Cork: The Real Capital of Ireland?.

Today’s guest post is by James Rathmell.

Fancying a cheap city break in the Emerald Isle, I decided to rebel against the obligatory Guinness-fueled weekend in Dublin and instead opted for a stint in the Republic of Ireland’s second city of Cork. Speaking of rebellion, I had heard that Corkonians like to think of their patch as ‘The Rebel City’ or even ‘The Real Capital’ of Ireland and as an honorary Mancunian myself, this immediately struck a chord with our own rivalry with London. I was keen to see what the locals were so proud of and to see if Cork would captivate me in the same way that Manchester had all those years ago.

Refreshingly for a Ryanair flight, our plane landed at the city’s own airport, located a mere four miles from the centre and not in a remote field somewhere just outside of Dublin as I had feared. A swift bus hop and short walk later and I reached my budget accommodation for the next two nights, the uber-friendly youth hostel to the west of the city centre.

My first day in the city kicked off with the traditional exploratory wander. Whilst I chose to embark on a solo mission, another option is to join one of the historic walking tours, which will inform and entertain in equal measure for about 10€. It was immediately obvious that the city centre is nice and compact, and relatively easy to navigate with the main bulk of the sights located on an arrow-shaped peninsula flanked by two branches of the River Lee to the north and south.

Architecture fans (those crazy guys) will find much to enjoy, with some fine examples of Georgian work lining up next to one-off treasures such as the protestant cathedral of St. Finbarre, named after the city’s 6th Century founder. Top-notch views of the cityscape can be had from the cathedral’s position, on higher ground to the south-west of the centre.
Whilst I wasn’t aware of the fact prior to my visit, I learned that Cork is actually renowned for serving up some of the best food and drink in Ireland. Its generous helping of cafés and restaurants certainly cover the full culinary spectrum and offer something for every palate. The selection is more multi-cultural than I’d have imagined, with an increasing number of Asian, European and Indian establishments jostling for position alongside traditional Irish joints.

Sticking with the foodie theme, it is worth making time to call in at the ‘English Market’, which is famed for its cosmopolitan produce and in particular its expansive selection of fresh meat and fish. The smorgasbord of gourmet delights are snapped up by not only local residents and restaurants, but even by Her Majesty the Queen, who dropped in during her recent State visit to Ireland, presumably to buy some organic sausages or suchlike.
My belly groaning following a gargantuan portion of Pad Thai (when in Ireland!), I set off in search of a good pint of the black stuff – though this being Cork, we’re talking Murphy’s or Beamish rather than Guinness, which hails from some small town on the east coast…the name escapes me. I found a plethora of watering holes along Barrack Street and South Main Street, with most of these of the ‘rough and ready’ variety rather than the ‘warm and cosy’ type, but in Cork, atmosphere is everything, and sharing a pint (not literally) with the local bar-flies is a must for those seeking good craic.
Several of the pubs play host to traditional musical acts and as the sun goes down, the sounds of fiddles, flutes and slurred singing waft outside into the evening air. Eventually, the music carried me outside too and feeling satisfied with my first day in Ireland’s ‘Real Capital’, which somehow manages to balance rustic charm with a modern, cosmopolitan streak – I swayed back to my hostel dorm.

Author Bio:  James Rathmell is a Geography graduate currently working in Manchester as a Transport Planner. He can often be found city-hopping across Europe or gigging with his band at a venue near you.

*All photos in this post provided by James.

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers & Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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