Cork is the People's Republic. Everyone from Cork will tell you this in the first five minutes. It's the second city, self-consciously different from Dublin, prouder of its accent, its rugby, and its food than any other place in Ireland. Kinsale nearby is a painted harbour town that has genuinely earned its "gourmet capital" title. And West Cork is Ireland's answer to Provence — small farms, artisan producers, dramatic peninsulas. Give this region 4-5 days.
Cork city
Cork has a population of 220,000 and centres on a small oval island between two channels of the River Lee. The main shopping street is St Patrick's Street ("Pana" to locals), sweeping past the Grand Parade. The old English Market on Grand Parade dates from 1788 and is the finest food market in Ireland — 55 stalls, everything from tripe and drisheen (a local blood sausage) to Ardsallagh goat cheese, Gubbeen bacon, Frank Hederman's smoked salmon. Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2011; the photo of her laughing with fishmonger Pat O'Connell became iconic. Open Monday-Saturday, 9-6. Bring cash.
Shandon Bells (Church of St Anne, €6) — climb the 132 steps of the belltower and ring the bells yourself (with the printed music sheet provided). Views over Cork city and the Lee valley.
Butter Museum (€5) — smaller than it sounds, more interesting than it looks. Butter was Cork's biggest export for 200 years, shipped in oak firkins around the British Empire.
Cork Public Museum (Fitzgerald Park, free) — good regional history collection.
University College Cork (UCC) — walk through the grounds, see the neo-Gothic Quadrangle and the Honan Chapel with Harry Clarke stained glass.
Eat at Market Lane, Jacobs on the Mall, or The Glass Curtain. Drink at Sin É (traditional music), Franciscan Well Brewery, or the Long Valley (unchanged for decades).
Blarney Castle
Nine kilometres northwest of Cork. €22 to enter the grounds and castle. The 15th-century tower rises 27 metres, and near the top is the Blarney Stone. Lie backwards, upside down, over a gap in the parapet, and kiss the stone. Legend says it gives you the gift of eloquent flattery (the "gift of the gab"). About 400,000 people do this every year.
The grounds are actually better than the castle stunt: the Poison Garden (marked plants that can kill you), the Rock Close (druidic-era rock formations), the Wishing Steps.
Cobh — Titanic's last port
Formerly Queenstown, Cobh (pronounced "cove") is a hillside town of coloured houses on Cork Harbour, connected to Cork city by 25-minute suburban train (€6 return). It's where 2.5 million Irish emigrants departed for America. And it was the Titanic's last port before she sank in 1912 — 123 passengers boarded here.
Titanic Experience (€13) is housed in the actual original White Star Line ticket office. Not to be confused with Belfast's Titanic Experience — this one is smaller but more emotionally specific.
Cobh Heritage Centre (€10) — full emigration story, worth combining.
St Colman's Cathedral dominates the town's skyline. Free to enter, worth a look.
Kinsale — Ireland's food capital
Kinsale is a small painted town on a natural harbour at the mouth of the River Bandon, 30 km south of Cork. Population 5,500. It has a disproportionate concentration of superb restaurants for a place its size — Fishy Fishy, Bastion (1 Michelin star), Man Friday, Finn's Table.
Charles Fort (€5) is a 17th-century star-shaped fortress across the harbour — 90-minute walk from the town. James Fort on the opposite headland is the ruined earlier fortress, free access.
Kinsale Gourmet Festival, mid-October, three days — restaurants offer special tasting menus, wine tastings, cookery demos. Book accommodation months ahead.
Ballymaloe
An hour east of Cork, Ballymaloe House was Ireland's first serious country house hotel, opened by Myrtle Allen in 1964 and driving the modern Irish food revolution ever since. The Ballymaloe Cookery School (Darina Allen, Myrtle's daughter-in-law) has trained a generation of Irish chefs.
You can visit for lunch at Ballymaloe House (booking essential), take a half-day cookery class, or stay at the hotel (€300+ per night). The Ballymaloe Grainstore café is more affordable.
West Cork — the peninsulas
Beara Peninsula is the middle of Kerry's three great western peninsulas — quieter than Dingle or the Ring of Kerry. Base in Castletownbere or Allihies. The Beara Way is a 200 km walking trail. Highlights: Copper Mines in Allihies (mining ruins), Dursey Island cable car (Ireland's only cable car, crosses to a small island).
Sheep's Head Peninsula is the smallest and quietest. Ahakista and Kilcrohane for pubs. Sheep's Head Way walking trail.
Mizen Head — Ireland's most southerly point. Signal station on a cliff, connected to the mainland by a footbridge over an 55-metre chasm (€8.50 entry).
Bantry Bay for oysters and mussels. Bantry town has a Friday market, Bantry House (€10) is an Anglo-Irish country house with sub-tropical gardens.
Castletownshend, Baltimore, Schull — three coastal villages worth an overnight each.
Where to stay
Cork city — Imperial Hotel, River Lee, or B&Bs on Western Road.
Kinsale — Blindgate House B&B, Perryville House, or The Old Bank House.
West Cork — Sea View House Hotel in Ballylickey, or one of many small B&Bs.