Cork or Killarney?

Neither is a place for beaches, and the Atlantic is cold off both. The difference is in the kind of beach. Cork's are small sandy coves on the outer edge of its harbour, such as Myrtleville and Fountainstown, with Inchydoney further west, and a local crowd swims there all year.

Killarney's nearest beaches are the wide, wild strands of Inch and Rossbeigh, about 40 minutes away by car. They suit long walks, kite-flying and beginner surf lessons more than a swim.

Cork is clearly the better place to eat. The English Market gives it a real food culture built on West Cork cheese, smoked fish and spiced beef. The modern Irish kitchens off Oliver Plunkett Street cook with the same produce, and Kinsale's seafood is half an hour away.

Killarney serves good Kerry lamb, chowder and brown bread, but many menus are aimed at coach parties and there is no market to browse. Visitors who care about food often drive to Kenmare or Dingle, while in Cork the best of it is in the centre.

Cork has more to see, though neither place is grand. Its sights are spread across the city: St Fin Barre's Cathedral, the Shandon steeple with bells you can ring, Irish painting at the Crawford and the old prison at Cork City Gaol.

Killarney's best sights are out at the edge of the park rather than in the streets: Muckross House and its gardens, Ross Castle on Lough Leane and the ruined Muckross Abbey. Pugin's cathedral is the one real sight in town.

Both are pub towns, and Cork offers a bit more. A big student population keeps the centre busy from Thursday to Saturday, with a few late bars and small clubs beyond the wood-panelled pubs. Killarney's High Street pubs are packed on summer nights with visitors and weekend groups, but winter weeknights are quiet and there is nothing like a club scene.

This is where Killarney is far ahead. The national park begins at the edge of town, with three lakes, ancient oak and yew woods and Ireland's only native red deer. The Gap of Dunloe and Carrauntoohil, the country's highest peak, are close by, so serious walks start from your door.

Cork's outdoors is gentler and coastal: sailing and kayaking in the harbour, and cliff walks at Ballycotton and the Old Head of Kinsale. West Cork's inlets lie beyond. Its big mountain scenery is the Kerry country around Killarney, a long day trip away.

From Cork the best outings are a short train ride away, while from Killarney most of them mean getting in a car. Cobh, the Titanic's last port of call and the place generations of emigrants left from, is about 25 minutes by rail. Fota House and the Midleton distillery are on the same line, Kinsale and Blarney are close by road, and Youghal's walled old town is not much further.

Killarney's trips are mostly drives through scenery: the Ring of Kerry loop, Kenmare over Moll's Gap, and Dingle about an hour away. Its great prize is Skellig Michael, though boats only land there in summer and in calm seas.

Fota Wildlife Park gives Cork the stronger family day out. It sits on an island in the harbour, the animals roam with few barriers, and it is a short train ride from the centre. Blackrock Castle's observatory, with its hands-on exhibits, helps when it rains, and Cobh's heritage centre brings the emigrant story to life for older children.

Killarney's family days are outdoors: flat lakeside paths for bikes and buggies, deer to spot, jaunting cars, boat trips and the animals at Muckross Traditional Farms. Many hotels have pools, but when the weather turns there are few other places to go indoors.

Both centres are easy to walk, but Cork is easier to get around once you leave it. Its suburban rail line covers Cobh, Fota and Midleton, and buses go to Kinsale and Blarney.

In Killarney you can cycle to the park's sights on traffic-free paths, but further out it is car country. Local buses are sparse, so the Ring of Kerry and Dingle mean a hire car or a coach tour on narrow, winding roads.

Cork offers more, though it is not a shopping city. Patrick Street has department stores, the Huguenot Quarter and the lanes off Princes Street have independent shops, and the English Market is good for food to take home. Killarney has an hour's worth of knitwear, tweed and souvenir shops. It is fine for an Aran sweater and little else.

Both are expensive in the Irish way, and the costs differ in kind. In Cork, hotel rooms cost a lot for a city of its size, but you can walk the centre and the market keeps lunch affordable. Killarney has plenty of family-run B&Bs and a national park that costs nothing to enjoy. Against that, reaching anything further away usually means paying for a hire car or a tour.

Cork has the broader stage. The Opera House and the Victorian Everyman put on touring opera, musicals and drama. The jazz festival at the end of October fills the city, and pub sessions run most nights of the year.

Killarney's live music is almost all traditional: sessions in the pubs in season, and dinner shows with set dancing. There is no theatre to speak of, and for staged folk performance you go to Siamsa Tíre in Tralee.

Killarney is the better choice for a restful stay. It has an unusual number of country and lakeside hotels with full spas and pools, many looking out over the lakes and mountains, and people go there for exactly that kind of slow break.

Cork has nothing to match it: a hotel spa or the resort on Fota Island. The nearest thing to a local ritual is cold-water swimming in the harbour coves.