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County Cork

Everything good about Ireland can be found in County Cork. Surrounding the country's second city – a thriving metropolis made glorious by location and its almost Rabelaisian devotion to the finer things of life – is a lush landscape dotted with villages that offer days of languor and idyll. The city's understated confidence is grounded in its plethora of food markets and ever-evolving cast of creative eateries, and in its selection of pubs, entertainment and cultural pursuits.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Cork City Gaol
Cork City
This imposing former prison is well worth a visit, if only to get a sense of how awful life was for prisoners a century ago. An audio tour (€2 extra)…
Charles Fort
Kinsale
One of Europe's best-preserved star-shaped artillery forts, this vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone…
English Market
Cork City
The English Market – so called because it was set up in 1788 by the Protestant or ‘English’ corporation that then controlled the city (there was once an…
Bantry House & Garden
County Cork
With its melancholic air of faded gentility, 18th-century Bantry House makes for an intriguing visit. From the Gobelin tapestries in the drawing room to…
Ilnacullin
Beara Peninsula
This horticultural miracle of an island was created in the early 20th century when the island's owner commissioned architect Harold Peto to design a…
Crawford Art Gallery
Cork City
Cork's public gallery houses a small but excellent permanent collection covering the 17th century through to the modern day, though the works on display…
Blarney Castle
County Cork
If you need proof of the power of a good yarn, then join the queue to get into this 15th-century castle, one of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions…
St Fin Barre's Cathedral
Cork City
Spiky spires, gurning gargoyles and elaborate sculpture adorn the exterior of Cork's Protestant cathedral, an attention-grabbing mixture of French Gothic…