Things to Do in Cork
Cork city's main sights in one guide — the English Market, St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Shandon's Bells and Cork City Gaol — and how they fit into a compact, walkable centre.
Hidden Gems in Cork
A 14th-century tower most visitors walk straight past, a former convent that won a European museum prize, and a deconsecrated church turned arts centre — Cork spots that don't make the typical list.
By Ireland Spots Team
Photo: Acediscovery / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Cork's best-known sights — the English Market, St Fin Barre's, Shandon — are well worth it, but here are a few spots that don't make the typical list, all genuinely worth the detour.
Red Abbey
The last visible remnant of a medieval Augustinian friary, and the oldest surviving structure in Cork city — a plain 14th-century tower tucked away near Douglas Street in the South Parish. It's free to view from the street, and easy to walk straight past: unlike the city's cathedrals, it doesn't announce itself, and there's no visitor centre or signage pulling you toward it. Worth seeking out precisely because almost nobody does.
Nano Nagle Place
A former convent and school a short walk from Red Abbey, with its oldest building — the convent Nano Nagle built for the Ursuline Sisters — dating to 1771. It's now a museum covering the history of education in Cork, set around quiet gardens with a café, and it won the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 2022, a genuine mark of quality rather than a tourist-board claim. It gets a fraction of the footfall of Cork's bigger sights despite the recognition.
Triskel Christchurch
A deconsecrated 18th-century church that Cork City Council handed over to Triskel Arts Centre, reopening as an arts venue in 2011 with the original 19th-century interior — including the church pews — still in place. It now runs as a cinema, concert venue and exhibition space, all inside a working historic church building most visitors never think to look inside.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Red Abbey tower?
A 14th-century tower, the last visible remnant of a medieval Augustinian friary and the oldest surviving structure in Cork city. It's free to view from the street, tucked away near Douglas Street — easy to miss precisely because it doesn't announce itself the way the city's cathedrals do.
What is Nano Nagle Place?
A former convent and school in Cork's South Parish, with its oldest building dating to 1771. It's now a museum covering the history of education in Cork, with a café and gardens, and it won the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 2022.
What is Triskel Christchurch?
A deconsecrated 18th-century church, bequeathed to Triskel Arts Centre by Cork City Council and reopened as an arts venue — cinema, concert space and exhibition space — in 2011. The original 19th-century interior features, including the pews, are still intact.
Practical details last verified 5 November 2026.
More in Cork
Free Things to Do in Cork
From browsing the English Market to walking Elizabeth Fort's walls and Fitzgerald Park, here's what you can see and do in Cork without paying admission.
Food & Drink in Cork
Spiced beef at the English Market, drisheen and tripe at the Farmgate Café, and a brewery built on the site of a 13th-century monastery — Cork's food and drink culture, beyond just walking through the market.