What to See & Do in Cork

Doneraile Court & Wildlife Park

This walled park, extending over more than 400 acres and bisected by the Awbeg River has formal gardens, sweeping parkland vistas, groves of …

Bridgetown Priory

A little off the beaten track but worth a detour, Bridgetown Priory was established in the early 13th century by the Augustinians, and was one of the …

Stone Circles

These ancient arrangements of stones, found all over Ireland, date back thousands of years and are believed to have had religious or ceremonial significance.

Cobh Heritage Centre

This fascinating centre tells the often tragic story of Irish emigration in a most vivid way and also commemorates the departure of the Titanic from …

Blarney Castle

A visit to Blarney Castle and a chance to kiss the Blarney stone are fixtures on many Irish tour itineraries, but is it actually a must-see or …

Cork Public Museum

A nice local museum, with a wide range of exhibits primarily related to Cork city, its history and in particular some of the famous Cork people who …

Charles Fort & James Fort

Charles Fort is a massive structure, with walls up to 6m thick and five defensive bastions around its perimeter.

Barryscourt Castle

This is a domestic scale castle, typical of the type a wealthy family would have lived in in Norman Ireland.

Desmond Castle

Built around 1500, and a typical urban tower house of that time, Desmond Castle has had a varied, if not always illustrious, serving variously as a …

Ballymaloe Gardens

There are several very different gardens here, including the perfect kitchen garden growing vegetables and herbs for the famous Ballymaloe restuarant …

Fota Wildlife Park

This is the way a zoo should be - with animals kept in large enclosures designed to emulate their natural habitats - not just better for the animals …

Fota House & Arboretum

Ireland's largest and best collection of rare trees and shrubs is found on Fota Island near Cork city.

Lakemount Gardens

Lakemount is a beautifully kept herbaceous garden which is evidently owned by someone with a huge love of plants.

Ilnacullin (Garinish Island)

A lush, green garden full of surprises, Garnish is on an Island in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cork.

The Lewis Glucksman Gallery

Owned by University College Cork, this relatively new gallery houses the college collection and has a year round programme of visiting exhibitions.

Cork City

Ireland's second city is a compact place build largely on an island and easily explored on foot.