First visit to Ireland – landed in Cobh

Index

What Wanted to do

What I did

– Railtours tour

– Cobh Titanic Museum

– Blarney castle

Summary including would I return?

What Wanted to do

Cobh was billed as the port for Cork, therefore before the trip, I had envisioned looking round Cork and possibly Titanic museum in Cobh. However, the day before, seeing on ship’s excursion, that could get to Blarney Stone from Cobh I wanted to go there as it was my first trip to Ireland, I thought it would be appropriate to kiss the Blarney Stone.

What we did

Rail Tours Tour

Cobh train station was on the port and you could get a 20minutes train journey independently to Cork, however we decided to go for a tour with Railtours. It cost €59 in order to make going Uk the Blaney stone which was outside Cork easier. The price included entry into Titanic museum in Cobh €9, entry to Blarney castle €18, train to Cork, bus to Blarney castle which could have been complicated to get to otherwise and bus back to Cobh.

Cobh Titanic Museum

Before train had time to look round Titanic experience for 45minutes when it opened, at 9.30. It was refreshing to be the only ones in, to take photos without anyone in the way and wander at leisure. In addition to Titanic story it covered reasons for people emigrating from Ireland including prison ships to Australia and the potato famine. There was an atmospheric area with audio of the docks. It also covered the Lusitaniaon disaster.

After returning to Cobh in the afternoon, we spent another hour or so in Titanic museum, it really was such interesting museum; I spent part of time on computer looking at census records.

Blarney Castle

We got train to Cork, but only got to glimpse some street art from bus windows as, we headed to Blarney castle. There was 90minute wait to get into castle and kiss Blarney Stone. As waited, I realised it was not a big stone that people could kiss, from multiple angles simultaneously. Instead it was a small stone had built into a wall at top of castle and for some reason had to lay down to kiss. When got to my turn, I saw had to lay on back as small stone less than half metre off the floor of the castle roof . I say ground but actually next to the wall there was a about 30cm hole directly to ground which just two metal rods across. Therefore potentially, it would have been worse to kneel down and bend to kiss the stone, looking down to ground miles below. As it was it was pretty hair raising; leaning back with help of staff, and trusting them to help place haves on rails as balanced self to kiss stone. The, scariness was exhilarating and appetite building therefore, for lunch in the cafe I had Irish stew and a fantastic slab of chocolate cake (See Instragram 360 for picture of food and me kissing Blarney Stone). The gardens of castle appeared to be pretty but only had time to go in poison garden behind castle. This was plants that could poison people or be used medically such as foxgloves and cannibus.

When we met guide he directed us to Blarney mill shops for 20minutes before we got bus to the cathedral in Cobh.

Summary including would I return?

A successful first immersion to Ireland; kissing Blarney Stone, Irish stew and after before getting back on ship in cruise some Guinness. I would definitely return as Cobh seemed a pretty place, and lively with pubs having live music for tourists. Would like to actually see Cork! Now I can say I have kissed Blarney Stone, I do not think need to queue again for 90minutes to do it again, but would be happy to look round more of the gardens around the castle and of tins look at the shops outside the castle.