Cork

Cork's best artisans and purveyors gather here to sell products like soda bread, organic greens and seafood. — Travel + Leisure

The English Market is a true gem, no matter what you name it. — Lonely Planet

A vast indoor market that was established on Grand Parade in 1610: at that time the avenue was a canal and was only filled in the 19C. Ships used to moor at the entrance to unload their... — Michelin Guide

The name of this bustling food market harks back to the days of English rule. — Frommer's

Such is the fame of the English Market that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth insisted on an impromptu walkabout here on her historic first visit to Ireland in May 2011. — Fodor's

The castle contains the famed Blarney Stone; kissing the stone, it's said, endows the kisser with the fabled "gift of the gab". — Fodor's

I was fully prepared to write of Blarney Castle as a tourist trap. You've gotta kiss the Blarney Stone, blah, blah, blah. But we arrived late in the day, after all the tour buses had... — Afar Magazine

At the castle's heart is its huge keep, a fine example of a fortified dwelling. — Michelin Guide

Though a runaway favorite for the title of “cheesiest tourist attraction in Ireland,” Blarney Castle is still an impressive building. — Frommer's

Join the queue to get into this 15th-century castle, one of Ireland's most inexplicably popular tourist attractions. — Lonely Planet

Ireland's leading provincial art gallery. An imaginative expansion has added gallery space for visiting exhibitions and adventurous shows. — Fodor's

Cork's public gallery houses a small but excellent permanent collection. — Lonely Planet

One of the best art galleries in Ireland, the Crawford has impressive collections of sculpture and painting. — Frommer's

Established in the former Customs' House, Crawford Art gallery exhibits a collection of works by Irish and European artists. It also hosts interesting visual arts exhibitions. — Michelin Guide

John Annan Bryce, purchased this rocky isle, and, with the help of famed English architect... transformed it into a botanical Disneyland. — Fodor's

From the pier opposite the Eccles Hotel. — Lonely Planet

This little island is a beautiful and tranquil place. It used to be little more than a barren outcrop. — Frommer's

An important breeding center for cheetahs and wallabies. — Fodor's

Fota Wildlife Park is a magnificent estate home to exotic species from all five continents and to animals from all over the world — Michelin Guide

A huge outdoor zoo, where animals roam without a cage or fence. — Lonely Planet

If only all zoos were like the Fota Wildlife Park. — Frommer's

One of Cork’s most iconic sights is the trio of elegant spires topping St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, which can be seen from all over the city. Built in the 19th century for the Anglican... — Afar Magazine

An attention-grabbing mixture of French Gothic and medieval whimsy. — Lonely Planet

This compact, three-spire Gothic cathedral, which was completed in 1879, belongs to the Church of Ireland and houses a 3,000-pipe organ. — Fodor's

The interior is highly ornamented with unique mosaic work. — Frommer's

This Anglican cathedral was designed by William Burges and built out of limestone in an exuberant French Gothic style in 1878. Its central spire rises to a height of 73m/240ft. Look out... — Michelin Guide

Part of Ireland’s national university, with about 7,000 students. — Frommer's

University College Cork (UCC), was founded by charter in 1845, as were two other colleges in Galway and Belfast and it now belongs to the National University. A walking tour, starting... — Michelin Guide

The main quadrangle is a fine example of 19th-century university architecture in the Tudor-Gothic style, reminiscent of many Oxford and Cambridge colleges. — Fodor's

The exhibitions, which are attractively displayed in a house in Fitzgerald Park, display life in the Cork region from as early as prehistoric times, through scale models, old documents,... — Michelin Guide

Recounts Cork’s history from the Stone Age right up to local football legend Roy Keane. — Lonely Planet

This simple rather endearing civic museum is a good place to get an overview of the city’s history. — Frommer's

A Georgian mansion that houses a well-planned exhibit about Cork's history since ancient times. — Fodor's

This imposing former prison is well worth a visit, if only to get a sense of how crap life was for prisoners a century ago. — Lonely Planet

Like something straight out of a Victorian novel, this early 19th-century jail is an austere, impressive, and highly atmospheric building. — Frommer's

From 1878, except during the Civil War, the old prison of Cork was a woman's only penitentiary. Visitors can find out about the prisoners' daily routine and visit reconstituted cells with... — Michelin Guide

This castle-like building contains an austere, 19th-century prison. — Fodor's

If you're a fan of history and/or photography, be sure to spend time at Charles Fort in County Cork. This National Monument of Ireland is the bastion on the water's edge near Kinsale, and... — Afar Magazine

One of Europe's best-preserved star-shaped artillery forts, this vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone. — Lonely Planet

The British built Charles Fort on the east side of the Bandon River estuary in the late 17th century, after their defeat of the Spanish and Irish forces. — Fodor's

Kinsale's roots in the wine trade are on display at this early 16th-century fortified house that was occupied by the Spanish in 1601. — Lonely Planet

This museum occupies a 15th-century fortified town house—originally a custom house—that has a dark history. It was used as a prison for French and American seamen in the 1700s, and was... — Fodor's

The Anglican church of St Anne's Shandon is one of Cork's most iconic landmarks, thanks to its distinctive clock tower topped with a wind vane over 3m/9ft long in the shape of a salmon.... — Michelin Guide

Cork’s most recognizable landmark, also known as Shandon Church, is famous for its giant pepper pot steeple and eight melodious bells. — Frommer's

Your reward for climbing the 120-foot-tall tower is the chance to ring the bells out over Cork. — Fodor's

Shandon is dominated by the 1722 St Anne’s Church , aka the ‘Four-Faced Liar’. — Lonely Planet

Dramatically perched on a hillside terrace above Cobh, this massive French Gothic Cathedral is out of all proportion to the town. Its most exceptional feature is the 47-bell carillon, the... — Lonely Planet

This Catholic cathedral overlooking Cobh commands lovely views of the town and the Lee. Its tall spire boasts a peal of 47 bells. — Michelin Guide

The best view of Cobh, well worth the uphill stroll, is from St. Colman's Cathedral, an exuberant neo-Gothic granite church designed by the eminent British architect E. W. Pugin in 1869,... — Fodor's

Ireland's most southwesterly point is dominated by this signal station... to help warn ships off the rocks. — Lonely Planet

Cross a suspension bridge... the sea view is spectacular, and it’s worth a trip regardless of the weather. — Frommer's

Travel to this visitor center, set in a lighthouse... and you'll wind up reaching the Irish mainland's most southerly point. — Fodor's

Established on the spot of the former White Star Line ticket office, this site pays tribute to the 123 passengers who embarked at Cobh on the Titanic's fateful last journey. Audio-visual... — Michelin Guide

The original White Star Line offices, where 123 passengers embarked on (and one lucky soul absconded from) the SS Titanic, now house this powerful insight into the ill-fated liner's final voyage. — Lonely Planet

Cobh was the last port of call for the ocean liner Titanic. At 1:30 pm on April 11, 1912, tenders carried 123 passengers out to the ship from the offices of the White Star Line. These... — Fodor's

This cultural centre, housed in St Peter's church (18C), presents the history of Cork (videos, exhibitions, model of the city) and hosts temporary exhibitions (photography, painting). — Michelin Guide

In the renovated St. Peter's Church, an 18th-century building in what was the bustling heart of medieval Cork, this historical society provides an excellent introduction to the city's... — Fodor's

Housed in an old church, this cultural centre and gallery space is dominated by a huge and intriguing model of the city and its surrounds. — Lonely Planet

Professional and amateur cooks flock here from all over the world to sit near the whisk of Darina Allen. — Frommer's

The Ballymaloe Cookery School is the epicenter of Ireland's burgeoning local, sustainable, organic food movement. — Afar Magazine

Myrtle Allen reigns supreme at Ballymaloe House... Darina, Ireland's most famous celebrity chef and Slow Food advocate, rules at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. — Fodor's

More a place of pilgrimage than a traditional attraction. — Frommer's

It was in the village of Woodfield... that Michael Collins (1890–1922) had his last drink before he was shot in an ambush. — Fodor's

A visit to the Michael Collins Centre is an excellent way to make sense of his life and that period of Ireland’s history. — Lonely Planet

Completed in 1909 to help warn ships off the rocks, Mizen Head signal station is perched high above crashing waves and contorted sea cliffs on a small island connected to the mainland by... — Lonely Planet

At Mizen Head, the southernmost point in Ireland, the land falls precipitously into the Atlantic breakers in a procession of spectacular 210m (700-ft.) sea cliffs. A suspension bridge... — Frommer's

Many of the people who left Ireland on immigrant ships for the New World departed from Cobh, which was formerly known as Queenstown. The exhibit, in the old Cobh train station, re-creates... — Fodor's

The small heritage centre has exhibits on the island’s history and culture, and fine views north across the water to Mizen Head. — Lonely Planet