This Cork and Blarney Castle tour from Dublin to the south of Ireland will leave you stunned. Probably, when you think about Ireland the first things that comes to mind are the mountains, cliffs… but the truth is that this country offers more than that. On this occasion, we head towards the south of the country. In particular, to County Tipperary and County Cork. Before arriving at our first destination which is the Rock of Cashel we had the chance to enjoy breathtaking views from the bus. Once we made our way out of the city we passed the Curragh, which is located in County Kildare. The feature of this landscape was the fact that is totally flat, but of course green too, and this area is perfect for breeding and training horses. After a short break, we continued enjoying the landscape as we passed alongside the Galtee Mountains. This mountain range is Ireland’s highest inland range. I had the chance to see snow at the top, it was marvelous! We carried on our route to arrive to the famous Rock of Cashel, during the journey the guide explained to us the history of the castle in a very entertaining way. Once we arrived we explored the attraction on our own. This medieval castle, located in County Tipperary, is a site with huge historical importance because it was the seat of the King of Munster and also because this location was a fortress which dates before the Anglo-Norman conquerors reigned the land.The things that most fascinated me in this place were the round tower, with almost 30m of height, the cathedral which was built around 1225 and of course the surroundings grounds. Is there where they are located the ancient celtic crosses (very well preserved) and obviously the views from the top, where you can see the tiny but charming village of Cashel.
After this visit we went direction towards the city of Cork. The estimated time to visit is approximately an hour and a half, it is not a long time but it is worth being lost in its streets and in this way I discovered several monumental churches, such as: St. Fin Barres cathedral and Holy Trinity Church. Apart from that I also founded several walls paintings. And a place that you can not miss in this city is the famous english market. Here you can taste the typical products of the area. Really worth it!
After having eaten we went to the last and main stop, Blarney Castle. This place is the highlight of this day tour, the best comes last! Apart from visiting the fortress, the medieval charming castle which dates back to XVIII century and of course kiss the famous Stone and receive the “gift of the gab”. The most striking factor of this place is that the castle is sorrounded by a garden, little forest, a river, a cave and waterfalls. It is like being in a enchAnted forest. Here nature and architecture come together to enthrall us. There is a lot to discover! Afterwards, I had time to rest a bit having a drink in one of the terraces enjoying the sun. I certainly found this tour extremely exciting. The way back to the city it took more than two hours, but thanks to the guides explanations, the amazing landscapes and especially the irish music that was played during almost all journey is very satisfying. Therefore, I would do this day tour again and again.
The cork and Blarney day tour leaves Dublin Daily at 6.50
