Cork Tours

About Cork

Cork is Ireland's second city and its unofficial food capital. The city centre sits on an island in the River Lee, with the English Market — a covered food hall trading since 1788 — at its heart. Inside, stalls sell local specialities from artisan cheeses and fresh Atlantic fish to spiced beef and buttered eggs. Above the trading floor, the Farmgate Café serves the market's own ingredients with a view of the bustle below. North of the centre, the steep streets of Shandon climb to St. Anne's Church, where visitors can ring the famous Shandon Bells. To the south, St. Fin Barre's Cathedral anchors the university quarter, and University College Cork's campus spreads along the Western Road. Cork is a city of narrow lanes, independent shops, and a food and drink scene that rivals Dublin's at a fraction of the pace. The surroundings match the city for variety. Blarney Castle, 8 kilometres northwest, is a 15th-century tower house built by the MacCarthy clan in 1446. Visitors lean back over the battlements 27 metres up to kiss the Blarney Stone for the legendary "gift of eloquence." Cobh, the colourful harbour town 25 minutes east by commuter rail, was the last port of call for the RMS Titanic on 11 April 1912 — the Titanic Experience museum occupies the original White Star Line ticket office. Kinsale, 30 kilometres south, is known as the gourmet capital of Ireland, with a harbour-front strip of restaurants, Charles Fort, and the Old Head headland. Further afield, West Cork opens up along the coast toward the Beara and Mizen Head peninsulas, marking the start of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Jameson Distillery at Midleton, 25 kilometres east, offers tours through the original whiskey-making buildings.