Cork, Ireland

After our must-have morning coffee at one of Cork’s finest coffee shops, and a quick update on our social media to let our followers know what we were up to for the day, we were ready to set out on our adventure around Cork!

9.00am – Shandon Bells

The first stop on our city adventure was the 18th century Shandon Bells and tower which overlooks the entire city. Having admired St. Annes church (one of the oldest in Ireland) on the ground floor, we climbed the 132 steep stone steps to the top where a spectacular 360 degree view of the city awaited us! We had great fun pointing out iconic landmarks and different destinations around the city!

Back on the 1st floor it was time to test our musical abilities (much to the disappointment of our camera crew) by ringing the Shandon Bells! It was pretty cool to think our unique version of amazing grace was ringing out for the entire city to hear!

As we left to head to our next destination, we admired the four clocks on the top of the tower which have been given the name of ‘the four faced liar’ by locals who noticed that the four clocks each display a different time… extremely useful for anyone who tends to be a little late!

10.30am – Ali’s Kitchen:

Having received a recommendation from one of our followers we headed to Ali’s Kitchen; a newly opened bake house located on the busy corner site of Rory Gallagher Place, in the trendy Huguenot area of Cork City! With its chic interior design, an open baking area to allow customers see what happens behind the scenes, a large window front, and sweet aroma filling the air we knew we were onto a winner as soon as we stepped inside.

Following years of travel and experience working all over Europe, Ali has very successfully combined her creativity, passion for food, international influences and culinary skills to bring a new sort of food vibe to Cork.

There is a large glass cabinet running the length of the shop which holds a vast array of freshly baked cakes, doughnuts, buns and artisan breads. We stood in front admiring them for what felt like forever trying to decide what to choose! Everything looked so perfect, and deliciously fresh! Eventually we decided on Ali’s childhood favourite a lemon drizzle cake, and a caramel doughnut cake which oozed out thick caramel sauce as soon as I took a bite!

12.15pm – Isobella Ru:

Are you a fan of vintage accessories? Do glittery headbands and feather boas make you happy? If so.. then you will most certainly love Isobella Ru, a beautiful boutique vintage shop we were more than happy to stumble upon!

Although the store is located in Cork city, like a true hidden gem it is tucked in behind the high street shops waiting to be discovered by those willing to look for it! It is full to the brim with trinkets and treasures, and overflowing with glitter, pearls, feather and lace, yet there is only one of each item stocked in the shop! You will be sure to fall in love with the place instantly!

We had great fun inside the store trying on floral headbands, sun glasses of all shapes and sizes…..infact anything that caught our attention! With an exceptionally friendly shop keeper we felt right at home as we rummaged through what felt like a giant treasure chest!

1.30pm – Coca Cola Bicycle Hire:

Having spotted the Coca- Cola bikes dotted around the city, we decided it would be great fun to explore for a while on two wheels! With either a 3 day or annual subscription option available it was only a matter of seconds before we’d figured out how to sign ourselves up!

We took off with the wind in our hair, cycling down St. Patricks Street, up to the Coal Quay, past the picturesque court house and out past University College Cork where we came to one of our favourite parts of the city; Fitzgeralds Park! Although only a short cycle from the city – the manicured flowers, the pond full of ducklings and the open green space make it seem as though its a whole new world! We made our way over to Daly’s bridge which is locally known as Shakey Bridge – we’ll let you guess why! We ran… jumped and even danced on the bridge to test out its stability!

4pm – Holy Smoke:

With our appetites growing it was time for dinner. We decided to try out the brand new BBQ smokehouse which has opened at the Mardyke complex. Without a doubt ‘The Holy Smoke” restaurant is sure to be a roaring success as the renowned master chef and pitmaster John Relihan, (who previously worked as head chef for Jamie Oliver) shares his exquisite culinary and BBQ skills with the people of Cork!

Although a tough decision choosing from the different menu options, we opted for the smoky ribs! As soon as I took a bite there was an explosion of flavours in my mouth, the meat was tender, yet juicy with a distinctive BBQ taste… it was simply a wonderful dining experience!

We were delighted to hear that John only buys locally sourced meats which are cooked ‘low and slow’ (often up to 16 hours) over wood and charcoal made from 100% sustainable woodlands! He also uses different combinations of hazel, ash, maple and cherry woods to compliment the flavour profiles of his dishes! #yummy

6pm – Cork Boat Hire:

Here at OnTheQT we always make an effort to use different modes of transport upon arrival to a new place or city. It allows us to travel like a local, and see the place from a completely different perspective!

Free to skipper our own boat and plan our own adventure, we decided to head up the River Lee under the multiple bridges. We couldn’t have been luckier with the weather, a beautiful Spring evening with the sun shining down! The nearby buildings were reflected onto the water in front us… the city looked simply gorgeous! Driving the boat was great fun and very easy to change speed and manoeuvre! We got a fit of the giggles when our boat conked out and we couldn’t restart it…..but our safety instructor was over to us instantly to get us going again!

7.30pm – Sober Lane :

To wrap up our evening exploring Cork we headed to Sober Lane, a popular spot among the locals! Much to our delight it was ‘rock, paper, scissors’ night so we had a chance of winning our drinks at the bar! As a result of our defeat.. I’ll know for next time to practice before we go there!

What we loved about this gem of a bar is that there is a map of the world on the back wall.. with a picture of all their visitors from around the world pinned up! Such a great idea, we were only delighted to add our camera man’s photo to South Africa!