TwoTravelers

We'll be traveling by car to Cork for the nights of Monday and Tuesday, November 10 and 11, and staying at a B&B in the Killard Blarney area. I need to be at the Imperial Hotel on the South Mall in Cork's city center early Tuesday evening. Any suggestions on what to see & do in downtown Cork and surrounding ares for two days?

DavidD

TT,

There is much to see and do in the greater Cork area. A day trip south to the seaside town of Kinsale would be a good starting point. The town features many fine upscale eateries, good shopping opportunities, a compact, very walkable downtown, and one compelling historic site, Charles Fort. You can reach the fort by taking a pleasant and highly scenic walk through Scilly. Consider having lunch at the nearby Bulman Pub.

Another option is heading west into west Cork. Here you'll find some of Ireland's most underrated countryside and most appealing villages, including Glandore, Timoleague, and Castletownshend. The scenery along west Cork's byways is most pleasant. Make a point of having lunch or dinner at Mary Ann's, in Castletownshend, called the "best pub in the world" by novelist Edna O' Brien.

That's just the tip of west Cork's tourist possibilities; learn more by picking up Fodor's very informative and readable guide to Eire, which features a good west Cork itinerary.

Best of luck.

cd

OK, a very touristy thing to do but fun, we kissed the Blarney Stone! We also enjoyed the seaside town of Kinsale.

TwoTravelers

Thanks for reply to my inquiry about what to do in and around Cork. Kinsale sounds very interesting and is highly recommended by many. We'll try to vist there one day while in the Cork area. Any thing of particular interest in downtown Cork for us to see the afternoon prior to my brief 6 PM appointment at The Imperial Hotel on The South Mall? TwoTravelers.

Budman

The stench of the Murphy's brewery as we drove through Cork left a lasting impression. Maybe a tour and a couple of pints at the brewery could cure it.

I would also vote for a day trip to Kinsale for shopping, lunch, and touring around.

I wouldn't think of kissing that stone -- it was awful looking. They's have to pour a lot beer on it for me to even get close. There's roamer that the Irish pee on it after hours. That's how it looked to me.

Clifton

I've been in downtown Cork and honestly I think there's a reason why guide books have so little mentioned as to "in-town" things to do in Cork. Busy, a bit rough, industrial harbor town. Not horrible or anything, but not that much attraction for me. Get out of the city to nearby places, as other's suggest. Kinsale, Blarney, etc.

Another nice place nearby is the small town of Cobh. Just a little waterfront town, but pleasant. There's a train from Cork direct to Cobh.

Ardfert

Cork is an old industrial city which at one time had a Ford Motor Plant-the Ford ancestors were from County Cork.All that is now gone but it has big pharmaceutical plants instead including a large Pfizer plant which makes Viagra.There are many students in the city with over 10,000 attending University College alone so it has lots of young people and a good night life.Where you see the term Boolean mathematics (widely used in the computer business) it all started with a professor of mathematics in the university over 100 years ago.Monastic settlements in the area go back over a thousand years and you can see the remains in places like Gougane Barra and several coastal towns in the county.West Cork is quite beautiful and many English,German ,Dutch and Americans retire to the area.East Cork features fine food in places like Ballymaloe.

_Del

If you would like a place that many people don't visit but is still lovely then I would recommend Youghal(Yawl). Its about 40 minure drive from Cork to the East. Parts of the movie 'Moby Dick' was shot there. It also has the second oldest church in Ireland. The town was surrounded by town walls and is still standing today. The first Potato and Tobacco was brought into Youghal. Great pubs here as well!

marcus

The centre of Cork is being done up at the moment so driving around may be a bit chaotic with all the road works. But there are a few place worth seeing anyway - all accessible by foot.
The Old Womens Gaol in Sundays Well.
Shandon Steeple.
St. Finbarres Cathedral.
A browse around "The Old English Market"
Crawford Art Gallery
The tourist information office can help you with opening times etc. It's on the Grand Parade, 2 minutes walk from the Imperial Hotel. Do allow yourself plenty of time to get to the Imperial and find parking, as it doesn't have it's own car park.
By the way - the locals do not piss on the Blarney Stone. I think they've better things to be doing than trespassing and climbing an old castle to pi*s on a stone. A rumour is just that - a rumour.

chezzle

Just got back yesterday.Stay out of Cork.We drove around for hours Saturday night looking for parking.Finally "lucked out" and ate at a college-type restaurant across from the cinema.We were asked to leave after dinner!Walked next door to a college type bar....with rap music playing...halfway through our Guiness the music was turned up full blast.As soon as we walked out the door...it was turned down.They wanted us to leave too!We are only 40...but I figured these places didn't want us there to scare away the young crowd.Cork can stick a cork in it!!!!!!Stayed at the Killarney House b&b.Total dump.The towns surrounding Cork were much more worthwhile.I'm staying in Killarney in Feb.Anyone know of a good self-catering??