Cork is Ireland’s second biggest city, situated in the south of the country. Cork offers the best of city living combined with proximity to the coast, the mountains and the beautiful green Irish countryside.
Cork is a picturesque city of hills and waterways, rivers and bridges, grand Georgian parades, characterful 17th century alleyways and side streets that twist and turn following centuries old historic pathways.
Many of our students say they decided upon Cork city as a study destination because they wanted to live somewhere different and break away from the norm of studying in the bigger cities.
The city has a population of 190,000 people and offers a unique, charming and friendly welcome to all.
Cork City is just the right size to feel at home quickly, and yet has all the character of a cosmopolitan city.
The People of Cork City
Take the time to chat with locals and observe how rich the spoken language is — in Ireland we’re blessed with an idiosyncratic English that owes a little bit to the native Irish language.
The Cork accent is often likened to singing with its lilts and waves. Learn English in Cork and you will be able to understand English speakers anywhere!
The city is listed as one of the top ten places to visit in the world according to the Lonely Planet guide which says Cork “. . . has always had an unshakable self-confidence and innate sense of pride”
The people of Cork are very proud of their city and celebrate it by nurturing culture and the arts. The city is known for its homegrown music, film, theatre and thriving art scene.
Festivals
Cork has always been a major centre for the arts in Ireland and has been awarded the European City of Culture. The calendar of major Festivals hosted in Cork throughout the year caters for all tastes, with events in performance and visual arts, choral singing, comedy, film, folk music, jazz, literature, writing, and traditional music, to name but a few.
- Food Fairs
- Music and Dance Festivals
- Book Fairs
- Walking Festivals
- Sailing Regattas
- Film Festivals
- Literary Festivals
- Sporting events
Highlights
- The Cork Midsummer Festival
- Live at the Marquee
- Cork Film Festival
- Cork Choral Festival
- Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
Distinctive Architecture
Cork’s red and white flag is an easy shorthand for the city’s prevailing architecture — a cherry red sandstone and white limestone combination that is seen to beautiful effect on many prominent city buildings.
If you stroll through Cork’s Huguenot Quarter, you’ll experience Cork’s patchwork of architectural styles in a district known for cafés, bookshops and fancy boutiques.
Orient yourself on Cork’s main street Patrick Street (“Pana” in Corkese) and explore the city from there — from the old world opulence of the Victorian Quarter and MacCurtain Street to the medieval character of North Main Street.