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!
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