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Anyone been to Cork?

Due to visit Cork in November - anyone on here been there and have any recommendations of where to go.
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  • edited October 2018
    Blarney stone. Kissed it and lost my virginity that very night.

    (And no, it wasn't last week :-) )
  • I love Cork, but can't remember anywhere specific.
  • I've been.
    Go to Killarney, much better ;-)
  • I live in Cork.
    Where are you staying & for how long?
    I have a raft of suggestions for ye.
  • I live in Cork.
    Where are you staying & for how long?
    I have a raft of suggestions for ye.

    Staying at a hotel in Blarney - just wanted to know best pubs or places to eat in Cork.
  • stonemuse said:

    Wonderful county. Take a trip around Bantry, beautiful area.

    My dad was born on Bere Island in Bantry Bay so I am a little biased, but it is a terrific place to visit.

    Next time you’re over come for a visit. Am in Baltimore. Bere Island peninsula is beautiful.
  • Will

    stonemuse said:

    Wonderful county. Take a trip around Bantry, beautiful area.

    My dad was born on Bere Island in Bantry Bay so I am a little biased, but it is a terrific place to visit.

    Next time you’re over come for a visit. Am in Baltimore. Bere Island peninsula is beautiful.
    Will let you know.
  • edited October 2018
    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?
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  • el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Nice to know there’s another fellow suffering Addick in the Rebel County!
  • el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Best restaurants / pubs.
  • el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Best restaurants / pubs.
    Best restaurants in Cork city or Cork county?
  • el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Best restaurants / pubs.
    Right but ... what kinds of restuarants and pubs? What kind of group is travelling? Is it a bunch of lads in their early 20s, a middle aged couple etc?
  • have been before but we have irish contributors on here that can probably advise you better
  • el-pietro said:

    el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Best restaurants / pubs.
    Right but ... what kinds of restuarants and pubs? What kind of group is travelling? Is it a bunch of lads in their early 20s, a middle aged couple etc?
    Just looking for something traditional and Irish - a bit of music thrown in. Suitable for 40+ but not too quiet.
  • Sounds like you’re just staying in the city centre so?
    I was there a couple of weeks back & had great craic in the Thomond Bar. It shows all the football/rugby (it’s a ManU/Munster pub) & then has a bit of diddly diddly in the evening.
    But to be fair, there’s plenty of others that do the same.
    Enjoy x
  • The Cobh Heritage Centre is very good if you’re interested in the story of Irish emigration, covering both penal deportation to Australia and the colonies and the later mass emigration to the USA and Canada as a result of the Famine. There are also exhibitions on the area’s maritime history, including the Titanic, whose last port of call was Cobh (then known as Queenstown). We also enjoyed a tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson’s Distillery In Midleton, another attraction within easy reach of Cork City.

    We had two nights in Cork at the end of a week long road trip, taking in Kilkenny (a great place), Killarney and Kenmare and had consumed a fair bit of Guinness and Murphy’s en route. All very tasty but, in the interests of variety, we were pleased to find a thriving craft beer/real ale scene in Cork, with some very decent watering holes. It’s a while ago now but I think we went to the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub, The Porterhouse and the Bierhaus, amongst others.
  • Blucher said:

    The Cobh Heritage Centre is very good if you’re interested in the story of Irish emigration, covering both penal deportation to Australia and the colonies and the later mass emigration to the USA and Canada as a result of the Famine. There are also exhibitions on the area’s maritime history, including the Titanic, whose last port of call was Cobh (then known as Queenstown). We also enjoyed a tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson’s Distillery In Midleton, another attraction within easy reach of Cork City.

    We had two nights in Cork at the end of a week long road trip, taking in Kilkenny (a great place), Killarney and Kenmare and had consumed a fair bit of Guinness and Murphy’s en route. All very tasty but, in the interests of variety, we were pleased to find a thriving craft beer/real ale scene in Cork, with some very decent watering holes. It’s a while ago now but I think we went to the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub, The Porterhouse and the Bierhaus, amongst others.

    Will be in Blarney/Cork for three days so trying to see as much as I can. The Cobh heritage centre is definitely on my list and hopefully will make the Jameson distillery. Think I should have booked for longer...
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  • el-pietro said:

    el-pietro said:

    el-pietro said:

    I live in Cork City. What specifically are you looking for?

    Best restaurants / pubs.
    Right but ... what kinds of restuarants and pubs? What kind of group is travelling? Is it a bunch of lads in their early 20s, a middle aged couple etc?
    Just looking for something traditional and Irish - a bit of music thrown in. Suitable for 40+ but not too quiet.
    I don't think we have any "quiet" pubs, maybe during the day or mid week but very few places would be quiet at the weekend.

    If you are here in November you may be here for the Film Festival, I don't know if that's your sort of thing.
    https://corkfilmfest.org.
    You will miss the Jazz Festival though. Which is arguably a good thing as the City is swamped, but there is live music almost everywhere that weekend, 90% of it isn't Jazz either. I'll be in London that weekend for the NFL!

    Pubs:

    Music

    An Spailpín Fánach - Great pint of stout, very regular trad music playing. Usually informal with groups playing together rather than a live performance. One of the quiter pubs during the day.
    https://www.facebook.com/anspailpinfanac/

    Hi-B (or Hibernian Pub) - this can be hit or miss, its a strange spot=, very small but good stout - occasionally will have someone playing music or singing in the corner, the owner is a bit strange and throws people out for looking at the phone sometimes, I think he has calmed down on that.
    https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g186600-d1022248-Reviews-Hi_bi-Cork_County_Cork.html

    Welcome Inn - another small pub, will sometimes have someone playing a mix of modern and traditional Irish folk tunes with a guitar
    http://www.thewelcomeinncork.com/

    Coughlans - Probably my geographic local. Fantastic pub that often has live music though you may need to pay to get into the music venue which is ridiculously small and has surprisingly good acoustics. Its smaller than most peoples living rooms. The pub itself is larger though with several areas.
    http://www.coughlans.ie/index.php?page=whats-on

    Sin É - Very popular with tourists, they will have trad here.
    https://www.corkheritagepubs.com/pubs/sin-e/

    An Bodhran - Literally named after a musical instrument.
    https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g186600-d3384010-Reviews-An_Bodhran_Bar-Cork_County_Cork.html

    The Oliver Plunkett/Frisky Whiskey Bar - Not what I'd call traditional, though the Frisky Whiskey is definitely going for that. You will definitely find music here. Not a place I prefer but its definitely very popular. From memory this has always been one of the more expensive bars.
    https://www.theoliverplunkett.com/
    https://www.theoliverplunkett.com/frisky-whiskey-bar/


    Crane Lane - More of a late bar, can be extremely busy, but will sometimes have bands on the stage in the theatre. It also connects to Aurther Maynes which is interesting. It started out as a way to give the Crane Lane an additional exit but has turned into a popular spot. Its an old pharmacy that has been converted into a bar. I think they do tapas and that sort of thing too.
    https://www.cranelanetheatre.ie/
    https://www.corkheritagepubs.com/pubs/arthur-maynes/

    Traditional - non Music

    The Castle Inn - some American friends of mine who were here for work love this place. I think its a bit gimmicky but they do a great pint. Lovely people running it though and the snug is great if you can get in. Definitely worth checking out.
    http://www.munsterpubs.com/2004/12/the-castle-inn/

    Callanans - Similar to the castle, both look a bit rough on the inside but do a great pint of stout. I think the correct term is "rustic"
    https://www.yelp.ie/biz/callanans-bar-cork

    Mutton Lane - Great pub on Patricks Street (the main street). We'd often drop in for one last pint on the way home. I'd highly recommend stopping in for a bit at lest. Its near everything.
    https://www.corkheritagepubs.com/pubs/the-mutton-lane/

    The Oval - personal favourite of mine. Maybe more of a younger spot - they will play indie music but its a great spot for a quiet conversation https://www.corkheritagepubs.com/pubs/the-oval/

    Tom Barrys - great beer garden, I haven't been up in a few years, and I hear they do pizza nowadays. Named after a great military leader from the War of Independence.
    http://www.thejournal.ie/tom-barrys-pub-cork-4220228-Sep2018/


    If you want some good beer
    Franciscan Well - Semi Independent Brewpub that sells Franciscan Well beer, the Brewery was bought by Miller Coors a few years back. Mixed crowd, can be a lot of after work drinkers on a Thursday. Great stone baked pizza.
    http://www.franciscanwellbrewery.com/en/brew-pub

    Bier Haus - Narrow pub that has about 20ish taps of craft beer, plus many more in the beer fridges. You might run into me here.
    http://thebierhauscork.com/?s=about

    Abbots Ale House. Craft Beer pub run by a crazy Russian guy who might be the nicest man alive. Probably not as big a selection as Bier Haus but they will have a lot of the better beers available. Very likely to run into me here in the main downstairs bar. It can get very warm upstairs.
    https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g186600-d1489800-Reviews-Abbot_s_Ale_House-Cork_County_Cork.html

    Fionnbarras - bit of a mix between Craft Beer and Traditional - nice beer garden. They do food but its not great. Bit of a hidden gem but it will be busy you just aren't likely to meet many tourists here. Just down the road from Coughlans mentioned above, and named after St. Finnbarr of Cork. He has a beautiful Chuch of Ireland cathedral named for him in the City. You can't miss it it dominates the southerly facing views.
    https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g186600-d3428496-Reviews-Fionnbarra_s_Pub-Cork_County_Cork.html


    If you see anyone trying to push you towards the Cork Heritage Pubs tell them to piss off. I've named the handful of decent ones above (The Oval, Sin É, Crane Lane and Muton Lane) but its just a series of bars owned by one guy who is trying to make them out to be this group of historical pubs, some are, some are brand new in buildings that didn't exist 10-15 years ago.

    I'll come back later with food suggestions, that will take some actual thought rather than just listing off the top of my head.

    If you need Blarney suggestions I can get those, a friend of mine is from there. Its not far from the City though.
    Cork is also pretty small and a lot of these places are very close together in one or two specific districs so you can just wander from place to place until you find something you like. A pint these days goes for somewhere from €5 to €5.50 in the city, probably cheaper in Blarney though Blarney is a bit of a tourist trap so maybe not.
    I may have mentioned "great pint of stout" for a bunch of these. Cork is home to Beamish and Murphys, which were rioriginally independent breweries, both of which are now owned by Heineken and brewed in the Old Murphys brewery. The Beamish brewery is currently being rededveloped into Student accommdation and an events centre but the facade is protected and its right across from Spalpín Fánach and maybe 100 m from the Oval so another good reason to check those pubs out. A pint of Guinness/Beamish/Murphys will be cheaper than Heineken etc, and much cheaper than craft beer.

    I spent way more time than I should have on this!
    Thanks for this - good to have some local info.
  • Amazing stuff @el-pietro, I'm planning to go in the new year myself. My nan is a Cork City girl but I've never been.
  • Is cork named after the stuff you put in wine bottles to stop the wine spilling out, or is the thing that stops wine spilling named after cork?

    It is neither. The original Irish name is Corcaigh which translates to Marsh. Many Irish place names were anglicised. Cork city is a port/harbour town and many of the main streets have rivers flowing under them that have been covered over. The city centre itself is an island as the River Lee diverges and reconnects further downriver. This occasionally leads to tidal flooding which can dissipate after a few hours. The council want to build walls along the river banks to prevent this in future but there is a grass roots campaign to introduce a tidal barrier similar to the Thames Barrier. Cork is basically a smaller version of London but with more friendly accents!
  • Blucher said:

    The Cobh Heritage Centre is very good if you’re interested in the story of Irish emigration, covering both penal deportation to Australia and the colonies and the later mass emigration to the USA and Canada as a result of the Famine. There are also exhibitions on the area’s maritime history, including the Titanic, whose last port of call was Cobh (then known as Queenstown). We also enjoyed a tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson’s Distillery In Midleton, another attraction within easy reach of Cork City.

    We had two nights in Cork at the end of a week long road trip, taking in Kilkenny (a great place), Killarney and Kenmare and had consumed a fair bit of Guinness and Murphy’s en route. All very tasty but, in the interests of variety, we were pleased to find a thriving craft beer/real ale scene in Cork, with some very decent watering holes. It’s a while ago now but I think we went to the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub, The Porterhouse and the Bierhaus, amongst others.

    Will be in Blarney/Cork for three days so trying to see as much as I can. The Cobh heritage centre is definitely on my list and hopefully will make the Jameson distillery. Think I should have booked for longer...
    Cobh is definitely worth a visit. The same friend of mine who is from Blarney currently lives in Cobh. I will get advice for both towns.
    Three days is probably plenty for Cork though. It is pretty small after all. You could be here for ever trying to try all the pubs but in terms of things to do as a tourist you'd probably run out quickly enough.
  • Blucher said:

    The Cobh Heritage Centre is very good if you’re interested in the story of Irish emigration, covering both penal deportation to Australia and the colonies and the later mass emigration to the USA and Canada as a result of the Famine. There are also exhibitions on the area’s maritime history, including the Titanic, whose last port of call was Cobh (then known as Queenstown). We also enjoyed a tour and whiskey tasting at the Jameson’s Distillery In Midleton, another attraction within easy reach of Cork City.

    We had two nights in Cork at the end of a week long road trip, taking in Kilkenny (a great place), Killarney and Kenmare and had consumed a fair bit of Guinness and Murphy’s en route. All very tasty but, in the interests of variety, we were pleased to find a thriving craft beer/real ale scene in Cork, with some very decent watering holes. It’s a while ago now but I think we went to the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub, The Porterhouse and the Bierhaus, amongst others.

    Just spotted this now. The Porterhouse didn't survive unfortunately. They didn't put enough effort into it. The Porterhouse group have several pubs including one in London in Covent Garden, but they didn't run this one themselves and basically licensed the name to a local group. I used to go regularly as the barman was sound, but stopped when I popped in on a Thursday and their two main beers were sold out, and I returned on the Sunday and the taps were still there, still no beer. They were never a priority for the Porterhouse, who have the rest of their Irish bars in and around Dublin.
  • If you are looking for good eating, there are a number of highly regarded restaurants, including a Japanese restaurant that (five months after opening - the chef did run a takeaway before that reputedly had customers coming from Dublin and Galway) has just won a Michelin star: Ichigo Ichie. It's one of three in Cork to achieve a star for the first time.

    The Irish Times have helpfully provided a list of all, including Bib Gourmands: https://irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2019-full-list-of-irish-restaurants-and-what-the-judges-said-1.3648794.

    If you are going to Cork City, can I recommend that you watch "The Young Offenders" beforehand, it'll help make you feel the place is familiar, and is quite often hilarious.

    Also, when in Cork, make like the Queen and visit the English Market.
  • Used to drink with a few blokes from Cork, they always spoke very highly of the place and its people. Always wondered what they were doing living in Gravesend tbh
  • Another vote for Bantry Bay here.
  • A lovely friendly city ...good bars and restaurants as you d expect cobh and the Jamieson distillery are must visits
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