Top County Cork hotels
Blarney Castle Cork
30 Reviews We weren't actually going to visit this castle, as we are 'over' queueing and really didn't think we wanted to do the tourist thing. Sooooo glad we did. We were there at 9am when it opened and were...
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Charles' Fort Kinsale
9 Reviews Even though it was raining I enjoyed my visit to the fort and the walk to it from the centre of Kinsale. It is run by the OPW and it is 3 Euro 70 to enter. The best thing about our visit was the free...
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11 Reviews It would be impossible to go to Cobh and not notice St. Colman's Cathedral. The huge church overshadows the small town sitting high on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. We left the Heritage Center and...
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18 Reviews Summer Opening Times Monday-Saturday 9:30-17:30 Sunday 12:30 - 17:00 Winter Opening Times Monday-Saturday 10:00 - 12:45 14:00 - 17:00 (Closed Bank Holidays) Admission Adult €3.00 Under 18...
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Old Head of Kinsale Kinsale
2 Reviews This is one of my favourite places in County Cork, this windswept rocky promontory reaching out into the ocean. There is a lighthouse at the end of it but you can't get to it - the road ends with a...
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The Queenstown Story Cobh
6 Reviews Cobh's Heritage Centre is next door to the railway station at the water's edge. There is a large open cafe/restaurant and a well done Museum about Cobh's emigrants. For 6 Euros you can see and hear...
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Shopping / Streets / Areas Cork
14 Reviews I forgot all about the English Market until we came upon it wandering around and regrettably we had already had lunch. But I did stop and get a few chocolates from the Chocolate Shop which purchases...
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Kinsale Harbour Kinsale
6 Reviews We went sailing with the guys in Sovereign Sailing down at the Trident Hotel Marina. I had never sailed before but they took 4 of us out on a new 34ft sailing yacht. It was Fantastic. They gave us all...
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The Titanic Memorial Cobh
2 Reviews Well, I arrived in Cobh wanting to see things about the Titanic. On April 11th 1912 the luxury liner weighed anchor for the last time at Cobh to pick up Irish emigrants heading for New York. Many of...
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St Ann's Church Cork
12 Reviews The name Shandon comes from the Irish, Sean Dun, and means Old Fort. Shandon was one of 28 settlements in and around ancient Cork. Dont forget to take the earthings at the beginning when you climb the...
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The Scilly Walk Kinsale
2 Reviews This fairytale yellow cottage is about halfway between Summercove and Kinsale and everybody always stops to take photographs. In summer the hollyhocks grow almost to the roof. I often wonder about the...
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Heritage Centre Cobh
4 Reviews If your an American of Irish descent visiting Cobh, you are probably here to see where your family departed from Ireland. I am of Irish descent, but my family immigrated from the port in Dublin. My...
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Cork City Gaol Cork
6 Reviews I've never been there myself (I know I know - one of these days!!) but I've been told that this is worth checking out - especially if it's a 'soft day' (rainy in case you were wondering) in...
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James' Fort Kinsale
4 Reviews James Fort was constructed between 1601 and 1603. It is a pentagonal shaped fort with a covered walkway leading to the fort. This fort was the harbours main defence until the construction of Charles...
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4 Reviews Maritime disasters play an important role in the history of Cobh. Two of the greatest disasters in history have a Cobh connection. Cobh was the last port for the Titantic before its disasterous maiden...
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Kinsale Cork
7 Reviews A lovely day trip to the colorful harbour city of Kinsale is a must do. It is only a 40 minutes bus trip from Cork city (25km). Kinsale is a pleasure for gourmet but not only... a walk around the...
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St Multose Church Kinsale
2 Reviews Dating back to 1190, St Multose Church is the oldest building in Kinsale and has been in continuous use all this time. Its appearance has been considerably changed since then, some of the original...
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Fota Island Cobh
1 Review Fota Island is a 780 acre island that is just outside of the island that Cobh is on in Cork Harbour. There is a golf course and golf club where you can get a light lunch. They also have a great...
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Fitzgeralds Park Cork
4 Reviews About 20 minutes walk west of City centre is Fitzgeralds Park on the banks of the River Lee.This is a pleasent park to relax in and enjoy the beauty.There is also a good play section here for childern...
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Summercove Kinsale
1 Review Leaving Charles Fort via the drawbridge, pause to look at the three plaques in Irish, English and Spanish unveiled in 2001, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Battle of Kinsale. This spot...
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Hugenot Quarter Cork
6 Reviews The Huguenot Quarter of Cork is the area around French Church Street and Carey's Lane. The Huguenots were French Protestants who fled from religious prosecution in the 17th and the second half of the...
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Town centre Kinsale
2 Reviews The centre of Kinsale is lovely - its winding narrow lanes are pure bliss for the eyes - I have never seen so many colourful houses anywhere, and all of them matching their neighbours. I wonder if...
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Cobh.... Cork
6 Reviews Cobh (formerly know as Queenstown) was the last port of call for the Titanic and is home to the 'Queenstown Story' featuring information both on the Titanic & the thousands of Irish people who...
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Harbour Tour by Boat Kinsale
3 Reviews A great way to see the harbour, also the town and Charles Fort from a different angle. Nice traditional music, interesting commentry, coffee and bar service available. The trip lasts for 55 minutes...
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Blackrock Castle Cork
3 Reviews No mediaeval town could do without a fortified castle and Cork was no different. Cork's Blackrock Castle is located where the River Lee flows into Lough Mahon. Built for defensive purposes, to protect...
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Dunboy Castle is a really badly run down castle with very little to see.Puxley Mansion on the other hand is an old mansion right close by the castle and it's really impressive and a certain must see.The castle is rather old and was raided by the English in 1602. The mansion on the other hand has a far more recent history than one might expect. It was built in the 19th century and in 1921 it was razed by the IRA.
If you have time for only one attraction in Cork then it has to be the Blarney Castle. You would probably have heard of people kissing the Blarney Stone to get the "gift of the gab". Well, this is where you'll do that.Personally I thought the Blarney Stone was overrated and I'm probably one of the very few people who's gone all the way to the top but didn;t kiss the stupid stone.To me the castle and the setting was more than enough. It's really worth it.
Kinsale is a lovely, picturesque fishing village in Westcork with lots of gourmet restaurants, and a lot of history. In 1601 it was the site of the "Battle of Kinsale", and in 1915 the Lusitania was sunk off the Head of Kinsale by a German submarine torpedo. A nice stroll along the coast to Summercove will bring you to 17th century Charles Fort, a massive star-shaped structure on a cliff above the sea. Guided tours are available.
Cobh is the last port where the Titanic stopped on its way to the bottom of the north Atlantic. Back then it was still called Queenstown. You can still see the check in building of White Star Line! (see Picture, apparently they are (were?) building a museum?!)
To be honest, with Bantry House I was not quite sure whether to list it as “Must-See Activity” or “Tourist Trap”. I decided to list it as a Must-See Activity, as it is quite impressive, although at 9.50 Euros I found it far too overpriced, especially as there are no guided tours. You will get a folder at the entrance pointing out a few items in the various rooms, but with only one short sentence each, and you are otherwise very much left to your own devices. Ok, so far to the drawbacks. Otherwise it is quite an interesting house, and I would suggest to visit it in spring in order to fully appreciate the lovely garden. It is laid out over seven terraces with a big staircase of 100 steps (the so-called “Stairway to the Sky”) leading up to the top. From there you have a lovely view over the house and Bantry Bay. In the house itself I particularly liked the library with its huge windows...
Cobh (or “Queenstown” as it was called until 1922) is situated on Great Island, one of the three islands in Cork harbour. The nice little town is dominated by St. Colman’s Cathedral on top of a hill. From Cobh most of the so-called "Famine Ships" set sail, when hundreds of thousands embarked here during the Great Famine of 1844 to 1848 to start a new life in America.The town was also the last port of call for the Titanic in 1912 when she sailed off for her fateful maiden journey, and picked up 123 passengers there. Another tragic episode occurred only three years later in 1915 when the Lusitania, a passenger liner on her way from New York to Liverpool, was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine and sank off the Head of Kinsale and 1,198 passengers died. 150 victims are buried in a mass grave 1 mile north of Cobh.A disused part of Cobh railway station houses an exhibition called “The...
Fota Wildlife Park just outside Cork city on the Cobh road is within easy reach by car or by train. Unlike most zoos that I visited before there are hardly any cages or small enclosures for the animals there, bu most of them roam around freely throughout the park, and you will have to dodge the odd kangaroo or llama during your walk. Buffaloes, zebras and giraffes are kept on big, fenced-in fields, while the monkeys live on islands in the middle of a pond. Cheetahs and a few birds of prey were the only animals living behind conventional fences. More pictures in my travelogue...
The old gaol has been redecorated and done up as a museum, with furnished cells and life-like wax figures illustrating the history of the gaol. You can walk from cell to cell with your tape recorder and listen to the stories of the people who were incarcerated there. If you like you can also watch the audio-visual presentation.
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Fitzgerald's Vienna Woods Hotel Cork
1 Review and 172 Opinions
Blue Haven Hotel Kinsale
1 Review and 165 Opinions Completely refurbished in 2004, each room is individually furnished with exquisite furniture, the...
Ashlee Lodge Blarney
59 Opinions
Reviews and photos of County Cork attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for County Cork sightseeing.
Q: We will be in Ireland for 3.5 days the first of June with our 16 year old twin grandchildren, 1 boy and 1 girl. We will fly into...
A: There’s lots to do in the Cork area whether you decide to hire a car or not. A visit to Fota Island Wildlife Park should be a good day out for all ages ...
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