CORK, IRELAND

Queer as Cork

The Irish county of Cork has a unique spirit. Dubbed the “Rebel County” by King Henry VII (in the 15th century’s War of the Roses), the title could have been earned centuries earlier when the upstarts in this region drove out an occupying Viking force in the 800s—or for its role as home to Michael Collins, the Irish revolutionary who led the War of Independence in the 1920s.

This rebellious spirit lives on, and yet doesn’t detract from the amiability of the locals. In fact, last year, the city of Cork was voted readers. Cork excels in personifying the traditional Celtic welcome: or 100,000 welcomes.