Cork’s most recognizable landmark, also known as Shandon Church, is famous for its giant pepper-pot steeple and eight melodious bells. Pretty much wherever you stand in the downtown area, you can see the stone tower crowned with a gilt ball and distinctive fish weathervane. The clock, added in 1847, made it the first four-faced clock tower in the world (beating London’s Big Ben by just a few years). Until fairly recently, due to a quirk of clockworks, it was known as “the four-faced liar” because each side showed a different time—except on the hour when they all somehow managed to synchronize. Disappointingly, perhaps, that charming oddity has now been repaired. Climb the 1722 belfry tower for a chance to ring the famous Shandon Bells. (Be warned though: It’s 132 steps up to the belfry, and the gap narrows to a claustrophobic half-meter—that’s just over 1 1/2 feet—near the entrance to the belfry.) If you continue on the somewhat precarious climb past the bells, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.