In Farrenfore you just get on the train. It’s a toss up on whether anybody will check your ticket on your journey to Dublin.
Huh, wow. Like you can just walk on at Mallow, but they do have the gates if you need to tap.
Mallow is in the Cork commuter zone; you can use a leap card there. The issue is more around stations where you currently can’t use a leap card at all.
Actually, I guess I haven't stopped anywhere that isn't in a commuter zone, so it makes sense that I wasn't aware of this.