My first day trip in Ireland had to be to Blarney Castle. I couldn’t wait to kiss the stone and get the
gift of eloquence (or the gift of gab, depending on the story). I went with my flat mate, Jake, and we lucked
out with a dry, relatively clear day. It
was so easy getting to Blarney from Cork.
The bus ride from the city center was only about 10 minutes, and the bus
dropped us off right near the castle. One
of the benefits of sightseeing during the off season is that you’re able to avoid
the crowds and take your time looking around.
Over all, we spent about 6 hours in Blarney. We spent a good amount of time looking around
the castle (including crawling into the well-lit but claustrophobic dungeon). Of course we both kissed the Blarney Stone
(and we have the pictures to prove it!) I was surprised by how high up the stone was. It was slightly nerve wracking bending backwards
to kiss the stone when I was a few hundred feet above the ground. The view from
the top of the castle was gorgeous though and we spent a few hours walking around
the grounds. The garden and lake-walk
were definitely worth seeing. In the garden we found the Blarney Witch’s
wishing steps. The story goes that if you walk up and down the steps with your
eyes closed, the witch will grant your wish.
It was harder than it looked because the steps were uneven. After we had finished looking around the
castle grounds, we stopped at a local restaurant for dinner. It was at this restaurant that Jake and I both had
our first fish and chips in Ireland. They were absolutely delicious and they
were a perfect way to end our trip to Blarney.
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| From the Blarney Castle Dungeon |
