Out from Cork
The largest of the 32 Irish counties, and one of the most diverse, Cork offers a brief course in all things Irish. It has lively small cities, quiet country villages, rocky hills, picturesque beaches, and long stretches of flat, green farmland. Here, modern tourism (this is where you find the Blarney Castle, after all) meets workaday Irish life, and somehow they manage to exist peacefully, side by side.
West Cork is the county's most remote and wild region, with strikingly rugged coastal landscapes where long sandy beaches stretch out beneath sheer cliffs.
The county's capital, Cork, is a university town that keeps the population young and the arts scene ever evolving, and also ensures that it has lots of affordable restaurants and interesting pubs and bars.
At the other end of the scale is lovely Kinsale, a small harbor town directly south of Cork City. It makes an ideal place to start any tour of this popular and endlessly absorbing county.
