Cork - The Route

The scenic village of Crosshaven on the south western shore of Cork Harbour will welcome the Clipper fleet to the Emerald Isle on the last stop before the final sprint back to Liverpool.

The village is home to the Royal Cork Yacht Club, which has had its headquarters there since 1966. It was actually established in 1720 and is in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest in the world. The biennial Cork Week regatta draws sailing enthusiasts from all over the world.

At the mouth of the River Lee, Cork Harbour is one of the world's largest natural harbours, comparable to Halifax in Nova Scotia and Sydney in Australia.

Further upstream on the Lee is Cork, the second city of the Republic of Ireland and European Capital of Culture in 2005. It was originally a monastic settlement and became an important trading centre in the Scandinavian trade network. At one time it was fully walled, testament to its importance as a centre of commerce and to its rebellious past. Several of the gates and sections of wall remain today.

The church tower of Shandon is the most famous building in Cork. Built of red sandstone on two sides and white limestone on the others, it is topped by a weather vane in the shape of an eleven-foot salmon. The locals call it the Four-faced Liar because from the base of the building each of the four clock faces appears to show a different time. Cork boasts two cathedrals, the stunning Church of Ireland St Finbarre's Cathedral and the Roman Catholic St Mary's Cathedral.

Just five miles outside of Cork is the picturesque village of Blarney, where every year thousands of visitors descent on the beautiful castle estate with one thought in mind: to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that those who do will develop the gift of eloquence, or 'the gift of the gab', as the locals say. Whether or not you find your way out of the city to kiss the stone you'll have plenty to talk about after the port visit to Crosshaven in County Cork.