City Cents Cork

Got cash, will spend... Our everyday tourist Antony Loizou splashes €100 in Cork to bring back this snapshot of the city

1 Pint of Murphy’s
A pint of Murphy’s stout is the beer of choice in this southern Irish town. The Soho Bar and Restaurant right in the centre of Cork city also lets you pour your own beers straight from the tap, a rare treat. Ideal for quenching any bell-ringing thirst you’ve worked up. €3
WWW.SOHO.IE

2 Stained Glass Art
With so many hand-made and iconic Irish arts and crafts shops in Cork and nearby towns like Kinsale, you’ll find all types of silverware, glassware, jewellery, clothing, artwork and pottery to remind you of your trip. This stained glass example depicts a traditional Claddagh Ring. €30
WWW.CLARACRAFTS.COM

3 Butter
Thought you knew all you needed to know about butter? Think again. Cork once had the largest butter market in the world, and even has a Butter Museum to prove it where you can learn all about Ireland’s most important food export. If the Financial Times says “do not miss,” we won’t argue! €4 entry
WWW.CORKBUTTER.MUSEUM

4 Riverdance DVD
Michael Flatley has a house in County Cork and put the city itself into the record books in 2005 by arranging the world’s biggest outdoor dance. So look out for performances of Irish dancing by one of many Cork dance troupes, or even better take some lessons and pick up a Riverdance DVD. €8
WWW.RIVERDANCE.COM

5 Jameson’s Whiskey
Though first made by John Jameson in Dublin, the Old Midleton Distillery in County Cork is Jameson Irish Whiskey’s heart, and well worth taking a tour of. Learn the secrets of how it’s made, sample a few glasses, and take a couple of bottles home too. €13.50 entry €6 bottle (350ml)
WWW.JAMESONWHISKEY.COM

6. Model Titanic
Famous for being the port from where the Titanic set sail on its only journey and the departure point for thousands of Irish migrants, the Cobh (cove) of Cork is a charming historic town with a commanding cathedral, good pubs and an interesting heritage centre. You can pick up a keepsake model boat too.€10
WWW.CORK-GUIDE.IE/COBH.HTM

7 Blarney Stone
Tired of competing against someone with the “gift of the gab”? Get your own back by holding on tight, kissing the Blarney Stone of Eloquence at the 600 year-old Blarney Castle and taking away your very own piece of Blarney stone from the same quarry the castle was built from. €10
WWW.BLARNEYCASTLE.IE

8 Barry’s Tea
Dating from 1788, the ironically named English Market in Cork centre is one of the oldest of its kind. Pay a visit to try some buttered eggs, crubeens (pigs’ feet), tripe & drisheen (black pudding) as well as a cup of Cork’s famous Barry’s Tea upstairs at the Farmgate Café to finish. €4
THE FARMGATE CAFÉ, PRINCES STREET

9 Irish Bell
Next to the Butter Museum is Cork city’s most famous landmark on the hill – the Church of Saint Anne. The cool bit is that visitors are allowed to play different chimes on the famous six tonne Bells of Shandon to let Cork know they have arrived. You can take a mini bell home too! Very cool. €7
WWW.SHANDONBELLS.ORG

10 Michael Collins Book
Visit the Michael Collins Centre in Clonakilty where you can go on tours of West Cork and have expert presentations on the life and times of this key figure in Irish politics and the Troubles of Irish independence. €8
WWW.MICHAELCOLLINSCENTRE.COM