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A vibrant historic city
 History,
dramatic and terrible, lurks round every corner of Cork City. The capital
of ‘the Rebel County’ has been a centre of excellence for
insurgents, pirates, highway robbers and general ne’er-do-wells,
since before Viking times.
All quiet now in this westerly outpost where Europe slips serenely into
the Atlantic. The 21st century has seen Cork metamorphose into a handsome
metropolis, with fine pubs and classy restaurants, theatres and concert
venues. This vibrant southerly city today boasts street cafes and contemporary
clubs, fiddle-playing buskers and backstreet Bohemianism.
Once the literary capital of Ireland (O’Faolain, O’Connor,
Corkery, Larry Lyons), and also known as the Real Capital where the Authentic
Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, came from, Cork is more commonly regarded today
as the jazz epicentre and cinema capital of the country. The city hosts
one of Europe’s main jazz festivals (October 26-29 this year, www.corkjazzfestival.com),
when some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries will entertain the 40,000
plus fans in over 75 venues citywide.
Cork is a compact, hilly place, with the streets rising up so steeply
they give the appearance of being vertical when viewed from the other
side of the river.
The sound of bells rings across the city and this is probably the only
city where you can ring them yourself, at St. Ann’s in Shandon,
to be exact. Here for a small fee you can toll out your own version of
Danny Boy from the bell-tower.
You can’t really miss the church it’s the only one hereabouts
with an 11-foot salmon weather vane atop the tower. In fact it may be
the only salmon-festooned church steeple in the entire world.
A busy port in its heyday (around the 18th century) Cork’s relaxed
city centre stands on an island in the middle of the Lee. There’s
something quite Dutch about the whole canal system, something Parisian
about its quays, and a definite Venetian touch about the light bouncing
off the water. The only thing which gives the game away is the odd memorial
to an IRA commander. And of course signposts to towns which have become
part of the English language. Throughout the city the way to ‘Limerick,
Blarney’ is indicated, probably the only road-signs in the world
containing two literary lessons.
From literature to star attractions, and this summer Blackrock Castle,
2km from the city centre on the banks of the Lee will open its Cosmos
Observatory centre. This e3million project has transformed the 16th century
castle into one of the country’s top astronomical research facilities.
Its new visitor centre features cinema, interactive telescopes, records
of discoveries in space and space travel videos. www.bco.ie
Back down on earth, Cork boasts a lively pub scene, plus art galleries,
two major theatres and a warren of attractive pedestrianised shopping
streets. Plus more music venues than you could shake a bodhran stick at.
Richard Twiss in A Tour of Ireland put his finger on the pulse of Cork
as long ago as 1775: “The forte of the citizens does not lie in
the sciences or painting, sculpture, architecture or museum, but in the
more essential arts relative to eating and drinking.” And certainly,
you’d have to say that Cork’s treasures are mostly of the
edible or drinkable, here-today-gone-tomorrow type.
In Grand Parade you can dive straight into the English Market, a vast
covered concourse with some 140 stalls. Local specialties include Clonakilty
pudding and tripe. Here’s a brief quote from a tripe recipe “Cut
the guts and the cow foot in small squares and the pig’s ear into
strips” and let’s just leave it at that.
It would be fair to say this market could feature in a vegetarian’s
worst nightmare — but some sections specialise in artisan cheese,
olives and handmade bread.
Just north of Patrick’s Bridge, at the end of the main thoroughfare
Patrick Street, you’ll find a cluster of fine restaurants. Boqueria
(6 Bridge Street) is an atmospheric tapas bar, while round the corner
in MacCurtain Street is Isaac’s, one of Cork’s most successful
eateries a large buzzing restaurant in a 19th century warehouse. For exceptional
food in quieter, more elegant surroundings, head for Greene’s a
few doors away.
Refugees from Cork’s meat-eating culture will find a suitably herbivorous
atmosphere at Denis Cotter’s Café Paradiso (Lancaster Quay,
Western Road) where imaginative vegetarian food is served on plates the
size of satellite dishes.
Cork’s burgeoning pub scene includes The Long Valley in Winthrop
Street, which deserves special mention for its imaginative décor,
salvaged from an ocean liner. Dennehy’s (Cornmarket Street) is one
of the few unmodernised traditional bars left in Cork city, and none the
worse for that. Meanwhile, The Bodega and The Coal Quay across the road
battle it out for trendiest-bar-in-town title. Fort traditional music
head for An Spailpin Fanac (South Main Street) or An Bodhran (Oliver Plunkett
Street). For a good overview of the city’s sights, hop on The Cork
City Tour, which will escort you round the must-see sights: Cork City
Gaol, the City Library, St. Finbarr’s Cathedral, the Custom House,
the Courthouse and the City Hall.
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