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Whats on in Cork for the August Bank Holiday Weekend

July 29, 2011 – 10:01 am

Despite the Summer weather being grim, there has been no shortage of things to do in and around Cork this Summer. This August  Bank Holiday weekend ensures the trend continues, with plenty for everyone on offer.

28 – 31 July
Guinness Kilta River Trad Festival
Castlemartyr Co Cork www.patshorttsbar.com  

29 – 31 July
Indiependendence Music Festival
Mitchelstown, Co Cork. www.indiependencefestival.com/

29 – 31 July
Spraoi, Waterford City www.spraoi.com  

29 – 31 July
Crosshaven will become known as Craichaven for its inaugural comedy festival.
Tickets available at www.tickets.ie

30 – 31 July
Military re-enactments with American 101st Airborne are taking place in Fort Camden
www.rescuecamden.ie  for more details.

30 – 31 July
Phoenix Street Festival, Cork City (near Crane Lane), Music food, professional skateboarding display and much more. http://www.facebook.com/phoenixstreet.festival?sk=wall  

29 July – 1 August
Ballincollig Spoirtfest. Event of choice for me is the Legends 11 inc John Aldridge Vs a Local Legends 11 www.spoirtfest.com  

31 July
Roberts Cove Vintage Festival

05 – 07 August
Doneraile Literary Festival
www.historicdoneraile.ie

05 – 15 August
Family Festival in Rosscarbery.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosscarbery-Family-Festival/100306837841?sk=wall 

09 – 14 Aug
Masters of Tradition, Traditional Music Festival, Bantry Co Cork
www.westcorkmusic.ie  

Enjoy all thats on offer.



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Things to do in Cork at the start of July.

July 1, 2011 – 9:35 am

Things going on in Cork at the start of July.

Feeling bored? Fed up? Nothing to do? Well cheer up, despite the weather there has never been more things to see and do in Cork.

Fri 24 Jun – Sat 02 July. West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Bantry, Co Cork.
www.westcorkmusic.ie

Thurs 30 Jun – Sun 03 July. Tall Ships Race, Waterford City.
www.waterfordtallshipsrace.ie

Schull (West Cork). Agricultural Show. Family fun.
Call 028 28707 for further details.

Fri 01 Jul. Free First Fridays at the Castle, Blackrock Castle Observatory.Cork City.
www.bco.ie

Fri 01 Jul – Sun 03 Jul. Youghal Family Fun Festival, Youghal, Co Cork.
www.youghal.ie

Fri 01 Jul – Sun 03 Jul. South of Ireland Band Championships, Clonakilty, Co Cork.
Call 023  8833632 for further details.

Fri 01 Jul – Wed 31 Aug. Ceolta Si, Youghal Co Cork.
Traditional music, song & story telling. Call 025 92447

Sat 02 Jul. Cork City Sports
www.corkcitysports.ie

Sat 02 Jul – Sun 03. Jul Fota Wildlife Park tweetfest.
Attempt to make Fota trend on twitter #fotawildlife

Sat 02 Jul. A celebration of Sudanese culture music, food and art.
Cork Vision Centre from 12pm.

Sun 03 Jul. Dunmanway Agricultural Show, Dunmanway, Co Cork.
www.dunmanwayshow.com

Sun 03 Jul – Fri 08 Jul. West Cork Literary Festival, Bantry Co Cork.
www.westcorkliteraryfestival.ie

Fri 08 Jul – Sun 10 Jul. Whale Watching Weekend Course, Cape Clear, Co Cork.
www.iwdg.ie  

Sat 09 Jul – Sun 10 Jul. Medieval Festival, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork.
www.carrigfest.com

Sat 09 Jul – Sun 10 Jul. All Ireland Road Bowling Weekend, Dunmanway Co Cork.
www.irishroadbowling.ie

Sat 09 Jul – Sun 17 Jul. Kinsale Arts Week, Kinsale Co Cork.
www.kinsaleartsweek.com

Mon 11 Jul – Sun 17 Jul. Fleadh Ceoil na Mumhan, Ballincolling Co Cork.
www.munsterfleadh.com

Tue 12 Jul. Cahirmee Horse Fair, Buttevant Co Cork.
Said to be the oldest horse fair in Ireland. 



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Ireland’s Gourmet Riviera

September 24, 2010 – 4:49 pm

Ireland's Gourmet Riviera We all know of the land of milk and honey that is generally associated with stories from the bible. Little do people know that while Moses was a great leader and preacher, he was terrible at directions and mistakenly confused Israel with Ireland!

That said many poets and storytellers have also described Ireland as a land overflowing with agricultural riches and references to milk and honey date back to earliest times with whole sections of the ancient Brehon Laws devoted to the art of bee keeping. Fast forward to the present day and you will find that visitors are oftentimes surprised by the quality and variety of food available in Ireland. Somewhere in the intervening centuries, Irish people as a race became dependent on the humble spud and despite how things have changed, a surprising number of first time visitors to our shores still subconsciously expect us to be eating potatoes and cabbage as a staple.

But slowly the word is seeping out that a nugget for food lovers to savour (pardon the pun) is only slowly being discovered. That nugget is unofficially known as the ‘Gourmet Riviera’ and stretches from roughly from the village of Ardmore in the south-east of Ireland to the Sheep’s Head Peninsula in the south-west of Ireland. Along this band of coast lies a panoply of food emporiums catering to every taste and budget all of which share one common thread – a love of food and bringing the best sources available to the table. Chic hotels such as the Cliff House Hotel, the old world charms and values of the classic ‘Great House’ restaurants such as Ballymaloe House, the tantalising flavours of the Ivory Tower, the stunning choice of fish in Fishy Fishy to a veritable explosion of vegetables in Ireland’s top vegetarian restaurant in Cafe Paradiso to the excellent Bridgestone Guide listed Good Things Cafe in West Cork all offer an amazing abundance of world class produce and flavours. The list goes on, with a nicer, better, more atmospheric venue waiting to be discovered around literally every bend in the road. And if Cork City claims to be Ireland’s Gourmet Capital (which it can and is), well then Kinsale can equally claim to be the jewel in the crown.

Yet you don’t have to be a fashionista of food to explore and appreciate these culinary delights. Anyone who appreciates a good meal accompanied by their refreshment of choice and pleasant banter in comfortable surroundings will find what they are looking for, here along this stunning stretch of Irish coastline. Rolling and undulating hillsides pockmarked by eons of waves shaping and sculpting the coast have created a rich nutritious land where food is king.

If only Moses had a sat nav!

Visit the inaugural Eat Cork event which is taking place from the 23rd to the 26th of September in Cork City Centre



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Things to do in Cork in September

September 2, 2010 – 4:47 pm

Cork Traditional MusicWatch out folks, Cork Ireland is  festival central for the month of September (actually thats the case all year round!). From telling tall tales, to traditional Irish music, history & culture to Star Wars, this is the place to be this month.

Cork has firmly established itself in Ireland as the place to go for a long weekend but so far they have it a secret from outsiders!! But with so much to see and do its time we stopped being selfish and let everyone else see what Cork has to offer.

  • Live music in Cork City ongoing www.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/eventguide/
  • Cape Clear Storytelling Festival 3 – 5 Sept www.capeclearstorytelling.com
  • Courtmacsherry Storytelling Festival 10 – 12 Sept www.courtmacsherry.ie
  • La Traviata in Kilbrittain House 11 Sept www.everymanpalace.com
  • Midleton Food & Drink Festival 11 Sept www.midletonfoodfestival.ie
  • Star Wars Invasion, Cork 11 – 12 Sept www.invasion.ie
  • A Taste of West Cork Food festival 11 – 19 Sept www.atasteofwestcork.com
  • Frank O Connor Short Story Festival 15 – 19 Sept www.munsterlit.ie
  • Clonakilty International Guitar Festival 16 – 19 Sept www.clonguitarfest.com
  • East Cork Early Music Festival 16 – 20 Sept www.eastcorkearlymusic.ie
  • Clonakilty Motion Festival 22 – 26 Sept www.clonakiltyconvention.com
  • Cork Culture Night 24 Sept www.corkcity.ie/culturenight/
  • Cobh Blues Festival 24 – 26 Sept www.cobhbluesfestival.com
  • Youghal Celebrates History 24 – 26 Sept www.youghalcelebrateshistory.com
  • Beamish Cork Folk Festival 30 Sept – 3 Oct www.corkfolkfestival.com

Cork is located on the south coast of Ireland and is a haven for good food,great pubs and exceptional outdoor activities such as whale watching, mountain biking, world class golf and more. Www.discoveringcork.ie is offering an array of exceptional value Cork hotel deals and  superb Cork car hire rates. So come visit in September and experience why Cork is Ireland’s festival capital.



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An irreverent short history of Cork Ireland

August 25, 2010 – 4:21 pm

Map of CorkIreland is well known as a land full of folk lore and storytelling from  the giants of the North, The Fianna warriors to mischievous Leprechauns. What people don’t know is that many such ‘stories’ are rooted in the truth. Take the story of the founding of Cork for instance. Suffice it to say only the keenest eye will determine fact from fiction.

The City itself formerly known as Corcach Mor na Mumhan or the Great Marsh of Munster (Munster being the province in which Cork is situated) was founded sometime in the early 7th century by St Finbarr – the city’s patron saint – (he hailed from a place called Gougane Barra which is approximately 50KM’s west of Cork City and well worth visiting for its scenic walks)

To find out what brought him from the peace & solitude of Gougane Barra to the bright lights of Cork we must go back to an epic battle held previously between the good saint himself and a creature called the Luiwee. The Luiwee was a fire breathing, slimy creature with ferocious claws that lived in the lake in Gougane Barra who used to come out to eat the local people & their cattle. Well Finbarr decided it was time for a show down (the gunfight at the OK Corral – Irish style) and ordered the beast to sling its hook and ‘Begone’. Of course the beast said not a chance and battle ensued. Unfortunately the beast didn’t know he was taking on a future saint and didn’t really stand a chance. That said the fight did go on for 5 days & 5 nights until Finbarr finally won the day. The Luiwee left the lake and as he slid down the Lee Valley towards the ocean he gouged out the two river channels you see to this very day.

Of course every mythical story needs a happy ending. Well Finbarr followed the Luiwee to ensure he was gone for good and having seen the great marsh, the surrounding hills, woodlands and the general beauty of the area decided this was a place in which he could settle and so he founded a monastery and Cork was born.

Then till now…..

Cork starts off peacefully & prospers until the Vikings arrive (not very nice people) and they burn & pillage but ultimately settle here and build a wooden fort.

Next to come were the Anglo Normans with their chain mail and crossbows and do what the Vikings did - burn & pillage, meet some nice local girls and ultimately stay.

After that though came the bad stuff. Plagues, floods, fire and pestilence and worst of all the Black Death of the 14th century and here Cork really suffered.

Finally the English came (they heard about the music, the craic and the beer made in Cork) with Elizabeth and Cromwell (apparently he was an awful singer and wasn’t much fun either) and they more or less stayed through various stages of peace and rebellion until the1930’s.

In fact Cork’s nickname of The Rebel County came about for Cork’s support of the House of York during the War of The Roses and subsequent support of the usurper to the crown Perkin Warbeck. (unfortunately, we were never too good at backing a winner, House of York lost the war, Perkin lost his life and Cork suffered again!!). Thankfully a bit of good fortune finally came our way with Cork prospering during the 19th century through international trade but suffered again during the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War in 1921/22 particularly when the City Centre was burned to the ground by the Black & Tans (British army irregulars).

But all that’s behind us and the city has matured and prospered beyond all recognition in recent years through a vibrant cultural scene, great music, beautiful scenery and a love of the ‘Black Stuff’…. Murphy’s & Beamish Stout of course.

So we encourage you to come explore and see some of what makes Cork City & County such a great place to live and holiday in. Cork offers amazing things to do and an excellent array of Cork accommodation. So, whether you are looking for a cheap Cork hostel or one of our award winning 5 star Cork hotels, we have something for you.

So don’t delay, Cork awaits you.



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August Bank Holiday Weekend in Cork

July 30, 2010 – 11:38 am

Traditional Irish Music CorkWhile there is lots of talk about the ‘big’ festivals around the country this weekend such as Spraoi (www.spraoi.com ) in Waterford and racing in Galway, don’t forget there is still lots happening in Cork aswell. Here we bring you a selection of what’s on offer and there truly is something for all the family.

From way out west on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula to pretty Castlemartyr in East Cork, from the latest chart hits to traditional Irish Music and from thoroughbred horses to thoroughbred cars, you won’t be disappointed this weekend.

  • Ahakista Festival & Regatta (www.ahakista.org ) on the Sheeps Head peninsula guarantees a fun weekend or day out for the family.
  • Cork Racecourse (www.corkracecourse.ie) also has a busy schedule of races this weekend for those who enjoy a flutter.
  • For music lovers the exciting Indiependence festival in Mitchelstown is a winner and details can be found at www.indiependencefestival.com
  • Want to tire out the children? Then Trabolgan in East Cork is a must where their Bank Holiday line-up includes everything from Barney to zip wires. Visit www.trabolgan.com for more information.
  • Kilta River Trad Fest ( www.patshortt.com ) in Castlemartyr in East Cork promises a fest of traditional music.
  • Cork X Southwest in Skibbereen (www.corkxsw.com ), Ireland’s best one day music & arts festival.
  • Blarney Classic & Vintage Car Show (http://www.discoveringcork.ie/cork/discovering-cork-blog/) is another fun filled weekend that will surely getting motoring enthusiasts excited.
  • Barrack Hill Ball Roll, Cobh. A unique lottery event and a great fun event on Monday 02nd of August. http://tinyurl.com/37wtx2y

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, there is lots going on in Cork.

Check out our Cork accommodation for the best options around. Let no one say there is nothing to do this weekend. Happy Holidays.



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Blarney Classic & Vintage Car Show

July 21, 2010 – 3:30 pm

Blarney Classic and Vintage Car ShowAll roads lead to Blarney for the August Bank Holiday weekend when Blarney Square will become the temporary home to more than 100 classic and vintage cars. The inaugural Classic and Vintage Car show has drawn entries from all over Ireland, and overseas, and will be a wonderful opportunity to take a closer look at some of the worlds most sought after and admired cars. The cars will assemble on Sunday morning, August 1st, and the festivities will continue late into the night when a street dance festival will take place. This ‘Mardi Gras’ style event starts at 7pm in the grounds of Blarney Woollen Mills Hotel and will go on into the night. The cars will be on display in The Square (adjacent to the world famous Blarney Castle) on Bank Holiday Monday also.

This event, organised by Maranatha Country House owners Douglas and Olwen Venn, with the support of the newly formed and enthusiastic Blarney Chamber of Commerce, is just one of a number of fantastic events that have been happening in Blarney throughout the Summer. The show will also raise funds for Blarney youth initiatives including the Blarney Summer of Music and the Blarney Youth Cafe project, which was recently recognized as the most successful transition year project in Ireland.

If you are planning to visit Blarney be sure of the best deals by staying in one of our Blarney B&B’s or one of our Blarney Hotels. While staying in Blarney there are lots of great places to visit for Golf, Fota Wildlife Park, Kinsale and so much more.



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Surfing – The perfect Irish Summer sport!

July 19, 2010 – 10:20 am

West Cork Surf SchoolWhat are you talking about I hear you exclaim? Is this another delusional Irish man thinking he is living in Hawaii rather than on the edge of the wild North Atlantic? That may be the case, but apart from the lean tanned torso’s and bikini clad beauties adorning the beaches… oh yes and the year round heat, we have everything else!!! We have waves to match the best of Hawaii around Clare, Sligo and Donegal on Ireland’s west coast, stunning beaches, beautiful coastline and no one forgets about the post surfing entertainment (or is it no one can remember the post surfing entertainment!). But most importantly, it is the most weather proof sport imaginable as I found out on a recent afternoon with the West Cork Surf School near Clonakilty in West Cork.

I was sadly celebrating the coming of my 40th year, so a few friends and I decided we would have a different Saturday afternoon without the wives, girlfriends and children. To add to the rising gloom in my head as the day dawned, grey clouds swirled and boiled across the heavens unleashing torrential downpours that left us feeling we may have to break out the surfboards to get to the beach. Needless to say optimism levels of getting in to the water were not particularly high until we met the guys at the surf ‘hut’ who were anything but pessimistic in fact they seemed positively buoyed by the fact. ‘You will be wet in about 5 minutes anyway, so no whinging and get in to the wet suits’. Before we knew it about 40 others and I were divided into groups. Luke, our surfing mentor/guide/instructor/dude (I forget the lingo) had us on the empty beach practising our ‘paddling & popping’ with widening grins before hitting the waves. True as their word, rain? What rain? we paddled, fell, drank sea water, paddled some more, fell some more before finally getting 4 seconds of standing on the board like a new-born taking its first steps. But that was enough to keep us trying for the next two hours of just sheer good fun, getting up, being ‘wiped out’ and occasionally feeling like Keanu Reeves in Point Break… well sort of anyway!

Point of all this is that surfing is easily the most weather proof sport out there and therefore the perfect Irish Summer sport and ideal for all the family irrespective of any fitness level. And….. GREAT fun 100% guaranteed.



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Anyone for Golf?

July 9, 2010 – 4:40 pm

Fota Golf ClubGone are the heady days when people were happily paying hundreds of euro for the pleasure of pulling their hair out in frustration, at the frequent downpours and returning red faced and windswept 4 hours later to the club house. Oh what a funny game golf is, destined to enslave us (as witnessed by many golf widows) or drive us to the asylum, whichever comes first. What other sport encourages such fashion faux pas as men in garish bright clothes – as though it were perfectly normal, drives men and women to near distraction with air strikes, dropped balls, bunkers, divots and the list goes on…. Yet despite all of that, the challenge of beating that little white ball (that has never knowingly done anything to upset anybody) in to submission remains stronger than ever. Visit any public golf course in Ireland throughout the week and even quite a few private ones and you will be amazed at the love affair that continues with the game of golf in Ireland.

In fact one of the positive things that has come out of the recent down turn is that the price of golf has fallen dramatically in Ireland in the last 18 months in some cases by up to 70%! (Some courses have been accused of fleecing people with exorbitant charges, but I say if people were stupid enough to pay inflated fees in the first place, well then fair play to the golf clubs). Ireland had gained an unfortunate reputation for being very expensive for the real ‘beautiful game’ and was already starting to suffer before the downturn happened. Now however, golf courses like many other businesses have had to re-evaluate their product offering and are actively back in the market trying to drive new business. Cork is just one of many areas that has relooked at its golf proposition and there are now many options for playing 18 holes at exceptional value with midweek prices starting from just €20.00 a round(an unheard of price until recently) . Finally, the peoples revolution is winning with the game being reclaimed ‘by the people for the people’. In fact Cork golf has really gone full circle and the future once again is looking bright with some of our world class courses such as Fota Golf Resort (with 3 courses) and the John Daly designed Blarney Golf Resort leading the way and ranks as one of the best regions for golf in Ireland…… Interested?



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Teddy Bears Picnic

June 21, 2010 – 2:42 pm

‘If you go down to the woods today, your sure of a big surprise’…. well that was certainly the case yesterday at the Select Hotel’s Teddy Bears Picnic in Fota House in Cork. In fact nobody was more surprised I would say than the organisers as 1000’s of children, their parents with grannies and granddads in toe on what was the hottest day of the year swarmed the venue. As far as the eye could see there were smiling faces, children running excitedly in all directions, music in the marquee and everyone without fail enjoying the balmy weather. It is oft said that there is no place nicer than Ireland on a sunny day (not that we are at all biased in that comment!) and that was certainly the case yesterday. Fota’s stunning gardens were glorious in the sunshine and with many magnificent trees there was no shortage of shade, despite the masses in attendance.

The Teddy Bears Picnic is just one of many events & festivals taking place in Cork throughout the Summer truly making it Ireland’s Festival Capital for 2010. Just Click Here to find out details on other great events happening this Summer.



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