When guests visit our Cork city hotel I often get asked “what are your favourite things to do in Cork?”. With so many options you can’t always fit them all in over a few days so priortising is necessary and what better way to do this than by asking a local? Below are the five things I always suggest people do when visiting Cork and they also happen to be the five reasons I love Cork!
The English Market
Looking for fresh locally sourced produce to take home after your stay in Cork? You need to go no further than the English Market, meet the producers, do tastings, and experience the hustle and bustle of this hidden gem.
Located in the centre of Cork City you can access it from a number of streets including Grande Parade, Patrick Street, Princes Street, and Oliver Plunkett Street. This is one of the oldest markets in Ireland as it has been operating since 1788.
The Elizabeth Fort
Located close to St Finbarr’s Cathedral in one of the older parts of the City about 15 minutes from The Hotel. Elizabeth Fort is a 17th-century star fort off Barrack Street in Cork. Originally built as a defensive fortification on high-ground outside the city walls, the city eventually grew around the fort, and it took on various other roles – including use as a military barracks, prison, and police station. The walls of the fort have been accessible to the public on a regular basis since September 2014.
Midleton Distillery
Follow the old distillery trail through mills, maltings, corn stones, stillhouses, warehouses, and kilns. Some of these buildings date back to 1795.
Cork City Gaol
See Cork’s renowned wax figures as you step back in time to see what 19th and early 20th-century life was like in Cork, inside and outside prison walls. Amazing lifelike figures, furnished cells, sound effects, and fascinating exhibitions. The Cork City Gaol is a must-see!
The Oliver Plunkett
The Oliver Plunkett does traditional Irish music every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as an extensive array of Irish artists performing 7 nights a week.
