What to do in Cork: the gorgeous Glucksman Gallery

upstairs in the Glucksman Gallery

                Beautiful

If you enjoy beautiful green surroundings, stunning buildings, and fascinating art, you'd do well to pencil The Glucksman Gallery in to your Cork City plans. Located in the park-like UCC campus, the Gallery is just a short stroll away from the main B&B/GuestHouse/Hotel areas. 

We went to see the Josef Albers exhibition, and having never been to the gallery before, I didn't know what to expect; what I found really impressed me! We strolled through the Western Road gate along the riverside, where a family was feeding ducks & swans, onto lush green grounds with lovely old stone buildings.

The river Lee at UCC's Western Gate

The Gate Lodge & door of the same. Quite romantic!
 Click for a map & virtual tour of  campus.            

Up the path a bit you will find The Glucksman Gallery on your right. It was striking! Modern architecture was a bit of a surprise after the preceding surroundings, but it was exciting! The grey stone and soft green glass harmonised well with the surrounding buildings and parkland, and especially once inside the galleries I think many people must fall in love with it. 

Glucksman Gallery was perfect for showing the works of Albers, which are so strongly geometric. I felt the building mirrored them wonderfully, and the light coming through the windows the day we visited had (see my opening photo) the sort of numinous quality associated with stained glass, which Josef Albers worked with so beautifully. 

            What's On Next?
As I write this, the next exhibition has just been mentioned on Twitter:

Goodbye Josef Albers. Hello Henri Matisse. Next show @glucksman all about drawing and moving image. Opens July 27th. All welcome. #art
— Ireland / Fiona (@ireland) July 8, 2012

 

Follow @Glucksman on Twitter or like them on Facebook for more. On their website you can download the new program when it is available- and if it is anything like this past one, there will be lots of events, workshops, talks & kids' activities to choose from. You'll want to go to lots of things, not just the exhibition! 
                     

              Extra Niceties!
There is a cafe at Glucksman, which is open from noon on Sunday, and we chilled out there until the gallery opened at 2. We didn't eat, but had coffee and enjoyed the birdsong & view on the outdoor terrace. One tip I can give you is that instead of using the toilets in the cafe, go out into the lobby & head down the stairs to those (see photo to left) lovely tiled toilets-- the cafe toilet is definitely the 'ugly sister' compared to these :-)   

                                             

     Perhaps next time we visit Cork City & The Glucksman Gallery, we'll have a bite to eat there so we can let you know our thoughts. Hope you get to enjoy the green UCC campus (and green as in enviromental, too! It is the world's 1st Green Campus!) and visit the gem of the Glucksman Gallery. 

Let me know of any other Cork gems you love- leave a comment below, or tweet me at @vibrantireland   Thanks!
WhatToSeeInIreland

  W

Tips for your Cork City, Ireland visit.

Cork City centre on  Midsummer Festival Sunday

Firstly you should know that Cork is a city where there’s always lots happening-- except on Sundays! Mainly Sunday mornings; and as a visitor, chances are that you may be there on a Sunday. We’ve had 2 recent 24 hr visits to Cork City (Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon) and we’ve had a lovely time; here are a few tips for you:

·         The English Market has a great atmosphere, & is a fantastic place for food lovers to wander, salivate, and indulge- but be warned: CLOSED Sundays. We've eaten in The Farmgate Cafe there for lunch (open for breakfast & lunch only) and it is very good!

·         Stay in a place that has a good breakfast & an unhurried check out time, because on Sunday mornings, not much is open. If funds stretch to it, stay B&B at the 5 star Hayfield Manor- they must have the most WONDERFUL breakfast in all of Ireland! With spa, lounge area & more, Hayfield Manor is a perfect place to relax away a Sunday morning waiting for Cork to open up. (See my post on our stay here)                                

Beautiful presentation of fresh breads at Hayfield Manor

·         If your budget doesn’t stretch to that (& ours doesn’t usually!) look to pick a place where you’ll feel comfortable having a leisurely morning, especially if it is raining. Most shops & cafes don’t seem to open until noon at the earliest, so you could wind up like us on a past trip- wandering the streets for a few hours. (Not so fun if raining!)

·         Cork Coffee Roasters on 2 Bridge Street has good coffee, & is open on from 9a.m. Sundays, but be warned-it is small and very busy then, as you can imagine!

Lovely UCC campus, home to the beautiful, modern, Glucksman Gallery.

·         A good few museums, galleries, & other places of interest in Ireland can be closed Sundays, & some Mondays; so check their opening times when planning your visit.  In Cork City, for example the impressive Glucksman Gallery opens Sunday at 2, their cafe at noon, (both closed Mondays) but the Crawford Gallery is closed Sunday. 

·         Blackrock Castle & Observatory is a couple of miles outside the City, & opens at 10 on Sunday.  (Quirkily, open at 11 on Saturday.)They've also lots of things aimed at children, & the cafe there has been recommended to me, although we’ve not been to this attraction yet.

We saw Rian at the Cork Opera House- loved it! And when in Rome ;-)

·         Whatever night you are staying in Cork, check what is on at Cork Opera House! They seem to have something on most nights, music, film, theatre, comedy & more. You’ll still have time to head out to the pub afterwards if you’d like! 

Cork City Centre, Midsummer Festival Food Market (& Anam Cara B&B room)

·         Check local websites and twitter feeds like @CorkBuzz1 and @WhazOnCork to see what’s going on when you plan to be in Cork. During our past trip, Cork Midsummer Festival  was on, so their outdoor Food Market was up Sunday morning. As it was a sunny day, we got to enjoy tasty local/street food, sit in the sun & people watch as we waited for Glucksman Gallery to open. (I'll write a post on Glucksman soon.)

·         Have a gander at Cork man Liam’s suggestions for things to do in Cork- there are ideas that would be good for a Sunday morning. I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg during my visits, there is so much more!

What tips have YOU got? I know there must be loads more out there, & not just for Sundays! Please leave your tip in the comments, or tweet me at @vibrantireland, & I can add it to this post. Thanks! Susan
Here's a great tip from TheGManWorld

Don't forget @triskelcork home to Gulpd Café, Plugd Records, independent cinema & more!
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012

@VibrantIreland Amazing place.Crazy how few people know about it.Great cinema,amazing gigs,choc Beamish cake,records,exhibits and more
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012 

Chocolate Beamish cake?!! You better check out Triskel in Cork! :-)

PS if you love eating gorgeous, different, food-- have lunch or dinner at Cafe Paradiso. It has been wonderful both times we've gone! (Note: lunch Fri & Sat only, closed Mon)

Photos don't do Cafe Paradiso's food justice! AND we ate some before we remembered to snap :)

Happy Cork Visiting!
WhatToSeeInIreland WhatToEatInIreland

Special place to stay in Ireland: The fantastic Hayfield Manor, Cork City

I hope you are ready to be tempted! If you are looking for a special place to stay in Cork, Ireland, I wholeheartedly recommend Hayfield Manor. 

Photos from our stay at Hayfield Manor, Cork

Snobby?

Hayfield Manor is a 5 star independent luxury hotel right in Cork City, and even if you are like my husband and me, who normally wouldn't splash much cash for a hotel, a stay here is well worth saving for. In truth, I was a bit nervous that I might feel out of place, that it might be snobby ....but I am happy to say I was completely wrong! The staff are all so very welcoming, genuinely warm and helpful--they made the beautiful period manor house more than just a lovely place--they made it a wonderful experience. 

A few days after our stay, Hayfield Manor put out this video-- and yes, everyone is that nice! Have a watch and you will get a look at and a feel for this special place to stay.

Highlights

Aside from the staff, the highlights of our short stay were:

 1. The incredible breakfast-- it was presented so very beautifully, and the dining room took my breath away! We were like kids in a candy shop with the selection- I may have been slightly giddy! :-) In addition to anything non-cooked you could possibly desire on the buffet, there were all sorts of cooked breakfast items on offer as table service. And so tasty! 

 2. The very big, comfortable bed. (Did you see how small Terry looks on it in the photo collage?) I have back problems and often am not comfortable on normal beds, but I slept like a log in Hayfield Manor's. 

Don't Miss

We stayed just one night, and weren't really thinking about the pool & spa that are part of Hayfield Manor- mistake! Terry is a fitness trainer, and when he realized they had a personal trainer, pool and such, he called in to the spa to look around. After a nice chat with the staff there he was then very sorry he didn't plan enough time to have a go. Luckily, Hayfield does a nice amount of special offers and packages, so we can save for another visit to fabulous Cork City & Hayfield Manor!
See you there?? :-)
WhereToStayInIreland