Ireland - Day 6

 Today we drove to Cork, Ireland's second city, or first, depending on who you talk to.  It sounds like there is a big rivalry between Dublin and Cork.

We didn't have much time to spend in the city, and it was raining very hard with gale force winds.  we walked around the central shopping area, had a great latte at Nosh&Coffee, and then stopped for pizza.

Cork is home to a large university, and you could tell the city had a very young and energetic vibe.

Cork facts:

Cork (Irish: Corcaigh, from corcach meaning "swamp") is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,143, while the addition of the suburban areas contained the county brings the total to 190,384. Metropolitan Cork has a population of approximately 274,000, while the Greater Cork area is about 380,000.

Cork has a reputation for rebelliousness dating back to the town's support of the English Pretender Perkin Warbeck in 1491 following the Wars of the Roses. As a result, County Cork has earned the nickname of "the Rebel County", while Corkonians often refer to the city as the "real capital of Ireland", and themselves as the "Rebels".

The city is built on the River Lee which divides into two channels at the western end of the city. The city centre is located on the island created by the channels. At the eastern end of the city centre they converge; and the Lee flows around Lough Mahon to Cork Harbour, the world's second largest natural harbour after Sydney Harbour in Australia. The city is a major Irish seaport; there are quays and docks along the banks of the Lee on the city's east side.