Dennehy's Health and Fitness, Penrose Dock

First Impressions

Our second stop at Dennehy's brought us into the city centre to their Penrose Dock location, housed in the basement of one of Cork's flashiest new office blocks. The big question people will have is simple: is this better than the Douglas gym? The answer is yes - it's a little bit better.

The Gym

It's a little bit bigger than Douglas, and there's a great variety of machines along with plenty of free weights and plates - something that can be in short supply at busy times in Dennehy's Douglas.

We were in on a Saturday afternoon and it was quite busy, so you can imagine this gym fills up at peak times too. It is not a huge gym, and it sits inside an upper-class office block - it feels new and has plenty going for it.

Equipment Rundown

• Two big racks full of dumbbells - plenty to go around
• A full row of squat racks, plus two dedicated squat rack cages
• Plenty of machines for all types of leg exercises
• Loads of chest and back machines
• A dedicated mat area at the back of the gym for abs work
• Plenty of cardio - stepping machines, rowing machines, and assault bikes, which in our opinion are the best machines for cardio

The Extras

There's a dedicated spinning studio and a second studio for PTs and classes. New members get a free 1-to-1 PT session to pick up your fitness, and there's a neuromuscular therapy centre inside the gym called Fit For Long. The dressing rooms are also much nicer than Douglas.

Location and Parking

Location is OK - city centre ish, next to plenty of offices and the train station, and accessible. Parking is the sticking point though - unlike the other three Dennehy's locations, there's no free parking at Penrose Dock, and city centre parking is paid and hard to come by. If you're based around town for work, this is the city-centre gym to pick — otherwise Dennehy's Douglas or Flyefit on Princes Street are worth a look.

The Price

Membership is €79 for the month, and that gets you access to all four Dennehy's locations - Penrose Dock, Douglas, Blackpool, and Ballincollig.

Cork Xtra Verdict

If you're based in or around the city centre, Penrose Dock is the pick of the Dennehy's gyms we've tried so far - bigger, better equipped, and nicer facilities than Douglas, all on the same €79 four-gym membership. Just sort your parking plan before you go. The hunt for Cork's best gym continues.

• Location: 7.5/10
• Atmosphere: 7.0/10
• Equipment: 8.0/10
• Value: 7.0/10
• Overall: 7.5/10