Heading to the land of the Green…
Flying from Heathrow there is a morning or
evening flight available to fly you to cork on a daily basis with various
airlines with car hire rentals at the arrivals gate waiting for you. We found
this was the best way to get around on such a tight schedule however you can
absolutely use public transport efficiently if you have more time on your hands.
Plus the best tour guides and planners are the local taxi drivers, on our way
into the city we practically had our weekend planned for us which was wonderful
by a very spritely driver.So first on our whistle stop tour we headed to Blackrock castle and observatory. This beautiful castle is tiny but with such an extensive history which is clearly explained to you through the local guides of which you can pay a few euros to join, included on the tour is a walk round the castle (it really is tiny) and time in the ‘installed’ observatory. The indoor observatory shows you projected images of the nights sky throughout the month that you visit, pointing out all the major stars, constellations and planets. This is a great place to visit with children as there are many interactive activities for them to try out before the tour. There is a small café and shop which you can also enjoy whilst there. We didn’t spend all that much time here because the weather wasn’t that great but I image in the summer months this small castle attracts a lot of visitors.
Having a Blarney good time!
From tiny to tremendous we make our way to Blarney Castle and gardens, This beautifully preserved castle is truly beautiful and the gardens light the way to the main event with small herb gardens, magical witches kitchens, waterfalls, rivers and sculptures throughout the way, you really could get lost for days here.
Naturally the main reason tourists come to Blarney Castle is to kiss the Blarney Stone, which according to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab, which explains an awful lot in Ireland don’t you think? Of course you can’t come all this way and not kiss the stone even if you have to queue for hours within peak season. (there are signs up the pathways leading to the castle like a theme park of your queue time, Thankfully for us we were there in low season and a damp day so no wait at all to find my voice again!)
Cobh, ‘’Cove’’.
We moved onto Cobh where we are swiftly corrected on the pronunciation (Cove not Cob), originally known as Queenstown after a visit from Queen Victoria in 1849. Cobh is a typical seaside town and so beautiful. I had no idea that this was the last port point of the Titanic before it came to a tragic end, so naturally there is a lot of tourism based around this huge part of history. The stories of passengers are told in the small guided museum tour where the remanence of the pier they used to wave their goodbyes, for some that would be their last, and board the boat to take them to the grand Titanic. It truly is a chilling experience that I recommend you all to visit should you get the chance.
Refresh below deck at the Titanic Bar and enjoy the fresh local seafood produce looking out towards Spike island where the Titanic itself was been moored for passengers to board.
We didn’t get a chance to head to Spike island unfortunately as there was only one boat to and from each day in the off season but when we head back I will definitely make the effort to head over as I’ve only heard good things of the prison tours of which only closed in 2004.
Before you head back into Cork city you must head into St Colmans Cathedral, It was time for Mass when we went in but you are still free to look around as long as you are respectful to the ongoing services. It truly is a spectacle.
A quick tipple? Don’t mind if I do…
One final stop (yes this is all in one day!) head to the Jameson brewery for a whiskey tasting. You can join one of their many tours ranging from 20 minutes to 2 hours (obviously ranging in prices), or just head straight to the bar and try their many variations of flights, all of which are delicious and surprisingly not as expensive as I thought they might be.
I can hands down say you will not struggle to find somewhere in cork city to eat and drink during the day or in evenings, however if you want a local recommendation I would head straight to The Thomand Pub, A local family run business with owner Rae Kennedy always on hand to chat with for hours, offering the best pub grub, copious amounts if priceless sports memorabilia filling the walls that will keep you busy for hours and TVs on every wall showing all your top quality sports from Rugby to Hurling. If this isn’t enough for you they have live music every single night of the week all of outstanding quality that makes you stay a lot longer that you know you should!
Head back to one of the many hotels in Cork. Dependant on what you’re looking for there are 5 star spa hotels to your standard night stop hotels, all of which we can book for you with no hassle at all.
Knowing we have the afternoon flight to catch we have Kinsale in our sights but not before we stop at Charles Fort. The star shaped fort looks out into Kinsale harbour and even on a mizzley September day we had such wonderful views out to sea and over into Kinsale. The fort has so many ins and outs, small store rooms, ramparts and a small information centre giving you the full history of the fort in its hay day. Guided tours are offered here if you would like more information on your way round but it was nice to just take things at your own speed and amble around the fort for a few hours.
We finish off our tour of Cork in the town of Kinsale a colourful harbour town that reminds me of streets of Copenhagen with the luminously painted terraced town houses. Copious amounts of seafood restaurants and tourist shops are the main highlights of Kinsale but still a lovely stop over before heading back to the airport.
Be warned – don’t get the Cork airport too early, it is tiny and there’s only so much duty free shopping and coffee sipping you can do before flying back home.
As always however long or short of a break you are looking for, we here at Big Blue can help organise your trip however you desire. Just give us a call or pop by our office to come and chat with us.
Until next time sending lucky travels your way…
