The insider's guide to East Cork: 50 things to experience — plus unmissable seaside hotspots

"Local pillars and pioneers, such as Ballymaloe House, have inspired the food movement in a region now synonymous with it, while in more recent years resorts at Fota and Castlemartyr have brought a luxury cachet to the area."

Loughaderra. Today, the East Cork region has become one of Munster’s tourism powerhouses which (cue a controversial assertion) can even punch alongside West Cork in many areas. 

As an East Cork native, I can be the first to testify that my home turf has seen itself chameleon into a tourism hub in recent years. 

Growing up, the very name East Cork was largely only bandied around as an electoral constituency while the tourism highlights of the area oscillated between a trip to Trabolgan or Perky Bears in Youghal. That’s all changed.