Cork has been voted the third friendliest city in the world by Condé Nast Traveller in their August 2018 poll. The City by the Lee fended off competition from rival Irish cities Dublin and Galway to land the third spot, with the travel magazine's editors citing the city's "picturesque, riverfront location" and "cozy pubs and beer gardens where you can enjoy the outdoors while sharing a table with friendly locals" as some of the elements contributing to its charm.
Galway is number five on the list, and Dublin is in eighth place.
Visitors to Cork are advised to call to the English Market for fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry, as well as for a spot of people-watching from the balcony of the Farmgate Cafe.
The historic Shandon Quarter also gains their praise for the Cork Butter Museum and the iconic Shandon Bells, where visitors can ring out their own tunes over the city, with the editors expressing their sympathy with the Shandon residents on account of this.
They recommend visiting Cork establishments such as Market Lane, Idaho Cafe, Paradiso, Les Gourmandises and Mutton Lane to soak up local flavour as well as colour.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mick Finn added, "It's fantastic to see that global media is picking up on the friendliness of Corkonians and their innate curiosity about visitors, which makes Cork city a place of welcome."
Head of tourism in Cork City Council, Jo Gazely said: "We're delighted to see Cork City being voted in the top 10 Friendliest Cities in the World – Cork City is an exciting destination that is busy, vibrant and cosmopolitan."
Cork ranks among cities such as Puebla in Mexico, Chiang Mai in Thailand, Queenstown in New Zealand, Adelaide in Australia and Victoria in British Columbia, Canada for its friendly, welcoming spirit.
It was beaten only by Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, which placed second, and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, which retained the top spot for the second year running.