New council app to feature the best of Cork tourism

The app will feature a host of visitor attractions, leisure pursuits, and hospitality venues, such as  Marlogue Forest recreation area in East Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane

Cork County Council will shortly launch an app featuring a host of visitor attractions, leisure pursuits and hospitality venues which will prove invaluable as the country reopens for business amid the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Councillors have been given a demonstration ahead of its launch of the Explore Cork App, which can be downloaded to Apple and Android smartphones.

The demonstration was provided by Dan Mitchell of Vitamin Cornwall, which won the tender to devise it on behalf of the council's Economic Development directorate, which is headed by Sharon Corcoran.

She said more than 850 attractions around the county will be included on it as well as 18 different categories of leisure pursuits, and a host of hospitality and accommodation venues.

“It's an excellent product. Anyone in the world can download this on a mobile device and type in where they want to be, where they can stay and what they can see,” Ms Corcoran said.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said Cork County Council is the first local authority in the country to develop such a device

Mr Mitchell explained that a person can key their location into the app and see what attractions might be of interest to them in the area, or wider afield depending on the kilometre radius they insert in the search engine.

He said that this was highly detailed as, for example, somebody interested in walking trails would be able to see what routes would suit them, depending on their age, fitness etc and how long they would be expected to take.

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The app features videos of each of the county's 23 towns and maps of historical, architectural and cultural attractions and it can be downloaded in English or 'as gaeilge'. 

Each town will have its own profile and links to local hospitality venues and places of interest.

The app also includes links to Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said Cork County Council is the first local authority in the country to develop such a device, which he described “as really leading edge.” 

He said there's an opportunity to add a number of things to the app into the future, suggesting events and festivals in towns and villages could be advertised on it.

The location of playgrounds and public conveniences will also be added shortly.

It's also linked to the Pure Cork website which hosts a long list of hospitality venues.