The Ring of Cork is known for its breath-taking views, delicious cuisine,and unforgettable beaches but it is also bursting with fun festivals, creative workshops and exciting events. Head to a festival with friends, enjoy memorable family time at fun events and make memories to last a lifetime. In this article, we are going to fill you in on lots of fun events taking place along the Ring of Cork over the next month. Life is short so be sure to attend some of these exciting days planned around the Ring of Cork and enjoy every moment.

YOGA & SURF RETREAT

 
If you are looking for some rest and relaxation, this is for you. We all get caught up in everyday life and the stress and worry that can go alongside it. This retreat is all about leaving those worries at home and switching off from the day to day stress you might have. Immerse yourself in the countryside, relax in nature and breathe the fresh air. The focus of this retreat is all about bringing yourself back to nature and giving yourself some care. We all live in a fast-paced environment and we need to give ourselves time to relax. This is the perfect retreat for anybody who is looking for some time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This retreat lasts for two and a half days and costs €250. It takes place in Inch Hideaway from the 24th – 26th of August. (15 minutes from Midleton)
 
 

BALLYMALOE COOKERY SCHOOL KIDS FARM WALK

 
If you are looking for something a little unique to try with the kids this summer, this is the perfect family event. Get out in the fresh air and bring the kids on the Kids Farm Walk at Ballymaloe Cookery School. It’s days like these they will remember forever. These fun walks take place every Saturday from 2pm at the Ballymaloe Cookery School for the month of August. Tickets are just €5 from the Ballymaloe Cookery School Shop. It is the perfect event to do as a family and you will create memories to last a lifetime.
 
 

SPIKE ISLAND CINEMA CLUB

 
Have you ever wanted to watch a prison themed film in a prison? Well, now you can. Spike Island Cinema club has three fantastic prison themed classics waiting for you. You start the experience with an evening sailing across Cork Harbour which is followed by a prison themed tour. Enter the cells and hear the stories of prison on Spike Island and learn all about the escapes from long ago. Afterwards, you then get to watch one of the prison themed screenings. An evening of fear, thrills and amazement. The three films include; Saturday 31st August ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, Saturday 7th September ‘The General’ and Saturday 21st September ‘Con Air’. If you are looking for something different to try, this will have you on the edge of your seat all night long. It is important to note that you have to book in advance and the boats depart at 6.30pm and return to Cobh for approximately 10.30pm.
 
 

EVENTS AT THE GRAINSTORE

The Ballymaloe Grainstore is known for its memorable events with an abundance of impressive performances. There are lots of great acts coming up which are worth adding to your diary:

The first is the international concert pianist and Steinway artist Sachiko Furuhata-Kersting who will perform a programme of music by Chopin on Friday the 23rd of August.

Brian Kennedy is taking to the stage with his spectacular voice and engaging personality. Brian’s impressive concert will take place on Sunday the 15th of September.

The wildlife filmmaker and BBC presenter Colin Stafford-Johnson is going to share his stories of tracking down some of Ireland’s most elusive creatures along the western coast. This event is called ‘My Wild Atlantic Journey’ and will take place on Thursday the 19th of September.

FEAST 2019

 
Feast is the Famous East Cork Food & Drink Festival and is one of the most popular food festivals in Ireland. It takes place from the 1st to the 8th of September in Midleton. It combines the areas rich food heritage with the wider Cork region and is all about gathering up and bringing together of the best of what the area has to offer. A fresh blend of conversations, dinners, produce, markets, foraging, mixology, producers, landscape, heritage and storytelling.
 
There are so many events to choose from; the Producer’s Picnic at Castlemartyr Resort, Indian Food & Film at The Ballymaloe Grainstore with Arun Kapil of Green Saffron, meeting the Producers of Joe’s Farm Crisps with a behind the scenes tour of their crops and crisp production HQ, the Garden to Table Experience at Ballymaloe and much more. You also have the finale of this year’s festival, with a special Cully & Sully family zone with campfire cooking, planting workshops, seed-balling, bee education, music and much more! This festival is packed with fun events so be sure to check out their website for more.
 
 

BALLINCOLLIG HERITAGE WEEK

 
Ballincollig Heritage week is taking place from the 21st of August – 25th of August and is bursting with fun things to do. From teddy bears picnics and walks to tracing family history talks and a bit of music. Walks including the ‘Tree talk and walk’ and the ‘Gunpowdermill Walk’ at Ballincollig Regional Park. There is something for everybody throughout the week and you can find a full list events taking place during the week here.
 

YOGA AT FOTA WILDLIFE PARK

 
When you think of Fota Wildlife Park, you automatically think of a trip to the zoo. Now you can get active at Fota with ‘YogaRunYoga’ which is taking place on Sunday the 25th of August. The adult class is suitable for over 16s and takes place between 10:30am – 11:30am. The class will include 20 minutes of a Yoga warm up, followed by a 2-3km run through the beautiful Fota and the event will finish with a 20 minute Yoga cooldown. If you are looking for a class for all the family, you can try the family friendly yoga from 12:30 – 13:25 ‘Yoga@Fota’. A fun relaxing class for all ages. (Note under 18s must be accompanies by a guardian).
 

GUIDED TOUR OF PASSAGE WEST MARITIME MUSEUM

 
A guided tour of Passage West Maritime Museum will showcase the ship models, artefacts, photos, videos and give you information about two hundred years plus of shipbuilding. This tour is free and takes place on August 25th between 2pm – 5pm. The museum tells the story of Passage West, the Birthplace of Ireland’s Steamship Industry. The town of Passage has an impressive industrial heritage dating back over 300 years. Known as ‘the original port of Cork’ it was the birthplace of the first steamship built in Ireland, ‘The City of Cork’, which was constructed in 1815 on the site of where the Museum now stands. It was also the port from which “The Sirius”, the first ship to cross the Atlantic entirely under steam, left in 1838 under the command of local man Captain Richard Roberts. Be sure to learn all about it on the guided tour on August 25th.
 
 

LEAMLARA ART TRAIL

 
If you are looking for something a little different to get your creative juices flowing, we would recommend the Leamlara Art Trail. It is a contemporary art exhibition in rural East Cork. The goal is to showcase a mix of local and international artists whose work reflect the rural setting and community in which they are presented. It will take contemporary visual arts out of its urban comfort zone and reflect on the meanings of rural life today. The art trail is located around a scenic walk and the art will be located along a country road. The Art Trail starts at Tattan’s Ring’s View and takes place from 5th – 8th of September.
 

SAIL AND SEAFOOD EVENT WITH SMOOTH SONGS AND HIGH SEAS

 
This seafood and sail event is to celebrate the Cork Oyster and Seafood Festival and it is bringing together some of Cork Harbours favourite pubs and activity providers. It is taking place on September 21st. You will start in Crosshaven with a delicious Mad Fish Stew packed with fresh fish and shellfish at Cronin’s Pub. You will then walk to Hugh Coveney Pier and get to experience an oyster shucking demo before jumping aboard Ocean Escapes boat for a spin to the city. Enjoy the harbor cruise with a beer while taking the views of Camden Fort Meagher, Spike Island, Cobh and Blackrock castle before heading into the city itself. You will also be listening to a musical duo Velvet as you cruise the harbor. When you reach the city, you will head to Crawford & Co to tickle your taste buds with a seafood BBQ of monkfish, mussels and more. This event is €95pp and you can book at  www.oceanescapes.ie
 
For more events taking place over the next few months, check out our events listing on the site here.
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Leamlara Art Trail is a contemporary art exhibition set in rural East Cork, showing a mix of local and international artists whose works will reflect specifically on the rural setting and community in which they are presented. Its aim is to take contemporary visual arts out of its urban comfort zone, and reflect on the meanings of rural life today. The majority of artworks will be made specifically for this exhibition, and with perspectives from both local as well as international artists, these works share a thoughtful approach that allows the viewer to see these surroundings in new and interesting ways. Leamlara Art Trail will feature works by Harald den Breejen, Ciara Finnegan, Domhnall Na Gréine, Billy Kent, Tom Kok, Chloë Louise Lawrence, Sjoerd van Leeuwen, Lorraine Neeson, James Parkin and Siobhán Tattan.
The project is structured around a scenic ring walk, where artworks will be positioned along 6 km of quiet boreen road. The Art Trail will start at Tattan’s Ring’s View Bar, and circle back there.
Free guided tours will start at Tattan’s Ring View Bar every day at 2pm from 5-8 September. Book in advance by emailing info@leamlaraarttrail.ie. You can also follow the Art Trail by yourself, and enjoy the artworks and countryside at your own pace. To go on a self-guided walk, please first report to Tattan’s Ring View Bar, where a map and road safety instructions will be provided.
Leamlara Art Trail 5-8 September 2019
To find out more please visit www.leamlaraarttrail.ie

 
Funded by the East Cork Municipal District Creative Communities Scheme, Handles and Hinges of Midleton and Cork, and Sean Savage Crash Repair Centre, Midleton.
 
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fEast Cork 2019, the East Cork Food & Drink Festival which takes place from 1st to 8th September in the market town of Midleton, have confirmed their biggest and best line-up to date – blending the area’s rich food heritage with the wider Cork region, and adding a number of very special guests into the mix. A festival that happens at harvest time – appropriately for a gathering up and bringing together of the best of what the area has to offer – fEast Cork is a fresh blend of conversations, dinners, produce, markets, foraging, mixology, producers, landscape, heritage and storytelling.
For families, the fEast Cork festival schedule is awash with a variety of indoor and outdoor events to keep all ages entertained. Enjoy Sunday lunch with a difference and dine alfresco while on the hunt for mischievous fairies at the Producer’s Picnic at Castlemartyr Resort or  take time out later in the week for an evening of Indian Food & Film at The Ballymaloe Grainstore with Arun Kapil of Green Saffron serving a feast of incredible Indian dishes. On Saturday 7th September go along to Meet the Producers of Joe’s Farm Crisps with a behind-the-scenes tour of their crops and award-winning crisp production HQ, with a chance to munch on some delicious combinations. There’s also lots of activities to enjoy on market day, the finale of this year’s festival, with a special Cully & Sully family zone with campfire cooking, planting workshops, seed-balling, bee education, music and much more!
 
For visitors and locals who love any occasion to dine out, fEast Cork definitely delivers, partnering with some of the finest chefs, restaurants and innovators in the region. The perfect coastal combination of Spanish wine and Irish seafood will be served to lucky guests at the Bayview Hotel, Ballycotton in partnership with Rias Baixas Wines. There’s also a Ballycotton fEast to savour with guest chef JP Walsh from Dublin’s One Pico, returning to his Ballycotton hometown for one night only to cook with the Pier26 kitchen team with dancing until late. Chef Kevin Aherne of SAGE is preparing an al fresco long table dinner called ‘Keeping Things Natural’, serving a four-course menu from East Cork’s larder alongside a selection of unique natural wines from La Caveau Waines.
 
For those who can only venture out over the weekend, the schedule is still brimming with choice. Chef Brian Murray and his team from Cork’s newest restaurant opening The Glass Curtain have planned an exciting collaboration with Midleton’s Ferrit & Lee for an exclusive night of fire and fusion together. The four course menu, with expertly paired wines from Liberty Wines, will give lucky guests a sneak peek at this exciting new restaurant venture before it opens to the public.
 
On Saturday 7th September you won’t want to miss a Taste of Ballymaloe: Garden to Table Experience which includes a welcome cocktail and guided tour of the incredible gardens at Ballymaloe followed by a three course lunch with the team – a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and enjoy the seasonal delights of the award-winning Ballymaloe Dessert Trolley.  Back in Midleton, the team from Dublin’s award-winning Pickle Restaurant will have arrived in Cork for the very first time to create an incredible lunch of North Indian vegetarian dishes, with head chef Sunil Ghai joining Kevin Aherne at the pass in SAGE restaurant. Later that evening, a talk and tasting entitled ‘Feats of Clay – wines made in Amphorae’ will showcase wines from Georgia and Italy with Pascal and Colm from Le Caveau, hosted by Susan Herlihy in her beautiful Crafty Hands Pottery Studio – the perfect pre-dinner drink event!
 
This year’s fEast Cork schedule has also included events to showcase local producers and food champions in the most enjoyable and educational way. Highlights include a coopering demonstration and whiskey masterclass with Ger Buckley a fifth-generation master cooper at Midleton Distillery, searching for edible seaweeds by the East Cork seashore with Aquatic Biologist Frances Gallagher and ‘Seafood Stories’ over dinner with local fishermen at The Maltings Restaurant. There’s also a fEAST Lunch Restaurant Trail through Midleton Farmer’s Market meeting East Cork producers before tasting their fare with a three-course lunch, each course served in a different Midleton restaurant.
 
All these events lead up to the big finale on Sunday, September 8th, from early in the morning to late in the evening the entire town of Midleton is animated by the vibrant and exciting market day which includes an all-day farmers’ market, gardening workshops, live music, local food stalls and a variety of dining and social events. One of the highlights of this year’s festival is the new An Chistin tent which includes live cookery demos, drinks masterclasses and an educational series called Appetite Talks hosted by Irish Times Food Writer Catherine Cleary focusing on topical food trends and innovations. Some of the biggest names in Irish cooking will be dropping by An Chistin throughout the day including Takashi Miyazaki from Michelin starred restaurant Ichigo Ichie, Martin Shanahan, Enda McEvoy, Jess Murphy, Sunil Ghail, Ali Honour, Paul Flynn and Kevin Aherne.
 
Early on Sunday afternoon, Paul Flynn (The Tannery) and Martin Shanahan (Fishy Fishy) will take over the kitchen at SAGE restaurant for an epic Sunday lunch. Think comedy, more comedy and a unique opportunity to dine with these two legends of the Irish food scene. Another truly unique dining opportunity that day is the SECAD culinary exhibition ‘Celebrating Multiculturalism Through Food’. This free event will showcase over 15 different nationalities from around the world, all working together to provide tastings of their individual cuisines. Visitors have an opportunity to learn their culinary techniques, be inspired by their ingredients and discover the diversity of cultures living in East Cork today.
In addition to all the great food events happening throughout the week, there is also a strong focus on local drinks highlighting the strong tradition of brewing and distilling in the area. For whiskey lovers there’s a Powers Whiskey Masterclass in The Maple Leaf showcasing the variety of blends that have been created down through the years and another whiskey event called ‘Jameson, Ginger & Lime’ which tells the story of the Jameson family, the local distillery and offers a tasting of four different Jameson whiskeys. The Irish Distillers Distillery, home to Jameson, Powers and many others, has a strong connection to the East Cork landscape around them. Barley grown by East Cork farmers and East Cork river water are ingredients that have helped put their whiskeys on the map, and now they in turn help raise the profile of the producers of the entire region through their generous festival sponsorship once again this year.
Gin enthusiasts are also in for a treat, the Mad Hatter returns again this year for another Mad Hatters Gin Tea Party at JJ Coppingers, this year showcasing Method & Madness Irish Gin, distilled from the new micro distillery in Midleton. Meet the makers of another local gin, Bertha’s Revenge Gin with a distillery tour, chat and long table lunch served in the idyllic Ballyvolane House hosted by the distillers of Bertha’s Revenge Antony Jackson and Justin Green.
 
The team at fEast Cork, led by husband and wife duo Réidín and Kevin Aherne, believe that all food festivals are a good thing – that anything that gets people into their towns, villages, cities and communities to eat together is important. From the individual and small-scale but crucial producers, farmers, fishermen and cooks in the region that add layers of authenticity and history to the community, to the ethos originally created by Myrtle Allen at Ballymaloe House and Cookery School. East Cork resounds with a genuine sense of celebration of the local, the seasonal, the real.
 
This harvest celebration holds out its arms to the wider region, creating new coordinates for this vibrant young festival. Coordinates that they hope will shine brighter each year on the food festival map of Ireland – coordinates that are pure fEast Cork.
For the full festival programme, details on event dates, tickets and reservations see venture www.feastcork.ie or follow fEast Cork on social media:
 
@feastcork on Twitter & Instagram or like www.facebook.com/feastcork
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