MARKET GALLERY Bringing art to the people is a regular,…read moreoften empty, slogan. But Paul Mulvany has done it with his Market Gallery, in the English Market, right in the heart of Cork! When I was in this morning, I had a look at the work of Russian painter Igor Logino. These small format, brightly coloured canvases of familiar Cork City scenes are, I'm told, "a constant favourite with tourists and locals alike. All works on sale at the gallery are accessibly priced". Mulvany himself, who also runs the Rave Cave stall in the Market, is the other artist that uses this small space and his work is very different. It can be seen on his website. see also: http://corkabout.blogspot.com

What a gallery should be. Excellent work, advice and pricing!read more

LAVIT GALLERY Went to the Lavit Gallery this morning to see…read morethe retrospective honouring the work and memory of the much loved local artist and teacher John O'Leary. Got a great welcome from the two ladies downstairs, busily assembling the Christmas show, and enjoyed my visit, surprised at the space and light available in the upstairs section (see photo). The Lavit is owned and administered by the Cork Arts Society and is the city's longest established gallery, catering to the first time buyer and seasoned collector alike, with prices to suit all budgets. There are some striking items in the exhibition assembled to honour John O'Leary. It deserves a second visit but, on first viewing, the favourites of this amateur were the John Burke sculpture entitled Black Forest Sunset, the two Catriona O'Leary works Morning Light and Path Runs Through, Vivienne Roche's Light 1 and 2 along with the Glencar Series II 1998 by the master himself. The show closes on the 28th so you'll have to hurry. Check out the gallery's website for future exhibitions. see also: http://corkabout.blogspot.com

From the owner: The Lavit Gallery showcases the work of Cork-based artists primarily and present work by leading…read moreIrish and International names. Through the ambitious programme of solo exhibitions and group shows, we promote both emerging and established artists, in addition to stimulating and challenging Cork audiences.

THE GLUCKSMAN Made a cross-town trip this morning to see the…read moreLewis Glucksman Gallery in the grounds of UCC. Impressive building and a very impressive viewing space. Admission is free but a five euro donation is suggested. Anyone interested in pop music will find it a worthwhile to take in one of the two current exhibitions. It is called Mixtapes, a mixed media show, and runs until 24 October 2010. The Glucksman also has quite an extensive shop with books on art in general plus a huge range of specialist publications on individual subjects.

A welcome addition to both the UCC campus and the city in general, the Glucksman is a relatively…read morenew gallery (it opened in 2004). It shows on the outside as well as in, with lots of space throughout the building, so the exhibits aren't piled on top of one another. There's a pleasant cafe downstairs too, so it's good for a lazy lunchtime.

Brought my Mom here for lunch. The food was terrible and when we complained - the chef/manager came…read moreout to yell at us that they had made the food for us so we had to pay for it. Most of the staff were nice but some of them were very undressed for serving food, one had a top on that barely covered her front and her back was completely bare. Completely inappropriate and unhygienic for a food service worker. We were told by a staff member that all the food was brought in pre-made. Complete waste of money, we paid for two of the meals as we had started eating them before realising that it was poisoned with salt. My sister didn't even take her meal from the server as she could see immediately that it wasn't what was on the menu and had items she is unable to eat. That was when the manager came out to yell at her and caused a scene! We had to go to another restaurant to get her something to eat as she hadn't been able to eat anything. Please avoid this restaurant unless you want sub par, pre made food at extortionate prices.

One of my favourite places in Cork, and somewhere I try to call into whenever I have a few free…read moreminutes when I'm at home. The Crawford was lucky enough to snag an extension and refurbishment during the Celtic Tiger years. It's spent the last few years putting it's new-found sprawl to good use. There's three permanent exhibitions each on the small side (sculptures, a Harry Clarke sampler and a few artifacts from Cork's merchant past). The main exhibition area tends to lean on modern Irish art and has a good pedigree thanks to the gallery's links with the Hugh Lane in Dublin. Oh, and there's a nice tea-room and restaurant in the back, so it's a good way to waste a lunch hour too!

SIRIUS ART CENTRE Just made it to Cobh's Sirius Art Gallery,…read morenext door to the Quays Bar/Restaurant, in time to see the Wilson Collection, comprised of photographs taken by three generations of the Cobh family. The exhibition features famous faces from times past and present and the photos were taken by Robert, Joe and Jasper Wilson. The exhibition closed on August 1st but you may get updates on the Wilson Collection at http://www.thewilsoncollection.com Many of the shots feature people and ships that visited Cobh from the 30s up to the present time. Enjoyed my viewing, particularly the photo of ex US president Dwight Eisenhower from 1962. I had seen Ike and wife Mimi in the railway station in Cork City that day on his way to Cobh and not many people believe me! The Sirius (named after a famous trans-Atlantic steam ship) is well worth a visit, not least because the Cobh Tourist Office is housed there. It is a very fine building and you will really enjoy looking out over the harbour through its really beautiful windows which in turn help fill the rooms of the gallery with light. A new exhibition of paintings and prints by Gerard Cox, entitled Undercurrents', get underway in the Sirius this coming Thursday. Contacts: Tel: 021 4813790 Email: cobharts@iol.ie Web: http://www.siriusartscentre.ie