Cobh

Today we have an Airbnb in Cobb, which is approx. 30 minutes drive from Cork.

We arrived in Cork deciding to do our own walking tour using a handy walk touring guide.

First stop was for a much needed coffee and a not so needed pastry from Dulce Bun House. Coffee and pastry both went down well.

Next we headed to the renowned English Market, housed in a building with ornate vaulted ceilings and columns. Stall owners selling fresh produce such as meats, fish (some of which we had not heard before - such as brill), cheeses, chutneys and jams. We found a sausage vendor who sells the sausages raw or cook them and serve them on a bun with salads, onion and other condiments.

We the toured around Cork looking for the main features, including Elizabeth Fort, an imposing 17th century fort perched on a limestone outcrop, overlooking the city and giving excellent views of the town below. Built around 1626, it is the most important and best preserved urban artillery fortification in Ireland. The walls of the fort could be walked upon giving us good views of the town. During WWII this building was used as an air raid shelter.

Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, which lies on a site where Christian worship has been offered since the 7th century.

The Church of Red Abbey, where the central bell tower, approx. 20 metres high, is a relic of Anglo-Norman colonisation of Cork. It has been deemed a National Monument, and is one of the last remaining visible structures, dating back to the era of the walled town of Cork. Invited by the Anglo-Normans, the Augustinians established an abbey in Cork, between 1270 and 1288. It became known as Red Abbey due to red sandstone used in the building of the friary.

Church of St. Nicholas, a Gothic-Revival church was built in 1850, replacing an earlier church on the same site. It was deconsecrated during the early 1990s, and is now used as government offices.

Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne built in 1808, also on the site of a former church built in the 1730s. The interior, though simple compared to other churches and cathedrals we have been in, is stunning.

The impressive Holy Trinity Church, also known as Father Mathew Memorial Church, is a Roman Catholic Gothic Revival church located on the bank of the River Lee in Cork. Built between the years 1832 to 1890, the church features captivating stained glass windows.

Then back to the square, all the while admiring the brightly coloured houses and buildings in every street you care to look. It is really nice seeing row upon row of coloured houses lined up next to each other.

The other highly noticeable thing about the square is the sounds of music - all live performed by street buskers. The central part of Cork is very colourful, bustling, picturesque and vibrant.

As it was now late afternoon we drove to Cobh, another colourful and vibrant town situated by the seaside. When we got to the harbour area we realised a cruise ship, the Celebrity Apex, was docked, which explained the many people in town. It had arrived this morning and would be leaving at 5pm.

We explored the harbour area looking at the brightly coloured buildings, the many pubs with people enjoying a drink on the sidewalk, the shops - especially the lollipop shop, or as they are referred to in Ireland - Sweet Shops, for Katie to get her ‘fix’.

Regardless of where you are in the main part of Cobh, the dominant presence of St. Colman’s Cathedral can be felt. This impressive cathedral had its foundation stone laid in 1888 and was completed in 1916. It contains the largest carillon (a percussion instrument played with a keyboard, consisting of 49 bells, all cast in bronze, hung in fixed suspension, and tuned in chromatic order to provide a harmonious sound) in Ireland or Britain.

We enjoyed a late dinner at the Quays BR & Restaurant on the waterfront.Read more