Cork Travel Guide
COMPARE PRICES on all Cork Hotels
Compare prices and availability on major travel sites with one click
COMPARE PRICES on all Flights to Cork
Compare prices and availability on major travel sites with one click
This year, Cork City is the place to be. As European Capital of Culture for 2005, the Rebel City offers a jam-packed calendar of contemporary art installations, cutting-edge theater, every kind of music and dance imaginable, a vibrant children's program, craft exhibitions and fairs, and partying the way only Corkonians can -- there truly is something for everyone. And Cork has never looked better, thanks to spruced up shop fronts, abundant flower boxes, and brand-new facilities to welcome the tens of thousands of estimated visitors who will come to take part in the festivities. Naturally, with all the excitement comes the advice to book your hotel or B&B early to avoid getting shut out of all the fun.
Cork City (pop. 183,000, including environs) may be far smaller than Dublin, but to a Corkman there isn't even the remotest possibility for comparison; Cork is simply superior. Any native will tell you that his beloved Cork provides all the conveniences of a city but retains its small-town, leisurely pace of life. And don't let the size mislead you. There's a thriving arts culture in Cork, where you'll find the Crawford Art Gallery, the most important gallery outside the capital, and the refurbished Cork Opera House, packing sell-out seasons.
But Cork's real draw is its fabulous dining scene. It is a foodie's paradise, with more good restaurants per capita than anywhere else in Ireland. (Now that we mention it, that's true for the entire county of Cork. Nearby Kinsale has its own gourmet-food festival; in West Cork, seemingly every little hamlet possesses a wonderful little place to dine; and East Cork boasts the internationally acclaimed Ballymaloe House cooking school.)
In the Rebel City, check out the covered Old English Market and sample the fare, but leave room for a superb meal in one of the city's many top-flight restaurants. Though you can find Guinness drinkers everywhere in Ireland, many would argue that a true Corkonian will only drink Murphy's or Beamish, the two locally brewed stouts. (Walk into any pub and order a "home and away" and you'll be presented with a pint of Murphy's and one of Guinness.)
The city was founded by St. Finbarr in the 6th century on a swampy estuary of the River Lee. He called it Corcaigh, which means "marsh" in Irish. The Lee is near and dear to every Corkonian's heart. If you're in a pub at closing time, you might hear someone's rendition of the Cork anthem, "The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee," also known as "Da Banks." (For the full lyrics, search Celtic Lyrics at http://celtic-lyrics.com).
The city is often called "Rebel Cork" because it was a center of the 19th-century Fenian movement and played an active part in the Irish struggle for independence. But today, Cork is a busy commercial hub for the south of Ireland. Be warned that the traffic moves fast, and the locals talk even faster in their lovely singsong accent. They are also known for their particularly dry sense of humor. Cork slang is so rich, and so particular to Cork, that it makes even other Irish feel out of the loop. If you want to keep up with the locals, pick up A Dictionary of Cork Slang, by Sean Beecher, available in all Cork bookshops. While it's said that kissing the Blarney Stone (at nearby Blarney Castle) gives Corkonians their gift of the gab, in truth, most Corkonians have never kissed it. So, yes, it's touristy. But sometimes you just gotta do those touristy things.
