Best and Worst Towns in County Cork

JP Liz · 01-08-2008 7:32pm #1

Best - Clonakilty / Kinsale

Worst - Bandon

Zonda999 · 02-08-2008 1:12pm

Bandon is a nice town IMO.I think macroom is the worst town in county cork

Sam Kade · 02-08-2008 1:34pm

JP Liz wrote: »

Best - Clonakilty / Kinsale

Worst - Bandon

Best and worst at what? explain yourself.

TheDriver · 02-08-2008 8:33pm

I personally think is a very unfair thread as the context is not explained. For tourism, Kinsale is lovely, but one could argue for living in it is awful due to traffic/shops. The opposite for Bandon and so on. I am sure people living in Macroom would suggest it is a lovely town to live in!

brucer24! · 02-08-2008 8:46pm

Best- Kinsale is up there def!!
worst- has to be buttevant. bandon a close 2nd

TheDriver · 02-08-2008 9:17pm

Again, why??????????????????????? Thats just plain insulting to people in Buttevant or Bandon, what is wrong with these towns just because they are not tourist mecas, they may have great pubs where locals can have a great time. Kinsale can be plagued with tourists and hen parties making it an awful town to live in. Are we talking day trips, to live in?

brucer24! · 02-08-2008 9:24pm

to live in..this is just my opinion and it is not to offend anyone in these towns.there is good things about everywhere..
yes bandon has good pubs to go to,but it was a huge scumbag population which is what puts me off.
buttevant is like a ghost town,all i ever see is boy racers hanging around outside da school!!

Sam Kade · 02-08-2008 11:40pm

brucer24! wrote: »

to live in..this is just my opinion and it is not to offend anyone in these towns.there is good things about everywhere..
yes bandon has good pubs to go to,but it was a huge scumbag population which is what puts me off.
buttevant is like a ghost town,all i ever see is boy racers hanging around outside da school!!

You are not the op. How do you know he meant to live in?

mallet head · 02-08-2008 11:46pm

Glengarriff is heaven lads.

Don't dislike any other town I know down there so would be unfair to pick a worst.

Zonda999 · 03-08-2008 12:47am

brucer24! wrote: »

Best- Kinsale is up there def!!
worst- has to be buttevant. bandon a close 2nd

Ah yes, good aul Buttevant, Such a One-Horse town as my father would put it!!Traffic was a total NIGHTMARE the last time i was there!!

TheDriver · 03-08-2008 12:34pm

brucer24! wrote: »

to live in..this is just my opinion and it is not to offend anyone in these towns.there is good things about everywhere..
yes bandon has good pubs to go to,but it was a huge scumbag population which is what puts me off.
buttevant is like a ghost town,all i ever see is boy racers hanging around outside da school!!

Ah come on, I spend a good bit of time in Bandon and yes there is a "scumbag" population but no more than anywhere else, you go to Kinsale or Clonakilty and you will find as many hanging around. Every town has its undesirables and unless its getting news reports like parts of Limerick, its just normal life in every town

brucer24! · 03-08-2008 4:22pm

i went to school in bandon for awhile so i spent a good bit of time there too and i was just expressing my views on the place!

Mackleton · 04-08-2008 4:25pm

Worst to live absolutely has to be Dunmanway. F all to do and the most gossipy, no hopers of locals. I know, I live outside it. Best, well personally Im a big fan of Kinsale, simply because of the variety of restuarants and convivial atmosphere. Always a good buzz there. Either Skull or Clonakilty come in a close second.

GERMAN ROCKS · 04-08-2008 4:30pm

best kinsale
worst skull (spelling may be incorrect) never liked the place or buttevant a close second.
i must say i like bandon a lot of machinery shops back there and the nicest sandwiches ever down in bradys lane

JP Liz · 04-08-2008 6:08pm

Sam Kade wrote: »

Best and worst at what? explain yourself.

just in general

activities, buzz, culture, tourism, nightlife, etc

life_is_music · 04-08-2008 7:53pm

Mitchelstown has to be the worst by far!!!
There's **** all there and I've never seen so many scum bags before in my life!

Colonel_McCoy · 05-08-2008 9:50am

Mitchelstown known for its easy women and easy singles

TheDriver · 05-08-2008 10:26am

I would have to say Charleville for its lack of town development, lack of shopping, traffic jams and people never seem the most friendly

Edthehead · 06-08-2008 12:26am

My God, I stumbled upon this forum tonight and what do I see!! my beloved Buttevant being slated, what makes a town??? bricks and mortar? the road going through it? In my opinion a town should be judged by the people who live in it, and with that in mind Buttevant is a fantastic place to live. There has been no development in Buttevant for years because we've been waiting for a new sewerage plant (waiting for nearly 20 years) and without this plant no one could get planning permission for anything. Anyone passing through the town for the last two years will know we now have our new plant but the new footpaths and underground services that were also promised are now looking dodgy due to the governments spending cuts. I know a lovely looking town not to far from where I live, nice Castle, Abbey, lovely tarmac and footpaths, I know it well because I ran a business there for two years, looks lovely from the outside but its rotten from the core, the people who live there are all bitter, and there always seem to be a bad atmosphere, I'm not going to name this town because some people who live there most likely think its a great place to live!

Illkillya · 06-08-2008 12:37am

Worst is Dunmanway for sure. Closely followed by Buttevant, sorry Edthehead.

Best... I don't know, there are a lot of good ones on the sea. I'll go with Kinsale I suppose.

TheDriver · 06-08-2008 12:49pm

I must laugh, I presume most people mentioning Kinsale are those who visit it on a Sunny Sunday in summer, try living there and getting stuck in perpetual traffic jams, not being able to shop for groceries without an effort, lots of hills, tourists everywhere etc

Illkillya · 06-08-2008 2:23pm

TheDriver wrote: »

I must laugh, I presume most people mentioning Kinsale are those who visit it on a Sunny Sunday in summer, try living there and getting stuck in perpetual traffic jams, not being able to shop for groceries without an effort, lots of hills, tourists everywhere etc

Hills/tourists are not a problem really. Traffic in Kinsale is a balls alright, but this is the case in a lot of West Cork towns. On a rainy November Wednesday you will have similar problems in most West Cork towns. But on a sunny summer sunday, Kinsale outshines most of the others and this is why it gets mentioned. Bandon's scumbag population and lack of sea are more serious concerns; and try getting in and out of Super Valu parking lot there when it's busy...

pro_gnostic_8 · 06-08-2008 11:10pm

I'm surprised nobody has given Youghal a thumbs-up!
I'm from the city -- living in it also -- so I have no place-of-birth bias in this debate.

Youghal has just about anything you would want from a decent quality of life aspect. A town dripping with history. Fabulous beach within a stroll of the town, lovely old-world harbour, fishing, sailing. nice public parks. Some great pubs in the town and must be a dozen restaurants on the main street alone.

When I retire, I'm off down there!

TheDriver · 07-08-2008 1:11am

Illkillya wrote: »

Hills/tourists are not a problem really. Traffic in Kinsale is a balls alright, but this is the case in a lot of West Cork towns. On a rainy November Wednesday you will have similar problems in most West Cork towns. But on a sunny summer sunday, Kinsale outshines most of the others and this is why it gets mentioned. Bandon's scumbag population and lack of sea are more serious concerns; and try getting in and out of Super Valu parking lot there when it's busy...

That is just insulting, are you saying that everyone who lives in Bandon is a scumbag? Get your facts straight, there are a lot of decent people living in Bandon. And theres plenty of parking, more than nearly all towns in Cork county with the riverview car park and Church Car Park along with Hartes Car Park while also using the other entrances makes sure you get around easily. NEver been stuck in traffic in Bandon for longer than 5 mins on rare occasions.
Kinsale in winter is lot worse, I have been there as most people around Kinsale are tourists or Sunday drivers whereas other towns in Cork have locals that are consistently there. My problem with Kinsale is that most people are strangers in the town and as a local at times, it is not the most pleasant. Try driving home when the place is blocked up because tourists in rental cars are stuck up streets they should have never gone near.
But scumbag population, thats just plain insulting, i have family living in Bandon and challenge you to withdraw or clarify your remark.

Illkillya · 07-08-2008 9:45am

TheDriver wrote: »

That is just insulting, are you saying that everyone who lives in Bandon is a scumbag?

How could you possibly come to this conclusion? If I say something that could be ambiguous, could you do me the favour and not instantly assume the most ridiculous interpretation?

TheDriver wrote: »

NEver been stuck in traffic in Bandon for longer than 5 mins on rare occasions.

I have

Kinsale in winter is lot worse, I have been there as most people around Kinsale are tourists or Sunday drivers whereas other towns in Cork have locals that are consistently there.

Don't care

My problem with Kinsale is that most people are strangers in the town and as a local at times, it is not the most pleasant. Try driving home when the place is blocked up because tourists in rental cars are stuck up streets they should have never gone near.

Don't care

But scumbag population, thats just plain insulting, i have family living in Bandon and challenge you to withdraw or clarify your remark.

I challenge you to take a deep breath and re-evaluate your hasty interpretation of my words. Either way, I would not live in Bandon if you paid me.

TheDriver · 07-08-2008 11:19am

Fair enough, apologies, I took your descriptive words on Bandon's population to mean everyone was a scumbag which obviously you didn't mean. HOwever, this thread is making my blood boil due to horrid generalisations about why a town is best or worse and to quote EdTheHead, what makes a town?
But at least do me the favour of not lecturing me about traffic in Bandon when you "don't care" about my same comments regarding Kinsale.

Now tell us what town you live in?

Illkillya · 07-08-2008 11:42am

TheDriver wrote: »

HOwever, this thread is making my blood boil due to horrid generalisations about why a town is best or worse and to quote EdTheHead, what makes a town?

I think you're missing the fact that somethings matter more to others. If the deciding criteria had to be stuff like wide streets, ample parking, lack of hills then we might as well all live in Frankfurt or somewhere. I happen like small towns on the sea with good restaurants and boats and fishing.

TheDriver wrote: »

But at least do me the favour of not lecturing me about traffic in Bandon when you "don't care" about my same comments regarding Kinsale.

I didn't lecture about the traffic in Bandon - I'm pointing out that it is a problem shared in nearly every West Cork town and is not unique to Kinsale. This is partly why I don't rate it as an important factor in determining the best/worst towns in West Cork.

TheDriver wrote: »

Now tell us what town you live in?

If it makes any difference, I lived in a lot of different West Cork towns growing up and currently live in the city.

trotter_inc · 21-08-2008 6:29pm

What a thread, I love it

My "favourite" town would be Clonakilty easily! Not from Cork but do live in the county and if I had my choice of where to live it would def be Clon for many many reasons.

My "least favourite" town would be Bandon, I don't think I'd like to live there. Im afraid I have to agree with some of the comments about the town, from an outsiders point of view it does seem quite rough. I have been out a few times and don't like the atmosphere of the pubs or on the street. Was at the Bandon music festival last year when my parents came down to visit, bringing them to the Bandon music festival was a BAD idea

Boards is a forum where people can express their opinions, some people don't like listening to other peoples opinions though.

mardybumbum · 25-08-2008 6:42pm

Wouldnt be fair to pick a "worst" town as Im not from Cork, but I do spend a fair bit of time in clonakilty and roscarberry. I love de barras pub, always great music to be heard on a saturday night!

richiepoorman · 25-08-2008 9:27pm

Colonel_McCoy wrote: »

Mitchelstown known for its easy women and easy singles

Sounds great!!

:):) That's me holiday sorted for next year LOL :pac::pac:

Dirty_Diesel · 02-09-2008 10:24am

Illkillya wrote: »

Bandon's scumbag population and lack of sea are more serious concerns

Although I'm from Bandon I have to admit there is a number of scumbags around, probably like any other town. However, much of the weekend hassle would be people from other nearby villages/towns converging in Bandon, many having disputes about GAA, etc.

The only really positive aspect to the town would be the shopping, in which case the scumbags wouldn't be an issue.

Although I couldn't really pick the worst town in Cork my favourite would be Skibbereen. Reasonably close to the sea (or Lough Einn), nice friendly people and plenty of crack at the weekends.

Best and Worst Towns in County Cork

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