Ireland & Scotland 2009

The center of Cork is located on an island between two channels of the Lee River.

City Center

St Patrick's Street runs through the heart of the city. It offers a host of shopping opportunities and boasts some of Europe's largest retail chains. Oliver Plunkett Street, which runs partly parallel to Patrick's Street, bustles with smaller shops, life and color. Second-hand books, hand-made chocolates, an infinite array of surprises can be found in the alleyways and lanes around this central shopping district. Heading west, one comes to the English Market , the culinary heart of Cork, boasting a huge array of fresh local produce, and tantalizing international delicacies. Following St Patrick's Street eastwards leads to the statue of Father Mathew , much respected founding father of the Irish Temperance Movement. Tucked off to the left, one finds the Cork Opera House , venue for national and international theater, opera, and concerts. The Crawford Art Gallery with its impressive collection to suit modern and traditional tastes is also to be found here. At the other end of St. Patrick's Street lies Grand Parade. A visitor might wish to turn left here, past the cheerful greenery of Bishop Lucey Park, and view the impressive Nationalist Monument, or turn right to ramble along the Coal Quay, with its bustling Saturday open-air market, second-hand shops, and enjoy a pint or a coffee in the spacious, gracious Bodega. One block further west lies North Main Street, and the Cork Vision Centre: situated in the historic St Peter's Church, it offers the visitor the opportunity to really get a feel for the city with a magnificent 1:500 scale model of the whole city.

Further south is the Triskel Arts Centre , a vibrant cluster of gallery, theater, and drinking spaces, with a Sushi Bar thrown in for good measure. Venturing west, one leaves the inner center of the city, past corner-shops, and pubs, and toward the Mardyke Walk. This delightful stretch, which has been an institution amongst locals for over a century, leads directly to Fitzgerald Park. The Cork Public Museum is situated within the park and offers a wealth of information for those interested in local and national history. Defined by the two channels of the Lee, the city center of Cork has a beauty of its own, easily and best experienced on foot. A stroll along any of the waterways can be surprising and rewarding, while the island itself invites the visitor to lose their way, yet easily to find it again.

North of the City

The "North Side" is defined by hills rising up from the river, and toward the city's more hidden charms. Dominating the landscape is St Anne's Church , the lime and sandstone (two walls built of each) clock tower can be seen from all over the city. One can climb the tower to ring the famous Shandon Bells, and savor the spectacular view from the top. Directly below "the bells" is the old Cork Butter Exchange, now home to the intriguing Cork Butter Museum , and the Shandon Craft Centre. Perched on a more western point of the hill, lies the Cork City Gaol ; this gloomy nineteenth-century prison welcomes the modern visitor with interesting exhibits and audio-visual displays.

On the eastern end, St Patrick's Bridge links the city center with the charming MacCurtain Street, a busy stretch of road offering everything from antiques to ice cream. Worth noting on this street is the majestic Everyman Palace , venue for local and touring theater productions, and the historic Metropole Hotel , head-quarters for the annual Cork Jazz Festival .

South of the City

The Gothic grandeur of St Finbarr's Cathedral dominates the horizon of Cork's "South Side". This 19th Century Anglican cathedral is as impressive on the inside as the gargoyle clustered exterior. Legend has it that the golden angel, perched on the cathedral's eastern extreme, will blow her horn to announce the ending of the world. In 1999, her two horns were stolen during construction work; they were returned some days later, to the great relief of locals. Nearby, one finds the ruins of the seventeenth-century Elizabeth Fort , a sombre reminder of the Cromwell's era, and the rambling character of Barrack Street, as featured in the film Angela's Ashes. The street also offers a number drinking and live-music venues, popular with students of the nearby University College Cork (UCC) . The stately college quadrangle is itself worth a visit, while the fascinating collection of Ogham stones (on public display), and the stained-glass windows of the Honan Chapel, make a visit to the campus an enlightening experience.

The eastern end of the South Side is dominated by the City Hall , from the steps of which President John F Kennedy gave a public address in 1963. Perhaps he glanced longingly at the Lobby Bar , just across the road, and famous for nurturing and presenting the best of Irish traditional music. To the other side of the City Hall is the bustling docks area, while further out of town parks and walkways follow the river as far as the quaint and curious Blackrock Castle. Currachs (Irish traditional rowing boats), schoolboy eights, and mammoth container ships share this stretch of the Lee, reflecting the tradition and the industry that so define the city.

Beyond the City

Cork also makes an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding area. Buses leave frequently to the famous Blarney Castle . Traditionally, a kissing of the Blarney Stone invests the visitor with the "gift of the gab", though the more reticent guest might prefer a silent stroll in the beautiful surrounding gardens. Cobh (pronounced Cove), is connected by an hourly train to Cork. The Cobh Heritage Centre documents the town's place in history as the departure point for generations of emigrant, commercial and leisure vessels, as well as the last port visited by the ill-fated Titanic. Picturesque, and boasting some of Ireland's finest restaurants, Kinsale is only a short bus-ride from Cork, as is the Jameson Heritage Centre Whiskey Distillery in Midleton. Further afield, the beauties of West County Cork lay just waiting to be discovered.

Galway has many colourful and distinctive districts, despite its small size and population. This is partly due to the city's age and partly due to its recent rapid growth. Like many older European cities, the periods of history which the city has witnessed have left their mark on the central and outlying areas.

The city centre is that of a small, coastal town with its roots in the thirteenth century. The streets are narrow and the older buildings cluster cosily together. In this area of the city, many of the buildings and architectural artifacts still testify to Galway's long history.

The focal point of the city centre is John F. Kennedy Park, or as it is still known by the locals (Galwegians), Eyre Square . Re-named in the 1970s, JFK Park is a picture postcard scene of greenery and trees, the openness of which is in contrast to the narrow streets which mark each corner. Home to the old city gates and its defending cannon, the vista provided gives a glimpse into the Galway's less than peaceful past. One of the more peaceful residents of the Square is Padraig O Conaire. Renowned writer and carouser, O Conaire's statue has stood (almost) undisturbed since its erection in the first half of the 1900s. JFK Park is also home to a more modern sculpture, the 'Galway Hooker', which despite its suggestive name, is none other than a sculpture of a type of fishing boat used in the waters around Galway Bay for well over one hundred years.

For those fond of nightlife, the city centre will not fail to please. The greatest concentration of pubs and clubs is to be found in the centre, with practically every taste catered for. Galway is famous for its live music, particularly the traditional music sessions, often impromptu, which can be found in many of the pubs in the central area.

Galway is a coastal city, and has its own Docklands area. Previously a less than attractive section of the city, the dockside has been revamped beyond recognition. New attractive apartment blocks have replaced warehouses and storage containers. While most of the oceangoing traffic passing through the Galway docks is commercial, it is not uncommon to see pleasure boats docked here, and if you are lucky, you may be witness to the breathtaking sight of a fully rigged clipper ship moored for a short stay.

As we head north-west of the city centre, the next area of note is the Claddagh. The original town encompassed little more than the Claddagh, and true to this tradition, there is still a king (of sorts) in residence in the area. While the 'King of the Claddagh' has no administrative or ruling power, he is still an indelible feature of this characterful place, the residents of which are intensely proud of their heritage as residents of the original sea-side town which became Galway. The world famous Claddagh Ring is named after this area also, and while the jury is still out on the origin of this evocative design, it would be ill-advised to question its authenticity as a historical object unique to Galway in the earshot of any true Galwegian.

Further along the coast is the seaside resort of Salthill. Salthill has traditionally been the destination of choice for generations of sea lovers. Most of the development in and around Salthill took place in the last forty years, but the lengthy beaches have been an attraction for locals and visitors alike for much longer. Salthill was originally a seaside resort in the same vein as north-west England's Blackpool, although on a smaller scale. However, the last ten years has seen much investment and development in the area to ensure that it keeps right up to the mark when it comes to an enjoyable seaside holiday.

The road west from Salthill leads into picturesque Barna and Furbo, villages worth visiting for their scenic qualities alone. These areas also mark the beginning of the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area). This region is steeped in old Irish culture, and the native Irish language is often predominant, with English spoken only to accommodate outsiders.

The Gaeltacht area is not only along the coastline. Bleak and rugged Connemara to the north and west of Galway city is also part of this culturally rich vicinity. Much of this area is included within the Connemara National Park and so is protected from unsympathetic development. From Newcastle, in the north of Galway city, the road leads towards Moycullen and on to Oughterard, where, like its seaside relatives, the Irish language and culture still flourish.

Newcastle Road, to the east of the city, is also the address of the National University of Ireland, Galway (University College Galway). This split-personality university is rich in old-school academic values and tradition on the one hand, yet is right up to date with the newest technological developments. This can be seen quite clearly in the architecture of the many buildings which comprise the university. The original university buildings, which date from the mid-nineteenth century, combine with the latest in contemporary building design. A visit to Galway is never complete without a visit to its oldest seat of education.

The south-eastern parts of Galway tend more towards the residential, with Galway's oldest housing estate, Mervue, to be found on the main Galway-Dublin road. Also in this area are Ballybane and Renmore. This off-centre development of the city gives a slightly unbalanced picture of its population, with most of the residential density on one side of the city. This gives rise to a community spirit which may be less and less a factor in urban and suburban living, but is still a central part of Galway life.

South of the city lies Co. Clare, home of the Burren. This region has also been designated a National Park and is home to a landscape unlike any other—the great limestone flagstones of the Burren shelter a ecosystem unique in the world. Finally, at the mouth of Galway Bay lie the Aran Islands. The three islands are included in the Galway Gaeltacht and maintain their own distinctive traditions in spite of the many visits from tourists. The landscape of the islands is bleak and unforgiving—great cliffs rise sheer from the sea and the magnificent ring fort of Dun Aenghus perches right on the cliff edge.

The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago.

Belfast, United Kingdom Information by Rough Guides
BELFAST is the capital of Northern Ireland and its largest city by some way. More than a third of the province's population live within the Belfast conurbation and, consequently, there's a pace and bustle about the place that you'll find almost nowhere else in Northern Ireland. For many, however, Belfast will always be remembered as the focus of the Troubles that have dominated Northern Ireland's politics and so many people's personal lives since 1969, and the city continues to bear the scars.

In appearance Belfast closely resembles Liverpool, Glasgow or any other industrial port across the water, and, similarly, its largely defunct docklands– in which, famously, the Titanic was built– are undergoing massive redevelopment. Though the city centre is still characterized by numerous elegant Victorian buildings, there's been an enormous transformation here, too, and the streets leading northwards from the hub of Belfast life, Donegall Square, are packed with chain stores and shopping precincts. Yet this prosperity is not reflected in every aspect of Belfast life. The number of rough sleepers has increased and some areas of the city evince obvious economic decline, most notably North Belfast and the once-thriving, now-tarnished Golden Mile where restaurants that appeared during the boom years during the second half of the 1990s have closed and remain boarded up. On week nights the city centre resembles a ghost town, though there's no doubt that Belfast continues to thrive culturally. Music, theatre and the visual arts are all flourishing, and traditional Irish culture is rapidly being rediscovered.

Belfast is a place for getting out and about, and has plenty to experience. This need not take more than a couple of days in the city itself, although Belfast is a good base from which to visit virtually anywhere else in the North. In the centre, concentrate on the glories brought by the Industrial Revolution: grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs. To the south are the lively and influential Queen's University and the extensive collections of the Ulster Museum, set in the grounds of the Botanic Gardens. A climb up Cave Hill, to the north, rewards you with marvellous views of the city spread out around the curve of its natural harbour, Belfast Lough. Security measures in the city have been considerably relaxed and most of the barriers and controls have been removed. However, the iron blockade known as the Peace Line still bisects the Catholic and Protestant communities of West Belfast, a grim physical reminder of the city's and country's sectarian divisions– and there are certain flashpoints such as the Short Strand and the Ardoyne which it is inadvisable to visit.

Inverness, United Kingdom Information by Rough Guides
Straddling a nexus of major road and rail routes, INVERNESS is the busy and prosperous hub of the Highlands, and an inevitable port of call if you're exploring the region by public transport. Buses and trains leave for communities right across the far north of Scotland, and it isn't uncommon for people from as far afield as Thurso, Durness and Kyle of Lochalsh to travel down for a day's shopping here – Britain's most northerly chain-store centre. Though boasting few conventional sights, the city's setting on the banks of the River Ness is appealing.