Cork to Blarney and Cashel, then on to Cobh and Kinsale

Well some travelling has been done over the past 2 or 3 days.

We arrived in Cork and stayed in a hotel this time, the Commons Inn for 2 nights.

Day 1

We headed off in sunshine to Blarney to visit the castle and kiss the stone.

By the time we got to the top of the castle, the heavens were threatening to unleash another downpour on us. Nothing for it but to suck it up and get on with the business at hand......laying flat on your back, legs askew, leaning the top of your body backwards over a sheer drop of around 4 stories high to crane your neck to kiss a stone that is about 6 inches in front of your face that countless others have already slobbered on and placing all your trust in two hand rails and an attendant that is there to make sure you do it right. Attractive sight but of course! We have the official and expensive photos to prove it.

We climbed down from atop our castle battlement and headed for a wander around the poison garden complete with bella donna, wolfs bane, opium poppies and an extremely healthy cannibis plant. We continued our wandering snot Blaney house, unfortunately closed for the season then back to the visitors centre for a baileys coffee and souvenirs, just in time for the drenching that would then continue for the rest of the day.

We thought then we would travel further afield and head to the Rock off Cashel. I'd never been before and it was a decent drive to get there, straight up the middle towards Tipperary.

The weather had made wandering around on foot unpleasant so we bit the bullet and took off for the centre. We arrived in Cashel around 1 o'clock and walked up to the Rock. This is purportedly the beginnings of Christianity in Ireland. It has been many things over the years, but it is impressive. It was abandoned eventually because it was a bit u comfortable.........this I understand, I don't think I have ever been that cold. Our hands were frozen to the point of not being able to press the button on my camera, and once they started warming up again it was painful.

From Cashel we headed back to Cork for a well deserved drink and some food, before retiring to our room where we watched a movie and got a good nights sleep.

Day 2

After checking out the next morning we headed into Cork thinking of picking up the hop on hop off bus for a tour, alas thwarted again, the bus does not run outside of the high season! We wandered around on foot for a while then headed off to Cobh (pronounced cove) the last point of call for the Titanic before she left to cross the Atlantic to New York.

We went to the Titanic memorial garden and then did the Titanic experience, finishing off with a baileys coffee at Kelly's White Star Line bar.

The memorial garden is at one end of Cobh on the harbour, over looking where the titanic was anchored. It was as windy as all get out and the noise made by the masts and ropes were quite eerie.

The Titanic Experience is at the centre of town on the harbour and is actually the original white star line ticket office where 123 people purchased their tickets for the ill fated trip. Heartbreak pier is still there, only just and was being repaired after almost total destruction last week in storm Desmond. This is the location where the passengers were farewelled by their families and friends a sad place as they were leaving for a better life, never to return. The majority of the passengers that left from here actually survived, Kelly's ticket persona lived mine however did not!

We travelled from Cobh to Kinsale and checked into our accommodation for the night. Kinsale is a very pretty seaside town that is all lit up for Christmas. We will be exploring its surrounds before heading off towards Waterford and the last day of our Irish adventure.