Perfect Blend of Sport and Spirit

We only have one stop in Ireland and it's in Cork, the second-largest city in Ireland, located in the southwest of the country. Cork is often referred to as the "Rebel County" due to its history of resistance against British rule.

We discovered that Cork (Gaelic Spelling Cobh), also known as Queenstown during the early 20th century, played a significant role in maritime history. It was the Titanic's final port of call in Europe before its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. The harbor holds another poignant reminder of Irish-American connections: a statue of Annie Moore. This monument commemorates the young Irish girl who became the first immigrant processed through Ellis Island when she and her family arrived in America on January 1, 1892.

Founded as a monastic settlement in the 6th century, Cork has a rich history spanning over 1400 years. It's an important seaport and has a strong pharmaceutical presence with Pfizer, Lilly and Merck located here. In fact, the vast majority of the world's supply of Viagra is manufactured by Pfizer in a small village in County Cork, Ireland. While traditional industries such as shipbuilding and fertilizer production have shut down recently, Cork's economy, like much of Ireland, is shifting towards tourism. It was also mentioned that China just bought a sizeable portion of land near Cork - something we're hearing everywhere we travel. Our walking tour took us through the streets of downtown Cork where we marveled at the elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture of St. Finbarr's Church and the golden trumpeting angel perched on its tower. We were greeted by a Franciscan priest and strolled past the storefronts including one featuring Singer Sewing machines of the ages.

Cork maintains strong ties to its cultural heritage however. The English Market, a covered food market dating back to 1788, stands as a testament to the city's enduring traditions. However, our visit today veers away from Cork's culinary delights. Instead, we're diving into two other pillars of local culture: Sport and Spirit

Our guide's mention of hurling today initially caused confusion among our group. We mistakenly thought she was referring to curling, a sport my mother once played. However, we quickly learned that hurling was something entirely different - and as luck would have it, the finals of this distinctly Irish game were taking place in the country while we're here. Throngs of locals queued up to watch the match and the bustling Irish mirrored the enthusiasm of the fans. Hurling is an ancient Gaelic sport that has been played in Ireland for over 3,000 years. It's one of the national sports of Ireland and is particularly popular in Cork. Hurling is played between two teams of 15 players each. The objective is to use a wooden stick called a hurley to hit a small leather ball made of ash called a sliotar between the opponents' goalposts.

Teams can score points (1 point) by hitting the ball over the crossbar, or goals (3 points) by hitting the ball under the crossbar and into the net. It's known as the fastest field sport in the world, requiring a combination of speed, skill, and physical toughness. See for yourself with highlights from today's competition: https://youtu.be/pIv7DgFOOJQ?feature=shared

The Cork county team, known as "The Rebels," is one of the most successful in hurling history. They have won 30 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships, second only to Kilkenny. Here's a link to the 2024 All Ireland final - Unfortunately, although they played a hard fought battle, Cork lost to Clare in today's major event. The combination of Cork's rich history, rebel spirit, and passion for hurling makes it a significant place in the world of this ancient Irish sport and we were happy to experience it today.

Beyond the spirit of the game, we also imbibed in the other "Spirits" of Ireland with a visit to the charming Clancy's pub followed by a tour of the newly renovated Jameson distillery.

Our experience at Jameson was great craick - their term for a great time!

This dual experience offered us a taste of both traditional Irish pub culture and the craftsmanship behind one of the country's most famous exports.