Ireland – Day 7 – Travels with Carolyne

Cork/Kilkenny – Day 7 of a 9-Day Trip in Ireland

Day 7 was another travel day. This time from Killarney to Cork, then to Kilkenny. I purposely booked my bus tickets so that I could have a few hours in Cork. In comparison to Limerick, which was another city I had a quick stop at, I enjoyed Cork better. This may, however, have been largely due to the fact that I found a luggage storage location so I was more willing to explore the city.

Day 7
Cork/Kilkenny

After a quick homemade breakfast, I checked out of the Airbnb and headed to the Killarney Bus Station for the 9:30am bus to Cork. This was by far the most confusing bus pick-up spot of my trip. Not only was there no clear signage, there weren’t any attendants available to help. I had to ask around. Luckily, this was a popular bus (but not popular enough that the bus was full!). The bus ride to Cork is about an hour and a half from Killarney. After arriving to Cork, I dropped my bag off at the luggage storage at 365IT Hub. I paid 5 euros for 4 hours storage, but there are options for longer storage times as well.

At this point of the day, I wanted something to eat. So I headed to the English Market and had brunch at the Farmgate Cafe. The Farmgate Cafe is a super cute spot. It is located on the second floor of the English Market and overlooks the vendors. I ordered the breakfast plate and tea. This was my first time trying black pudding, essentially Irish blood sausage. I could not get past the iron/metallic flavour so it was not my favourite. The bacon and breakfast sausage were great though!

After lunch, I decided to walk around the city of Cork. First stop the Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral. The Gothic cathedral was completed in 1879. There was a 7 euros/person admission fee for the Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral. I’d seen enough cathedrals at this point that I was happy to just snap a photo of the exterior.

Next stop the Elizabeth Fort, which is free to visit. The Elizabeth Fort was built in the early 1600s – 1601 to be exact – and used to fortify the city. Cork has evidently grown outside of these walls, so it now serves as a reminder of what once was. The walls are nice to walk along to see the city.

Afterwards, I wandered the streets and came across the Crawford Art Gallery, another free activity in Cork. The Art Gallery has 3 floors. The first and second floor is mainly where the art is and there is also a cafe on the first floor. The third floor has a small theatre, which at the time of my visit, played videos that offered a glimpse into the life of an Irish farmer.

It was then time to head to the Bus Station to catch my bus to Kilkenny. The bus ride to Kilkenny was about a 3.5 hour trip. Once I arrived at Kilkenny, I walked to my Airbnb which was a one bedroom above the Pumphouse. After dropping off my bags, I wandered the city, stopping at the Black Abbey and the Saint Mary’s Roman Cathedral before going to dinner at the Petronella. This was my fourth cathedral/church called Saint Mary in Ireland – there are a lot of Saint Mary cathedrals/churches in Ireland! There was a mass going on at the Black Abbey so I only took a photo from the outside.

The Saint Mary’s Cathedral was a nice cathedral with lovely stained windows.

Petronella is a restaurant located in the Butterslip Lane (Harry Potter vibes!). This building has lots of history and the restaurant is named after the first woman to be burned at the stake for witchcraft in Europe. Definitely make a reservation if you are planning a dinner at Petronella. I did make a reservation, but they forgot to add me to their schedule. Luckily I had email confirmation that my table was reserved. They initially tried to turn me around, but as soon as I showed them the email confirmation, they made an effort to seat me. I only had an hour for my meal however. I ordered the Kilkenny beer and the pappardelle pasta. The food was good, but I was not pleased with their service and I’m not sure it was worth the headache. I will say – they made every effort to serve me quickly so that I could leave before the hour was up.

To end my day, I stopped at the Pumphouse for another beer before heading up to my room.

Complete Day 7 Itinerary

*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.

8:00am: Have breakfast.

9:00am: Catch the bus from Killarney to Cork (1.5 hour bus ride from Killarney Bus Station).

11:00am: Have lunch at the Farmgate Cafe at the English Market (8 minute walk from Cork Bus Station).

12:00pm: Explore Cork. Visit the Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral (9 minute walk from the English Market), the Elizabeth Fort (5 minute walk from Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral), and the Crawford Art Gallery (11 minute walk from the Elizabeth Fort).

3:00pm: Take the bus from Cork to Kilkenny (3.5 hour bus from Anderson’s Quay in Cork).

6:00pm: Visit the Black Abbey (15 minute walk from Kilkenny bus drop-off) and the Saint Mary’s Cathedral (4 minute walk from the Black Abbey).

7:00pm: Have dinner at Petronella in Butterslip Lane (5 minute walk from Saint Mary’s Cathedral).

8:00pm: Have a drink at the Pumphouse (4 minute walk from Petronella).