Vacation at Cork

Cork, situated in the south of Ireland, is the perfect sized town to explore on foot.  Patrick Street (sometimes known as “Parna” to the locals) has wide pavements, plenty of interesting shops, and plenty of places to pop into for coffee.  The Huguenot quarter is full of little pedestrianised streets with a huge variety of restaurants and bars to explore. When you get tired of town, a gentle stroll along the river takes you out to University College Cork, where the 40 acre campus provides some variety.  From the 19th century quad, the President”s Garden to the impressive new student centre, UCC is a peaceful place to explore.  Don”t forget to check out the exhibitions in the North Wing of the quad.  If you”re interested in art and history, the Crawford Gallery and the City Gaol provide hours of entertainment.

Regular trains run down to Cobh, with journey times of approx 30 minutes.  Located on Great Island in Cork harbour (the second largest natural harbour in the world, behind Sydney), Cobh is famous for its steep hills, colourful quayside squares and more tragically as the last calling point of the Titanic, and the location of the Lusitania mass graveyard.  The library, which used to be the old courthouse, was used as a temporary morgue for the Lusitania victims, and contains a permanent exhibition about the ship and the town”s history.   The Heritage Centre, beside the train station, is worth a visit.  While in Cobh, pop in to St Colman”s Cathedral, which houses one of the largest carillons in Europe.  Regular recitals are given which can be heard all over town.  The neo-gothic cathedral features architecture by Pugin and Ashlin, as well as a fascinating history – it took nearly 50 years to build, and remained spireless for the duration of the Second World War.

Halfway to Cobh you could always stop off at Fota, which contains one of the largest arboretums in the world, a world class golf course, as well as a wildlife reserve where emus, giraffes, lemurs and many other species roam free.  Only the cheetahs are caged, and that”s in a five acre enclosure, unlike other zoos around the world.  Fota has a very successful cheetah breeding program, and if you”re lucky you”ll visit when a new litter of cubs are just coming out to play.

Using Cork as your base, trips to Kinsale, Youghal, West Cork and even Kerry are simple.  With some of the best land in Ireland, driving through the county will show you the real meaning of the 40 shades of green.  Day trips to the Gaeltacht (Irish Gaelic speaking) island Cape Clear (Oileán Chléire) are easily arranged.  Bird watching is a particular favourite on the island, where autumn and spring migrating birds often stop off for a break.  Kinsale is the home of seafood and fine dining, while Youghal”s history is visible throughout the seaside town – the Clock Gate in the centre of town is formed from the original town walls.

Besides the overwhelming friendliness of the locals, with its own international airport, and situated just 90 minutes from Shannon, there”s no good excuse not to visit!

Useful links:

Travel Insurance: http://www.insurancebookers.ie

Cape Clear: http://www.oilean-chleire.ie/

Cobh Heritage Centre:  http://www.cobhheritage.com/

Kinsale:  http://www.kinsale.ie
Youghal:  http://www.cork-guide.ie/youghal.htm

Cork:  http://www.cork-guide.ie

Fiona O