Good morning, Cork! The weather is warming up nicely, with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-20s throughout the week. Perfect weather for Cork’s biggest food festival of the year!

In today’s Cork Current:

Let’s get to it!

Get your forks ready, Cork! The Cork on a Fork Fest kicks off tomorrow and runs until August 17th, serving up a week packed with almost 100 culinary events. The festival celebrates Cork’s rich food culture, showcasing local produce, award-winning chefs, and sustainable practices.

Organised by Cork City Council in partnership with local businesses and supported by Fáilte Ireland, the programme offers something for everyone - from over 25 FREE chef demos and farm visits to tasting sessions and exclusive dining experiences. Highlights include The VQ Shared Table (an outdoor feast for 450 diners), the Farm to Fork Chef Collaboration in a cow shed (yes, really!), and an intimate dinner inside our historic English Market. It’s the perfect excuse to eat your way around Cork!

We’ve rounded up all of tomorrow and Thursday’s festival events in the Events section at the end of the newsletter. We’ll be covering the rest of the week’s highlights in Thursday’s edition, but if you’d like the full programme now, the City Council website has a great overview of it all.

Almost 550 new homes and a creche could be coming to Ballincollig under plans submitted by Murnane & O'Shea Limited for the Greenfields development. The project involves demolishing farmyard buildings on Greenfields Road to make way for a mix of 232 homes, 312 apartments (including 80 one-bed units), a two-storey creche facility and a commercial/retail unit. With its great location near Ballincollig town centre and the N22, this development will provide much-needed housing in a popular area. Cork City Council is reviewing the proposal, with a decision expected by September 22nd, 2025.

In another piece of good news for Cork’s housing market, the old Vita Cortex Plant site in Turners Cross is set for a major makeover! Plans have been approved for 170 new homes, including 158 apartments and 12 townhouses, plus a creche, café, and retail units. The 158 apartments will be across blocks of varying heights, from four to nine storeys, offering one, two, and three-bedroom options. This redevelopment marks a significant regeneration effort for a site which has remained unused for more than a decade and has seen its share of controversy and neglect, including a major fire in 2022.

West Cork’s tourism is set for a boost as Baltimore welcomed its first-ever cruise ship, the Island Sky, this past Thursday, bringing passengers to explore the village and Sherkin Island. Cllr. Caroline Cronin hailed it as a 'welcome boost' for local tourism, with thousands of cruise passengers expected in Cork this year. This inaugural visit is part of a record 25 cruise calls planned for 2025.

Great news for rural Cork! The County Council is receiving over €1m in extra funding for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) for rural road upgrades, which means better access to homes, farms, and amenities across the county. Cork County Council's total allocation now exceeds €2.3m, with works needing to be finished by the end of the year.

Get ready for some serious upgrades in Lehenaghmore! Works are commencing this August on a significant road improvement scheme that is aimed at boosting safety and accessibility for walkers, cyclists, and motorists alike. The works, expected to last 18 months and carried out in phases, will upgrade infrastructure along Tramore Road Roundabout, Pouladuff Road, and Togher Road. Plans include new footpaths, pedestrian crossings, improved public transport and cycling facilities, and enhanced public lighting, all aimed at making the area safer and more accessible for everyone.

Today: 🌤️ 25°/16°
Wednesday: ☁️ 21°/16°
Thursday: 🌤️ 24°/13°

*all Cork On A Fork events are marked with the 🍴 emoji (there are a lot of them!)

😂 Comedy Cavern: Ross O' Donaghue & Guests
Coughlan's, Douglas St.
Tuesday, August 12th | 8:30 PM | More Info


🍴Cork Food History Guided Tour
Cork City Centre
Wednesday 13th August | 10.00am - 12noon | More Info


🍴 Cork Culinary Tour
Cork City Centre
Wednesday 13th August | 11am - 2pm | More Info


🍴Taste the Goodness Community Garden Party
Knocknaheeny Hollyhill Community Garden (Behind Apple Green garage)
Wednesday 13th August | 12.30pm – 4pm | More Info


🍴The Met x Maharani Afternoon Tea
The Met, Metropole Hotel
Wednesday 13th | August 1pm - 4pm | More Info


🍴 Botanics & Bites at Bloom
Hayfield Manor, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | 1:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Redbreast Tasting and Food Pairing
Seventy Seven, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | 7:30 PM | More Info


🍴 Feed Cork x Market Lane Collab
Feed Cork, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | All Day | More Info


🍴 Pig on a Spit and Craicly Stories at Glenbrook Farm
Glenbrook Farm, Cork
Wednesday, August 13th | 7:30 PM | More Info


🍴 Hysterical Histories Takes The Imperial Hotel
The Imperial Hotel, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | 7:00 PM | More Info


🍴 VQ Shared Table, sponsored by Birra Moretti
MacCurtain Street, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | 5:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Summer Tapas on the Terrace
Cornstore Cork, Cork City
Wednesday, August 13th | 3:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Cork Food History Guided Tour
Cork City Centre
Thursday, August 14th | 10:00 AM | More Info


🍴 The Hysterical Histories – Food, Fame and Frivolity Walking Tour
Cork City Centre
Thursday, August 14th | 11:00 AM | More Info


🍴 Proper Sausage Making
O'Flynn Gourmet Sausage, Winthrop Street
Thursday, August 14th | 11:00 AM | More Info


🍴 Children's Pizza Party Demo at Marina Market
The Marina Market, Cork City
Thursday, August 14th | 11:00 AM | More Info


🍴 Food and Mood Talk
Ballincollig Library
Thursday, August 14th | 11:00 AM | More Info


🍴 English Market Cooking Demo with Cork Chef Orla McAndrew
Outside the English Market on Grand Parade
Thursday, August 14th | 1:00 PM | More Info


🍴 The Met x Maharani Afternoon Tea
The Met, Metropole Hotel
Thursday, August 14th | 1:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Botanics & Bites at Bloom
Hayfield Manor, Cork City
Thursday, August 14th | 1:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Cork on a Fork Fab Food Trail
Cork City Centre
Thursday, August 14th | 2:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Planning Nutritious Meals Talk
Blarney GAA Hall
Thursday, August 14th | 2:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Food Phone Photography Workshop with Joleen Cronin
L'Atitude 51, Cork City
Thursday, August 14th | 2:00 PM | More Info


🍴 A Wild Walk and Garden Tasting
Fitzgerald Park & Proby's Kitchen
Thursday, August 14th | 2:00 PM | More Info


🍴 Arthur's Bar @ Clancy's: Guinness Pouring & Pairing Experience
Clancy’s Cork
Thursday 14th August | 3:30pm | More Info


🍴 Hysterical Histories Cork – Dinner Theatre Experience
Amicus Restaurant, Paul Street
Thursday 14th August | 7:00pm | More Info


🍴 Wine, Cheese & Charcuterie Evening
The Kingsley
Thursday 14th August | 7:00pm | More Info


🍴 7 Course Invitational Fine Dining Tasting Dinner
The Montenotte
Thursday 14th August | 6:30pm | More Info


🍴 Brewery Tour, Pizza and Pint @ Rising Sons
Rising Sons Brewery
Thursday 14th August | 6:00pm | More Info


🍴 Smokin' Soul x Cask
Cask Cork
Thursday 14th August | 6:00pm | More Info


🍴 Cork Cheese and Cider Tasting
Greenwich
Thursday 14th August | 5:00pm | More Info


🍴 L’Atitude 51 Presents ‘QuayBabs’
L’Atitude 51
Thursday 14th August | 5:00–7:00pm | Walk-ins welcome


🍴 Summer Tapas on the Terrace
Cornstore Cork
Thursday 14th August | From 3:00pm | More Info


🍴 Cork on a Fork Cocktail Class
Bar Moxy, The Moxy
Thursday 14th August | 7:00–8:00pm | More Info


🍴 Feed Cork x Market Lane Collab
Feed Cork
Thursday 14th August | All day | More Info


🎸 Rory Gallagher: 'The Continental Op' - The Global Musician
Cork Public Museum, Fitzgeralds Park
Multiple Dates | More Info


🎶 Lyrics, Vinyl & Visuals: Rory Gallagher, The Man and His Interests
Cork Central Library, Grand Parade, Cork
Multiple Dates | More Info


🎨 Cork Craft Month
Cork Craft & Design, 27a St Patrick's Woolen Mills, Douglas
Multiple Dates | More Info


🎭 Stones In His Pockets By Marie Jones
The Everyman, MacCurtain St.
Multiple Dates | More Info


🚜 Mahon Point Farmers Market
Mahon Point Shopping Centre
Every Thursday | 10AM - 2PM | More Info

🎺 Hot 8 Brass Band
Cyprus Avenue, Caroline St.
Tuesday, August 12th | 7:00 pm | More Info


🎵 The Lee Sessions Trad Trail
Multiple Locations
Every Tuesday | 6:30 pm | More Info


🎤 Taylor Fever
Cork Opera House
Wednesday, August 13th (Multiple Dates) | 8:00 PM | More Info


💃 Tides Of Tradition
Actons, Kinsale
Every Wednesday | 7:00 PM | More Info


🎤 Tony Milner
Cantys, Pembroke St
Friday, August 15th | 6:00 pm | More Info


🎷 115 Jazz Jam Sessions
Cyprus Avenue
Thursday, August 7th | 9:00 pm | More Info


🎶 The Insiders
Cantys, Pembroke
Every Thursday | 9:00 PM | More Info

That's it for today Cork, thanks for reading! Let’s chat again on Thursday!


Thanks!

- Ben


P.S. I’ll always be looking for ways to improve the newsletter, so if I’ve missed an event you think should be included, or if you’ve any ideas for making this newsletter better, just reply and let me know. Thanks! 😀