I think the most interesting thing about Ireland are the ancient relics that are still standing:…read moreeither alone off the beaten path, or alongside more contemporary structures. The Grange Stone Circle in Lough Gur, located in a field off of R512, is the former, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are near Limerick. It is the largest ancient stone circle in Ireland and dates to the late Neolithic/Bronze Age. It had a ritualistic purpose and the center aligns to the sun during the summer solstice. To consider that some of the stones were brought from 3 miles away is just astounding, as is the understanding that this site dates to 2,200 BCE. To think of the ancient peoples that walked here so long ago is certainly astounding! The stone circle is definitely an impressive site to behold! More information can be found here: http://loughgur.com/destination/the-stone-circle/

Bigger around than Stonehenge The diameter of the upright…read morestones is 45 meters (148 feet) The diameter of the capped stones at Stonehenge is 33 meters (108 feet)

Simply amazing! Love that you get to walk through the fort underground and love the views. The tea…read morehouse is overlooking the water. The volunteers are a wealth of information.

FOTA HOUSE ARBORETUM and GARDENS This week, I went back to…read morethe Arboretum and Garden of Fota House for the first time in decades. Both were transferred to state care in 1996 and are now in the care of the Office of Public Works in conjunction with the Irish Heritage Trust. This is a world class visit and, amazingly, it is free to enter. This just can't last so get there while you can. Must say though, if an entry fee here is applied, there should be no cribbing. Similar venues on the continent, many of them nowhere near the same class as Fota, charge around ten euro entry. There are some splendid specimens here. The amateur like me can just look in awe but anybody interested in trees and plants will get so much more out of a visit. Quite a lot of the items are labelled and I came across a Lawson Cypress that was planted here in 1847 and a towering Japanese cedar, without a planting date, but which had reached 4.2 metre in diameter in 1966 and 4.5 by 1984. It is a not a very long walk but there are quite a few paths that loop back into one another and magnificent vistas, including water, open out as you wander round. The odd time you will see a piece of sculpture or maybe you will glimpse the big house through the greenery. Eventually, you come closer to the house. My first stop in this area was the Orangery where lemons and oranges (still green) were hanging from the glass walled and roofed enclosure. Then it is on to the Pleasure Garden which encloses big borders and also a rose garden and one little buildings where you may sit and take it all in. The entrance is through an arched doorway where a fig tree grows. Big displays of dahlias caught the eyes in the borders but they were just one of so many flowers and grasses. The roses, enclosed by sharply cut hedging, still looked good considering how late in the year it is.

Highly, highly recommend adding this to your Cork bucket list! The reading tour is 10 euros; I…read morebelieve the audio tour was 15 euros. We got to tour the prison grounds and learn about life in the prison, all while doing the reading tour. It was very eye opening, but very informative as well.

I know it's unfair to compare this to other jail tours in Ireland but it's really hard not to. The…read morearchitecture was gorgeous but the history was all quite surface level. I do appreciate them trying something different in tackling the stories of the jail and its prisoners.

There are actually 2 castle's, an old and a new (or newer, its still very old obviously). The herd…read moreof white deer are worth the walk alone, they're beautiful. Don't expect throngs of tourists being herded on and off coaches here, it's not on the tourist trail at all. That's part of its appeal though I think. Recently purchased by Cork County Council that could all change relatively soon. Recommend you see it while you can still have the place all to yourself.

THE ELYSIAN You can't miss the Elysian when you are in Cork:…read moreit is the tallest building, with a 17 storey high tower as its focal point. Designed by Wilson Architecture, the Elysian won the Irish Residential Property of the Year Award. Lush planting, water cascades and sculpture are the highlights of the internal gardens designed and built by the same team that built the multiple Gold Award winning Irish garden in the World Expo 90 in Japan. While the building contains hundreds of apartments, there is also some commercial activity here, mainly at the lower levels; included are a medical company and the El Vino's Restaurant. The tower is open to the public only occasionally, the most recent coming during the August Heritage Day.

MILLENNIUM GARDENS…read more To commemorate the millennium, the Port of Cork constructed a garden and a short walk at its lands along the river in Tivoli. The walk is quite short with fine river views; it may be extended by walking up the Lower Glanmire Road as far as the new Railway Bridge from where there are fine views of the city. There are two entrances to the facility. Coming from the west, walk through the gate just before the "skew" bridge. Otherwise, use the Silversprings fly-over to access the eastern gate. There is limited car parking there. It is a pleasant spot. Aside, from the river views, you have a variety of shrubs, trees and flowers (hydrangeas and fuchsia are prominent now in late August) and some sculpture. There is no shortage of seats, so you may bring your book or newspaper and give yourself a short break in the fresh air. Enjoyed the stroll today. It is a handy park for residents of the nearby houses and apartments and even guests of Silversprings Hotel and guest houses in the area could well enjoy a walk here.

CURRAGHBINNY WOOD Curraghbinny Woods has a unique location,…read moresituated on a promontory overlooking Cork Harbour, Lough beg, the mouth of the Owenabue River and the village of Crosshaven. As you'd expect, there are many paths within its 86 acres and a burial chamber, topped with a cairn, at the top. The best walk is probably on the left of the entrance as much of it is close to the water. Great place to stretch the legs as I did a few days ago. Oh, by the way, the dog enjoyed it also.

PROMENADE COBH The promenade in Cobh is where many locals…read moreand quite a few visitors come to take it easy and to do a bit of people watching. Seats for the older folks and a play area for the young ones. Great views out over the harbour, regularly visited by huge cruise ships, and back into the town itself where St Coleman's Cathedral dominates. Water flows in fountains and there are sculptures, some amusing, some serious. What more would you want? Maybe some music. Well, there is the bandstand and, regularly, at weekends, the band plays. Oh to be in Cobh when the sun shines.

Beautiful course and an even better view…read more We stopped by for lunch and to admire the course. One of our group had played before and had to tell us the stories. We ate lunch in the clubhouse and had a fine selection of food. Service was great and the menu was well thought out. I would give them 5 stars but I got food poisoning from the oysters I ate there. After a long night I made it on my flight to Scotland with cold sweats and a green face. I was surprised somewhere this nice had bad shellfish. I'll go back again...but will mind the shellfish.

If you are in Cork and have access to a car, you might as well head to Kinsale. The small port and…read morefishing town has many pubs, craft and photography shops and is popular with tourists. After driving about 15 kilometers you will see a long hill and on the very top, a ruined castle. If you go up walking through the grass heading to the right side, you will be amazed by the view of the cliffs, the noise of the waves smashing the rocks and the smell of fresh air. And this view is completely free! The only problem is a big closed gate, which belongs to a golf course built some years ago that still raises protests as a big part of the land was made private.