Sights and landmarks in Cork

Sights and landmarks in Cork

1. See

   Blackrock Castle Observatory

   If pirates ever try to attack Cork from the moon, this place will give ample warning. It was first built in 1582 to defend the harbour and its shipping, but twice burnt down without the help of any marauders. The present castle is a cod-medieval structure of 1828; in 2007 it became an astronomy museum and observatory.

   Wed-Sun 10AM-4PM·Adult €7, conc or child €5

2. See

   Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne

   This is the neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, opened in 1808.

   Mon-Thu 8:30AM-4:30PM, Fri 8:30AM-3:30PM

3. See

   Church of St Anne, Shandon

   Shandon Bells

   Shandon is the neighbourhood climbing the hill along the old road to Mallow. This Church of Ireland (Anglican) church was built in 1722; the famously inaccurate clock on its tower became known as "the four-faced liar". The church is best known for the eight "bells of Shandon that sound so grand on / the pleasant waters of the River Lee" as the 19th century ballad has it. (Who but Francis Mahony aka "Father Prout" would have dared rhyme Moscow with kiosk-o?) St Anne's bells are hung "dead" and rung by an Ellacombe apparatus. The most sonorous peel of bells is from change-ringing, which rotates them through 360°, but this demands skill and is sometimes impractical to build. It also incites scandalous behaviour, according to the Rev Henry Thomas Ellacombe of Gloucestershire, who in 1821 devised a mechanism whereby hammers struck stationary bells as resolutely as they would strike down temptation to sin. St Anne's is one of the two dozen churches in Britain and Ireland that still have functioning apparatus, and visitors can ding the bells from the tower first floor. There are 132 steps to the tower balcony, with a narrow squeeze as you clamber through the belfry, hoping that the group below doesn't choose that moment to start chiming.

   Mar-May Oct: Mon-Sat 10AM-4PM, Sun 11:30AM-4PM; Jun-Sep: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11:30AM-4:30PM; Nov-Feb: daily 11AM-3PM·Church free, tower adult €5, child €2, conc €4

4. See

   Cork City Gaol

   Fascinating jail museum. It was opened in 1924 to hold male and female prisoners of the city, while those whose crime was committed outside the city were held at the county jail across the river, now the UCC campus. In 1878 the prisons were segregated: City Gaol became the women's prison and all the men were marched away to the county jail, while all county women were marched here. In 1919 Countess Markiewicz was held here for making a seditious speech; after Irish independence it held anti-treaty Republicans. In 1923 there was a mass escape, thereafter the gaol closed. In 1927 it became a radio station and part of the museum displays this.

   Mar-Oct: daily 10AM-5PM; Nov-Feb: Fri-Mon 10AM-4PM·Adult €10, conc €8.50, child €6

5. See

   Cork Public Museum

   Wide-ranging museum depicts the city's history from prehistoric to modern times. There's a good section on Michael Collins and the anti-Treaty Cork Brigades of the Irish civil war.

   Tue-Fri 10AM-4PM, Sat 11AM-4PM·Free

6. See

   Crawford Art Gallery

   The permanent collection includes paintings by Jack Yeats and Sean Keating, and a series of plaster casts of classical statues, which King George IV found tedious. The gallery is closed until mid- 2028 for rebuilding.

7. See

   Elizabeth Fort

   The original fort built in 1601 was just timber and earth, and the citizens made short work of it. It was rebuilt from 1624 as a stout "star" fortress. It lost its defensive role in 1719 but was variously used as a barracks, a depot for convicts (mostly female) awaiting transportation to the colonies, and a police station to 2013. It's now simply a tourist area with a gallery and occasional events, and you can walk along the walls.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PM·Free

8. See

   Nano Nagle Place

   Honora Nagle (1718-1784) pioneered Catholic education for girls in an era when that was repressed by the Penal Laws. She founded an Ursuline convent and the Presentation Sisters, which inspired Edmund Rice in Waterford to found the Presentation Brothers and later Christian Brothers. The museum depicts Nano's life, times and works, and the garden is an oasis of tranquillity.

   Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM·Adult €7.50, conc €5, child €4.50

9. See

   St Fin Barre's Cathedral

   Saint Fin Barre (550-623 AD) was a preacher who spent his last 17 years hereabouts. A monastery dedicated to him was built in the 7th century, and there have been at least three churches on the site before the present building. This is an elaborate Church of Ireland (Anglican) cathedral built 1865-79 in Gothic Revival style. The interior is relatively small: Burgess the architect realised it would go way over budget so the focus was on creating a grand frontage, to impress the citizens and overawe the resurgent Catholics. There are three great spires, intricate carvings and gargoyles, stain glass windows, and a high ceiling over a rather stubby nave. The pipe organ adds to the cathedral's many expensive items of construction and maintenance.

   Mon-Sat 9:30AM-5:30PM, Sun 1-5:30PM·Adult €7, conc €6, child free

10. See

    The Glucksman

    Gallery in stylish modern building opened 2006 within the university, with rotating art exhibitions. Its sponsor Lewis Glucksman (1925-2006) had been CEO of Lehman Brothers, remember them? He lived in Cobh from 1999 and was a major benefactor of cultural initiatives.

    Mon-Sat 11AM-5PM, Sun 2-5PM·Donation €5

11. See Not mapped

    Barryscourt Castle

    Impressive tower house from 14th century, but mostly 15th and 16th; it fell derelict but was restored in the 1990s. The interior is again closed for restoration but you can see the attractive herb and knot gardens, and an orchard with examples of every type of Irish Apple Tree.

    Daily 8AM-6PM·Garden free

12. See Not mapped

    Butter Museum

    This museum explores Ireland's long history of butter-making. 1000-year-old bog butter, anyone?

    Oct-May: Wed–Sat 10AM-4PM, Sun 11AM–4PM; Jun-Sep: Mon–Sat 10AM-4PM, Sun 11AM–4PM·Adult €5, students & seniors €4, child €2

13. See Not mapped

    Fota Wildlife Park

    Large park with dozens of animal and bird species, and Arboretum with many rare trees and plants.

    Daily 9:30AM-6PM·Adult €19.90, child €13.70, conc €14.90, cheaper online

14. See Not mapped

    Holy Trinity Church

    This Roman Catholic church is a stonking great neo-Gothic affair built in fits and starts 1830-1890. (No jokes about workmen's leisurely lunch breaks please, the famine years were the problem.) There's an active Capuchin Friary attached. The church is dedicated to Father Theobald Mathew (1790-1856) who founded the temperance movement in Ireland, but fell into bad odour on a trip to the USA for his weasel equivocations on abolition of slavery.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Cork (CC BY-SA 4.0).