Docking in Cobh, Ireland was scheduled for 8:00am, by which time I had already eaten breakfast and was standing 6th in line to debark. By 8:15am I found myself dockside staring up at the very impressive Norwegian Jade. A fellow Cruise Critics had
organized a private tour using eCoach. Deciding to join the group I simply went online to book and pay for the tour at a cost
of $49EUR = $51.95USD per person. This price also included the admission to the Blarney Castle and Grounds.
 |
| Blarney Castle |
Our bus was waiting just outside the port gate and amazingly, all 45 fellow Cruise
Critics arrived on time. Fortunately for us that meant our bus was in #1 position
out of the port and off to Blarney Castle. This proved to be very significant as waits
at Blarney Castle can be quite significant, up to 2 hours or more depending on your arrival time.
Our arrival at Blarney Castle was
9:30am and once our driver handed out our tickets and we entered onto the
Castle grounds, we felt that our first order of business was to quickly head to the Castle, climb
the tower and “Kiss the Blarney Stone”.
Our driver allowed us 2 hours at this
stop, plenty of time for our group to tour the Castle and walk the grounds. This proved not to be the case for other cruisers that came behind us.
By the time we were leaving it was a 2-hr wait just to get inside. I heard disappointment from several
passengers who found the wait too long and they simply opted to skip the Castle altogether. On the day of our visit I was actually the 4th person in line to “Kiss the Blarney Stone".
TIP: Be sure you arrive at the Castle grounds EARLY
or you will find yourself waiting in a long line.
It is said that when Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster, sent five thousand men to
support Robert the Bruce in his defeat of the English at Bannockburn in
1314, a portion of the historic Stone was given by the Scots in
gratitude and returned to Ireland. The Stone itself is set in the wall below the battlements. To kiss
it, one must lean backwards, holding on to an iron railing. Not the easiest of positions for some.
For over 200 years now legend has it that if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will gain the gift of eloquence.
 |
| Hear I am holding on to the iron railings attached to the battlements. |
 |
| Doing my back bend to reach the Blarney Stone and give it a kiss. | | | |
 |
| Blarney Castle grounds |
|
 |
| Blarney Castle grounds |
 |
| Top of Blarney Castle where the Blarney stone is |
 |
| Walking the narrow passages and stairs up to the Blarney Stone |
 |
| Mike and Sharon just after kissing the Blarney Stone |
 |
| View of Blarney Castle from the grounds |
 |
| Grounds of Blarney Castle |
|
 |
| Color of Blarney Castle grounds |
|
 |
| Color of Blarney Castle grounds |
|
 |
| Color of Blarney Castle |
 |
| Color of Blarney Castle grounds |
We found ourselves walking out of the grounds at about
10:45am. With 45 minutes still remaining
we walked into town (about 5 minute walk) to the family owned Muskerry Arms Traditional Irish Bar and Restaurant. Established as a small public house in 1838,
it was named after the Muskerry Tramline which serviced the city of Blarney
until the 1930’s. The line ran from Cork to Blarney, a distance of 18 miles. The railway
had a 3ft gauge which classified it as a narrow gauge railway. We opted to have an early lunch because the tour called for our stop to be in the
town of Kinsale, but that would not be until 1:30pm.
 |
| Muskerry Arms Traditional Irish Bar and Restaurant |
Our pick proved to be a great choice and was
delightful. With an impressive 30 foot
long bar and traditional Irish décor and music playing, our lunch was served
quickly by the friendly staff. Including
a local Irish beer, our total expense for 2 was $28USD. After
lunch we strolled leisurely through the quaint streets of Blarney and arrived
back to our bus at exactly 11:30am.
Perfect timing.
Next, a 2-hr drive through the picturesque Irish countryside
as we set our sights for the sheltered harbor city of Kinsale. Originally
a medieval fishing port, historic Kinsale (from the Irish, Ceann tSaile – ‘Head
of the Sea’) is one of the most colorful, picturesque, popular and historic towns on the south west coast of
Ireland. It has also been crowned as the “Gourmet capital of Ireland”.
 |
| Colorful streets of Kinsale |
 |
| Streets of Kinsale |
 |
| Streets of Kinsale |
 |
| Streets of Kinsale |
 |
| Kinsale |
On May 7, 1915 the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Kinsale causing
the deaths of 1,198 passengers. The official inquest was held in the Kinsale Courthouse and TownHall, which is now a Museum.
Finding a need to check email and post photos on facebook, we stepped into Kitty O’Sheas during our short stop in Kinsale. The drawing card was the front window sign advertising free wi-fi. Our departure from Kinsale was set for 3:00pm
and our return was without deviation and directly back to the ship.
Arriving dockside at 4:00pm allowed more than ample time to embark for a
5:00pm scheduled sail away from beautiful Ireland.
 |
| Kitty OSheas in Kinale |
No comments:
Post a Comment