Play like a Pirate and discover a treasure trove of cultural fun in Cork City
Throughout the summer, families can discover Cork’s hidden treasures and play in galleries, museums, cultural attractions and outdoor spaces throughout the city. The trail, which includes cannon spotting, making floatable rafts, searching for golden eagles and loot is designed to encourage young people to explore culture in an imaginative and playful way!
Explore culture, heritage and Cork City's green spaces with youe family and friends this summer using the specially created Playful Pirate Culture Trail Treasure Map.
The map Lists 20 child friendly activities to do in the city from spotting pirate ships and cannons, to digging for hidden loot and searching for golden angels.
Each Venue will also have pirate photo opportunities, fun facts, pirate colouring and suggested activities to do at the venue.
Make sure you also look out for the play trail mascot Bláithin, a little green environmentalist pirate lizard, who will play hide and seek at each venue. As a pirate who lives on the sea, she encourages everyone to learn about the environment and keep the city and planet clean and healthy!
The trail includes:
- Blackrock Castle Observatory,
- Blarney Castle,
- The Butter Museum,
- Cork City Gaol,
- Cork Public Museum,
- Cork Military Museum,
- Elizabeth Fort,
- Crawford Art Gallery,
- Nano Nagle Place,
- Glucksman Gallery,
- Old Cork Waterworks Experience,
- Shandon Bells and Tower,
- St Fin Barre’s Cathedral,
- St Peter’s Church,
- Triskel Christchurch
- Outdoor spaces/ picnic points including Fitzgerald Park,
- TheLough
- Atlantic Pond.
This gives you and the family the perfect opportunity to have multiple days out together, exploring Cork! The little pirates can get a stamp at every venue.
20 Activities for landlubbers, scallywags and scurvy naves to try out along the Cork City Playful Pirate Culture Trail
1. Make a pirate hat from paper and wear it on your adventures!
2. Find Bláithin the pirate lizard
3. Make a floatable raft by wrapping up leaves and float it along the River Lee!
4. Race your floatable nature rafts on the Lough
5. Race sticks with a friend by throwing them from a footbridge
6. Find 5 ducks and 2 swans on the Atlantic Pond
7. Have a nature treasure hunt - find a bird’s feather, a fern and a small grey stone
8. Find a stick in the shape of a pirate’s sword
9. Play on the shipwrecked boat at Fitzgerald’s Park Playground
10. Spot the golden angel treasure at the top of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral
11. Grab your maties and go cloud spotting for sharks and starfish
12. Make a pirate spyglass from toilet roll tubes
13. Find the cannon on the corner of Grand Parade and Tuckey Street
14. Search for buried treasure in the sand at Fitzgerald’s Park playground
15. Can you spot a Jolly Roger flag among the ships moored at the Port of Cork building?
16. What do pirates eat for dinner? Wander through the English Market to find the ugliest fish!
17. Set sail on a reading adventure at Cork Public Libraries!
18. Grab a Hysterical Histories booklet from the Tourist Office on Patrick’s Street
19. Be like an old Sea Dog and don’t go thirsty, use a reusable drinks bottle!
20. Really get out on the water on a kayak or harbour cruise!
This project is part of an overall mission to make Cork a playful, child friendly, active city and was developed in collaboration with all the participating museums, galleries, and attractions in Cork, in partnership with Let’s Play Cork, and Pure Cork. The initiative has been generously funded by Cork City Council. Some venues on the trail are free, while others offer family rates.
Pick up your map in the tourist information offices or at any attraction or hotels in Cork City or find it at playfulculturetrail.com. For updates on Cork as a Playful City follow @corkcitycouncilofficial on social media or search hashtags #LetsPlayCork #ActiveCorkCity
