Visa requirements
Note that while Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is not a member of the Schengen Zone. If you require a visa to visit the Schengen Zone, you are therefore likely to require a separate visa to visit Ireland. A list of countries whose citizens require a visa to visit Ireland can be viewed here. Please also check for any visa requirements on the website of your passport-issuing country’s government.
If you require a visa letter, please reach out to the organisers as soon as possible.
Travelling to Cork
To travel to Cork, it is recommended that you fly to either Cork Airport or Dublin Airport.
Cork Airport
Cork Airport is a small, regional airport but has good connections to hub airports in the UK (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham) and continental Europe (Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle). In the summer, there are also a range of seasonal connections to smaller European destination airports operated by Ryanair, which can offer low-cost fares.
Once you arrive at Cork Airport, you can travel to the city centre by bus or taxi. The bus stop and taxi rank are both located immediately outside of the terminal building.
Buses towards Cork city centre depart from Bus Stop A. Route 225 and route 226 both travel towards Cork Kent railway station. The second-last stop on both routes is Parnell Place bus station: this is the most centrally located stop on the route. Information on purchasing tickets can be found here. At the time of writing, a one-way (adult single) ticket on both routes costs €2.20. A fare estimator can be accessed here.
A taxi from Cork Airport to the city centre will typically cost around €25 (this can vary depending on the time of day, number of passengers, etc.). A fare estimator can be accessed here.
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport is Ireland’s primary international airport, with a wide range of connections to destinations across Europe and North America. If you fly to Dublin Airport, you can travel to Cork by bus and/or train.
Aircoach and CityLink are private operators that run a direct bus service from Dublin Airport to Cork city centre. Timetable and fare information can be found here and here. Aircoach departs from both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2: beginning at Terminal 2, then stopping at Terminal 1. CityLink departs from Zone 10, Stop 2 at the Airport Bus Terminal. Both of these services drop off on Alfred Street in Cork city centre, which is located between Parnell Place bus station and Kent railway station. The journey time is around 3.5 hours.
Dublin Airport is not directly served by train. A third option is to travel to Cork via a combination of bus and train. If you purchase a train ticket from Dublin Heuston station to Cork Kent station from Irish Rail, you can add an airport connection to your purchase. This entails getting a bus from Dublin Airport to Heuston station and then transferring to a train to Cork Kent station. Details can be found here. The journey time is around 4 – 4.5 hours, depending on the duration of the bus-train connection.
Note that all of the above services between Dublin Airport and Cork are in high demand, particularly during the summer tourist season. If you are travelling between Cork and Dublin Airport, it is very strongly advised that you book your tickets online in advance.