Blarney Castle and Gardens in Cork (#5)

Sparkling Star
6 days ago
2 min read

So much fun in Ireland! Our stop in Cork was at the Marybourough Spa & Resort. We've never really stayed at spas, but it was certainly nice to have th hot pool, pilates class, robes, slippers, sparkling water, refridgerator and exquisite breakfast.

What wasn't so great is the record-breaking heat temperatures in a country that usually doesn't need AC. We slept with windows open and shades closed during the day to keep the room cooler. 10 degrees cooler and the hotel would have been absolutely perfect.

The National Monument Grand Parade was erected to commemorate the Irish Patriots who died during the period 1798 - 1867.

Our first day we arrived and grabbed a Hop on Hop off bus for a tour of the city.

Cork Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours. We saw the entry into the town of Cork. We noted that all of the bridges are very low and there is not much use of the river to transport people or goods in the town.

River Lee running through Cork

Downtown Cork

We signed up for a walking tour of the Blarney Castle through Booking.com that ended up only having for of us. We had a great tour guide, Ann, who spent 3 lovely hours with us telling us the history Blarney Castle and the surrounding estate. Above is the Church of the Ressurection that the English protestant landlord (Jeffreys) built the church when he arrived in Catholic Ireland so he would have a place to worship. Below the church is the crypt that the continuous owners use.

Then we walked around to see the Woolen Factory that replaced the Linen industry after Jeffreys arrived and established the English estate at the Blarney Castle.

The Blarney Castle owners live her 9 months of the year and open their homes in the summer. We were able to catch the last tour of the home when we were walking around the gardens after our Blarney Castle and Gardens tour.