A tantilizing glimpse of Cork, Ireland

Ahhhh!!! So much to see in Cork, so little time!! The only perception I had of Cork was that locals partook in lots of sailing, including the biannual Cork Week Sailing Festival, a racing event that many New Zealand sailors aspire to go sailing in. Cork, a major Irish seaport, is the Republic of Ireland’s second largest city. Literally meaning,“swamp,” Cork is often referred to as the “real capital of Ireland” by its residents. There is much rivalry between Cork and Dublin. Cork people consider themselves ‘different’ to the rest of Ireland, often referring to themselves as ‘rebels.’ Indeed they have their own accent, very musical and pleasant to listen to, which is great, because they tend to love talking! On Saturday morning, after a pleasant evening relaxing in the Collins Bar at comfortable Carrigaline Court Hotel, we visited the English Market in the Cork City Centre. Established in 1788, many stallholders, often run by families, have been there for over 100 years. The current market buildings were constructed in the mid 19th century until they destroyed by fire in 1980 and had to be extensively refurbished by Cork City Council. Today the Cork English Markets is very multicultural, selling a huge variety of food and fresh produce, all beautifully displayed, and attract local visitors and international travellers alike. Even Queen Elizabeth visited during her recent trip to Ireland in June.

The shopping precinct of Cork has changed much over the past 15 years, and is perfect for to go shopping along its traditional streets,

to admire the eclectic array of old and new buildings, and indulge in a tad of shopping followed b a delicious coffee in the eclectic Bookshop Coffee house – as we did. Oops! Lunch time and that means time to go sailing with the Royal Cork Yacht club……