In March 2019, daughter Jill and I went on a ten-day tour of Ireland – three days in Dublin on our own and seven days on a guided tour of the Emerald Isle with CIE Tours International. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this unforgettable tour.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Cobh and Blarney.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Cobh and Blarney.
Waterford to Killarney (March 15, 2019) We left Waterford promptly at 8:30 under a partly cloudy sky, no rain, and a temperature of 50 degrees. Jill and I kept our umbrellas within easy reach, though, as we learned that the weather in Ireland could turn on a dime.
This was the third day of our eight-day tour, and the day that Jill and I anticipated the most. This was the day we visited the fabled Blarney Castle, where we kissed the Blarney Stone! First, though, we stopped in a town with a history that was intertwined with two ship disasters.
Two Fateful Voyages
Jill and I settled back in our seats for the 90-minute drive to Cobh (pronounced "Cove"). We passed through or near several small towns, including Kilmacthomas, Dungarvan, Killeagh and Castlemartyr. It was so relaxing to watch the pastures, mountains, homes, sheep (thousands of sheep!) and more go by. It was almost hypnotic, especially with the sound of the wheels on pavement. And the countryside, despite the gray clouds that filled the sky, was beautiful.
This was the third day of our eight-day tour, and the day that Jill and I anticipated the most. This was the day we visited the fabled Blarney Castle, where we kissed the Blarney Stone! First, though, we stopped in a town with a history that was intertwined with two ship disasters.
Two Fateful Voyages
Jill and I settled back in our seats for the 90-minute drive to Cobh (pronounced "Cove"). We passed through or near several small towns, including Kilmacthomas, Dungarvan, Killeagh and Castlemartyr. It was so relaxing to watch the pastures, mountains, homes, sheep (thousands of sheep!) and more go by. It was almost hypnotic, especially with the sound of the wheels on pavement. And the countryside, despite the gray clouds that filled the sky, was beautiful.
|
|
We arrived in Cobh (pop. 13,000) midmorning. It is located on the southern shore of Great Island in Cork Harbor, one of several harbors that claimed to be the second largest natural harbor in the world. Perhaps, but there was one thing indisputable about Cobh: It was the last port of call for the westbound Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, and the first port of call for the eastbound Lusitania, which was hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat and sank in 1915. Two fateful voyages, just three years apart - one going to the United States, the other coming from the United States. It’s a wonder, I thought, that so many modern-day cruise ships would come here!
Resident historian and author Dr. Michael Martin, who created the “Titanic Trail” in Cobh, led us on a short walk to Casement Square, where we stopped near the memorials to the passengers of the Titanic and Lusitania. Nearby was St. Colman's Cathedral, also know as the Emigrant's Cathedral, where so many Irish emigrants came to pray before leaving for a better opportunity. It was a great setting, with the harbor at our backs, to listen to Dr. Martin’s story about Cobh’s maritime history, Irish emigration, and the Titanic, of which he had extensive knowledge.
Cork Harbor, he told us, was a busy port for emigration. Six million Irish people emigrated to North America from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, and 40%, or 2.5 million hard souls, departed through Cobh. If you claimed Irish descent – neither Jill or I did – there’s a good chance your ancestors left Ireland through Cobh.
The Titanic, which was built in Belfast, was launched, tested in sea trials, sailed to Southampton to pick up passengers, arrived in Cobh (then called Queenstown) to pick up more passengers, and was fatally-struck by an iceberg on its maiden voyage –
all within the first two weeks of April, 1912.
Resident historian and author Dr. Michael Martin, who created the “Titanic Trail” in Cobh, led us on a short walk to Casement Square, where we stopped near the memorials to the passengers of the Titanic and Lusitania. Nearby was St. Colman's Cathedral, also know as the Emigrant's Cathedral, where so many Irish emigrants came to pray before leaving for a better opportunity. It was a great setting, with the harbor at our backs, to listen to Dr. Martin’s story about Cobh’s maritime history, Irish emigration, and the Titanic, of which he had extensive knowledge.
Cork Harbor, he told us, was a busy port for emigration. Six million Irish people emigrated to North America from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, and 40%, or 2.5 million hard souls, departed through Cobh. If you claimed Irish descent – neither Jill or I did – there’s a good chance your ancestors left Ireland through Cobh.
The Titanic, which was built in Belfast, was launched, tested in sea trials, sailed to Southampton to pick up passengers, arrived in Cobh (then called Queenstown) to pick up more passengers, and was fatally-struck by an iceberg on its maiden voyage –
all within the first two weeks of April, 1912.
Dr. Martin went into quite a bit of detail about the Titanic; he said that his approach was to be “accurate but not boring.” I leave it to you to learn whatever information you would like to know about the Titanic from the internet, with one exception: A handful of passengers disembarked in Cobh, including Friar Browne, who received a telegraph from his superiors telling him “Get off that ship – Provincial.” Talk about divine intervention! As a side note, many of the on-board images that survived long after the Titanic sank were taken by Friar Browne.
Jill and I learned more about the Titanic a few days later when we toured Titanic Belfast, which traced the ship’s story from design through shipbuilding to tragic sinking. For now, though, we were fascinated by Dr. Martin’s presentation, which gave us a much different perspective on the Titanic than we had from watching the 1997 disaster movie of the same name. In the photos below, the Lusitania Memorial is on the left and the Titanic Memorial is on the right. Dr. Martin is the gent in the blue coat in the in the middle photo.
Jill and I learned more about the Titanic a few days later when we toured Titanic Belfast, which traced the ship’s story from design through shipbuilding to tragic sinking. For now, though, we were fascinated by Dr. Martin’s presentation, which gave us a much different perspective on the Titanic than we had from watching the 1997 disaster movie of the same name. In the photos below, the Lusitania Memorial is on the left and the Titanic Memorial is on the right. Dr. Martin is the gent in the blue coat in the in the middle photo.
|
|
|
The Gift of Eloquence (or is it the Gift of Gab?)
From Cobh we drove 30 minutes west to the village of Blarney, home to Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. While Jill and I had not heard of Cobh before this trip, we certainly knew about the Castle and famous stone. And there we were, on our way to kiss the Blarney stone like millions of others!
Bryan, our tour guide and driver, dropped us at Blarney Shopping Center, across from Blarney Castle. We had two and a half hours on our own to tour the castle, kiss the stone, have lunch, and shop. He recommended we go to the castle first so that we weren't caught up in a long queue later. That sounded like a good plan to Jill and me, and that was what we did.
We were treated to the sight of a beautiful tree as we entered the grounds – Prunus Shirotae, sometimes called a Mt. Fuji Cherry – with clusters of fragrant white flowers.
From Cobh we drove 30 minutes west to the village of Blarney, home to Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. While Jill and I had not heard of Cobh before this trip, we certainly knew about the Castle and famous stone. And there we were, on our way to kiss the Blarney stone like millions of others!
Bryan, our tour guide and driver, dropped us at Blarney Shopping Center, across from Blarney Castle. We had two and a half hours on our own to tour the castle, kiss the stone, have lunch, and shop. He recommended we go to the castle first so that we weren't caught up in a long queue later. That sounded like a good plan to Jill and me, and that was what we did.
We were treated to the sight of a beautiful tree as we entered the grounds – Prunus Shirotae, sometimes called a Mt. Fuji Cherry – with clusters of fragrant white flowers.
We followed the aptly named Cherry Walk towards Blarney Castle and crossed Blarney River (more like a creek, truth be known). There we caught our first view of Blarney Castle and read the first of many plaques about the Blarney Stone.
|
|
The current castle was the third erected on this site. The first, a wooden structure, was built in the 10th century; it was replaced with a stone castle around 1210 A.D. The third castle was built in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster. While it changed hands many times over the centuries, it has been owned by the Colthurst family since the 1800s.
A little further on, we arrived at a monolith with a round hole in the upper half. People had congregated around it, and as we got closer, we realized why. This was a “Kodak-moment,” an opportunity to take a photo of Blarney Castle framed by the round hole. Pretty neat, huh?!
As we continued along Cherry Walk, we saw individual elements of the Castle, including the north wall, the entrance to a labyrinth of underground passages leading to the dungeons, and the Gothic mansion known as "the Court".
A little further on, we arrived at a monolith with a round hole in the upper half. People had congregated around it, and as we got closer, we realized why. This was a “Kodak-moment,” an opportunity to take a photo of Blarney Castle framed by the round hole. Pretty neat, huh?!
As we continued along Cherry Walk, we saw individual elements of the Castle, including the north wall, the entrance to a labyrinth of underground passages leading to the dungeons, and the Gothic mansion known as "the Court".
|
|
|
And then we were at the foot of the stairs that led to the Blarney Stone. There were 126 stairs in all – a wooden staircase to begin the climb on, which led to a narrow, winding passage with stone steps and a rope "rail" to complete the climb. It took 30 minutes to navigate our way from bottom to top. It wasn't a long distance, mind you; rather, there were a lot of people. It was a good thing we heeded Bryan’s advice!
|
|
We were treated to a scenic view of the castle's grounds as we emerged from the stone staircase. We walked across the battlement, where we read the legends of the Blarney stone, told on a series of plaques.
|
|
The left side of this plaque reads, “The term ‘blarney’, meaning beguiling but misleading talk, gained currency during the 16th century as the MacCarthy of the day attempted to fend off the demands of Queen Elizabeth I.” So, according to legend, kissing the Blarney Stone endows the kisser with the gift of great eloquence, or skill at flattery, or perhaps merely the gift of gab!
Where did the stone come from? Some say it was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah as a “stone of destiny,” while others believed it came from Scotland after a great battle. Or was it the “stone of Ezel,” brought to Ireland by the Crusaders? There were many legends, and no one knew for sure the true origin of the stone. I guess, though, that it really doesn’t matter.
The line of people who wanted to kiss the stone inched forward, and soon it was our turn. Before we left on our trip, Jill and I watched videos of people kissing the Blarney Stone, and so we were prepped and psyched for this experience. You see, to kiss the stone, I laid on my back, grabbed 2 iron rails behind my head, leaned backwards through a gap in the wall (and over a long drop, mind you!), and stretched my neck a bit to kiss the bottom of the stone. Fortunately, an attendant helped me through this process (and I silently prayed would be ready and able to catch me if I slipped!). It was "rinse and repeat" for Jill, as she did the same thing. We both had great fun!
Where did the stone come from? Some say it was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah as a “stone of destiny,” while others believed it came from Scotland after a great battle. Or was it the “stone of Ezel,” brought to Ireland by the Crusaders? There were many legends, and no one knew for sure the true origin of the stone. I guess, though, that it really doesn’t matter.
The line of people who wanted to kiss the stone inched forward, and soon it was our turn. Before we left on our trip, Jill and I watched videos of people kissing the Blarney Stone, and so we were prepped and psyched for this experience. You see, to kiss the stone, I laid on my back, grabbed 2 iron rails behind my head, leaned backwards through a gap in the wall (and over a long drop, mind you!), and stretched my neck a bit to kiss the bottom of the stone. Fortunately, an attendant helped me through this process (and I silently prayed would be ready and able to catch me if I slipped!). It was "rinse and repeat" for Jill, as she did the same thing. We both had great fun!
|
|
|
Our walk down was easier and faster than our walk up. Back at ground level, we immediately headed to the bathrooms to wash our lips – after all, when you kiss the Blarney stone, you kiss all the people who were there before you! Blech!!
We ate a light lunch at the shopping center – seafood soup and a scone – and then nosed around the shops. As we left Blarney on our way to Killarney, Jill and I agreed that Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone were everything we thought they would be. And, of course, with our new-found power, the Gift of Eloquence, we spent the next 15 minutes flattering one another!
It May Be a Long Way to Tipperary…
…but it was only an hour drive to Killarney, where we spent two nights to allow ample time to sight see this part of Ireland.
Bryan told us that he was from Tipperary, and on our ride to Killarney he regaled us with humorous stories about his family and sang It’s a Long Way to Tipperary. Please feel free to sing along if you know the tune.
We ate a light lunch at the shopping center – seafood soup and a scone – and then nosed around the shops. As we left Blarney on our way to Killarney, Jill and I agreed that Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone were everything we thought they would be. And, of course, with our new-found power, the Gift of Eloquence, we spent the next 15 minutes flattering one another!
It May Be a Long Way to Tipperary…
…but it was only an hour drive to Killarney, where we spent two nights to allow ample time to sight see this part of Ireland.
Bryan told us that he was from Tipperary, and on our ride to Killarney he regaled us with humorous stories about his family and sang It’s a Long Way to Tipperary. Please feel free to sing along if you know the tune.
It's a long way to Tipperary,
It's a long way to go.
It's a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know!
It's a long way to go.
It's a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know!
The name "Killarney" translates to “Church of the Sloes,” as in the sloe berry, the fruit of the blackthorn tree, which was abundant throughout this area of Ireland.
After a full day of sightseeing, our evening was low-key – drinks, food, and more drinks. I started with Dingle’s gin (neat, thank you!), which was distilled in County Kerry not far from Killarney, and then enjoyed a delicious three-course meal at the hotel’s dining room – crab cakes, Irish beef with potatoes and veggies, and bread pudding. After dinner, Jill and I went to Sheehan’s Pub, located around the corner from the hotel, for a half-pint of Guinness, conversation with fellow guests on our tour, and Irish music. The music blared and the crowd was raucous. It was a fun time!
We ended our evening at a nearby pub, Hannigan’s, where we joined Bryan for a nightcap and fun conversation. Then it was time for bed, as tomorrow we was another busy day.
It was another great day in Ireland – more sights, more memories, and more stories. By the way, it was a good thing we kept our umbrellas at the ready, as it drizzled in Cobh and Killarney. As I said earlier, the weather was ever-changing!
We ended our evening at a nearby pub, Hannigan’s, where we joined Bryan for a nightcap and fun conversation. Then it was time for bed, as tomorrow we was another busy day.
It was another great day in Ireland – more sights, more memories, and more stories. By the way, it was a good thing we kept our umbrellas at the ready, as it drizzled in Cobh and Killarney. As I said earlier, the weather was ever-changing!