Seven Things to Do Away From the Felts at the PartyPoker Tour Cork

The PartyPoker Tour makes its first visit to Ireland from November 9 to 15, with 13 events at the Macau Sporting Club on St. Patrick’s Quay in Cork City. The €500 buy-in Main Event carries a €100,000 guarantee and runs from November 12 to 15, while the €150 Mini Main Event offers a €50,000 guarantee from November 9 to 12. Cork is compact, walkable, and a distinctive stop on the European poker circuit. Here is how to make the most of the time away from the felt.

• Read more: partypoker Tour Comes to Ireland for the First Time in November
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• Read more: Seven Things to Do Away From the Felts at the partypoker Tour Castellón
• Read more: Join Poker Pro on Telegram for Breaking Tournament News and Results

1. The English Market

Start here. The English Market has been running since 1788 and is one of the world's oldest municipal covered markets, according to Fáilte Ireland.

It is the heart of Cork food culture: local farmhouse cheese, fresh seafood, charcuterie, olives, and every Cork specialty under one vaulted roof. The market is open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly if you have a free morning mid-week. It is in the center of the city, a short walk from the Macau Casino.

If you have an hour to get a feel for Cork, spend it here. Bill Clinton visited during a 1995 state visit, a detail Cork still mentions proudly.

2. Shandon Bells at St. Anne's Church

The Shandon neighborhood on the north side of the city is old Cork at its best, and St. Anne's Church is its defining landmark.

You can climb the tower and ring the famous Shandon Bells yourself, with a panoramic view over the city and the River Lee from the top. It takes 45 minutes and is worth every step.

The tower opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with last entry at 2:30 p.m., and opens Sunday at noon. Build it into a morning rather than an afternoon slot. Shandon is a 15-minute walk from the city center and pairs naturally with a visit to the nearby Cork Butter Museum, which tells the story of the city's historic dairy trade.

3. Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is about 20 to 30 minutes outside Cork City by car or bus, and is worth the trip even for players who have no interest in kissing the Blarney Stone. The 15th-century castle sits on 60 acres of grounds, including a poison garden, the Rock Close, and walking paths that take an easy hour or two.

The castle tower climb is 127 steps to the top. Entry covers both the castle and the full grounds. This one is best suited to a day when you have busted early or have no flight until the afternoon. Buses run from Cork Bus Station to Blarney regularly for anyone who does not want to drive. Check Bus Éireann for current Route 215 timetables before you travel.

4. Cork City Gaol and Elizabeth Fort

Cork City Gaol opened in 1824 and operated until 1923. It is now a guided-tour attraction and one of the more memorable things to do in the city, partly because the building itself is striking and partly because the exhibits give an honest account of 19th-century prison conditions.

Adult admission is €12. In November, it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. daily, so a morning visit works well before a 2 p.m. tournament start. Elizabeth Fort, a 17th-century star-shaped fortification a short walk away near the south city center, offers city views and free entry, takes under an hour, and makes an easy add-on to the same morning.

5. The Pubs: Where to Go and Why

Cork takes its pub culture seriously, and a few spots deserve your attention. Mutton Lane Inn, just off Patrick Street near the English Market, is one of the city's oldest pubs: atmospheric, candlelit most evenings, and built around the kind of conversation Cork pubs do better than most. Sin É on Coburg Street has been hosting traditional Irish sessions since 1889 and is the place to go if you want genuine trad music without a tourist spin.

The Hi-B on Oliver Plunkett Street is an upstairs room with a no-phones policy and a blazing fire in winter, and it has a reputation as one of Ireland's most idiosyncratic bars. For something completely different, The Bierhaus on Pope's Quay carries over 200 beers from around the world, rotates its taps regularly, and runs regular poker nights, which makes it a logical first stop for anyone in town for the tournament. For live music alongside your pint, Coughlan's on Douglas Street and An Spailpín Fánach on South Main Street are both reliable, with Coughlan's listing gigs throughout the tournament week.

6. Eating Well in Cork

For something quick and central, Quinlan's Seafood Bar does daily fresh fish with a house batter recipe and no fuss, and the English Market stalls cover breakfast and lunch better than most restaurants in the city. For a group dinner, Elbow Lane Brew and Smoke House does slow-smoked ribs and wood-fired meats with an open kitchen. SpitJack on MacCurtain Street sources directly from the English Market and runs a rotisserie, so the porchetta and the salmon are about as good as the ingredients get.

For a special-occasion dinner, Ichigo Ichie offers a Michelin-starred Japanese tasting menu from chef Takashi Miyazaki. It is a longer, more formal experience, and the restaurant is typically booked well ahead, so plan before you travel rather than trying to get a table on the night.

7. Day Trips Worth the Drive

Cork's location puts three genuinely good day trips within 30 minutes. Kinsale is a coastal town with a harbor, a strong food scene, and the kind of atmosphere that is hard to find in a city, all about 30 minutes south by car.

Cobh, 25 minutes east, offers the Titanic Experience (Cobh was the ship's last port of call), Spike Island, and Fota Wildlife Park for a more relaxed afternoon. Midleton, also about 25 minutes away, is home to the Jameson Distillery, which runs tours and tastings throughout the day. One honest note: November weather in the south of Ireland is unpredictable, and coastal trips to Kinsale and Cobh are better on a clear day. Check the forecast before committing to a half-day drive.

How to Plan Your Week Around the Schedule

Many main tournament flights begin at 2 p.m. or later, though several weekend and turbo flights start earlier, giving players a genuine window in the morning and early afternoon on most days. Shandon Bells closes at 3 p.m. in November, so go there before midday.

The English Market and Cork City Gaol both work well on a morning before a 2 p.m. registration. If you bust early on a Wednesday or Thursday, the Mini Main Event final table is Thursday afternoon, and Main Event Day 1A fires Thursday at 2 p.m., so there are options to re-enter or sweat the action.

If you bust on a Friday, Blarney Castle, Kinsale, or Cobh are realistic afternoon alternatives before the Main Event Day 1B evening flight or the Party Madness Bounty at 10 p.m. For evenings after play, the pub circuit, live music at Coughlan's, and dinner at Elbow Lane are all easy options. Save Ichigo Ichie for a night when you have time to commit.

Full partypoker Tour Cork Schedule

The week opens with the €150 Mini Main Event on Monday evening, while the €500 Main Event begins Thursday and concludes with its final table Sunday at 3 p.m. The €250 Mystery Bounty runs across the weekend, and the €1,000 NLH High Roller 7-Max closes the festival on Sunday afternoon.

Richard Hayes will be on the floor all week for poker.pro, in partnership with partypoker and VibeLive Event Collective, so check back for live updates on chip counts and eliminations from the moment the first flight fires Monday evening, and check out the full schedule below.

Date	Time	Event
Mon Nov 9	5:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Day 1A (€50,000 GTD)
	8:00 p.m.	€30 Mini Main Target Stack Satellite (3 seats)
Tue Nov 10	2:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Day 1B (€50,000 GTD)
	6:00 p.m.	€30 Mini Main Target Stack Satellite (3 seats)
	8:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Day 1C Turbo (€50,000 GTD)
Wed Nov 11	12:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Day 1D Hyper (€50,000 GTD)
	3:00 p.m.	€60 Main Event Target Stack Satellite (3 seats)
	5:00 p.m.	€200 NLH KO
	6:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Day 2 (€50,000 GTD)
	10:00 p.m.	€60 Party Madness PLO/NLH Bounty
Thu Nov 12	2:00 p.m.	€500 Main Event – Day 1A (€100,000 GTD)
	4:00 p.m.	€150 Mini Main Event – Final Table (€50,000 GTD)
	6:00 p.m.	€150 PLO 7-Max
	7:00 p.m.	€85 Main Event Target Stack Satellite (8 seats)
	10:00 p.m.	€60 Party Madness Win the Button NLH Bounty
Fri Nov 13	12:00 p.m.	€500 Main Event – Day 1B (€100,000 GTD)
	5:00 p.m.	€100 NLH Sponsored by House of Tables
	8:00 p.m.	€500 Main Event – Day 1C Turbo (€100,000 GTD)
	10:00 p.m.	€60 poker.pro Party Madness Red River NLH Bounty
Sat Nov 14	11:00 a.m.	€500 Main Event – Day 1D Hyper (€100,000 GTD)
	2:00 p.m.	€250 Mystery Bounty – Day 1A
	5:00 p.m.	€500 Main Event – Day 2 (€100,000 GTD)
	6:00 p.m.	€60 Tennessee Hold'em Irish Championship
	7:00 p.m.	€250 Mystery Bounty – Day 1B Turbo
	10:00 p.m.	€60 poker.pro Party Madness Crazy Pineapple Bounty
Sun Nov 15	11:00 a.m.	€250 Mystery Bounty – Day 1C Hyper
	2:00 p.m.	€115 High Roller Satellite (2 × €1,000 seats)
	3:00 p.m.	€500 Main Event – Final Table (€100,000 GTD)
	4:00 p.m.	€250 Mystery Bounty – Day 2
	4:00 p.m.	€1,000 NLH High Roller 7-Max
	6:00 p.m.	€100 Last Chance NLH Double Board

partypoker Tour Cork 2026: FAQ

• Article originally produced at poker.pro.