After our time in Oxford, it was on to the ship and our first port of call. A brisk morning turned lovely quickly. We docked right in the center of Cobh, which is very convenient if you’re exploring on your own.

Getting to Cork

You can simply walk into town, or take the 24-minute train to Cork, right across the street from the dock. We chose the train — €6.90 round trip per person, simple and quick. Trains run every 30 minutes, with staff on hand to help with tickets and directions.

The English Market

Once in Cork, we walked from the train station to the English Market for a look at the local products and offerings.

St. Finn Barr’s Cathedral

From there we headed to St. Finn Barr’s Cathedral — a majestic cathedral that looms over the landscape like a beacon.

Elizabeth Fort

Next, we worked our way over to Elizabeth Fort.

Shopping, Lunch, and Ice Cream

We wound our way back through town for a little shopping, then stopped for lunch at Quinlan’s for fresh crab rolls. Last but not least, we had to get a scoop each of the brown bread ice cream and the gin and tonic ice cream at Murphy’s. So good.

Quick Tips for Cobh and Cork

• Take the train to Cork if you want to see more than Cobh itself — it’s right across from the dock, runs every 30 minutes, and costs about €6.90 round trip per person.
• Head to the English Market first to get a feel for local products before exploring further.
• Don’t skip Murphy’s for a scoop of brown bread ice cream and gin and tonic ice cream — an unexpected favorite.

Next up: our first port of call in Iceland. But first, Mother Nature’s surprise for us here.