Blogs from Blarney, County Cork, Ireland, Europe
Possibly the most famous landmark in Ireland
Published: April 12th 2012Europe » Ireland » County Cork » Blarney
April 6th 2012
When I was a kid, I read about Blarney Castle and its famous Blarney Stone in an "around the world" type book for children. All I really remembered was the phrase "full of Blarney" and a picture of a person being dangled by the ankles to kiss a stone on the side of a Castle. Even so, the prospect of visiting a place I had read about as a kid was very exciting. If nothing else, the town of Blarney is fully aware of the number of tourists, especially American tourists, that it gets. Everything is overpriced and signposted, the student discounts are tiny and in order to leave the castle grounds, you have to walk through a gift shop. They also have a professional photographer at the top of the castle so they can sell ... read more
Sunday 18th September – Day trip to Cork/Blarney/Blarney Castle/Blarney Stone
Published: September 29th 2011Europe » Ireland » County Cork » Blarney
September 18th 2011
We decided last night to book another nights accommodation and do a day trip down to Blarney Castle and Cork. We figured if local tours could do it... so could we! We were up at about 8am and left for Blarney/Cork at about 9.30am. We stopped off at a superette to buy some lunch along the way, we have taken to 'make-your-own' lunches which is quite nice. We arrived at Blarney Castle at about 2pm and went straight in. The grounds are massive for this place. It has a castle as well as big walking tracks, gardens, caves and another house where people still live in. We walked up Blarney Castle and on each of the levels we were able to stop and read about what used to be there. There was a place called the ... read more
August 23rd 2011
After arriving in Waterford by rail, we checked into our hotel and headed straight to the pub recommended by the fellow who picked us up at the side of the road and took us to the train station. What started out as a rough day turned into a great afternoon and evening. Waterford is another great town, rich in history with invasions by Vikings, Anglo-Normans, and various British monarchs over the centuries. The people are also amazing, as, we are discovering, they seem to be throughout this country. We hung around the town for a couple of days, while a new vehicle was transported to us. Once we finally got it, we headed toward the southwest coast, via Cork and Blarney. Of course, I just had to kiss that Blarney Stone. Other than being a bit ... read more
July 6th 2011
So internet the past few days has been almost nonexistant. But, I did blog those days, and am now posting what I've blogged. Day 2 of driving - SO much better than Day 1. We only had to stop and ask for directions once (at a rather shady looking gas station - although my Mom assured me that the man working there was extremely nice). Today's goal was to leave County Waterford, head into County Cork, and ultimately end in the town of Kinsale for the next two nights. Along the way, we had two castles to visit - Cahir Castle, and (of course!) Blarney Castle. Cahir Castle is in Cahir, and was built in 1124. It is one of the largest castles in Ireland that is still standing today. We spent about 30 minutes walking ... read more
Reflections on Ireland and the irish and doing things differently - perhaps
Published: May 28th 2011Europe » Ireland » County Cork » Blarney
May 29th 2011
The abandoned skeletons of half finished houses litter the west coast of Ireland. They sit alongside hundreds of for sale signs, fire sale signs might be more appropriate. Each one a memorial to the great Irish experiment now lying in ruins like the occasional old abandoned castle you pass on the side of the road. 30 years ago Ireland began a bold experiment. It made a conscious commitment as a nation to invest in education. When Ireland joined the EEC, it had this ready-made workforce of highly educated young people. IT and other innovative companies and drug manufacturers set up or moved their European operations to Ireland. All looked rosy. UNTIL the financial spivs and the desk jockeys moved in. Average punters were encouraged to borrow beyond their capacity to repay on the promise of ever ... read more
May 15th 2011
Hello from Cobh (pronounced ‘cove’) Ireland. We arrived this morning right on time, with a nice smooth docking. We had left a 6:30 wake-up call (that’s 12:30 the night before in St Louis) so we would have plenty of time to get dressed and have breakfast before reporting to the main theater for our half-day tour to leave at 8:15. Our guide was named Theresa but apparently the driver did not have a name. We boarded the bus just a few feet from the gangway and drove through the little town of Cobh. The bus drove alongside the River Lee and through the center of Cork. Since this is Sunday morning, traffic was light in Cork and we moved along quickly. We traveled through the central city, with the guide pointing out many places and providing ... read more
October 2nd 2010
Monday 27th September to 3rd October 2010 Monday 27th Sept 2010 Up and into Blarney Castle and grounds. www.blarneycastle.ie . Built more than 600 years go. Lovely setting. We spent around 2.5 hours there. Did not kiss the Blarney Stone (the Stone of Eloquence) - as Tom already has the gift of the gab and Gaye can’t get a word in anyway. On site there was also the Blarney House -but it is out of season now and it was closed. Drove to a campsite supposedly near bus route - it was 2.5 km up a steep hill, so the return trip was just not on. Told we could get a taxi or drive. That was no good so off to the campsite listed on the other side of town and also on a bus route. ... read more
July 13th 2010
This is my Second last day in Ireland and Intend to Kiss the Blarney stone. It’s said that once you have kissed the stone you will be gifted with the ability to speak eloquently. Look out plum in mouth here I come; I was going to video myself kissing the stone! Oh yeh big Ideas. The Stone is at the top of Blarney castle, you have to climb 100 tiny slippery steps to the top then wait in a queue. As I got closer I realized that you actually had to hang over the side of the castle wall on your back holding onto a railing attached to another wall suspended in front of you, then you slide down hanging on once the Blarney Stone is in front of you, you kiss it. They have a ... read more
May 12th 2010
This morning we woke up to get on the road for our last day in Ireland :( The weather has been absolutely gorgeous..sunshine every single day. Had breakfast and headed to Blarney...it was another day of roundabouts for Jared. Blarney is a cute little village, our first stop was the famous Blarney Castle..absolutely gorgeous, hard to believe that someone really lived in it. Walking up to the stone were 100 very small rock steps, i bet they were only 6in wide and straight up spiraling. I was glad the line wasnt long to kiss the stone, I was impatient seeing as this is something Ive been waiting to do. You really have to hang your head down to kiss the stone, it's at the bottome of the rock wall. After Jared and I kissed, we walked ... read more
May 9th 2010
There is a stone that whoever kisses, Oh! He never misses to grow eloquent, ‘Tis he may clamber to a ladies chamber or become a member of parliament - Francis Sylvester Mahony Legend has it that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will gain the gift of the gab. In other words, you could charm your way to anything you wanted. Although there are many who don’t need to kiss the stone, over 350,000 visit the castle every year. We thought that it was time that we added to the numbers. Cork has many attractions but it was my ignorance at how close the castle was to the city that kept me from visiting before this. Only 10km’s from the city centre it was surely worth a visit on a sunny Sunday afternoon. We got to ... read more
