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Thread: Weekend in Cork - things to see/do? hotel recommendations?

  1. #1
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Weekend in Cork - things to see/do? hotel recommendations?

    I seem to have ended up with return flights to Cork and will be going for a weekend (on my own) in the coming weeks. I've never been before and know little about the city/surroundings. Weather could be anything from a beautiful sunny, Spring weekend to ****ing it down from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave. I'm not planning to have a car but could rent one either for the whole weekend or for a day if necessary.

    I'm looking for things to do while I'm there. I'm also looking for a nice (but not eye-wateringly expensive) hotel for the weekend.

    Any recommendations?

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by MakeColdplayHistory View Post
    I seem to have ended up with return flights to Cork and will be going for a weekend (on my own) in the coming weeks. I've never been before and know little about the city/surroundings. Weather could be anything from a beautiful sunny, Spring weekend to ****ing it down from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave. I'm not planning to have a car but could rent one either for the whole weekend or for a day if necessary.

    I'm looking for things to do while I'm there. I'm also looking for a nice (but not eye-wateringly expensive) hotel for the weekend.

    Any recommendations?
    What are you interested in? Will you have a car? I've been known to haunt the area a little bit...

  3. #3
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barneygumble View Post
    What are you interested in? Will you have a car? I've been known to haunt the area a little bit...
    No car but happy to rent one (or a motorbike if (a) that's possible and (b) the sun's out) if I need one. I only have one commitment which is to run (slowly) at one of the two parkruns on the Saturday morning (both of which I think I can get to from the city centre reasonably easily)

    I actually need a break so I don't want to spend ever waking hour chasing round Cork ticking things off a list. If I spent most of the weekend sat in a nice hotel reading my book and eating good food (either in the hotel or locally) that would be fine but it would be a shame to not see at least some of the city/surroundings. I'm interesting in pottering round nice places and seeing nice/interesting things whether that's city/town or countryside. I'm not interested in golf.

    I am interested in the sea and all things maritime whether that's harbours or beaches. I know my parents went to Cobh years ago and liked it (so much so that my dad nearly took a job he was offered while there). Is it worth a day there? Easy to get to by public transport?

  4. #4
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    I stayed in Cobh for a while a few years ago when working down that way, great wee town, famous for being the last stop for the Titanic. I would think there would be enough for you to if you based yourself there.

  5. #5
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    I love Cork, but don't expect to understand the locals

    I'm from Tyrone and I struggle with Cork accents

    I've only ever been on stag do's (of which there will be loads) so not best placed to offer advice on nice hotels or tourist ideas

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by MakeColdplayHistory View Post
    No car but happy to rent one (or a motorbike if (a) that's possible and (b) the sun's out) if I need one. I only have one commitment which is to run (slowly) at one of the two parkruns on the Saturday morning (both of which I think I can get to from the city centre reasonably easily)

    I actually need a break so I don't want to spend ever waking hour chasing round Cork ticking things off a list. If I spent most of the weekend sat in a nice hotel reading my book and eating good food (either in the hotel or locally) that would be fine but it would be a shame to not see at least some of the city/surroundings. I'm interesting in pottering round nice places and seeing nice/interesting things whether that's city/town or countryside. I'm not interested in golf.

    I am interested in the sea and all things maritime whether that's harbours or beaches. I know my parents went to Cobh years ago and liked it (so much so that my dad nearly took a job he was offered while there). Is it worth a day there? Easy to get to by public transport?
    Well you can get to Cobh by train from the train station in Cork which is about a ten minute walk from Patrick's Bridge (which I designate as the precise centre of the city). There's also Crosshaven, about a 30-40 minute drive from the city, home of what claims to be the oldest yacht club in the world - lots of nice boats bobbing in the sea around there, views across to Cobh and the islands in Cork Harbour. Crosshaven also has an old fort that you can tour at the weekends that guarded the mouth of the harbour - Cork was claimed to be the best-guarded harbour in the world, and the guns never had to be fired in anger.

    https://www.camdenfortmeagher.ie/

    Let me see...Kinsale is also a nice town to visit, again about 40 minutes from the city and you can get a bus there. Very maritime, famous for its food, and it's an old walled town with some of the walls still standing. Site of a huge battle between England, Ireland and Spain 400 years ago. Another spot with forts defending it, Charles Fort and James Fort: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to...onal-monument/

    Within the city, there are lots of interesting pubs etc. to visit. Sin É (pronounced 'shin ay') is a tiny place I like to drop into if there's trad music playing - it's very casual, just people playing for their own enjoyment. But everyone will have pub recommendations and I haven't lived in the city in the last 20 years.

    The grounds of University College Cork are nice - it's a nice spot to people watch on a sunny day, again it's about a 15 minute walk to/from the city centre. Fitzgerald's Park is also near there, just a nice park for a stroll.

    If you are thinking public transport, the Metropole Hotel is a decent spot near the train station and the bus station. If you are thinking of driving, the Hayfield Manor is a very nice hotel, up by the university, but it's expensive.

    Let me know if you need more info, happy to share what I can :)

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post

    I'm from Tyrone and I struggle with Cork accents
    I'm sorry, what? Can you please type that again a bit slower?

  8. #8
    Spent a few days around that area, the place I would love to go back to is Kinsale and Sunny bay, I could spend a lot of time there, will go back one day

  9. #9
    I stayed in Blarney for a couple of nights a few years back, just out from Cork's centre. The castle, famed for its kissing stone, is worth a visit if you have 2 or 3 hours to spare and I'd have thought public transport would get you there easily though can't be sure.

    If you're a whisky drinker then the Midleton Distillery is not too far out of town either, I enjoyed the tour I had there.

    Cork itself felt like a great place to go walkabout, I don't have the knowledge to recommend a hotel there however I'm sure you'll be spoilt for choice.

  10. #10
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by barneygumble View Post
    I'm sorry, what? Can you please type that again a bit slower?
    :-)

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    :-)
    Thanks, I'm here all week :)

  12. #12
    I have just come back from Cork this week, I can recommend

    Titanic museum Cobh, lovely town and great short tour www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie

    Nice Cathedral as well.

    I also then did the "'Behind the scenes"' tour at the Jamerson distillery took a good 2.5 hours http://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-gb/...stillery-cork/

    And on Saturday we drove from Cork to Dublin for the rugby, stopped at a lovely hotel for a great breakfast, hour north of Cork just of motor way https://www.horseandjockeyhotel.com/

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by justin44 View Post
    And on Saturday we drove from Cork to Dublin for the rugby, stopped at a lovely hotel for a great breakfast, hour north of Cork just of motor way https://www.horseandjockeyhotel.com/
    If you were up that way you could have popped into the Rock of Cashel, very Lord of the Rings spot. Where the kings of Munster dwelt.

    https://heritageireland.ie/places-to...ock-of-cashel/
    Last edited by barneygumble; 22nd March 2023 at 16:19.

  14. #14
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barneygumble View Post
    If you were up that way you could have popped into the Rock of Cashel, very Lord of the Rings spot. Where the kings of Munster dwelt.

    https://heritageireland.ie/places-to...ock-of-cashel/
    Ah now, I have been there (in 1996) with Mrs MCH on a short break that included Waterford and Galway. We stopped at Cashel on route.

    I've also remembered I have been to Cork before or at least the airport. I was there for an industry conference in a hotel outside or on the edge of the city so never really saw much of the city itself. I can date that exactly as it started the day Ireland banned smoking in the workplace (March 29, 2004). I'd arrived on the Sunday and was talking to the bar manager. The bar itself was a hotel bar but got quite a few locals in regularly, many of whom smoked (and were smoking that Sunday evening). If I remember right Ireland was one of the first places to ban smoking and he had no idea if his customers were all going to adhere to the smoking ban or just carry on as normal in spite of it. So on the Monday night having had my fill of industry conference I wandered into the bar to find it was full (with may of the same guys (and they were all guys) as the night before) all of whom were trooping out to use the new smoking shelter outside.

  15. #15
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    As someone from Kerry ... i would get the first train out of Cork into Killarney

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Robxxx7 View Post
    As someone from Kerry ... i would get the first train out of Cork into Killarney
    I fly out to Kerry on Thursday for a meeting at Brehon hotel, TZ forum really does make the world a smaller place.

  17. #17
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Thanks for the info and help so far.

    I've booked myself into the Montenotte hotel which is close to the Victorian Quarter and train station. They have apartments with use of the hotel facilities which I reckon will work for me as a solo traveller. They also have (a first for me) a small cinema in the hotel. It depends what they're showing on the nights I'm there but it will give me an option in the evenings so I'm not out on the Guinness every night (or would it be Murphys/Beamish in Cork?)

    I'm arriving quite early on the Friday and leave Monday so I reckon I'll potter round Cork on the Friday and go to Cobh on whichever of the Saturday or Sunday has the better weather forecast. I'll also visit the Midletown Distillery on whichever day I don't go to Cobh. I just need to work out which of the bewildering number of different tour options is best for me.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by justin44 View Post
    I fly out to Kerry on Thursday for a meeting at Brehon hotel, TZ forum really does make the world a smaller place.
    Lovely Hotel and in a lovely area ... Not far from the lakes but bring an umbrella

  19. #19
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barneygumble View Post
    Within the city, there are lots of interesting pubs etc. to visit. Sin É (pronounced 'shin ay') is a tiny place I like to drop into if there's trad music playing - it's very casual, just people playing for their own enjoyment.
    I had a great evening in the Sin É thanks. I was on my own and it was packed (not difficult given the size) but I got a stool near the musicians. I ended up getting chatting with a local guy of my vintage, a couple of young local lads and a couple of other tourists who it turns out were on the same flight out as me and live about 2 miles from me.

    Other than that I enjoyed pottering around Cork for a couple of days and a day in Cobh where I ended up watching Sonia O'Sullivan (a bit of a sporting hero of mine) running in the Sonia O' Sullivan Cobh 10.

  20. #20
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    I'm from Cork city, it's a nice place. Great pubs, great restaurants.

    The Crawford Art Gallery is a nice way to pass an hour, also free.

    Cork has great theatre.

    Highly recommend a walk up to Shandon (st Anne's church) to ring the bells across the city.

    Previously mentioned Fitzgeralds park is well worth a stroll with a lovely coffee shop and our famous Shaky Bridge.

    Pubs is where the city excels, "The Long Valley" has one of the finest sandwiches and pints going. "The chateau", "The Wellcome Inn" (old school pub). Larger pubs also, "The Woodford", "Clancy's". I could go for pages....

    Restaurants, my favourites are Greens, Jacobs, Isaacs, Market Lane, I could keep going.

    Cork has a decent Rolex/Patek AD "Keanes". Honourable mention for Dave in there.

  21. #21
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    Just down the hill from the Montonotte Hotel is a great pub. "Henchys". A Cork favourite.

    Try both Beamish and Murphy's. Both are excellent. Beamish is slightly sweeter and a lovely pint.

    Avoid Kerry. They can't play hurling so they are basically lesser mortals.

    See a hurling game if you can.

  22. #22
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TimeThoughts View Post
    Just down the hill from the Montonotte Hotel is a great pub. "Henchys". A Cork favourite.
    I literally couldn't get into Henchys on Friday evening when I tried (and I'm pretty good at getting into pubs). I don't know but I suspect it was the first sunny Friday evening for a while and it was rammed inside and out. I did manage to get into the St Luke's Wine Tavern next door for some delicious food and wine.
    Quote Originally Posted by TimeThoughts View Post
    Try both Beamish and Murphy's. Both are excellent. Beamish is slightly sweeter and a lovely pint.
    I did. They were. I slightly preferred Beamish of the two.

    I did have a mooch around Keanes too but, if I'm honest, I don't really like the 'AD Experience' anywhere in the world and once I was through the door I could have been in an AD anywhere in the world. The person I spoke to (about a couple of Omegas) was very nice but I don't think she was Dave.

    I enjoyed Cork enough to think that if I have another weekend free and can get £25 flights again, I'll definitely go back so will come back to this thread to reread the recommendations.

  23. #23
    Master TimeThoughts's Avatar
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    Glad to hear you enjoyed Cork

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by MakeColdplayHistory View Post
    I had a great evening in the Sin É thanks. I was on my own and it was packed (not difficult given the size) but I got a stool near the musicians. I ended up getting chatting with a local guy of my vintage, a couple of young local lads and a couple of other tourists who it turns out were on the same flight out as me and live about 2 miles from me.

    Other than that I enjoyed pottering around Cork for a couple of days and a day in Cobh where I ended up watching Sonia O'Sullivan (a bit of a sporting hero of mine) running in the Sonia O' Sullivan Cobh 10.
    That's great!

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