Join Student Ambassador Emilio Castanon Nogueda from Mexico as he shares why Cork is so special after a year of living there. He describes a magical feeling that makes the city unique.
What makes Cork such a special place to live in? Honestly, I don’t have the entire answer but after having lived here for an entire year I can say that the city exudes a magical aura. And not for nothing is known as the ‘Rebel County’.
Maybe what makes the city magical is its castles: Blackrock is a beautiful observatory and walking through the vast Blarney Gardens is always therapeutic for me. Or you could stroll through the English Market located in the heart of the city where you are always greeted with a broad smile every time you go shopping or enjoy a coffee. I could also say that its charm lies in the observation deck at the clock tower in Shandon Bells or even The Lough, a beautiful neighborhood with a huge lake right in the middle of it, an ideal place to spend your Sundays. But I must also mention the beautiful paths within University College Cork which are covered with trees the size of towers. The campus is home to beautiful buildings that are more than 200-years-old, but they also share space with new and avant-garde architecture.
To be honest, what really made me fall in love with the city called by some as “The true capital of Ireland”; is the quality of the people who live there. Ireland is a country that from the first minute of my arrival welcomed me with open arms. I remember getting off the plane and hearing the customs officer ask me how was I feeling, that is something I had never experienced anywhere else before, many people can talk about the luck of the Irish, but they often forget to mention their kind heartedness which is truly impressive, a quality that is multiplied tenfold in Cork.
I pray that one day I will be fortunate enough to live again in such a beautiful city that takes my breath away every time I think of it. I long to walk through its streets once again, breathe its fresh air and talk with its
people in different parks or simply eating a burger at Jackie Lennox, a must-visit local takeaway. It is not a
magical city for nothing, I promise you once you walk visit, you won’t want to leave.
Emilio is studying at TUS via Education in Ireland.