Welcome!
We’re delighted to introduce our city walking trails, which will take you through the city so that you can explore the richness of Cork’s history and prehistory at your leisure. We welcome your feedback on these trials to help us improve them.
You can access the Google Earth links below to navigate the City using the maps there.
Whatever you choose, be safe out there.
How to use the walks:
1. Get the app Google Earth from App Store or Google Play – accessing these links from your smartphone.
2. Install the app on your smartphone.
3. Open one of the following files in Google Earth, and allow the file to open in Google Earth.
Choose your walk
The first of the city walks will explore the north side of the River Lee. The Old Red Sandstone dominates the foundation of this part of the city, and therefore this area is more hilly.
Sandstone is more resistant against being broken down by weather and water than limestone is. So therefore, the Old Red Sandstone has higher terrain than the limestone areas. This includes St Patrick’s Hill and St Luke’s areas which this walk will take you through.
While there are some areas where the rocks are seen at ground level, the city walks focus more on the buildings constructed using these rocks.
The second of our walks through Cork’s city centre. South of the River Lee, the area’s foundation is mostly dominated by limestone.
This walk is considerably shorter and easier than Northside walk, but not necessarily boring. It takes in some of Cork’s famous landmarks, and more importantly, some beautiful rocks!
Cork’s City centre is full of reminders of Cork’s ancient and recent past. Venture on a city trail that will encourage you to see the city in a new way.
University College Cork or UCC is comprised of many iconic buildings and monuments in the city.
However, there are also several geological gems to discover while you are there. Whether you are a student or a visitor, this tour will help you discover some of these.
Get a glimpse of the city’s now disused limestone and sandstone quarries. These sites were once parts of busy industries that supplied the city with its iconic red and white walls and monuments.
