The merry busker
by evaanna
I was approaching the Bus Station tired after a whole day of sightseeing and shopping when I saw this man playing Irish music on his keyboard. I immediately thought of VT - surely people will be interested to see him. I dropped a coin into his bag and asked if I could take a picture of him. He readily agreed and, afterwards, asked:
"Will I be on television?"
"You'll be on the Internet", I answered.
He looked pleased. "Thank you, thank you" he said, beaming with pleasure.
And suddenly I felt tired no longer.
Beamish - Corks other Black Stuff
by suvanki
Beamish is Corks other stout that is still brewed in the city. I enjoyed a pint at Cork Opera House during our VT Taste of Cork meet. (I must confess that Beamish is my least favourite stout when compared with Murphys and Guiness - it's a bit too sweet for my taste, but I still managed to sink it OK!)
Some History:-
Beamish has been brewed in Cork since 1792. The Beamish and Crawford Brewery was founded by William Beamish and William Crawford. They purchased a brewery on Cramers Lane, which had been brewing since at least 1650, though there is some evidence that brewing could have been in operation here in 1500!
-1792 -production was 12,000 barrels per year
-1805, the brewery had become the largest in Ireland and the third largest in the United Kingdom producing an output of 100,000 barrels per annum.
-1865, the brewery was completely revamped at a cost of £100,000.
-1901,The company went public - issuing a share capital of £480,000.
-early 1900s -Acquisition of a number of local breweries led to an expansion programme
- 1962, it was purchased by the Canadian brewing firm Carling-O'Keefe Ltd, who embarked on a modernisation programme at the brewery.
-1987, Elders IXL purchased Canadian Breweries (incorporating Carling-O'Keefe).
- 1995, Elders sold the brewery to Scottish and Newcastle.
- 2008 takeover of Scottish and Newcastle, the brewery will pass into the hands of its main Cork-based rival (subject to competition authority approval in late 2008), Heineken International
n addition to their own produce, they brew and distribute a number of internationally known brands of beer, with the Irish franchises for Fosters, Kronenberg 1664 and Miller.
The Beamish and Crawford Brewery is still in operation here. Tours of the Brewery run twice weekly. Over 18s only as a free drink is served in the hospitality room after the tour.
See web page for more info.
Some Brewing info:-
Lager malt, roasted barley, and a small amount of malted wheat are used in the mash to make stout. The malt is wet-milled to keep the husks more intact.
Beamish brews concentrated wort; a beer with a 1.057 original gravity in the kettle will go out the door at 1.040. Brewing water is de-aerated for downstream blending. To reduce the load on the lauter tun, corn sugar is added, contributing about 15% of the wort’s original gravity. They use a 50/50 mix of British and European hops.
Beamish uses a step infusion mash, starting with a 65-67C protein rest.
Beta glucanate is added to aid runoff.
Calcium chloride and calcium sulfate are added to the brewing water (both in the mash and the kettle) to influence flavor and enhance yeast growth.
After the boil, the wort is whirlpooled, then chilled.
Beamish uses 1.2 pounds yeast/barrel. Two batches combine in the closed fermentation tank. The primary fermentation for Beamish lasts about 3 days.
Some CO2 pressure is applied to the fermenters; CO2 generated by fermentation is collected for reuse.
After fermentation, the beer is run through a yeast filter to collect the yeast for reuse, repropagation, or sale. It is then cold-stored in one of 32 10,000 gallon conditioning tanks.
Blimey!!!
Beamish and Crawford Brewery
South Main St,
Cork City,
Co. Cork,
Ireland
Beamish and Crawford Brewery sponsor The Beamish Folk Festival . In 2008, it was held 2nd - 5th October, taking place in over 22 venues in Cork city . It featured over 34 acts, 280 musicians and 5,000 dancers as part of the Céilí Mór celebrations.
KISS THE BLARNEY STONE
by DAO
Blarney Castle is a very easy 20 minute bus ride from the main bus station. The bus stops in the very small village of Blarney and there is a sign showing you the direction of the short walk to the entrance. Kissing the Blarney stone gives you the gift of the gab – or the power of eloquent speaking. The castle and grounds itself is worth the visit alone. After your climb up the steep stone stairs to kiss the Balrney Stone, you can walk back into the village for a pint and meal in the pub. An easy and fun day out from Cork.
Take bus 224 almost every hour from outside Merchant's Quay (across the road from the main bus station).
Opening Hours (from the website):
Monday to Saturday:
May: 9.00am to 6.30pm
Jun-Jul-Aug: 9.00am to 7.00pm
Sept: 9.00am to 6.30pm
Oct-Apr: 9.00am to sundown
Sundays:
Summer: 9.00am to 5.30pm
Winter: 9.00am to sundown
Last Admissions: 30 minutes before closing
In many ways Ireland has been...
by Michael_D
In many ways Ireland has been the easiest pages to write, light on the dialogue because the pictures tell the story more eloquently than words ever could.
From Cork to Skibbereen to Bantry with its deep-sliced bays and sweeping vistas..what's not to love?
There are numerous bars and...
by DAISYCHAIN
There are numerous bars and restuarants in cork, regardless of what strikes your fancy. There are dance music clubs, indie and rock club (live bands) , jazz (very popular), take your pick! Outside of Cork, you may find that nightclubs are a bit more casually dressed compared to clubs in the uk.
Cork clubs are smarty dressed.
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the Blarney Woollen Mills complex
Calzone
OPEN - 3 A.M.
Shandon painted houses
