You might imagine something like the beautiful Corrs or you might favour something along the lines of the slightly less aesthetically pleasing to the eye The Pogues. Either way there’s going to be violins, guitars, drums and great voices, but what you really need is a good bar to do it all in. There’s obviously no shortage but to come up with a list is nigh on impossible. Here are just a few of the best bars for a sing along on the island.

The Pavilion Bar – Cork

Located in the Huguenot area of the city just off the rather commonly named Patrick Street, Pavilion Bar is an all out music and drinking experience. Not only are there live acts almost every night of the week, but there’s a bit of comedy sometimes too, a great bar full of great drinks, and a late licence for the place to turn into a nightclub. There’s a really interesting mixture of live acts, from the cool and up and coming likes of Fionn Regan to people you might not have heard of unless you live in Cork.  Not only will it be your traditional Irish songs, but bands playing all brass, singer songwriters and even a wee bit of ska thrown in there for da craic. Well worth a look.

Jagger’s Common Room – Dungannon

Head up to Northern Ireland for some of the most up to date contemporary Irish live music at the fairly new (since 2005) Jagger’s Common Room. You might not find the likes of The Chieftains plugging in their harps in this place but you will find some of the coolest new live music from all different styles, from indie to ska to blues and to rock. There’s also a great opportunity for you yourselves to get up and in front of the mike, as Sundays are Unplugged nights, where you can show the room why you’re as good as any of those on The X Factor. Worth a look if you’re not too fussed about tradition.

Eamonn Doran’s – Dublin

If you want to go straight for the jugulars, so to speak, look no further than this place. Like many of the bars and pubs in Dublin, especially around the Temple Bar area, you will find a mixture of ‘real’ establishments and then those out to get the Americans in their doors and spending their travellers cheques. Eamonn Doran’s live music bar is the real McCoy but isn’t just exclusive for locals. It’s a great place to not only have a few quiet drinks with mates but also get to witness some amazing Irish music played with the rawness and drunkenss you’d expect. It’s got everything you could want, from great pints of the black stuff to plenty of cool people watching cool music and even a pizza place inside to satisfy that hunger when it kicks in. Not to be missed.

Photo of Irish band playing live music in Cork originally posted by Txapulin

The walk, spanning Wicklow and Carlow counties, can be covered in eight to ten days by an average walker. This 132-km long self-guided walk meanders through farmlands, forests, rolling countryside, steep glacial valleys and mountains; and snakes along swift wild streams and lakes. Heritage and ruins of human settlements can also be explored along the trails, the composite of gentle walks and taxing ascents.

• Wicklow County

Wicklow County is home to rabbit, fox, badger, red squirrel, goat, hare, deer and birds- peregrine falcons, merlins, ravens, skylark, thrush and robin. The upland is dotted with elder, chestnut, larch, beech and oak trees. Yellow primrose, purple foxglove, wild violet and other wild flowers abound the county. The Wicklow Way, a part of the E8- one of the European long distance trails, can be measured on foot from north to south, a traditional way or south to north. Walking from south to north has an advantage: initial simple stretches of the walk prepare you for the most demanding part of the route. An array of nearby attractions like panoramic views, interesting flora and fauna, lakes, traditional villages and hamlets, national park and waterfall enriches the entire walking experience. To know more about popular attractions read on!

• Marlay Park

Marlay Park on Grange Road in Rathfarnham, covering 300 acres of land, is the starting point of the walk. The Marlay House, near this public park, has a coffee shop and a number of craft workshops, including embroidery, jewelry, pottery, copper craft, furniture restoration, glass cutting and weaving. Golf loving hikers can play a game in the park golf course before starting the walk. Its ponds, woodlands and walks are popular among picnic lovers.

• Knockree

Knockree hamlet unfolds sweeping views of mountains, the Sugarloaf in the east, Kippure in the west, Prince William Seat in North and the Tonduffs in the South. The Powerscourt waterfall, the highest (121 m) waterfall in the country, is located on the southern end of Enniskerry, a close by village. This cascade, flowing down into the Dargle River, is fringed by specimen trees and woods.

• Roundwood

Roundwood and its environs afford beautiful views of Lough Tay and Lough Dan lakes; and Vartry Reservoir, main water source for Dublin.

• Glendalough

Glendalough is known for natural vistas and historic heritage. The glacial Glendalough Valley in the Wicklow Mountains National Park has popular Monastic City with Round Tower, scenic Upper Lake and Lower Lake. In the 6th century, St. Kevin set up the Christian monastic settlement that evolved into a “Monastic City”.

• The Brockagh Resource Center

The Brockagh Resource Center in Laragh village hosts organic produce market every fortnight. Try some of fresh produce while you are in Laragh.

• Greenanmaze

Do not miss Greenanmaze, a Celtic maze occupying 0.5 acres of land near tranquil hamlet of Greenan. This hedge maze with novel design draws people from all walks of life. To buy essential provisions, visit Moyne.

• Tinahely

The historic village Tinahely, located in the South Wicklow rolling hills, is known for its triangular Market Square and Market House that has a library. Opposite the Market House lies Courthouse, a modern art center where drama, films, concerts, exhibitions can be enjoyed. Tinahely also hosts one of the biggest Irish agricultural shows on the first Monday of August every year.

• Tomnafinnoge Wood

If you have extra time, walk through authentic oak woodlands of Ireland, Tomnafinnoge Wood, located between Tinahely and Shillelagh. Sip a drink at world-renowned Dying Cow Pub in Stranakelly. Conventional fighting cudgels / sticks are still manufactured at Shillealgh. These sticks are also used for walking. The walk ends at Clonegal, a one-street village situated around four-century old Huntington Castle.

• Wicklow Mountain National Park

The Wicklow Mountain National Park, covering a part of the Wicklow Mountains, was set up to conserve magnificent landscape and biodiversity. The Spinc and the Wicklow Way (Red Route) is one of the nine way-marked walking trails passing through picturesque Glendalough Valley, the most frequented part of the park. This trail is ideal to spot Kestrel, Merlin, Raven and other birds and deer.

Hikers, who have extra time and energy, can experience nearby additional walking trails, including one-day walks to peaks surrounding the Glenmalure valley; and numerous walks in Forest Park near Rathdrum. Try the Slí na Sláinte, about 7-km-long signposted trail along the Vartry Reservoir. Knocknacloghoge, Kanturks and Scarr mountains near Old Bridge have many extra walking opportunities. Horseshoe ridge walk near Greenan covers Ballinacor (531m), Croaghanmoira (664m) and Fananieran (426m) but it is not signposted. If biking is your passion, enjoy the Ballinastoe Mountain Biking Trail near Roundwood.

Photo of  Glendalough Cemetery originally posted by Tambako the Jaguar

The Irish love to eat well and drink plenty. Local produce from the many farms in County Cork and the fruits of the sea nearby means everything here is fresh and tasty.

• Start with a hearty breakfast

A full Irish breakfast is certainly a hearty way to start the day. While the British and north Americans are accustomed to such huge meals in the morning, visitors from continental Europe are sometimes taken aback when presented with eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, white pudding and bread (all fried, of course).

If you can’t stomach all that first thing in the morning, it’s worth remembering that it’s perfectly acceptable not to eat it all, as long as you ask for just a few of the items from the menu.

Black pudding is made from blood and fat and is quite an accustomed taste. White pudding is only made from bread and oats though – it’s an Irish speciality and certainly worth trying.

You can grab a good breakfast in most hotels or bed and breakfasts, or in any of the cafés in the city centre.

• Fresh ingredients

The English Market in the centre of town sells fresh fish, meat, vegetables, cheeses and gourmet food and is the perfect place to start any gastronomic experience in Cork.

It’s an experience to wander amongst the beautifully displayed stalls and sample the delights on offer – a feast for the taste buds and for the eyes. Either collect your fresh ingredients here if you’re going to be cooking, or grab a bite to eat on the run. The freshly prepared sandwiches make a tasty picnic for eating by the river or in one of the city’s many parks.

Open Mon-Sat from 8am.

• Brave second course

If you’re an experimental food lover who enjoys sampling new and interesting delicacies, you might want to try Drisheen, a local speciality. It’s a sort of sausage or pudding made from sheep’s blood, breadcrumbs and spices and traditionally served with tripe in a thickened milk sauce. You can buy it raw at the English Market, or ask for it with your cooked Irish breakfast.

A food museum?

The lush green fields surrounding Cork are prefect for cattle grazing, and as such the milk is thick and creamy. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than at Cork Butter Museum – Cork’s butter was once famous around Ireland and indeed the world, slightly saltier than most so that it could be preserved while being transported long distances.

Open: Daily, 10-5 in the summer. Entry, 3,50 Euro.

Website: www.corkbutter.museum

• Fine dining for lunch or dinner

Cork has so many great places to eat out it’s almost impossible to recommend where to go. If you want to take a wander and see what grabs your eye, head just south of the river and look down the back streets on either side of St Patrick’s Street.

One favourite of mine is Isaac’s Restaurant that offers contemporary Irish food in a classic setting.

The building was originally a warehouse in the 18th century and retains much of its charm today. It’s the kind of place you walk into and instantly feel relaxed. It’s always busy and even has a waterfall out the back. The French Onion Soup and fresh seafood dishes are highly recommended.

Rough guide to prices: Starters 10 Euro; main courses 15-20 Euro; wine 20-25 Euro (75cl bottle)

Address: 48 Mc Curtain Street

Website: www.isaacsrestaurant.ie

As well as good Irish cuisine you can find food from all around the world in Cork. There’s a guide to what’s available on the city website (http://www.cork-guide.ie/cc_rest.htm) or pick up one of the free listings magazines for more local restaurant reviews.

• And drinking?

The Irish love a drink. A trip to Ireland isn’t complete without at least a few pints of Guinness – world famous as the favourite drink of the Irish. You can find this tasty black drink in any bar, pub or restaurant.

But a trip to Cork also demands a pint of Murphy’s, the stout local to the city and the county of Cork. It’s been brewed there for over 150 years. If you find Guinness somewhat overpowering, Murphy’s has a smoother and more delicate taste.

Cork’s nightlife is enthusiastic to say the least. You’ve never far from a bar or pub, be it a traditional Irish drinking house or a modern vibrant venue. The area to the north of St Patrick’s Street is known as the Hugenot Quarter and has the highest concentration of bars, restaurants and charming, quirky shops but be wary of pickpockets on the back alleyways.

Photo of traditional Irish breakfast originally posted by JWynia

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