iPhone apps take tourists on a tour of Cork city

TOURISTS and natives alike are being encouraged to discover the local secrets and hidden history of Cork city with the development of two new iPhone and iPod applications which will bring them on an audio journey around the city.

The two downloadable iWalks will guide people around the southern city, allowing them to take in facts, anecdotes and the history of the city’s most iconic and lesser-known attractions. Cork is the first city to have such an app developed by Fáilte Ireland. It’s expected a similar product will be rolled out in Galway next year. Dublin Tourism already has a series of iWalks.

The applications, developed in association with Cork City Council, include a colourful map to guide the walker around the city’s backstreets. Poetry and local musicians also help to bring the app’ to life.

Fáilte Ireland South West Head of Operations Fiona Buckley said the iWalk, which cost €12,000 to develop, is a great addition to the Cork tourist experience.

“The modern visitor expects a much more interactive experience when they come to Ireland, now more than ever before. As a national tourism development authority, Fáilte Ireland is keen that any new technology be exploited to the maximum in order to allow tourists to have a fully hands on experience when they visit us.

“It makes it easier for our visitors to learn about the city and further compounds the reason why Cork was voted by both the Lonely Planet and Yahoo China as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.”

The two apps are called Flavours of Cork iWalk and Creative Cork. The first gives a general introduction to the city, focusing on living and contemporary culture, including where to stop for food and drink, shopping and craft. The second is an introduction to the city’s architecture, sculpture, festivals and arts scene.