For natives and visitors alike, when you're there, Cork really is the centre of the universe. Proud of its achievements, at ease with its comforts, with nothing to prove to strangers, Cork is among the most welcoming of cities, writes ARTHUR DEENY
THERE ARE lots of reasons to go to Cork, from seeing stars in the Marquee to ringing the Shandon bells in the Church of St Anne. We went because I’d promised Cordaella, the family vegetarian, the finest veggie meal in Ireland. That set the bar pretty high, so we decided to do the whole thing in style. We stayed in a five-star hotel, that thankfully lived up to its billing, and we travelled first class on the train.
The road to Cork is great, of course, and even better than it used to be. It’s worth taking because, as you roll through the broad plump meadows from Mitchelstown to the sea, you can appreciate the scale, the grandeur and the complacent prosperity of the county. It explains a lot about the city before you even get there.
The train however, is unquestionably the most civilised way to go south and the first class compartment, with our names up in lights above the seats, gave it a sense of authentic luxury. A budget airline could have flung us to the farthest corners of the EU for what we paid Irish Rail to go from Heuston to Cork.
However, we would definitely not have arrived so cheerful, fresh and rested as we were on the platform at Kent Station. All in all, we felt pretty pleased with ourselves, which is how the people of Cork feel most the time, as well they might. So we fitted right in.
A short taxi ride across the lovely Lee took us to Hayfield Manor, beside the charming grounds of the university. This is an implausibly successful attempt to conjure a five-star hotel, virtually out of thin air. The short but elegant driveway, the discretely classical ivy-clad building and the old-world charm of reception, all have a reassuring sense of easy gentility.
IT WASN’T UNTIL we’d been there a while that I revealed to my companions that the Scally family had purpose-built the place on an old estate and the doors had only opened in 1996. They were amazed and impressed by the illusion that had been created.
Part of its charm is that it is not too big or intimidating. The proportions of the main building, the scale of the rooms and the style of the decor never overwhelm you. They feel just right, like they’d always been there.
We strolled down the hill from the hotel and wandered into the university for a peek in the Glucksman Gallery. This is the antithesis of Hayfield Manor because it is designed in a fiercely modern spirit.
You know it’s all terribly cutting edge because there are razor sharp angles everywhere you look. Fortunately, the exhibitions we saw there were curated with a warmth and humanity, not to mention a sense of humour, that totally reconciled us to the place. Dublin galleries please note.
Then, like the Queen, we went to the English Market. This didn’t quite chime in with the rest of the trip, because so much of the fresh produce on display was raw meat. There’s a host of quality butchers there, of course, and I suppose it’s appropriate that the English Market should offer so much roasting beef.
Notwithstanding the name, we found the Mutton Lane Inn to be more to our taste. This is a pub, which spills over into the narrow Lane, with smokers, smirters and singers lounging around, so you can hardly see the splendid mural for the press of bodies against the wall.
Inside the inn itself is even cosier. The price of beer is an agreeable notch down from what is extorted within the Pale, and a sense of a session about to begin pervades the nut-brown woody snugs.
I’m not sure how long we stayed there, but we left as cheered and revived as we had been after the first-class train ride, for a far more modest outlay. We took a turn around the town to clear our heads for the main event.
Patrick Street is the main shopping thoroughfare and it is all perfectly agreeable. The southern capital has its share of out-of-town shopping palaces, gleaming with new money, but its centre city showcase is more pleasant than seductive.
Of course, the floods were a blow, and the much-loved Lee soaked the people that sang about it, in 2009. But Cork has risen above the waves and, at its centre, still by the banks on Lancaster Quay, is the Café Paradiso. Sadly, there aren’t that many places queuing up to be crowned as Ireland’s best vegetarian restaurant but I am sure that, even if there were, they’d have to get up very early in the morning and work their socks off for years to catch up with this establishment.
The dining room is a fresh modern space that sits beside an old pub, that’s recently been rebranded The Lancaster. The zealous and prodigious Dennis Cotter has created an air of attractive transparency in his restaurant. The diners can see the kitchen, and the source of all you eat is well known and, of course, guilt free. We passed an evening there that was suitably paradisiacal.
I listened out in vain for the high lilting tones of Ireland’s most distinctive accent while we were there. It seemed to me as though the musical quality of the Leeside speech had become more rounded and less eccentric in recent times, in keeping with the increasing globalisation of all our cultures.
But the character of Cork itself remains unmistakable. Proud of its achievements, at ease with its comforts, with nothing to prove to strangers, it is among the most welcoming of cities. Another thing you won’t find there, of course, is a sign post with the word Dublin on it.
Cork where to...
Stay
Value: Killarney Guest House, Western Road, 021-4270290, killarneyhouse.com.
A centrally-located family run guesthouse, across the road from University College Cork. You’ll be greeted with home-baked biscuits and a cup of tea and there’s free Wi-Fi in the lounge. The best of both worlds, from €63 for a double room.
Mid-market: Maryborough Hotel and Spa, Maryborough Hill, Douglas, 021-4365555, maryborough.com. Fabulous looking, family-friendly hotel in extensive grounds, surrounded by Douglas golf course. It's got everything; sculpted pool, health spa and even a pet farm. The Georgian manor house that dates back to 1710, has been tastefully extended to offer real 21st-century luxury. Unbelievably, you can have a gourmet dinner and one night B&B from €75pps.
Upmarket:Hayfield Manor Hotel, Perrott Avenue, College Road, 021-4845900, hayfieldmanor.ie. From the sweet old gent in a top hat at the door, to the heated pool and the outdoor jacuzzi, everything is there to make you feel like you're having a really special time. Best of all, the heart of Cork City is only a stroll away. It's a remarkable achievement and worth every cent of €225pps for two nights' stay, with dinner on one evening.
Eat
Value: Boqueria, 6 Bridge Street, 021-4559049, boqueria.ie. This is a fun and slightly frenzied place to nibble and sip your way through the evening. Charmingly disorganised staff will talk you through comfortably affordable food, and spice it up with killer cocktails. Go for the mojitos. Tapas for €6 each!
Mid-market:Market Lane, 5/6 Oliver Plunkett Street, 021-4274710, marketlane.ie. This is famous for its €10 lunch, but it has much more to offer, with a fine line in cocktails at the bar, friendly staff and classic Irish food sourced from local suppliers. Mains €12.50-€25.
Upmarket:Café Paradiso, 16 Lancaster Quay, 021-4277939, cafeparadiso.ie. Even if you're crazy for meat, you won't miss it when you eat here. There's so much flavour and choice on offer, and everything is so fresh. In fact, it was the simplest things that impressed us most. Roast asparagus, wild garlic pesto, and the affogato – pudding fun for everyone. Dig in. Mains €25.
Go
They really will let you ring the bells at St Anne’s on Church Street, if you ask nicely, and there’s a fantastic view from the bell tower.
There’s great music all over the place, especially during the Jazz Festival, but whenever you’re there, don’t miss the Corner House pub, where blues and trad Irish groups of up to fifteen musicians at a time are happy to play the night away.
You can always join the Americans on a trip to kiss the Blarney stone, which is surprisingly scary as you hang upside down over a sheer drop to do it.