Best Areas to Stay in Cork, Ireland

Cork’s City Centre is located on an island formed by two channels of the River Lee.

With St Patrick and Washington’s streets as its main thoroughfares, the City Centre is where most shopping, dining and entertainment areas in Cork in Cork are located. This lively district is also home to most of the city’s hotels, hostels and tourist apartments.

Perhaps the best-known attraction in this district is The English Market, a lovely mid-19th century market, popular for its architecture as well as for its locally produced artisan food.

For art lovers, nearby Crawford Art Gallery showcases a collection of Irish contemporary art.

On the east end of the island is Fitzgerald Park, a beautiful English-style public garden complete with a museum, sculptures, walking paths and manicured landscaping.

As it couldn’t be any other way, the City Centre is the best-connected area in Cork. All bus lines stop somewhere in the district or have their terminus in it. That means moving around the city and to outlying suburbs and towns is quite straightforward.

When looking for the best area to stay in Cork, no other place can beat the City Centre.

Cork’s Victorian Quarter is located right next to the heart of the city and it’s another great place when deciding where to stay in Cork.

Located north of the River Lee and centred around MacCurtain Street, this charming district gets its name from its lovely old Victorian buildings and houses once home to the city’s traders, merchants and craftsmen.

Today, this quaint area is home to some of Cork’s charming shops, quirky cafés, restaurants, pubs and live music and shows venues. It is also considered an alternative and hipster-friendly location in the city.

St Patrick’s Bridge connects the Victorian Quarter with Cork’s City Centre.

Cork’s main train station (Kent Station) is located adjacent to the Victorian Quarter, on the north side of the river. This station, the main transportation hub in Cork, offers great connections to other cities in Ireland, as well as commuter services to places like Cobh.

Right across the bridge, you’ll find Parnell Place Bus Station, the main bus station in Cork. It offers Expressway and Regional services as well as national and even international connections.

The Victorian Quarter is home to award-winning hotels, charming B&Bs and some backpacker options, so no matter your style or budget, it is a great location to stay in Cork.

Founded in 1845, University College Cork, also referred to as National University of Ireland, Cork, is one of the leading third-level teaching and research institutions in Ireland. It was created as one of the three Queen’s Colleges on the island, the other two in Belfast and Galway.

With around 20,000 students, UCC is one of the largest universities in the country. It is located south of the River Lee, about 2 kilometres west of the City Centre.

The college’s beautiful Tudor Gothic style quadrangle, known locally as the “Main Quad” is a tourist attraction in itself. It houses a unique collection of Ogham Stones, thought to be burial stones or boundary markers.

Being close to the City Centre and home to a large student population, this area has a distinctly youthful and lively atmosphere.

Just north of the main campus lies the beautiful Fitzgerald Park, along with many museums and art galleries.

In order to reach The English Market or Kent Station, you can hop on any of the frequent bus services covering the area. You may also choose to walk.

The area around UCC is home to nightlife options and restaurants. Several of the city’s budget and business hotels are also nearby. During school holidays, some student residences also double as hotels.

Douglas is a suburb located in the southeast end of Cork.

Originally an independent village, the city’s thriving linen industry and subsequent residential developments in the 19th and 20th centuries caused Douglas to become a part of Cork.

Today, Douglas mainly consists of upper-class residential areas.

The centre of the old village, located adjacent to Douglas Court Shopping Centre, is home to the district’s shopping, dining and entertainment.

Douglas Golf Club, located south of the village’s old centre, was founded in 1909 and designed by golfing legend Harry Vardon.

How long it takes to get from this area to the City Centre will largely depend on where in the district you stay and how you plan to travel. If you have a car, reaching The English Market shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes. If you prefer to walk, reaching the centre from Douglas Village Mall will take you about 40 minutes.

Although Douglas lacks the wide selection of accommodation available in the central districts, it is home to some of the most luxurious hotels in town. That said, there are also some budget B&Bs to choose from.

Cobh is a seaport town located southeast of Cork. With a population of around 12,000, this small seaside locality sure has a lot to offer.

The town’s maritime and shipbuilding tradition dates back centuries and it was one of the main transatlantic passenger ports in Ireland. Its harbour saw millions of Irish migrants leave for North America and thousands of deported men, women and children shipped to penal colonies like Australia. It was also the last port of call of the RMS Titanic before it famously sank into the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912.

Today, Cobh is an important tourist town. Its main attractions focus mainly on its maritime legacy.

The top sights in Cobh include St Colman’s Cathedral, the Cobh Heritage Centre, the Titanic Experience and Trail walking tour, Cobh Museum and the Cobh Road Train.

Its compact town centre is filled with colourful houses, once the home of seafarers and fishermen, as well as pubs, restaurants and cafés.

Cobh is connected to Cork via buses and trains. The train ride takes about 25 minutes to Kent Station and offers breathtaking views of the River Lee and Lough Manon.