The Republic of Cork!

This past week, I took a few days and traveled to County Cork with one of the other students in my program. She is studying the Irish language, so she was going down there to do research, while I went simply to explore a different region of the emerald isle. It was, by far, my favourite spot I've visited so far: beautiful countryside, the friendliest people, the most interesting sites, and the nicest atmosphere. While I was in Cork, I branched out and visited many of the outlying, colorful areas of Munster, including Blarney, Bantry Bay, Kinsale, Youghal, Skibbereen, Mallow and Cobh. I have so many photos and stories from this trip I can't include them all in one post, so stay tuned the next couple days where I'll put up a post for each of my adventures:  Kissing the Blarney Stone, Exploring Kinsale, The Hi-B, and my trip to the Rock of Cashel and Tipperary!

Cork City Centre

On Tuesday, we got into the city in the afternoon, and spent the first few hours wandering around and exploring Cork City.

Cork and the River Lee

The hostel we stayed in was just along the river across from the City Center. Not a bad location for only 15 euro a night!

Swan on the River Lee

University of Cork

On the west end of town is the beautiful campus of Cork University. We met a couple of the students around town at various pubs during the week.

Dan Lowry's Tavern- one of the old style pubs of Cork. No Guinness served here, only Murphy's Cork Brewed Stout. Its better than Guinness (so I'm told!)

My Bangers and Mash at Dan Lowry's with a pint of Murphy's- the Special

The food in Cork was overall incredible- its known as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland. I enjoyed fresh seafood, traditional Irish dishes, and great restaurants all over the county.

Cork City and the River Lee at high tide.

Even though Cork is one of the largest cities in Ireland, it has the feel of a town the size of Wooster, with everything easily accessible and the people being very friendly and helpful. Everyone knows everyone, and is very welcoming to visitors.

Cork City Hall

Port of Cork

Cork has a vibrant fishing culture, and is one of the best places to go for seafood on the whole island. The fishing fleets go out every morning and come back with catches of cod, prawns, mussels and oysters.

The English Market and Farmgate Cafe

Cork is home to the largest Old English style Market in Ireland, and features the Farmgate Cafe above it. You can actually go down along the butchers and fish and vegetable mongers below, select and buy what you want, and then have it cooked and served to you above in the cafe. Today, Friday, before I left, I ate here and had some Irish Seafood Chowder. I picked out the mussels, crab and cod cheeks at a fish-mongers below and had it cooked in the chowder!