Travel Report: Cork, Ireland

We spent half the trip in Dublin (which you can read about here) and the other half in Cork. Cork considers itself the true capital of Ireland for reasons... that aren't clear. I think they just like the rivalry. The really nice thing about Cork is that it's not a big international city, it feels like a place where people live and we found it very friendly and approachable. (Dublin is also a friendly place, the Irish are just lovely people, but its bigger and more anonymous.) 

Food: 

Elbow Lane - We came for drinks and immediately made a reservation for dinner later that week. Definitely the best meal we had in Cork and the nicest staff! The Old-Fashioned cocktail was out of this world. 

Son of a Bun - A fun burger place with amazing monthly specials and art posters to go with them. We ate here more than once.

The Spitjack - We had Sunday lunch here and it was delicious start to finish. It was medium-fancy and a bit traditional (think Sunday roast) which was fun. 

Museums and sites: 

Elizabeth Fort - We stumbled across this fort right in the middle of the city and wandered in. They had a museum section that really went into a lot of the women's history, as the fort was used as a convict depot for deportation to the prison colonies in Australia. (Read: a lot of poor women were sent to Australia for incredibly minor offenses. Great.)

Shandon Bells & Tower, Saint Ann's Church - This was something! For a small fee you can climb the incredibly not-to-code bell tower and after 132 steps up multiple narrow stairways and a tiny ladder (!) you pop out into an open balcony right at the top. It's an amazing view and totally worth it. (Usually you can also ring the bells but Covid ruins everything.) 

The Butter Museum - This little museum was basically a propaganda tool for the superiority of Irish butter (I'm already in! You got me, Irish butter!) but we enjoyed it quite a bit. I do think they missed an opportunity by not having a gift shop because I would've bought All The Things at a butter-themed gift shop. Just saying. PS. It made Accidentally Wes Anderson, which pleases me greatly.

Further Afield:

We took the train to Cork, which is my favorite way to travel, and from the minute we arrived we had locals telling us to immediately leave the city and go visit other places in Cork County. Like, this place is fine and all but you MUST go to Kinsale and don't miss Cobh!

So, we did! We took the bus to the historic port town of Kinsale and walked a few miles up to Charles Fort which was fucking magical. I mean. It was free to walk around and we spent and hour or so just exploring and admiring the view. Afterwards we had lunch at the Spaniard and then walked back to town and did some shopping. Kinsale is just a charming little town with rambling, narrow streets and brightly painted houses. I loved it. 

Cobh, another port town full of history, was also an easy day trip by bus and it was a lot of fun (though definitely not quite as charming as Kinsale.) It was the site of the last stop the Titanic made so we did the Titanic Experience which was much better than I was expecting it to be. You're assigned a ticket as a passenger (we were both in 3rd class) and then you do a led tour that explained what the passengers experienced as they boarded, the level of grandeur that even the steerage passengers received and then, boom crash. You find out if your person lived or died. (We survived!) We also visited St. Colman's Cathedral which dominates the town and is pretty spectacular. 

This is just a sample of what we did, saw and ate in Cork. I will say that it would've been hard to fill a week there without the side trips, so if you go, definitely don't miss Kinsale and Cobh. Both are less than an hour away by bus and we got to see a lot more of the county that way. Thanks for reading my travelogue! 

Travel Report: Dublin.

 This is long but I thought it would be helpful to tell you all about our trip. We've been to Dublin before (I posted about it here) and with that trip we stayed in Dublin for a week and did two day tours because driving in Ireland scares the crap out of us. This trip we spent half our time in Dublin and the other half in Cork. Today I'll tell you about what we did in Dublin and I'll post about Cork next week. 

Dublin is divided into the Northside and the Southside by the river Liffey, with the Northside considered more working class and the Southside considered more posh. We stayed on both sides of the river this trip and tried to spend time exploring both parts of the city to get a better feel for it. 

I will say, as a visitor, the Southside offers a lot. Grafton Street is the well-know shopping district and it's really festive and bustling, especially at this time of year with the holiday lights and decorations. The Temple Bar area is also a lot of fun but it is super touristy so prices are higher and there are a lot of idiots. (But, the people watching is GREAT.) Here are some of our favorites from Dublin: 

Food: 

Gallagher's Boxty House - We've eaten here a few times and it's lovely - very welcoming and the food is great. Traditional boxty (potato pancakes and dumplings) served in a variety of ways. They also have good cocktails. 

McDaid's Pub - This is a small pub off Grafton Street with an interesting history. We really liked it because it's such a traditional pub and the best kind of cozy hole-in-the-wall. 

Stage Door Cafe - We had breakfast here a few times and y'all, this is an experience. It's a tiny place and the heart of it is the owner Alan who is over-the-top and hilarious. You come for breakfast (he keeps the menu "small but sexy") and stay for the Alan show. Highly recommend. 

Museums and Sites:

14 Henrietta Street - By far my favorite museum experience. It's the history of the once-grand Northside Georgian mansion at 14 Henrietta St, which became horrific tenement housing. The tour guide leads you through 300 years of history and the lives of the families who lived in this one house. This is my #1 recommendation for a museum in Dublin. 

Dublin Castle - Only the state apartments were open for viewing but I liked this so much more than I expected. Definitely worth a visit. (Free)

National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology - We went to this museum on our last trip and loved it. (Free)

The Little Museum of Dublin - This one was kind of a tiny oddball of a museum and because we'd already learned quite a bit of the history of Dublin, most of the info was a repeat. I did, however, love the room dedicated to U2. 

The Long Room Library - Breathtaking. And the old book smell! They should figure out how to bottle it. The price of entry also includes an exhibition and viewing of the Book of Kells. This is one for the book lovers and should not be missed. 

Guinness Storehouse - Even if you aren't a fan of Guinness stout (which, why not?), this tour is so fun and really beautifully done. Every visit ends at the gravity bar with one of the best views of Dublin. We've done it twice because it's such a fun experience. (Though I was a little sad that my favorite part is currently shut down due to Covid.) 

Teeling Distillery - This was another fun drinky tour. A really definitive look at Irish whiskey distilling in Dublin with a tasting at the end. 

Further Afield:

The Cliffs of Moher - We hired a private driver for the day and finally got to see the Cliffs! On our first trip they were shrouded in fog and we couldn't see a thing. Definitely worth a visit - the cliffs are beautiful.

Poulnabrone Dolmen - This is a megalithic tomb in the middle of the Burren and we were the only people there which made for a surreal experience. 10/10. Just amazing. On our last trip we did a day tour where we saw several other ancient tombs, all incredibly cool, but this one is really special. I can't even explain.

We also visited Darkey Kelly's pub for live music, The Brazen Head pub, Phoenix Park, Jameson Distillery, etc! So much to do and see that I can't even list it all. 

Shopping:

Honestly, I don't think I really cracked the code on this one. I am sure there are some really cool independent boutiques that I totally missed, but I enjoyed Brown Thomas quite a bit and there were some cool little shops along Essex St on the Southside that I liked. I didn't do a ton of shopping in Dublin, other than what I posted about.