Comprehensive and easy to use, this guide covers the architectural riches of Ireland’s largest county. The many atmospheric castles and tower houses include Carrigadrohid, Lohort, and Kanturk; among later country houses, Kilshannig and Fota represent Irish Georgian architecture at its best. Coastal towns such as Kinsale and Youghal are built on Viking and Norman foundations. Many of the architectural highlights are in the city of Cork, where the Georgian streets and quays are diversified by grand neoclassical public buildings, presided over by the Gothic Revival masterpiece of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral. The strategic importance of Cork harbor is reflected in its diverse fortifications, especially those of the Stuart, Hanoverian, and Victorian periods.

Frank Keohane is an architectural historian and Chartered Building Surveyor based in Dublin.