I'll be in Cork, Ireland on business on 6/2. What are some good ways to spend the weekend?

Question

Yippee! My company is sending me from Miami to Cork, Ireland to train some new employees. I'll be arriving from the US Saturday afternoon and due to the bank holiday I won't have to be in the office until Tuesday morning. I figure I'll be pretty wiped out from the travelling so I'll just go right to bed and get a fresh start Sunday morning. With two full days to kill, what are some good ways to spend the time? I will not have a car, but all cab rides are expensed. Are there tour guides who can take me out for the day and show me what Ireland is like? If so, do you know how much they charge? Are there any 'must see' destinations in or around Cork? Is the Blarney Stone a 'must see'? Should I make sure to have enough local currency or are American dollars accepted or appreciated? What is the local currency, Euros or Pounds? Any and all replies will be welcome. Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Drink lots of GUINNESS and be yourself with the locals! take lots of euros and spend it all on GUINNESS and have fun.

Must see are the pubs, the american dollar will not be accepted nor will the black eye your get if you try or appreciated, exchange for the euro.

Answer 2

go see Rory Gallaghers gravesite. he lived in cork i think is buried there. the greatest guitar composer to ever live. your lucky man i wish i was goin.

Answer 3

I live in Cork and I wouldn't necessarily say that the Blarney Stone was a "must see" - it's a bit too touristy in my opinion. But Blarney is a nice place, so I wouldn't completely ignore it. The city of Cork has a lot to recommend it. Lots and lots of pubs, and even its own microbrewery (the Franciscan Well). There are also some good restaurants - I would particularly recommend "Fenns Quay". It's terrific. There is a food market right in the centre of the city called the English Market - definitely worth a stroll through on Monday. The food there is top-class, and there is also a cafe there known as the Farmgate that is well worth trying out. There are a few museums in Cork, although I might suggest you taking a trip down to Cobh by train so you can see the museum of emigration there: Cobh was the last stopping off point of the Titanic before its fateful trip to America. Kinsale, about 12 miles from Cork is also a good place to go for an evening. It's a pretty seaside village.