Journey to Cork City

- July 16, 2019

A bus, the 220, stops across from Cronin's in Crosshaven and goes to Carrigaline and Cork. It's a double-decker and very bouncy, especially up top. It takes about 30 minutes and it runs at 20 min before and 20 min after the hour. It also stops in front of our B&B, the Compass Rose, a block from the marina. But you have to know the inside scoop. Some of the 220s go only as far as Carrigaline, some stop at Crosshaven, and some go all the way to the fort at Camden. One is called the 220x and it's guaranteed to stop in Crosshaven, but it goes the long way from Carrigaline. The 220 that goes to Camden is the shortest trip back to Crosshaven and it stops at the B&B. Got that?

We had to visit Cork as we've only driven through before. We got off right near the English Market, which was very nice. Then we walked up the high street with all the shops. I bought vitamins and shorts on sale. Then we came upon the Crawford Gallery, a magnificent exhibition space that has a stunning collection of plaster casts, a wonderful collection of Irish art, and a special room dedicated to Harry Clarke. Harry Clarke created the extraordinary stained glass windows in the churches in Newport and Ballinrobe. What a find! It was great to learn about his more macabre side of book illustration including works by Edgar Allen Poe.

Then we stopped for lunch at a lovely pub, the Woodford. Excellent chowder and Philly cheesesteak which wasn't but was good. Finally, we walked to Elizabeth fort, another star fort which was not terribly impressive and took the bus back home.

Everyone kept telling us that Cork has a redevelopment plan, which is nice way of saying that it's been neglected. It has a lot of potential. We'll come back another time.