5 Cork Culture Scenes To Get Involved In
Cork is the culture captial of Ireland and is the type of place that always has something interesting going on, no matter what you’re looking to find. If you are visiting for a short holiday you might take advantage of the festivals and gigs in the city centre, but if you’re staying in Cork long term you might be looking to find some regular activities where you can make friends and integrate into your new city.
Look no further, we’ve made a list for you here of some activities for various hobbies and interests that happen almost every week in Cork City that you can try and tell you how you can get involved in them!
Drink and Draw in Fionnbarra’s:
Are you interested in Art and drawing but you don’t want to commit to an Art class? If so, this ones for you. Every Sunday from 5.30-8pm, like minded people from all around the world, and accross Cork meet up in Fionnbarra’s pub on Douglas Street in the city centre to have a few pints and draw together. This evening activity has been going on for quite some time if their Instagram apge is anything to go off, and seems to have built a regular cult following that you could get involved with. You don’t have to be an artist to get started and it would be a great way to bond with like minded individuals on a casual basis. Check out their Instagram page for updates on meet ups.
Ó Bhéal Poetry night’s in the Long Valley Bar:
This is a great activity to get involved with if you are are interested in reading or writing poetry or prose, or are just looking for a place to meet people who are. Every second Monday evening Corks literary scene is hopping upstairs in the Hayloft, in the Long Valley Bar on Winthrop street from 7pm onwards. They have some regulars that do poetry readings from new peices, an open mic segment and often have guests visit, some from Ireland some some further afield. At the end they have a 5 word challenge where everyone is encouraged to write a poem with 5 set words they give you the week before on their website and socials and then perform it for everyone at the mic!
Take a look at their website to get more info by clicking here.
The Comedy Cavern at Coughlans Bar:
This one’s great if you are interested in seeing some comedy, or are looking to test your metle yourself to see if you have the goft of the gab. Every Tuesday at 8.30pm there’s an open mic comedy show at Coughlans Bar on Douglas Street, and sometimes it will even be a full show with local and famous comedians. If you are new to comedy and just want to watch to see if it’s for you don’t worry as they are always looking for an audience for their regulars so it can still be a great opportunity for you to get involved in Corks comic community. Doors are from 8.30 and the show starts at 9, it’s free entry and you can donate what you think the show is worth at the end!
Dance lessons in the Triskel Art Centre:
If you’re a dancer that wants to meet a group of people in the dance scene in Cork City, this is one of the best places to go. Triskel is Cork’s community centre of the Art’s and it often hosts events and cultural gatherings and has it’s own small indie cinema, but it also has dance classes to offer.
Uusally, joning dance classes in Cork city would involve taking a set number of classes for a few weeks. There aren’t that many opportunities for beginners to take classes in Cork casually so these classes are great as beginners and drop ins are welcome, plus they have a variety of different dance genres you can go to. The area with the dance classes inside the Triskel is called “The Collective” and you can find more information about them and book their classes on their website by clicking here, and you can see updates for upcoming classes on their Facebook page.
Open Mic at the Brú Bar:
Last but not least we have Cork’s diverse music scene where you can sing for your pint at the cities most popular open mic night in the Brú Bar on Mccurtain street. They have live music all week with Cork bands and singers, but if you want to meet the local open mic crowd you should head over there at 8pm on Monday evenings. They provide you with the mic and stand and you can perform either a cover or an original song to win yourslef a pint and an applause from the crowd. Cork is the friendliest city in Ireland so don’t worry about getting a good reception 😉
You can see updates about upcoming nights on their Instagram page.
If none of those interests are up your alley but you are generally interested in getting involved with Cork culture scene, you can always pop into Corks community spaces like the Triskel Art Centre or the Cork Arts Theatre, or even the Cork City Library (they know everything about everything) and ask if they have or know of any group activities that align with your own interests. If you do get out in the city mingling in any of these activities, feel free to thank us for the tip by tagging us @corkenglishcollege on Facebook or Instagram or by using the Hashtag #CorkEnglishCollege