County Cork hosts several chief craft breweries and distilleries that contribute to the local production of beer and spirits. Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork city began operations in 1998 on the site of an old Franciscan monastery and well dating back to 1219 with brewing later moving to a new premises in the Docklands area. It produces classic beer styles with its chief products including lager, ale, stout and wheat beer under the Franciscan Well brand with a USP in its position as a pioneer of the Irish craft beer movement from the late 1990s and its location tied to historic monastic grounds.
Rising Sons Brewery in Cork city opened in 2014 near the Cork Opera House. It produces craft beers with its chief products centring on ales and other styles with a USP in its independent operation within the city centre.
Blacks Brewing & Distilling in Kinsale functions as Ireland’s first co-located brewery and distillery established by husband and wife duo Sam and Maudeline Black. It produces craft beers alongside spirits with its chief products including award-winning ales and gin, whiskey and Irish rum with a USP in the combined production of beer and boutique spirits at one site.
West Cork Distillers in Skibbereen commenced in 2003 by childhood friends John O’Connell, Ger McCarthy and Denis McCarthy with a move to a new state-of-the-art facility on Marsh Road in 2020. It produces Irish whiskey and spirits with its chief products centring on whiskey expressions with a USP in its independent Irish-run scale as the largest such distillery in the country.
Clonakilty Distillery in Clonakilty focuses on whiskey production. Its chief products include Irish whiskey with a USP in its location in west Cork and contribution to the regional craft spirit scene.
Obviously not a craft distillery, the Jameson Midleton Distillery in Midleton operates as the largest producer and exporter of Irish whiskey worldwide and the home of several iconic Irish whiskey brands with production on a historic site expanded in recent decades. Its chief products feature blends and single pot still whiskeys with a USP in the triple distillation process and role as a major producer of Jameson and related labels. It sets high standards with premium products such as MIdleton very rare.
Craft Brewing & Distilling county by county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Dining
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Restaurant awards
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow – Overall – County winners – Georgina Campbell – Good Food Ireland – Michelin Star
County Cork:
Ireland’s county Cork blends historic sites with scenic beauty, with Cork City’s English Market and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral offering cultural and architectural depth. Blarney Castle, home to the famous Blarney Stone, provides historic allure, while the coastal town of Kinsale offers sailing and seafood. Other attractions include the Beara Peninsula’s rugged trails. Cork is Ireland’s largest county by size (7,460 sq km) and third largest by population (584,156). Population peaked at 854,118 in 1841 (when Cork was Ireland’s most populous county) and reached its lowest point, 330,443 in 1961. In terms of hospitality, Cork is Ireland’s second most visited tourist county with around 1,228,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – New – Name – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837– 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
