.
Cork City Gaol Heritage Centre
The Cork City Goal was opened in 1824 in order to contain those who had contracted the gaol fever. The castle like building later became an all female prison until it was shut down in 1923 and the remaining inmates were either released or transferred. The building has since become a tourist destination with a popular prison tour featuring wax statues and staged cells that resonate the eeriness of being an inmate in a 19th century prison.
Shandon Bells
Shandon Bells, or the Church of St Anne as it is formally known, is a Church located on the hilly north side of Cork City that can be seen towering above rooftops from the City below it. The Church contains 8 bells which visitors can ring from the first floor. Shandon Bells is locally known as The Four Faced Liar due to slightly different times being shown on each of the four faces of the tower. Tours of the Church are available all year around.
Blackrock Castle Observatory
Blackrock Castle Observatory is a 16th century castle with an astronomy centre. The exhibition is themed “The Search for Extreme Life in the Universe” whereby you receive a virtual and interactive tour of the universe, the stars, and the cosmos. A popular highlight includes the ability to beam a composed message into space in the hope of making contact!
St. Finbarre's Cathedral
St. Finbarre's Cathedral is spectacular cathedral located near the grounds of U.C.C. and is one of Cork’s most recognisable landmarks. The cathedral was lavishly built and has undergone many alterations from its medieval origins to a Neo-Classical building in the mid 18th century to the French Gothic style that is currently in place. The grounds are one of the finest examples of religious architecture of their kind in Europe and contain many artefacts as well as a beautifully managed garden.
Within the cathedral is a cannonball which was fired at, and subsequently destroyed, the steeple during an attack in 1865.
Cork Butter Museum
The Cork Butter Museum celebrates the history of the production of butter in Cork during the 18th and 19th century. The museum details the commercial and social importance of this trade to the people of Cork as well as the traditional techniques used by dairy farmers and producers. The Cork Butter Exchange was once the largest butter market in the world but it closed in 1924 and is now home to the Shandon Craft Centre.
Franciscan Well Brewery
The Franciscan Well Brewery is a local brewery that brews its very own unique beers including stout, ale, wheat beers, and lagers. The only venue where you can enjoy the beers is the bar within the brewery itself. The bar contains a massive open plan beer garden from which you can view the copper vats that are used to brew the beer.