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Cork

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With a population of about 190,000 in the city area and 380,000 in the Greater Cork Area, Cork (Irish: Corcaigh [1]) is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and is situated on the banks of the River Lee in the south of the county.

Travel to Cork & Visa Requirements

By boat

Cork is situated on the second largest natural harbour in the world (Sydney harbour being the largest). Cork Harbour offers both roll on / roll off and lift on / lift off services. In terms of car ferries, Cork Harbour is connected with Roscoff and Swansea. There is a weekly ferry service to Roscoff which is offered by Brittany Ferries. The Cork-Swansea ferry service was suspended in 2007 for lack of a suitable vessel, but it is hoped the service will be reinstated in 2008.

By air

Cork International Airport [2] (IATA: ORK) is the 3rd largest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Shannon Airport, and fourth on the island of Ireland. The airport is located 8km away from Cork City on the Kinsale Road and as such has excellent links to the city of Cork. The destinations available from Cork Airport are mainly European with a focus on internal flights and flights to the UK.

The airport is also served by taxi.There is a taxi rank located outside the arrivals entrance. Taxis to the city centre cost around €20 and can carry 4 to 8 passengers. Fares for longer journeys are reasonably priced and negotiable.

Among the main scheduled passenger operators out of Cork Airport are Aer Arran [3], Aer Lingus [4], Air Southwest, BMI Baby [5], Centralwings, Jet2.com [6], Malév, Ryanair [7], SkyEurope and WizzAir. There are a large number of operators offering chartered flights to some of the most popular holiday destinations around Europe:

Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin,Birmingham, Bristol, Budapest, Cardiff, Dublin, Durham/Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow(International), Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London (Gatwick, Heathrow & Stansted), Lorient, Malaga, Manchester, Munich, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nice, Paris, Plymouth, Prague, Rome, Southampton, Warsaw.

See this page on the Cork Airport official website for the current list of direct destinations: Direct destinations from Cork Airport [8]

By train

Cork City boasts an excellent train service that provides easy and direct access to all the cities many of the larger towns in Ireland through Kent Station. The train service in Ireland is operated by Irish Rail [9] who provide rail services from Cork to Tralee, and Dublin. All other major cities are accessible through connecting trains.

Trains in Ireland can be expensive by comparison by other modes of transport. A single adult ticket from Dublin to Cork costs €31. By booking online, you can reserve particular seats including first class seats. The Irish rail network is undergoing a significant upgrading in terms of both infrastructure and rolling stock.

Three lines operate from Kent Station in Cork City:

1. Suburban train to Cobh; serving: Little Island, Glounthane, Fota, Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke, Cobh.

2. National route to Tralee; serving: Mallow, Banteer, Millstreet, Rathmore, Killarney, Farranfore, Tralee.

3. National route to Dublin; serving: Mallow, Charleville, Limerick Junction, Thurles, Templemore, Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Kildare, Dublin Heuston.

Buses to Cork

The main nationwide bus carrier in Ireland is Bus Eireann [10] who offer an express bus from Dublin to Cork every two hours. Similar express direct bus services exist between Cork and Waterford (hourly) and Cork with Limerick and Galway (hourly).

By car

The road network in Ireland has over recent years been the subject of unprecedented investment. The M7 and N8 which joins Cork to Dublin is now a high quality road. Today a drive from Dublin to Cork will take roughly 3hours 45minutes depending on traffic. By 2010 large sections of the M8 will be expanded to motorway standard. Similarly other road networks from Cork have been improved, including the N20 which joins Cork with Limerick through Mallow.

Car rental

Car rental services in Cork mainly operate out of Cork Airport. The close proximity of Cork Airport to Cork City means that this is not as inconvenient as it might appear, particularly when the excellent bus and taxi services are included. Below are the car rental companies listed on the Cork Airport [11] Website as having locations at Cork Airport:

  • Nova Car Hire http://www.novacarhire.com Book securely online today
  • Atlas Car Hire [12] - Not listed on Cork Airport website, but shares a location with Thrifty Car Rental
  • Avis
  • Budget Car Rental
  • Hertz [13]
  • Irish Car Rentals
  • Alamo / National
  • Dan Dooley Car Rentals
  • Dollar Car hire Cork [14] - Operates as part of Thrifty in Ireland
  • Enterprise Rent-a-Car
  • Europecar
  • Malone Car Rental Cork [15] - Operates under the Thrifty umbrella
  • Thrifty Car Rental Cork [16]

Tours & Getting around Cork

Walk. Cork has a small city centre. A visitor will most likely be staying, eating, drinking and touring in the city centre. Taxis are plentiful (except for late Friday and Saturday nights, when demand exceeds supply). There is a bus service to the residential suburbs. Most buses leave from the main street, Patrick's Street or the nearby bus station at Parnell Place.

A guided bus tour departs from near the junction of Grand Parade and South Mall at regular intervals and provides an interesting tour of the main highlights of Cork for those who do not have a lot of time on their hands.

TAXI: There are numerous Taxi ranks located throughout cork city, fares are calculated on a meter and all taxis are the same price. Fares are also negotiable for longer out of town trips. Most drivers also offer fixed priced guided tours. (See taxiregulator [17])

Culture and History

Orientation

Cork is the anglicised version of the Irish word Corcaigh, which means marsh. The city centre was originally built on marshland and boats were able to navigate into the channels which separated the many islands. Many of the wider streets, such as Patrick Street, the South Mall and the Grand Parade, are actually built on former river channels.

The center of the city forms an arrow-shaped island between the North and South channels of the River Lee. There are upwards of thirty bridges over the two channels. This, combined with the one-way traffic system, can make the centre a little bit confusing for first-time visitors. The River Lee flows from West to East, and outside of the centre, hills rise steeply to the Northside, while the Southside is flatter. St. Anne's Church watches over Shandon, just to the North of the river. The University is about 2 kms to the west of the centre.

The Train Station is about 1 km to the East of the centre. Shops and Stores are generally concentrated around Patrick Street, Oliver Plunkett Street, Paul Street and North Main Street. Bars and Restaurants can be found everywhere, but especially around MacCurtain Street, Washington Street and Oliver Plunkett Street. Financial businesses are centred on the area around the South Mall and the Administrative heart of the city is on Anglesea Street.

History

The patron Saint of Cork, Saint Finbar (c.550-c.620) founded a monastery on the south bank of the River Lee approximately 1,400 years ago. A settlement grew up around this monastery and was added to (and ransacked) by Viking invaders during the ninth and tenth centuries. The town grew and the English Norman King Henry II, who had been requested by Pope Adrian IV (the only English Pope) to collect papal dues not paid, gave Cork city status in 1185.

Cork slowly grew during the late middle ages, developing into a crowded, walled city, centered around North and South Main Streets. The city enjoyed a golden age of sorts during the seventeenth century providing butter to ships which plied the North Atlantic. During this period the city expanded and many Italianate residences were built on the hills to the North - in Sunday's Well and Montenotte.

After a sluggish start following independence, the city grew substantially during the latter half of the twentieth century. Currently, as a result of the Celtic Tiger phenomenon, development is having a profound effect on all aspects of the city, including its appearance - mostly for the better. From a small merchant town, Cork has grown into a cosmopolitan and vibrant city that, within the Republic of Ireland, is second only to Dublin in size and importance.

Statio Bene Fide Carinis' – "A safe Harbour for ships" is the motto of the city that is found on the coat of arms.

In recent years Cork has developed a slightly separatist mentality [18] when compared to other parts of Ireland. This is most evident in colloquial speech (Cork Slang) [19] and references to Ireland's capital, Dublin. This is, however, mostly tongue-in-cheek humour.

Cork attractions and sightseeing

  • Cork Vision Centre. This is in an former church in North Main Street. It has a large scale model of the city which should help your understanding. Free admission.
  • Elizabeth Fort. Offers a good view over the city. However it is not easily seen from the city. From Southgate Bridge, go up Barrack Street and turn right. There is a police station within the fort.
  • St Finbarr's Cathedral. This is just a few minutes away from the Elizabeth fort and much easier to find. A fine 19th century Gothic building. Visible from the back is a golden angel high upon a tower.
  • Shandon Church. The tower and bells are symbols of the city, and overlook it from the north. Visitors are allowed to ring the bells. This church is situated in a conservation area.
  • Lewis Gluckman Gallery, [20]. This piece of modern architecture is situated within the grounds of University College Cork. Within is state of the art technology to protect and display major exhibitions of international art, along with facilities for workshops, film screenings, lectures and art classes. A café is situated on the ground floor.
  • Cork City Gaol. Slightly outside the city centre, this attraction is very much worth the visit. It can be reached by using the city sightseeing bus, by taxi or by a 30 minute walk. There is a small admission fee, but is worth every penny. The Gaol also provides fine views of the west of the city, including the University.
  • Cork Historic Walking Tours [21] offer the visitor the opportunity to understand the City's history, from its foundation by St. Finbarre right up to the 20th Century. The tour brings the visitor to the site of the ancient monastery of Cork, through the areas of Viking settlement, the mediaeval streets of the Norman walled city and along the waterways of the expanding 18th and 19th century city. The tour explains the history of the city in an informative and relaxed way.
  • University College Cork. Take a stroll through the College which is open to the public and take in the variety of architecture here, From the newly constructed extension of the Boole Library to the newly repointed limestone Honan Chapel which is popular for graduate weddings
  • Páirc Ui Chaoimh This 50,000 capacity stadium is located in Ballintemple and is home of Cork GAA. It is open on matchdays and Monday and Wednesday for tours.

Cork city tours

Cork has a thriving cultural scene that was acknowledged internationally when it was named the European Capital of Culture for 2005. Several festivals are held annually in the city giving the visitor an opportunity to experience a wide range of music, theatre and film.

  • Midsummer Festival [22]. A month long festival featuring theatre, music, art, poetry and much more, throughout the city. Mid June - Mid July.
  • Film Festival [23]. Established more than 50 years ago, the festival features an impressive selection of Irish and international films. Beginning of October.
  • Jazz Festival [24]. One of the largest jazz festivals in Europe that consistently attracts top acts from around the world. Last weekend in October.

Cork Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Captain Americas Cookhouse and Bar, 4-5 South Main Street. A very popular restaurant with young,friendly and fun staff.Take a walk around the restaurant and look at the collection of music and celeb memobrilia.
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    This page was last edited at 18:56, on 11 December 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Ryan Holliday, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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