
Cork calls itself the ‘real capital of Ireland’, and few who visit disagree. Built on islands in the River Lee, the city is a tangle of bridges, church spires and Victorian markets, with a food scene that punches well above its weight.
What to do
Graze your way through the 18th-century English Market, climb the bell tower of St Anne’s Shandon, and use Cork as a base for Blarney Castle, Kinsale and the wild coast of West Cork.






















