Cork and the Butter Museum

We did diverge a bit from just visiting family townlands on our trip to Ireland last September.

We spent a few days in Cork exploring such things as the  English Market and the Butter Museum.

I didn't know there was so much to know about butter, but the cute little museum was really fascinating.  We learned about the butter trade, the Butter Exchange and saw the 1000 year firkin of  bog butter.





From the butter museum we wended our way back down to the river and on to the English Market,
Irelands most famous covered Market.




 It was an interesting mix of local and exotic foods.  William sought blood sausage, but only found blood pudding, not the same as he remembered from an earlier trip to Ireland.  I have to say I think the market in Philadelphia was more impressive.

The city is situated on the River Lee which splits into two channels at the western end and divides the city centre into islands. They reconverge at the eastern end where the quays and docks along the river banks lead outwards towards Lough Mahon and Cork Harbour, which is one of the largest natural harbours in the world by navigational area.^[Wikipedia]

The city's charter dates back to 1185, but the city itself dates at least a few centuries earlier.  Purportedly founded as a monestary by St. Finbarr in the sixth century it was expanded by the Vikings as a trading post in the 10th century.

Today, new and old are interwoven throughout the city.




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