Cork with Kids

[Surroundedbyspies]

Hi!

Am looking at potentially taking DCs to Cork in Feb half term - two boys aged 13 and 11 - neither overly keen on walking around but will do if I make them 😉

Just wondering what budget friendly activities there are to help fulfil our days there? I don't drive so will be relying on pubic transport etc looking like we'll arrive late Monday evening and departure flight will be Friday evening.

Any suggestion would be appreciated ❤ Thanks in advance

I think it might be difficult on public transport
Tbh.

The jail
Blarney castle
Kinsale

You could go to Cobh on the train. The kids might like the Titanic Experience there. You also get a lot of the very big cruise ships coming in there and they're worth a look as they are absolutely HUGE.

Cork is absolutely packed with druggies and homeless people. It's very sad to see as it has at some time obviously been a very wealthy place. Avoid with kids.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41502605.html

Ok - thanks for all the info - google seemed to say it was easy to navigate around there on Public transport and great for kids 😂maybe I'll go back to the drawing board 😆

Train to Cobh - Titanic experience. Maybe a trip to the old fort/prison from there - Spike Island. Bus to Clonakilty / Kinsale. Climb Shandon
church and ring a tune on the bells! Or guided tour of Blackrock Castle and Observatory. Boys might enjoy that. Public transport is fine. Druggies? Relative handful of stoners around the bus station I suppose. Ps you might get more information on Craicnet.

I went to Bath (which is recommended frequently as a place to visit) few years back and while parts of it are lovely. It had its fairshare of homeless/drug addicts/drinkers on the streets. Many places are like that it’s not exactly uncommon. …..

I love Cork but I think you would run out of things to do, especially if you are relying on public transport. It’s a small city and a nice place to live imo but not many “sights” in the city centre. And your eldest might be a bit old for things like FOTA Wildlife park. It’s better in the summer when you can catch a bus to one of the villages on the coast.

If you're looking for a city break I can totally recommend Gdansk for families with kids. Absolutely brilliant city, safe, historic, lots to see and do and great public transport links.

Further to my comments about Cork I'd like to add I was there for 6 nights last autumn and it was really awful on the drug front. I saw people openly using in the street in broad daylight. One lady in a shop doorway sniffing canisters of God knows what completely off her tits. And some chap shooting up down an ally. I was very thankful that we didn't have our kids with us on that trip. This is not something I'm used to seeing and cannot brush it off lightly.

Not my favourite place to visit, lots of driving if you want to see main sights in the area and make the most ofnyoir time there. Not enough to do.in Cork alone for a holiday.

@mollymillymummy If you think Cork is bad you’ll have a nervous breakdown if you ever visit Dublin.

Dorset or Norfolk are lovely x

God these comments are bizarre!! Cork is a beautiful city, as is Dublin.

I really like Cork and we had a nice time there. Really easy bus from the airport into town. Day trip to Kinsale or Blarney. We went to a fantastic Japanese restaurant that was more like a cafe. Incredible food.

I last visited Dublin in 2000 and it was a delightful city then. Has it gone down hill then?

Dublin is now unrecognisable from the city it was in 2000. Heroin in particular is a serious issue and is not being adequately dealt with by the authorities. I live in the west of Ireland and only visit Dublin to go to hospital appointments and to use the airport.

County Cork is lovely but you would ideally need a car and best to go in the summer.

Honestly, Cork isn't that great, but it's nice enough for a short break but think you will need a car. We go often as my stepson lives there. Nice to see - not groundbreaking - but definitely a car is needed, unless you just want to wander around the city (market etc). If you have a car there's a few beaches, Cobh, Kildare farm, soft plays etc X

Cork is a great city, it has made the most of it's river front aspect with cafes and so on all along the Quays. The city centre is like any other, pockets of anti social stuff, but mostly at night in certain spots in the city centre which every city has. Easy to avoid. Things I enjoyed were Cobh (Titanic) and climbing the big hill to the cathedral for the view, Blarney for the grounds of the castle, didn't bother going in. Boat to Spike Island (tour from Cobh) it's a fab trip across Cork Harbour. Kinsale for the foodies amongst you and it's a charming seaside town. Blackrock Castle. The old Cork Gaol tour (spooky). Crosshaven for a day by the sea.

All of the above are reachable by public transport.

If you only go to the hospital (none of which are in the city centre itself) and go straight to the airport, presumably using the M50, how do you know how bad things are in Dublin now?

I visit a lot as I have family there. It is a charming city with lovely friendly people. Yes there are spots to be avoided at all costs, just like in London, Paris, Rome, and so on. If you stick largely to the Southside it is vibrant and great. I do realise that there is a drug problem in the city, mostly confined to North of the Liffey. If you avoid there, it's magical. IMV of course.

I keep an eye out for dodgy areas in any city I visit, it's easy to find the lovely parts.

Cork is our local city and I’m surprised by your comments @mollymillymummy. It has some issues as does any large city, but certainly isn’t deserving of the type of reputation you’re suggesting it has (but which it in fact doesn’t have, at least not locally).

Blackrock castle, Fota, Blarney, Cobh, Kinsale. Fitzgerald’s Park is nice for a wander. English Market is good. Not sure how interested boys would be though.
There are a number of arcade, bowling type places.
It would be easier with a car for sure.
Where were you thinking of staying OP?

I go to the Mater hospital which is in the city centre. I get the train to Heuston station, the Luas to Abbey Street and walk the fifteen minutes to the Mater hospital. I know exactly what the city centre is like and it’s an absolute shithole.

It's funny you say that it doesn't have the reputation locally as even whilst I was there I overheard a local radio phone-in (playing in a shop I was in) where the main topic of discussion and phone-in was about the declining city centre and what the council should or should not be doing about it. It got quite heated! So it also seems to be something that Cork residents are aware of and about which they have strong opinions.

I second or third the suggestion to get the train to Cobh - titanic experience is good and my kids really enjoyed Spike Island (partly down to laughing at the bonkers mannequins).

Eldest still likes Fota but you'd need a car to get there.

Blarney Castle also entertained them.

We went to a football match, (women's international, excellent atmosphere) pretty easy to walk to the stadium from the city centre.

Blackrock observatory is tiny but the student who did the talk was v enthusiastic. Might be too small to entertain your eldest.

So you were there for the weekend and now know more than someone who’s lived close to Cork for 50+ years…is that it?

The sort of conversations you mention happen in every city. Cork is by no means perfect, but is very far from somewhere tourists need to avoid.

m.independent.ie/irish-news/irelands-fun-city-cork-makes-national-geographics-list-of-worlds-best-places-to-visit-in-2025/a318847520.html#:~:text=1%20country%20to%20visit%20next,the%20Pure%20Cork%20tourism%20campaign.