Day Fourteen

After a jolly night out at Ballycotton's best pub, the Black Bird (wood burning stove included), I awoke this morning ready for a full day of tourism. Some friends and I drove into Cork City to check out the famous English Market (http://www.corkenglishmarket.ie/). It is a must-see for any Cork goer. Unfortunately, my camera's battery died so I could not take the plethora of pictures I had planned to post. Entering under the arched atrium makes any food-lover feel as if they have just walked through St. Peter's pearly gates. Free samples from O'Flynn's Gourmet Sausage Company were a big hit, and the cheese from On The Pigs Back made me want to spend my life savings (or what's left of it). Established in 1788, this market is apparently one of the oldest of its kind (similar to Borough Market in London).

After that walk through paradise, we toured various stalls opened on the street for the Beamish Cork Folk Festival. I was happy to discover that O'Connaill's Chocolatier had an open stand, and ordered another hot chocolate (this might have to become a Saturday morning tradition)! Loyal to Ballymaloe, we tried to eat lunch at The Crawfish Art Gallery's Cafe, run by Allen Family relatives Ivan Whelan and Jean Manning. Unfortunately it was too crowded so we ate at Amicus instead. However, on the advice of the New York Times Magazine's "36 Hours in Cork" article, I fully intend on returning to dine at the Cafe. One final stop at Scozzis for their famous Bailey's cheesecake rounded out the afternoon!