Cork Diaries

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland, after Dublin. It lies on Ireland's south coast and is connected to the sea by Cork Harbour and a slim channel called Passage West. The original city is an island enclosed by two arms of the River Lee. Today, many of Cork's tourist attractions recall its long history, and you'll find it a vibrant, lively city with plenty of things to do.

Hubby and I went to Cork during the Easter weekend in 2018. We wanted somewhere we could fly to after he finished work on Friday evening and get back late on the Sunday - Cork fit this plan perfectly and for another reason I will reveal later in the post.

So, as I mentioned before, I met him at the airport and had dinner at the airport and took a late flight to Cork. Hotel River Lee was a short taxi drive from the airport. We arrived at the hotel just before midnight Friday and we got checked in quickly. When we arrived in the room, there was a plate with a couple of pieces of macaroons and strawberries with Happy Anniversary written on it. We booked this hotel through Expedia and a few days before we were supposed to go, they called me to let me know and apologize that there will be limited bar service during our visit due to renovation. I mentioned to them then that we were visiting Cork to celebrate our wedding anniversary and she must have made a note. It was a lovely touch. Our room was clean and had all the things we needed including coffee and tea making facilities. Our room was facing the river, so it had a beautiful view of the city on the hill and of the river. The city center and all the attractions are within walking distance and there is a bus that goes past the hotel if you’d rather not walk. Breakfast wasn't included in the deal, but we decided to have breakfast at the hotel and pay extra the following morning. There was a buffet with some cooked food, breads and cereals. The service was quick, and our tea and a few pieces of bread arrived soon. I ordered fresh juice from their Juicery menu. There weren't many veg options in the hot food section apart from grilled mushroom, potatoes and tomatoes. Not sure if the breakfast was worth the €35 we paid... The young lady at the reception helped us with what we could do on that day and gave us a city map to help us navigate. When we got back in the afternoon I realised that I had lost one of the key cards. The receptionist was so kind about it and gave us another one. She also advised us on where to go for dinner. We left our bags after checking out on Sunday morning and collected them just before leaving for the airport.

As the hotel was in walking distance of all the attractions, we walked everywhere!!! On day one, after breakfast, we visited St Fin Barre's Cathedral. St Fin Barre is the patron saint of Cork, who created a monastery where the Cathedral is now. It is less than 15 minutes from the city center. It cost €6pp to enter and they use this towards the maintenance of the cathedral. The splendour of Gothic architecture of this cathedral can be seen towering over the city from everywhere. We spent a lovely hour looking at the beautiful stained-glass windows and one of the largest pipe organs. The paintings on stained-glass windows are very detailed and each tells you a different story. The ground around the cathedral is well maintained and has lots of photo spots. There is a tiny little gift shop by the entrance.

Then on our way to the English Market, we came across Elizabeth Fort. We saw the signpost and decided to have a look. Entrance to this old Police station is free. As you go along the fort wall, you will see placards with the history of this ancient fort and Cork. The staff at the entrance are very informative and can answer any questions. I was told that this fort was a Police station until 2015. As you walk along the wall you will get fantastic 360 degrees of views of Cork city. You can probably spend around an hour or less in here.

From here we walked to the English market. In the heart of Cork City and with an eye-catching fountain at its center, this quirky, roofed food market sells artisan breads, fruit, freshly caught seafood and much more. A must-visit place in Cork and a treat to your taste buds, nose and eyes. There is a cafe upstairs but when we went it was pretty much full and couldn't even get to the entrance, so we gave up and went to St Patrick Street for some shopping. An easy couple-of-minute's stroll from The English Market and known locally as "Pana" the broad, curving street boasts many fine shops and it remains Cork's main shopping hub. I always buy magnets and calendars wherever I go, and Carroll's Irish Gifts was the only gift shop we found in the city center. I bought 2019 calendars, magnets, chocolates, scarves and some jewellery for friends and family. My husband owns a souvenir shop in Windsor and according to him the prices are very reasonable. They seemed to have a very good collection of quality Irish souvenirs.

By this time, I was so hungry and wanted to eat, but we headed over to Nano Nagle Place as we didn’t want to miss their opening times. We found out about Nano Nagel Place when we went to the tourist information center and I am so glad we did - what a wonderful experience!!! I found myself deeply intrigued by the history of the land and bravery of Nano Nagel and life in Cork back in the day. We decided to do the self-guided tour so didn't get the chance to see Nano's Parlour which is only included in the guided tour. The garden was so peaceful and well kept. The ladies at the front and by the Heritage center were so helpful and took time to talk to us about the place. If you're in Cork and have an hour or so to spare, then walk up to this little gem to learn about this inspiring lady and her service.

Now, remember I told you there was another reason I chose Cork? Well… It was Iyer’s Vegetarian Restaurant. I have been wanting to visit Iyer's since I heard about it from a friend, and when I thought about having a short weekend break, I thought I might combine both and go to Cork and have my Iyer’s fix while I am there. We went there after a lot of walking in my heeled boots, so, it was lovely to sit down and enjoy the lovely meal. I had salted lemonade soda and my husband had tea. We ordered samosas and garlic tikki chat for starters and thali (and my favourite mor milagai too) for main. This quaint little place is a god-send for vegetarians like us. The service was wonderful and with smiles. The food was tasty...real South Indian Brahmin food. If you’re a vegetarian /vegan or just fancy some good South Indian grub, head down there. They have won awards too.

On the way to the hotel, we came across The Gate cinemas and decided to pop in and watch Tomb Raider for £8 per person so much less than what we pay in London.

We went Liberty Grill for dinner that day. It was suggested by the receptionist at the River Lee hotel as we wanted somewhere where we can get veg options and opens late. When we went there around 10 to 10 in the evening the restaurant was full. We were seated very quickly, and our order was taken soon too. We both had soup of the day (Mediterranean chickpeas) and Falafel Burger. The server was quick to see when we finished the soup and brought in the main. The food tasted really nice and portions were bigger than most of the other places. On day two, we walked through the beautiful grounds of University College Cork. Historic buildings, great Victorian grounds and trees around make this campus a pretty one. We were told there were free tours but as it was Easter Sunday, there weren’t any. On our way to Cork City Gaol (Cork City Jail for you and me!), we had brunch at Vikki's. We stumbled upon this little gem, just a few minutes’ walk from the Gaol on Sunday's Well. We were greeted by lovely Kayla. Although we had to wait nearly 45 minutes for our food to arrive, it was well worth the wait. Mushrooms with pesto was to die for and I wish my daughter was with me to eat it as she loves mushrooms. The Arbutus bread we were served was so tasty that I ended up buying two loaves (€3 each) to bring it back home. Kayla was so helpful, she let us keep them at the shop while we visited the Gaol and gave a pretty little bag to carry them when we came back to collect. A must place to eat and if you're going to the Gaol, then stop off here for a bit to eat.

A few minutes’ walk from Vikki’s and a twenty minute uphill walk from the city center, you will Cork City Gaol, a fascinating slice of 18th century Cork. There is an audio guide you could get for an extra €2, but we opted to go without it. Its €8pp without. There are a lot of lifelike figures in cells and some around the Gaol. Each figure has a separate story and you can read about them in your guidebook. The environment and surrounding of the building make you think about how hard it must have been for the prisoners. When we went on Easter Sunday, it was raining and the weather was a bit chilly outside, but it was freezing cold inside. There are sections given to information about the Irish Easter Uprising and the radio broadcasting station which operated in the Gaol. There is an exhibition and a film about Marconi in another section too. Well worth the money and the time you spend there.

On the way back, we crossed the river by Daly's Bridge to walk through the beautiful Fitzgerald Park. This Victorian Iron bridge provides fantastic views of river Lee and connects Cork City Gaol and Fitzgerald's park. It shakes a bit when its windy.

Our last two stops were Shandon Bells at St Anne’s Church and the Butter Museum. St Anne's Church / Shandon Bells is less than 15 minutes from the city center. Entry is €5pp, cash only and is well worth it. Be ready to scale 132 narrow, winding steps and have an incredible view of Cork from above. On the first floor, you have numbered cords for the bells along with a song book. You can ring the bells using the notes (numbered) for each song. I tried the sound of music, but I’m not sure I got it right. As you climb through the narrow steps you need to wear an ear mask as the sound of the bells can be overwhelming. As we reached the bottom of the bells, I chickened out and came back down. Hubby went all the way up and said the views were amazing. He said there were a few wooden steps near the very top and you need to be quite agile to cope with these. We had a quick walk around the church too, before heading to the Cork Butter Museum.

When we got to the Cork Butter Museum, we were greeted by a very fine gentleman who started the video tour. The tour itself consisted of reliving this great art with a history and several exhibits. The video has a great history of the growth of the Dairy food industry the world over. After that you can look around the room full of utensils and equipment used in the dairy industry. There were a few old-time maps where we could see how the city has changed over the years. Well worth a visit but ensure butter making is on the day you go, because on the day we went, that wasn’t running.

We still had time left for our taxi back to the airport, so we decided to head back the cinema to watch Midnight Sun for £6 each. We had half an hour before going to the films and we decided to get a coffee the Priory Coffee Co as it was raining outside. My hubby and I both had hot chocolate and croissants. We were served and quickly and efficiently. After the film, we head back to the hotel to collect our bags and get to the airport.

Writing this after more than two years of our visit, I realise that we packed quite lot in the two days we were there and I think, having stayed at a hotel that is in the city center and having the attractions close by made this possible.

Like I said in the beginning, Cork is a little gem and can be a real weekend break destination for those who want something unique.