Kissing the Blarney Stone 
County Cork is the largest of the 32 counties in Ireland, six of which are in the Northern Ireland. I’ve been through the county once before but that was on a brief excursion when I travelled to the town of Clonakilty with friends.
Our trip started on Friday afternoon, directly after work where we drove the approximate four hour trip to the city of Cork, the third-largest city on the island (if you include its northern counterpart). Not a bad drive considering the large amount of traffic we encountered leaving Dublin on a Friday afternoon.
After circling the city centre for a while we found our B&B for the evening. A place called “Corbett’s B&B” with very nice hosts and where the lady thought we were students and tried to recommend local student haunts which we politely listened to but didn’t really need.
We left the B&B and made our way into the centre of the city to find something to eat and found an Australian restaurant that seemed interesting where I had the combined ostrich and kangaroo steaks which I’ve never had before but quite enjoyed. After dinner, we walked along the city centre, passing the Beamish brewery and settling at a local pub to finish the nigh with a couple of pints.
The next day, after another great Irish Breakfast, we left Cork City and drove south until we reached Mizen Head, Irelands most Southwestern point. We were lucky on the day as we had a sunny day which meant that we were treated to some great views. We bought the tickets to go all the way to the Lighthouse, passed the 99 steps (it’s as exiting as it sounds….99 steps) and crossed the bridge to do a full tour of the Lighthouse and it’s history which ended with a coffee break.
Continuing our trip, we drove along the coast until we reached Bantry, and it’s famous house, “The Bantry House”. We never entered the house, but we did strolled through its tranquil gardens. and observed “The French Armada” exhibit that was on offer.
That night, we ended up in the charming fishing village of Kinsale where we had some great salmon in one of the many seafood restaurants. Our B&B was nice but our rooms faced the streets, meaning that we woke up several times during the night due to people going home from parties.
The next morning, our first stop included a visit to Middleton and the whiskey distillery, where I was randomly selected to have a tasting session, a very enjoyable start to the day. During the tour, we once again were told that Irish Whiskey is better than all the rest because of the way they distill it etc (I bet every other country says the same about their whisky). Anyway, I enjoyed the selection (even though I feel that the selection at Bushmills was better). I also realised that I now have visited all the famous distilleries in Ireland and I’ve done the “The Irish Whiskey Trail” which includes Dublin, Middleton and Bushmills.
After I finished with the samples, we left the distillery and drove to the Blarney Castle, where, like all other tourists, we took part in the tradition of kissing the famous Blarney Stone, believed to have the power to bestow eloquence on all those who kiss it. It was quite a reach and you really had to stretch out to be able to reach it, but we did!
After this we returned to Cork City where we had a nice dinner before heading back to Dublin.
I had a good time touring through County Cork with its beautiful landscapes and attractions like the whiskey distillery and the Blarney Castle. But, it lacks in comparison with other regions of Ireland and what they have to offer. On top of that, Cork City itself failed to impress me so yes, come for the sights, but make sure to prioritise other regions of Ireland before you do.
