A tour of the sites made famous by TV and film hit 'The Young Offenders' could be the latest tourist attraction to lure visitors to the second city in the near future.
Proposed by Fine Gael Councillor Des Cahill, the idea has garnered support from the creative heads behind the Cork-themed movie and TV show, Hilary Rose and Peter Foott, as well as Cork City Council officials.
As the Cork-set show continues to amuse the masses across Ireland and the UK on RTÉ and BBC, Mr Cahill wanted to celebrate the success of the show and help share the sights and sounds of The Young Offenders with national and international fans.
Mr Cahill tweeted the suggestion, earning a huge amount of support online. He said he hopes to have a number of creative heads involved in the process of developing a tour that he believes will open up a new tourism avenue for the city.
Places such as Patrick’s Hill, The English Market and Bell’s Field could be incorporated into the tour that would allow visitors to experience a genuine Cork adventure across the city in the spirit of the show and its characters, Conor and Jock.
Manager of The English Market, Órla Lannin said she thought the series had certainly showcased Cork as a vibrant and entertaining destination but noted any tour would have to be mindful of the bylaws in place at The English Market which restricts large groups from entering the facility together.
"The Young Offenders has been such a huge hit and showcased the market to a generation who may have bypassed The English Market without realising all it has to offer," she said.
“It has also helped drive awareness and recognition to an international audience which is great for Cork. I think an official tour in Cork is a great idea and would drive tourism which is always fantastic however it would need to be organised correctly with careful consideration to ensure it's organised with limited numbers at a time etc.
“We have worked hard to introduce our tourist group regulations to ensure both the general public shopping in the market and the tourist groups get the most out of what The English Market has to off so a new tour like this would have to implemented around these guidelines."
Cork City Council Director of Corporate and External Affairs, Paul Moynihan gave his backing to the suggestion.
He said, “It’s an interesting idea. Hundreds of thousands of viewers have been tuning in every week to watch a TV show that has showcased the city and the warmth of its people like never before. Cork City Council would be delighted to work with anyone putting forward a solid proposal."