| The second city of the Republic of Ireland is Cork, | | | | festival during September and a fringe festival of |
| first is Dublin. | | | | drama and dance in late October. |
| It is built on an island, the two channels of the | | | | All round venues for entertainment and the arts. |
| River Lee embracing it either side while nineteenth | | | | The hub of alternative artistic activity is the |
| century suburbs sprawl up the surrounding hills. | | | | Triskel Arts Centre. It has changing exhibitions of |
| This gives the city centre a compactness and | | | | contemporary art, a cinema showing art house |
| sharp definition. | | | | films and a continuous programme of gigs, DJ |
| The city Cork origins in the seventh century | | | | nights, comedy, drama, performance art and |
| when St Finbarre founded an abbey and school on | | | | poetry readings. |
| the site where the impressive nineteenth century | | | | The leading mainstream theatre is Cork Opera |
| Gothic St Finbarres Cathedral stands today. A | | | | House in Emmet Place which puts on high quality |
| settlement grew up around the monastic | | | | drama, jazz and pop concerts, dance, opera and |
| foundation, overlooking a marshy swamp where | | | | comedy; the attached Half Moon Theatre has a |
| the city centre now stands. More recently, Cork | | | | more eclectic programme of drama, comedy and |
| saw much violence and suffered greatly during | | | | music, and among a largely uninspiring selection of |
| the Anglo Irish and Civil wars, the cities part in | | | | mainstream discos, is the cities most interesting |
| Republican history is well documented in the local | | | | club venue, with a wildly varied weekly roster of |
| museum. | | | | DJs and live acts. |
| As part of the Republic, Cork has continued to | | | | The Granary, offers a range of small scale drama |
| develop as a port, a university city and a cultural | | | | productions, while the Firkin Crane Theatre at the |
| centre and to assert its independence from Dublin. | | | | Institute for Choreography and Dance, O Connell |
| In 2005 it will be the European City of Culture and | | | | Square, Shandon is the best spot to catch |
| a major new art gallery is due to open at the | | | | classical and contemporary dance. Classical |
| university, probably in early 2004. | | | | concerts are held at the School of Music, on Union |
| One of the joys of Cork is the fact that its scale | | | | Quay and the City Hall. |
| is human most of what it has to offer can be | | | | There are plenty of good watering holes in the |
| explored on foot. | | | | city and if all you want is a drink, you wont need |
| Cork is a great city for festivals, the biggest and | | | | a guide to find somewhere though a couple of the |
| most prestigious of which are the film festival in | | | | citys older pubs are worth seeking out for their |
| early October and the jazz festival over one of | | | | atmosphere. Many bars have music, traditional or |
| the last two weekends in October. Theres also an | | | | otherwise. Wherever you end up, this is not a |
| international choral festival in early May, a folk | | | | difficult town in which to enjoy yourself. |