I found Cork well worth the 4...
by ombre
I found Cork well worth the 4 hour bus trip from dublin via bus erin.
Cork proved to be a friendly place with good bars and enough to see and do to stop me getting bored .soon i will place pics and add a heap of info about the place Cork people remind me of melbourne people in the way they have a healthy rilary with the other major city in their case dublin in ours Sydney.
you probably won't need more than 2 days to really see enough of cork city lets face it cities tend to be cities after a while. but the county cork has enough to keep you going for weeks .
my fondest memory was drinking in a bar called Gallagher's
on mac curtain st.
they have live music and show english soccer matches as well.
I got drinking with some locals and ended up at some night club I would be able to find again if my life depended on it.
special thanks to the cabbie who drove me back to place I was staying.
I was headed in the total wrong direction when I flagged him down ha ha.
Murphys - Corks Black Stuff!
by suvanki
Although Guiness is the more widely known stout, it is brewed in Dublin, which is Corks rival city! It is said that a true Corkonian won't drink Guiness
So, when in Cork, ask for a pint of Murphys (or Beamish) Though Guiness is available too!
I enjoyed my first Murphys in Cork, at The Market Lane Restaurant on Oliver Plunkett Street during Ekaterinburgs Taste of Cork VT meet. The following day, on the way too and from Blarney, by bus, we passed the Murphys Brewery. I took a photo of it from the top of St Ann's Church in Shandon.(pic 2)
Murphys Irish Stout is a dry stout, which has been brewed in County Cork, by the Murphys Brewery since 1856. It is still made from the original recipe.
The brewery was begun by James J Murphy and his brother. (Their family had gained wealth as Traders and merchants, with over a centurys history of commercial activity in Cork)
Together they formed James J Murphy and Company, and established the Ladies Well Brewery in the centre of Cork City.
The Brewery was very successful, producing over 100,000 barrels of stout and Ale. They began exporting to the UK.
Murphys is now available in over 70 countries - since being bought out by the Heineken company in 1983, when the name changed to Murphy Heineken Brewery Ireland Ltd.
Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout than Guiness and Beamish, which are its 2 main competitors .
Its flavour is said to be evocative of caramel and malt and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk". Murphy's is free from any hint of carbonation, and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam – "the head" – on top. The head, in particular, is noted for its remarkably thick and creamy nature and its "spoonable" density.
This stout is made with all natural ingredients, and is subject to rigorous quality controls to ensure that each pint is perfect. Murphy's Irish Stout is a product obtained from wort, made from malted barley, roasted material (barley and malt), drinking water and hops, alcoholically fermented with pure culture yeast of the type Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Murphy's claimed the Gold Medal for stout at the 2002 International Brewing awards.
Murphys doesn't have such a commercial stronghold as the Guiness brand, but you can purchase clothing etc.bearing the company logo. You can spot the brand around Cork (pics 4 and 5)
The company also promotes Live Music events.
While 'Guiness is Good For You' is a well known advertising slogan, Murphys most famous advert was probably its 'Like The Murphys I'm not bitter'campaign, though I spotted 'Murphys from the wood, that's good' on an old advertising poster at the Muskerry Arms in Blarney (pic 3)
Blarney
by suvanki
25 minutes away by bus from Cork, is the village of Blarney - Famed for its Castle and The Blarney stone. Another attraction is The Blarney Woollen Mills - a place for buying Irish crafts such as woolens!, Waterford Crystal, pottery, celtic jewellery, and souvenirs of all things Irish.
The Castle and its grounds are worth visiting - although pick your time, as it is one of Irelands most popular tourist spots, so can be quite crowded. We visited on a wet Sunday in October, so it wasn't too bad. We didn't have to queue too long to kiss the Blarney Stone!
Blarney also has quite a few pubs and restaurants. We ate at The Muskerry Arms, which was popular with the locals. It has a sporting theme- the day that we visited there was an important rugby match, with local team Munster away to Sale. Blarney were also playing in the Hurling championship in Cork. These games were relayed on TV and radio, along with horse racing.
Please visit my Blarney page for more info and pics.
This is a far off shot of...
by Michael_D
This is a far off shot of Bearhaven Island off in Bantry Bay...the picture speaks for itself. No nightlife or discos within 100 miles. To me, Ireland is about sweeping vistas, deep thoughts and inner dialogue..that is possibly why Ireland has so many gifted writers.MY TIP?...see the cities for sure...but just keep in mind Ireland is about its rugged rural charm.
In 80 drinks (or more) around the world
by challenger about The Abbots Ale House
“What? An Irish pub with no Guinness???”,I hear you say. Yep, it’s true: The Abbots Ale House concentrates on selling foreign beer, and the only Irish product they sell will either be local beer or micro-brews like “Rebel Red”. They serve dozens of various beers from all over the world, most importantly from Germany, Belgium or the Czech Republic. Check out their black board for special offers.
If you intend to stay a bit longer in Ireland and maybe even settle down here for a while (especially if you are a non-English language national), the place is also an excellent haunt to hook up with other ex-pats and suss out which company is currently looking for foreign language speakers.
Just beware: Some of their beer can be very strong… up to 10%! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Dress Code?!? What dress code?
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in front of Blarney Wollen Mills
They're off!
3 A.M.
Shandon painted houses
