Here’s what to do when you find yourself in the capital of the People’s Republic
One of the few silver linings of COVID, while international travel was off the agenda and things back home were opening back up again, meant that we explored our own little island a little more. We jumped in the car and headed to the furthest corners of Ireland, and rediscovered the place that know so well. It’s the same old story you never really bother doing the things that are on your doorstep, you are always more likely to go further afield and explore that first. As a nation we have an outward mentality, we look out, sometimes forgetting to look inward, leading us to sometimes miss the beauty that’s all around us or a few hours on the train. For Dublin folk, the pull of Cork is always there, the rivalry between the two cities is always there, and needless in my opinion as they are so different. Where Dublin feels like a sprawling urban centre, Cork feels like a big town. It’s surprisingly walkable (although not at the moment with the great building works of 2024 taking place) and it’s a place which wears its history, from the decadent Victorian mansions to ripples of the painful events of 1920. If you have the time or the inclination, time spent in Cork City is well spent, here’s what to do if you find yourself there:
EAT –
Paradiso, Lancaster Quay, more info here
Few restaurants are worth travelling across the country for, but securing a booking in Paradiso is one of them. The vegetable-focused restaurant has been running for millennia in restaurant years, starting in 1993 back then it was pioneering in its practices, working with growers to bring locally sourced and artisanal produce to the hungry mouths of Corkonians. Chef and patron Dennis Cotter creates complex and dynamic dishes, that taste every bit as good as they look. Plan your trip around this place and you won’t regret it.
DRINK-
The Oval, South Main Street, more info here
It’s easy to see how The Oval got its name, the pub on the corner of South Main Street and Tuckey Street is so named for its egg-shaped central bar. The pub was custom-designed by Edinburgh-based architects for Beamish & Crawford who previously operated across the road. Built in 1917, the space is incredibly well-preserved, with an open fire, twinkling candlelight and plenty of nooks and crannies to while away a few hours. It’s origins and the proximity to the former site of the brewery, it’s no surprise that the Beamish is some of the best you are likely to get in the country. It feels like a place from a different time, sitting with a pint feels like a communion with the past, one that if you listen closely enough you can hear the voices of those long gone.
DO;
Elizabeth Fort, Barrack Street, more info here
If you were told the only view of Cork City worth catching is from Shandon Bells, your intel is faulty, as the view from Elizabeth Fort on a clear day is quite something. Built in the 17th century as a fortification outside the city walls, the city soon grew around it. Over the years this star-shaped fort has been used as a military barracks, prison, air raid shelter and police station, until 2014 when it was open to the public as an interpretive centre and historical monument. Free in, it’s a great place to spend an hour walking the battlements, having a look in the old police cells and checking out the exhibition, which has a special focus on women who were transported to Australia for minor crimes.
STAY;
The River Lee, The Western Road, more info here
Centrally located hotels sometimes have to trade off views and standards when it comes to location, but not the River Lee, set in the heart of the city hugging the banks of the Lee, with gorgeous views over the river that draws your eye up to the tree-lined hill built up during the Victorian era. This is a hotel in which the location is secondary to the experience, a spot where you could easily forget you are in the centre of the city. It’s a gorgeous fusion of modern design and midcentury fusion, which lends a sense of scale and space with the warmth of plush design. The well-appointed rooms are generous in size, some coming with floor-to-ceiling views of the river and beyond. The service is a how-to guide in the wonders of Irish service, warm, prompt and personable, visiting The River Lee shows you just why we are known the world over for our hospitality. Far too often restaurants and indeed bars set in hotels are only visited by guests who prefer the convenience of staying within the hotel grounds. It’s no surprise that in the 20-meter pool, by the bar and the table over we heard a mix of accents, from the Cork brogue to the West Coast American twang. Glitzy Meatpacking-inspired River Bar is a casual and open bar that you gravitate towards with a magnetic pull, while sipping cocktails on the terrace which looks out on the river is the kind of place you manifest on a dark winter day. Personally, the restaurant held the largest surprise, too often burned by passable hotel food, the food in the River Lee was nothing short of surprising, with an exciting, fresh menu with a backbone of the great and the good of Irish producers.
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