Cork

Cork Cathedral is one of the most stunning protestant buildings in the city. The cathedral visible today dates back to the 19th century. It was constructed on the foundations of an ancient chapel founded by the monk Finbarr, the city’s first bishop. The Neo-Gothic-style cathedral boasts superb stained-glass windows.

Head to University College Cork (UCC), not just for lessons but to explore the grounds. The university, which was founded in the 19th century, features the President’s Garden, the Crawford Observatory and the Lewis Glucksman Gallery. And don’t forget to check out The Stone Corridor with its ancient gravestones illustrating an early form of the Irish language.

You can’t visit Cork without a trip to prison. Cork City Gaol was a place of incarceration between 1824 and 1923, and was a women-only establishment for around 50 years. The museum describes the difficult, unsanitary conditions that prisoners had to endure. The cells and staging mean you can picture the prison environment as it was back in the day.

The Triskel Arts Centre is housed in an old church. This unusual setting means that artistic events there have an almost sombre feel. Art house films, concerts, exhibitions, plays… You can attend all sorts of shows at the Arts Centre or just have a drink.

Ireland may be famed for its whisky, but it also produces great beer. Beer connoisseurs should visit the Franciscan Well Brewery and Brewpub. The brewery runs tours several times a week, or you can just sample a few ales at the on-site pub. The brewery produces a selection of additive-free beers with powerful notes.

The Irish are mad about boxties, which are sometimes called poundies. Boxties are pancakes made using finely-grated potato. In Cork, some chefs serve it with a type of Irish black pudding called drisheen. Boxties can be eaten at any time of the day, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can come with a range of added extras such as smoked salmon.

Watch out! These sweets are too good to be true!  Fudge is eaten all over Ireland. It’s similar to toffee but more creamy because milk is added to the butter and sugar mix. Lots of places sell fudge, but each shop has its own recipe. Some people sell traditional fudge while others give it a more modern twist.