Cork travel tips: Where to go and what to see in 48 hours

Fine architecture, cosy pubs and a spot of bell ringing. Aoife O'Riordain visits the 'People's Republic'.

Bank on it: the River Lee runs through the heart of the city

Travel essentials

Why go now?

Ireland's second city will be awash with festive cheer during the annual Glow Festival (corkchristmas celebration.ie) until 20 December. There will be a Christmas market along the Grand Parade (1) every weekend, with entertainment, choirs and a themed attraction in Bishop Lucey Park (2). For information contact Tourism Ireland (0800 313 4000; ireland.com).

Touch down

Cork Airport is eight kilometres south-east of the centre. Last month, CityJet (0871 405 2020; cityjet.com) commenced services from London City. Other airlines flying to Cork from the UK include Aer Lingus (0871 718 5000; aerlingus.com), Flybe (0871 700 2000; flybe.com) and Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com). There is a direct bus service, No 226, from outside the terminal building to Parnell Place Bus Station (3) and Kent Railway Station (4). Single fares cost €5.22 (buseireann.ie; half-hourly departures from 5.30am to 12.30am). A taxi to the city centre costs around €13 one-way.

Get your bearings

Jokingly referred to as The People's Republic of Cork by its fiercely proud residents, the city hugs the banks of the River Lee in the south of Ireland. Cork takes its name from corcaigh, the Gaelic word for marshy. Its heart is set on an island sandwiched between two channels of the river Lee before it opens out into one of Europe's largest natural harbours at Cobh, which brought the city much prosperity and was also the final port of call for the ill-fated Titanic in 1912.

With its origins in the seventh century, Cork enjoyed a flourishing period as a merchant centre in the 18th and 19th centuries with grand buildings such as the elegant Cork City Hall (5) bearing testimony to its status.

On the north bank of the Lee lies the quaint neighbourhood of Shandon with its landmark clock tower of St Anne's Church (6). Cork Tourist Office (7) is on Grand Parade and opens Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm (00 353 21 425 5100).

Check in

The most graceful place to bed down in the city is Hayfield Manor (8) on Perrot Avenue (00 353 21 484 5900; hayfieldmanor.ie) with doubles starting at €199, room-only.

It's a short walk into the city centre from the fittingly named The River Lee (9) on Western Road (00 353 21 425 2700; doylecollection.com), a contemporary hotel with views of the river. Doubles start at €117, room-only.

Isaacs Hotel (10) at 48 Mac Curtain Street (00 353 21 450 00 11; hotelisaacscork.com) is more central, set in an atmospheric Victorian building where doubles start at €55, room only.

Day one

Take a hike

Start on the The Mardyke (11), a leafy promenade overlooking the Lee where people have strolled for centuries. Cross Mardyke Bridge (12) and take the Lee Walkway with the river on your right. Pass the remains of the old Jameson Whiskey Distillery and cross the river again via St Vincent's Bridge (13).

Continue to Daunt's Square (14) then turn left along St Patrick's Street. To your left is Carey's Lane and the old Huguenot Quarter. Bear right on Marlborough Street then left on to Oliver Plunkett Street, which is 300 years old and is also this year's winner of the London Academy of Urbanism's Great Street Award. Go left, up Winthrop Street and end outside the Tudor-revival façade of Winthrop Arcade (15).

Window shopping

The Winthrop Arcade (15) is the city's most distinctive and characterful retail spot. It opened in 1926 and was one of the first of its kind it Ireland.

St Patrick's Street is the main shopping drag, home to the usual high street names, as well as a small outpost of Dublin's high-end store Brown Thomas (16) (00 353 21 480 5555; brownthomas.com). From here, make your way to one of Cork's most enjoyable retail experiences, The English Market (17) on Grand Parade (englishmarket.ie). It's been in business since 1788 and such is its importance even the Queen called in on her state visit in 2011. Stop at Frank Hederman's stall to pick up some of Ireland's finest smoked salmon.

Lunch on the run

Try the Farmgate Café (00 353 21 427 8134; farmgate.ie) on the first floor of the market, or head around the corner to Nash 19 (18), 19 Princes Street (00 353 21 427 0880; nash19.com), which most food-loving locals would like to keep to themselves. It also has a gourmet shop attached.

Cultural afternoon

In the 1700s, Cork's Butter Exchange was the world's largest butter market. The Cork Butter Museum (19) on O'Connell Square (00 353 21 430 0600; corkbutter museum.com) documents the origins and progression of one of Ireland's best exports (open weekends, November to February, 11am to 3pm. €4).

The Crawford Art Gallery (20) at 11 Emmet Place (00 353 21 480 5042; crawfordgallery.ie; 10am to 5pm, closed Sunday; free) is a leading cultural institution housed in the 18th-century Customs House. Its displays include a collection of prized Greek and Roman sculpture casts brought from the Vatican Museums. Leave time for a pick-me-up at its café.

An aperitif

The Hibernian Bar, or the Hi-B (21) at 108 Oliver Plunkett Street (00 353 21 427 2758) is set up a creaky flight of stairs on the first floor and is a local gem that's easily missed, with its leather banquettes, mobile-phone ban and an owner, Brian, who is renowned for his eccentricities.

Dine with the locals

Freshly landed lobster, crab, deep-fried calamari and traditional fish and chips all feature on the menu of newcomer Quinlan's Seafood Bar and Restaurant (22) at 14 Princes Street (00 353 21 241 8222; kerryfish.com). The queues for the “no reservation” tables speak for themselves. The restaurant's owners have their own fleet of fishing boats and a smokery in neighbouring Co Kerry.

Elbow Lane (23) at 4 Oliver Plunkett Street (00 353 21 239 0479; elbowlane.ie) is another new arrival on Cork's dining scene, a smokehouse serving a meat-heavy menu with baby back ribs and wood-fired steaks and beers from its nano-brewery.


 Higher power: St Fin Barre’s Cathedral
 (Tourism Ireland)

Day two

Sunday morning: go to church

Sunday services are at 8am and 11.15am at the French Gothic-style St Fin Barre's Cathedral (24) on Bishop Street (00 353 21 496 3387; cathedral.cork.anglican.org), which dominates the skyline. Admission €5 (£3.50) outside service times; visiting hours 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, 12.30pm to 5pm Sunday (April to November only).

Out to brunch

Not only is the Lewis Glucksman Gallery (25) on College Road (00 353 21 490 1844; glucksman.org) an architectural gem, it is also home to the Fresco Café (00 353 21 490 1848; glucksman.org), which serves delicious brunches at the weekend from noon to 5pm – try the French toast, pancakes and coffee (around €15).

Take a ride

Cork lends itself very well to exploration on two wheels. A three-day subscription for the city's bike-share scheme, Coca-Cola Zero Bikes (bikeshare.ie), costs €3, with the first half-hour free for each rental then €1.50 for up to two hours.

Take a view

There are panoramas of the city from the 17th-century Elizabeth Fort (26) on Barrack Street (00 353 21 497 5947; open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday noon to 5pm; free entry and free tours at 1pm).

A walk in the park

Fota Arboretum and Gardens (00 353 21 481 2728; heritageireland.ie), are the grounds surrounding Fota House on Fota Island, just outside the city. There are regular trains from Kent station (4) to Cobh, stopping at Fota station. The gardens open daily from 9am to 5pm, admission is free.

Icing on the cake

Ringing the Shandon Bells (00 353 21 450 5906; shandonbells.ie), housed in St Anne's Church (6), is a bit of a rite of passage for any first-time visitor to Cork. In winter, it opens Monday to Saturday 11am to 3pm, Sundays 11.30am to 3pm. Entry to the tower is €5.