A fish shop in Cork city

Welcome to the real capital, as locals might inform you.

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic and while a pretty city it ain't, it has been oddly dubbed "the Venice of the North" due to its location on an island between two channels of the River Lee.

Cork is still buzzing from its year as the 2005 European Capital of Culture, and it would take months to explore all the excellent restaurants, pubs, theatres and galleries in its compact city centre.

The well-stocked English Market should be the first stop on any traveller's itinerary. Offering a delectable tour around Cork's gourmet tastebuds, it heaves six days a week with artisan breads, cakes, exotic cheeses, Mediterranean delicacies, fresh seafood and organic produce.

The city's crowning jewel is the French Gothic St Finbarr's Cathedral, but St Anne's Church in the hilly Shandon district is far more delightful with its ridiculous gold salmon sparkling from the steeple. Climbing the tower in St Anne's also offers the best opportunity for panoramic holiday snaps.

Cork city makes a good jumping off point for day trips to Clonakilty (the birthplace of Michael Collins), the upscale harbour town of Kinsale and to Blarney Castle where the "gift of the gab" is said to be bestowed on anyone brave enough to smooch the Blarney Stone.