Cork > Cork Experience

Advantages: Maryborough House Hotel & Spa
Disadvantages: Not much to do, disc parking schemes

...Overall though we found Cork disappointing, the countryside is OK, nothing spectacular though, and many areas appear shabby. One thing we did note was the apparent aversion to tourists in terms of lack of parking spaces - Cork City and most towns - even small ones have "disc parking" i.e. if you are local it's easy to park, if not then virtually impossible or you pay often over 2 euros per hour - and worse many parking bays have a 2 hour maximum ...
...to be undergoing a major refurb in the centre at the moment with lots of building work, also the centre is small and after a couple of hours there didnt seem to be much to do (we have kids so pubs were not an option). We tried to go to one of the parks but again no parking available so we gave up! Prices on the whole seemed a bit higher than UK (particularly for wine, where a £6 bottle was more like £10 in Ireland), and also many of the tourist ... Read review

Advantages: Attractive and compact city, eclectic and diverse yet still traditional, lots to do
Disadvantages: Eating out not cheap; some may find it too hilly

Cork is a city I had long fancied visiting without really knowing why and I was lucky enough to visit for a weekend break last December. Booking the flights and the accommodation was the only preparation we did so when we arrived in the city we had little idea of what we wanted to do and see. Arriving late Friday afternoon and departing again Sunday lunchtime did not leave us with a great deal of time but we managed to cram in plenty of activity ...
...a pair of comfortable shoes; Cork has excellent public transport but in the city you may as well walk: although the centre is compact, there are a few hills. It takes a little while to get your bearings in Cork; the city started life as an island in the swampy River Lee and today the river flows in two channels through the centre of the city. As a result you find that you are constantly crossing bridges and some of the main streets are even built ... Read review

Advantages: Good restaurants, tea and coffee in the room
Disadvantages: Everything apart of the advantages

...are found all around Europe. Cork city itself is smaller than one would think looking at maps. The main streets are Patrick and Grand Parade with a few smaller ones where there are restaurants and pubs serving mainly Italian, Chinese and Indian cuisines. There is not much to do in Cork city except eating out and have some pints at the pubs. We recommend the Isaacs Restaurant and the pub Scotts, both keeping a standard which is slightly higher than ...
...was quite a lot near Cork because of the Jazz festival. Cormac McCarthy, king of munster, built the fortress to protect the area from the attacks of the invading Cromwellians. The castle area itself is beautiful with small rivers running through and some lovely old trees. The gardens are a delight. We took some nice photos. One has to be careful climbing up the stairs of the castle and when you reach the top the Blarney stone is hardly visible and ... Read review

Advantages: Everything!
Disadvantages: It's too hard to leave!

...place! I've only been to Cork city centre a few times as when we go every year we stay in Youghal, a small seaside resort on the east coast of Cork county. Cork is the second biggest city in Southern Ireland, only behind the country's capital Dublin. There are 127, 253 people in Cork city and 283,116 in the county. The shopping is great, there is some really great scenery and the nightlife is brilliant! What more could you want? I think this is the ...
...in an English market in Cork which sells local and exotic food. This is a good place to visit if you're around the city. Mahon point is a mall in Cork city, it has plenty of good shops, cafes, a cinema and bars. Aswell as food shops, there are jewellers, chemists, charity shops, the usual naff souvenir shops, beauty salons, sports shops, entertainment and music shops e.g hmv and virgin megastores. There are also a couple of tattoo parlours. Not that ... Read review

Advantages: You need never have a boring moment...
Disadvantages: I'm not there to show you around

...QUALIFIED TO TELL YOU ABOUT CORK CITY? From the years 1996 to 2000, I attended UCC in Cork (the big university there) and have gone back every year for varying amounts of time from weekend break to ‘using up holiday time’ week long holidays. Presuming you have a week or so to spare, some cash to spend and are curious to visit the city which will be the European city of Culture in 2005, here is a 'week-filling guide' for that city..... Each of the ...
...THERE... *Fly directly into Cork airport **Train from Heuston Station Dublin into Kent Street station Cork. Warning - the evening trains (post 4.30) are PACKED beyond seating room and FORGET trying to get on a train from Dublin after 2.00 pm on a Friday. (Train Station is 15 mins walk from City centre) Trains are wheelchair / buggy friendly. ***Bus from Busaras, Dublin's Central Bus Station to Parnell Place Bus Station Cork (Bus Station is 5 mins ... Read review