"The Real Capital ;-)" a Cork Travel Page by blos

I live near Cork in Blarney, home to the famous castle and kissable stone - and no, sorry to disappoint but the locals don't relieve themselves on it :). Blarney has a little bit more than the castle to offer, with the famous Woollen Mills in the village. There are some other little souvenir shops in the village aswell. There are a couple of good restaurants nearby. Try the Sunset Ridge on the main Cork-Blarney road for good food. The local pubs offer traditional irish music regularly.

Traditionally an ugly sister to the Cinderella reputation of Dublin, Cork city is getting a facelift in the last couple of years. A newly redesigned Opera House, An extensive drainage programme to upgrade the quality of the river lee, and most recently the commencement of a complete redesign of Patricks Street have helped to improve the image of the city. Many run down pubs have been upgraded aswell. Cork is due to be European Cultural Capital for 2005. Cork plays host to a yearly film festival in addition to the well known Guiness Jazz and Blues festival held every October.