Driving is one of the top ways to experience the beauty of the city, the problem is—where to park. Not to worry though—the best parking spots are all over Cork City now and they take security measures seriously.
In this article, we’ll be talking about where to find these car parks and how to get there. We’d love to make things easier for you so you’ve come to the right place for a guide.
Let’s start!
Cost of Parking Per Hour in Cork City
The following table is a comparison of the rate per hour of Cork City’s popular parking spaces. While this is the pricing, please note that it might change any time without advance notice:
Best Parking Spaces in Cork City
We’re about to review the top parking spots in the city through the following factors:
1. Paul Street Car Park
| Parking lot size | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Security measures | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Ambience and vicinity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
If there’s one thing the customers love most about Paul Street Car Park, it’s the convenience of its location. According to them, it’s easy to walk to other places from there since it’s right at the centre of Cork city!
In fact, it’s near the mall and just a walking distance to the opera house. Everything you need is within reach, so you don’t need to transfer to another parking space just to visit other places.
We think you’ll also love the fact that it’s easy to come in and out of the parking space. There are traffic lights that regulate the flow of the traffic outside of the parking lot, so you won’t have a problem manoeuvring your car.
Another thing we appreciate is how affordable Paul Street Car Park is. While it needs an upgrade in lifts and perhaps a coat of paint, it’s pretty clean (including the toilets) which shows that the owners take care of it.
We also love that there are park attendants everywhere. Just in case you need help, there’s always someone ready to assist you.
Just a little warning that it might be too small if you have a large vehicle. While it can still fit, it’ll be a little too tight, and you might have a hard time fitting your vehicle to its allotted space.
Pros
- Convenient location
- Connected to a mall
- Easy to get in or out
- Clean parking
- Friendly park assistants
- Affordable
- Well-maintained toilets
Cons
- Lift doesn’t work at times
- Space is a little tight for large cars
- Needs more maintenance
Customer Reviews
Connected to a mall
Perfect parking for the city centre especially when it’s raining. You can walk straight into the Tesco shopping mall.— Michael Kilkelly, Google Reviews
Convenient location
Perfect location for the centre of Cork city, the approach and exit roads are traffic light controlled so no great problems getting in or out. Can be very busy at times but that’s due to the location.— Sean Cusack, Google Reviews
2. Q-Park
| Parking lot size | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Security measures | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Ambience and vicinity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Q-Park made it to our list because it’s one of the well-maintained car parks in Cork. You’ll find the parking spots clean and free from any litter and also well-secured (which is very important because it’s open 24 hours).
According to some customers, they always choose Q-Park when they love to roam around the city centre. It’s smack dab in the middle of the city and is near the main shopping street!
In terms of pricing, some people think it’s pricier than most, but we think the rates are pretty reasonable because of the security and the overall maintenance. We don’t mind paying extra if we’re sure our cars are safe and in a clean, well-lit space!
We also want to praise the staff for being very attentive and helpful. There were some instances where customers had issues with their cars, and the guys at Q-Park helped them without hesitation.
We think it’s worth noting though that Q-Park is an extremely busy car park due to the location, so it gets easily full. You might struggle finding a space most especially during peak hours.
Also, just a little warning that it takes a long time to validate a parking ticket if you’re using the machine. However, another option is to pay at the exit to avoid the queues.
Pros
- Safe and secure
- Open 24 hours
- Friendly staff
- Reasonable rates
- Central location
- Clean and well-maintained
- Has a nice view
Cons
- Long queue for ticket validation
- Easily gets full
Customer Reviews
Open 24 hours with security
Highly safe and secure 24 hour parking facility. Always a space available. Clean, tidy and salted when icy, would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Cork City. Staff are friendly and helpful, prices are competitive and the view from the 5th floor roof level is lovely at this Wintery time of year.— Paul Hannigan, Google Reviews
Regularly cleaned
I used this car park in November of 2021 and it is a lovely car facility. Car parking spaces are obviously cleaned regularly, no litter around the place! It is located in a beautiful place and as we visited in November once we left the building we were greeted by gorgeous Christmas lights. Recommend using this car park— Tiana Ward, Google Reviews
3. Lapps Quay Public Car Park
| Parking lot size | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Security measures | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Ambience and vicinity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
What we love about Lapps Quay Public Car Park is that it has plenty of parking spaces—the place almost never runs out of slots. It’s a multi-storey car park, which adds to that fact, making it convenient for you if you have business at the city centre!
In fact, some of the customers whom we talked to loved the convenience of it all! It’s near the shopping area and even food districts, and is also accessible to other commercial areas you might want to visit.
The lift is even connected to a restaurant! So if you want to grab a bite to eat before you walk around, you can do so easily.
We also appreciate the fact that the parking spaces are well-lit too so you’ll feel pretty safe and secure even when you’re alone. In case your car encounters an issue, there are a lot of helpful parking attendants around you can ask help from.
We also like that it’s well-maintained and very clean. This shows that the car park owners can take care of your cars as much as it takes care of the parking spaces.
One problem we think might inconvenience you though is that the slots are a little too tight for large cars. Of course they can still fit, but it might take you a few tries to fit your cars properly.
Also, please be careful about the additional charges. Even if you’re just over 1 minute, you’ll be charged for the next hour.
Pros
- Secure
- Clean and well-maintained
- Has a lift connected to a restaurant
- Well-lit
- Central location
- Near the shopping area
- Helpful park attendants
- Has plenty of spaces
Cons
- Might have additional charges
- Tight space for large cars
Customer Reviews
Safe and secure, but might be tight for a large car
The Lapps Quay underground car park has an elevator that comes up to street level right outside Tequila Jack’s, which is where we were headed for dinner. To access the lift back down to the car park it is keypad activated with a code on your ticket. 2.80 per hr and very well lit, very clean, very well maintained. Bit tight if you weren’t comfortable driving a big vehicle but overall very good. — Laura M O’ Connell, Google Reviews
Always has an available space
Great friendly weekday staff, very helpful and service is always with a smile. Very competitive prices and availability is never an issue. — Barry O Driscoll, Google Reviews
4. Patrick’s Bridge Car Park
| Parking lot size | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Security measures | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Ambience and vicinity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
The first thing we notice about Patrick’s Bridge Car Park is its layout. It has plenty of space for cars to move around and look for slots, making it less accident-prone for car owners.
Speaking of safety, another thing we love about the car park is that it’s well-supervised. There are plenty of helpful attendants around to look after your cars and other security measures that’ll make you feel at ease when you leave your vehicles there.
Just in case you have issues, don’t hesitate to inform the attendants. The car park is very keen on customer satisfaction, and the staff go out of their way to help their customers.
In fact, most of its customers are already regular customers. They told us they’ve been parking at Patrick’s Bridge since time immemorial, and they received nothing but good service.
We think you’ll also appreciate that it’s in a central location—you can access almost everything from there! It’s also wheelchair-accessible, which is convenient for those with disabilities.
Rates-wise, Patrick’s Bridge Car Park is one of those with affordable options. However, we think you should know that it’s very strict with time, so even just a minute of being late, you’ll get charged for the next hour.
Also, it tends to get really busy even in the first few hours of the morning. If you want to get a slot, we advise getting there early.
Pros
- Competitive rates
- Wheelchair-accessible
- Amazing customer service
- Well-supervised
- Organised parking layout
- Accessible
- Central location
- Safe and secure
- Plenty of parking space
Cons
- Might overcharge
- Tends to get busy
Customer Reviews
Competitive rates
Great price compared to others in the area and the staff were so lovely and friendly!— Mery, Google Reviews
Easily accessible to everyone
Great central parking, the lads are incredibly friendly. Easy access with city traffic!.— Sarah Jane, Google Reviews
5. Car Park Merchants Quay
| Parking lot size | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Security measures | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Location | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Ambience and vicinity | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Car Park Merchants Quay is another car park in a central location. And what we love most about it is that it’s near shopping centres, so everything you might need is within reach!
Another thing we love is its accessibility. Other than the easy entrance-exit protocols, it also has access to pedestrian lanes which makes it safe for customers.
Speaking of customers’ convenience, we appreciate the fact that the parking is wheelchair-accessible. It also has plenty of parking spaces for everyone even on a weekend, so you won’t struggle finding a slot for your car!
We think the electric car users will love this—the car park has charging stations! So if you’re bringing an electric car, you don’t need to worry about a single thing.
Rates are reasonable as well—probably one of the cheapest parking lot fees in Cork. It’s also pretty secure since there are security cams around and staff around as well.
Just a little warning though—the car park has very strict closing time rules. If you don’t arrive at the closing time, your cars will get locked in and you’ll be charged for overnight parking.
We also think staff should be more attentive. Some customers complained that some of the attendants didn’t help when they had car problems.
Pros
- Has charging points for electric cars
- Great location
- Reasonable rates
- Easy pedestrian access
- Wheelchair-accessible
- Near shopping stores
- Lots of parking available even on weekends
Cons
- Staff need to be more attentive
- Strict closing rules
Customer Reviews
Electric cars-friendly
Best car park in the city,there open later now and also have charge points for electric cars which is handy for me and the staff are so helpful, also it is just bang in the centre of the city,great location for everything—Richard Carroll, Google Reviews
Near shopping centres
Central, easy pedestrian access through shopping centre.— Angela Ford, Google Reviews
FAQs About Parking in Cork City
Parking is often a cause of worry to those who bring their cars everywhere. We hope our list helps in your search for good parking spots. If you’re looking for other car services, try Best Auto-Repair in Cork or Top Car Transport Services in Ireland.