Midsummer madness in Cork

Those who fancy a trip to the Republic of Ireland this summer may want to consider the southernmost parts of the country, including its second city, Cork.

Ferries from Pembroke to Rosslare offer an easy crossing and a trip down the east coast brings Cork into view.

A particularly great time to go this summer is between June 21st and July 1st for the Cork Midsummer Festival.

This event mixes a wide range of art and entertainment, from music, theatre and literature to painting and photographic displays.

People with young kids may find much to keep them amused, such as the opening day performance of Kindur, the tales of an Icelandic sheep, which involves a multimedia adventure through a landscape of glaciers and trolls, geysers and mammoths, volcanoes and elves.

At the other end of the scale, there is a display of photographs from inside Afghanistan by photographer Simon Burke, who will conduct a talk on them on June 27th.

This year has seen the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and while Belfast in the north has opened a visitor centre and held a festival in April to mark the date, Cork's port of Cobh (then named Queenstown) was the last port of call for the ship before she set off across the Atlantic on a journey that was never completed.

Marking this is a performance on June 23rd of Gavin Bryars' The Sinking of the Titanic, an orchestral production originally produced in 1969.

With such variety, there will be something for nearly everyone at the festival, but at the same time, people may enjoy seeing the city at a time of year when the sun sets well after 10:00 BST, being in the same time zone as the UK but further west.

Other attractions in Cork include the Cork City Gaol, which includes an array of waxwork figures depicting 18th and 19th century prison life.

And while Dublin is famous for Guinness, Cork has its own stout brewery people can visit, where Beamish is produced.

Fishguard - Rosslare

1 x Foot Passenger(s) Return

Travelling on:

21/06/2013 - 22/06/2013

£33

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Fishguard - Rosslare

Car + 2 Return

Travelling on:

01/06/2013 - 02/06/2013

£165

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Fishguard - Rosslare

Car + 4 Return

Travelling on:

22/06/2013 - 22/06/2013

£225

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* Prices are "from prices" and are indicative only

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