Short Breaks in Cork

Cork is a great place to visit and has ample accommodation from the more basic family owned bed and breakfast to the more luxurious five star Hayfield Manor Hotel which is only a ten minutes stroll into the city centre. Getting direct flights from Newcastle to Cork is easy by simply booking with Jet2 airlines who operate regular flights from Newcastle to Cork.

Cork is the 2nd largest city in the Irish Republic and is also the capital city of County Cork. The city got its name from the Irish word corcach, which translated means marshy place. The river Lee flows through Cork into Lough Mahon and creates on of the largest natural harbours in the world. It is hardly surprising that Cork has a major seaport and has lots of quays and docks.

Originally founded by St Finbarr some time in the sixth century its charter was granted in 1185 by King John. Cork became an important trading port with the Scandinavians however this also attracted unwanted visitors such as Vikings and Norsemen who attacked Cork. The city was once fully walled and some of the wall remains today.

The climate in the Cork region is mild, moist and changeable with lots of rain however it does not usually face extreme temperatures and weather. Cork is a foggy city and has an average of around a hundred days of fog a year. Despite the fog Cork is also one of the sunniest cities in Ireland with an average of nearly four hours of sunshine every day.

There are lots of places to visit whilst visiting Cork and a lot of architectural buildings of note. The most famous building in Cork is the church tower of Shandon, which dominates the northern side of the city. St Patrick’s Street is a main street, which has been renovated and is now a pedestrian friendly route through the main shopping area. Don’t forget to visit Blarney Castle, Charles Fort and perhaps a visit to the greyhound Stadium.

There are lots of different shops from boutiques to markets offering a range of products to cater for all budgets. There are a few large shopping centres and the main shopping street is St Patrick’s street. There are lots of different restaurants catering for the more refined palate to the fast food restaurants seen in most cities around the world.