The Island
The city centre is essentially the island, with its quaysides, pretty bridges, alleyways and lanes, plus that segment to the north of the River Lee that has MacCurtain Street as its central thoroughfare, and the lanes leading up to Shandon. St Patrick's Street and Grand Parade form the modern commercial heart, with a healthy smattering of the modish amenities generally associated with much larger European cities. Not that you are ever engulfed by commercialism; aggressive multinationals barely dominate, and major chainstores exist alongside modest traditional businesses. It is in such immediate contrasts that the charms of the city lie. To the north of St Patrick's Street run the narrow laneways of French Church Street and Carey's Lane , busy with restaurants and cafes; tucked away to the south are the densely packed stalls of the covered English Market. The eastern, downstream, end of the island is the more clearly defined: many of its quays are still in use, and it's here that you get the best sense of the old port city. In the west the island peters out in a predominantly residential area. Heading in this direction, though, you can follow the signs off Western Road for Fitzgerald Park , home of the Cork Public Museum (July & Aug Mon-Fri 11am-1pm & 2.15-6pm, Sun 3-5pm; rest of year Mon-Fri 11am-1pm & 2.15-5pm, Sun 3-5pm; closed bank holidays; GBP1/?1.27), about a mile out of the city centre, easily combined with a trip to Cork Gaol . Primarily a museum of Republican history, it has an excellent commentary on the part played by nationally significant local characters and events in the Republican movement. There are exhibits of local archeological and geological finds, too, and a section on the history of the dairy trade.
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