Hours: Summer: Mon.- Sat. 9:30am- 5:30pm, Sun. 12:30pm- 5:00pm; Winter: 10:00am- 12:45pm, 2:00pm- 5:00pm

Tickets: €3,00, €1,50 students

    The cathedral was designed by William Burges and opened in 1870, although the grounds served as a place of worship and previous churches since the 7^th century.  Burges not only created the design for the building, but much of the artwork, furniture and metalwork inside, maintaining a harmony of style throughout the church.  The Resurrection Angel sits on the sanctuary roof, made from copper and covered with gold leaf.  Legend has it that the angel will fall to signify the end of the world.

Address: Church Street

Hours: Nov. to Easter: 10:00am- 3:00pm; Easter to Nov.: 10:00am- 5:00pm

Tickets: €6, €5 students

    This church was constructed in 1722, yet the site previously held a church of St. Mary.  The building consists of two types of stone: red sandstone belonging to the original Shandon castle, and limestone from the Franciscan Abbey.  The clock on the church is dubbed by locals as the “Four Faced Liar,” since each clock face on the four sides of the tower read a slightly different time.  The numbers on each clock are made of wood, and since some are thicker than others, the minute hands of the clock stick when they reach them.  But at the turn of the hour, the clocks return to the same time.

Address: Mardyke

Hours: 24 hours a day

    This 18-acre park features multiple pleasant gardens peppered with sculptures.  The park contains playgrounds that are perfect for children, and adults can enjoy them, too!  During the weekends, you may even find some entertaining performers in the park.  Situated along the Lee River, Fitzgerald Park contains a Cork Public Museum in addition to the beautiful gardens; in the museum, you can view Michael Collins’ love letters to Kitty O’Shea, among other exhibitions detailing Cork’s history.

Address:  Sunday’s Well area

Hours: March- Oct.: 9:30am- 6:00pm; Nov.- Feb. 10:00am- 5:00pm; last admission one hour before close

Tickets: €5, includes audio guide

    This prison was open from 1824 to 1923, replacing the Old Goal, and for a time accommodated women only.  The building looks more like a castle than a prison, and the architecture contains Georgian and Gothic features. The cells are furnished and contain life-size human figures to illustrate prison life in the 19^th century, where prisoners were treated harshly and received severe punishments.  Oddly enough, the prison also houses a Radio Museum.

Transportation: From Parnell Square in Cork, take bus no. 224.  The castle is about a 20-minute drive away from the city.

Hours: Mon.- Sat.: May: 9:00am- 6:30pm; Jun.- Aug. 9:00am- 7:00pm; Sept. 9:00am- 6:30pm; Oct.- April 9:00am- sundown. Sun: summers: 9:00am- 5:30pm; winters: 9:00am- sundown

Tickets: €10, €8 students

    The Blarney Castle today is the third castle to be built on the site since the 10^th century.  The King of Munster, Cormac McCarthy, rebuilt and occupied the castle.  After he provided troops to Robert the Bruce in a 1314 battle, he was given half of the Stone of Scone, which he incorporated into the walls to be kissed. Other versions of the stone’s origins are that it was the stone that Moses struck to bring water to the Israelites, it was David’s Stone of Ezel, brought to Ireland during the Crusades, and that its powers came from a witch who saved McCarthy from drowning. Today, this stone is known as the Blarney Stone, or the Stone of Eloquence.  The name “Blarney” comes from Queen Elizabeth the I.  She commanded the Earl of Leicester to seize the castle, but McCarthy continuously suggested some form of delay.  When the earl reported back to her, she retorted that his reports were “Blarney.” Kissing the Blarney Stone is no easy task, and one must hang upside down to get to it.  But it’s an endeavor taken on by many, including Mick Jagger, Winston Churchill, Laurel and Hardy, and Nelly Bly, to name a few

Trains: Those looking to stop in Cork while backpacking Ireland, will likely arrive at Kent Station.  Trains connect with Dublin (4.5hr), Killarney (2hr), Limerick (1.5hr), and Tralee (2.5hr).

Buses: Cork’s bus station is located 2 blocks east of St. Patrick’s Bridge and intercity buses depart for Dublin (4.5hr), Killarney (2hr), Galway (4hr), Limerick (2hr), Sligo (7hr), Tralee (2.5hr), and Waterford (2hr). 

Public Transportation:  Cork operates buses between 7:30am and 11:15pm and they run every 15-30 minutes.  Single tickets start at €1.40. 

Address: 14B North Mall

    For a taste of local beer, check out this bar, which brews its own beer. They feature a beer garden as well, which allows smoking.  This bar gets its name for the ground on which it’s built: an old Franciscan Monastery and Well from the year 1219. 

Address: Caroline St.

Tickets: up to €30, depending on the show, but some are free.  Check out the website for a gig lineup. 

    For a good mix of traditional Irish songs and international music, Cyprus Avenue is located in the vibrant nightlife district, right off Oliver Plunkett St. The bar features well-known acts along with local bands, so every night is different, but the music’s always entertaining. 

Website: http://www.cyprusavenue.ie/

Address: 8 Coburg St.

Directions: cross St. Patrick’s bridge, and it’s off McCurtain St.

Hours: Mon.- Wed. 11:00am- 11:30pm; Thurs.- Sat. 11:00am- 12:30am; Sun. noon- 11:00pm

    As traditional of an Irish pub as you can get, Sin E features wonderful live Irish bands and a crowd with plenty of craic.