Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle – Cork

Blarney Castle is a medieval Castle in Blarney, near Cork. The castle is said to have been built prior to 1200 when a timber house was  built on the site, although no evidence remains of this. Around 1210 this was replaced by a stone fortification. It was destroyed in 1446, but it was rebuilt by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy.

All that lives on now is the partial remains of the once beloved Castle.

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At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, known to most as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle hang upside-down over a drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of Eloquence (gift of the gab).

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Aside from the Blarney Stone, the Blarney Castle also has the Rocklose Gardens which surround the castle which are great to wander around.

There is also a mansion, known as Blarney House, which is open to all and is well worth the visit.

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Visit Kinsale – Cork

Kinsale
As we veer along the streets leading from Cork to Kinsale the countryside is awash with colour. I have never seen so many shades of green. On descent the streets start to narrow as we approach Kinsale.  

The sun was shining and the place was packed. The buzz in the air felt like we could have been anywhere in Europe. There are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. We were only there for the day so we didn’t have much time to go bar hopping.

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We walked around the town (make sure you walk the beautiful back streets of the city) and roamed around all the cute little shops which are scattered throughout the town.

Kinsale Shops Cork

Kinsale Shops

After our walk we took a boat cruise around Kinsale with Kinsale Harbour Cruises ( http://www.kinsaleharbourcruises.com). It is definitely a must do. You get commentary the whole trip and you learn about the history of Kinsale. The views from the boat are AMAZING and you wont see them from the just walking around. 

The price is 12.50 euro per adult / 5 euro for kinds under 14 and well worth it. The cruise goes for about 50 minutes.

Once we finished the cruise we stopped off and got a takeaway from Dino’s Fish and Chip shop. Dino’s also have a sit down restaurant. The day was beautiful so we got a take away and sat in the park next door.

So there you have it. A beautiful day in Kinsale. If you are visiting Cork then you should definitely stop by Kinsale.

Vince.