Ireland - Day 15
September 4, 2025: We made a slight change to our plans today because I am feeling a little under the weather. I wonder where that term came from? I will have to look that up. We left later than planned to take the city bus Blarney to see the Blarney Castle. It is just a 20 minute bus ride from Cork to Blarney, so pretty easy and it drops you off just a 15-minute walk from the Castle. Here is a little history on Blarney Castle. The current castle was constructed in 1446 by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty. It became famous for the Blarney Stone set into its battlements. Legend holds that kissing the stone grants the “gift of the gab” or persuasive speech. Over the centuries, the castle has endured sieges, changes in ownership, and has fallen partly into ruin, but it remains one of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks and a popular destination for visitors seeking both history and legend. There were lots of people when we arrived and a lot more by the time we left. Since I wasn’t feeling all that well and I have a fear of heights in some situations, I decided not to go to the top of the castle and kiss the Blarney Stone. No reason to give the other visitors my germs! But Jimm did go up and kiss the stone. We were suppose to go to Kinsale in the afternoon, but due to our late start, we again changed our plan and stayed in Blarney for lunch before returning to Cork. We went to a cute little pub called Christy’s Bar that was attached to Blarney Woolen Mills.
The buses were running late heading back to Cork so we waited quite a bit at the bus station for one to arrive. Once back in Cork, we went back to the flat to take some time to rest up before heading back out for our last night in city. Thomas, our cocktail making host from yesterday, had given us a restaurant recommendation near our flat and there were two pubs that were recommended to us as well from the bartender at Elbow Lane Brew and Smoke House our first night so those three were on our agenda for the evening. First up was The Corner House. It is a traditional Irish Pub with a beautiful mosaic front and warm atmosphere in the inside. It usually has live music, but we were too early and no musicians were in the house. Then we headed to Sin Ē. A truly iconic Cork institution, Sin É (Irish for “That’s it”) first opened its doors on Coburg Street in 1889. It is described as having an atmosphere that is uniquely inclusive and authentic, with locals and regulars mixing effortlessly with newcomers and visitors. We definitely found that to be true, because within a few minutes of entering the pub we were welcomed to a table in the corner to sit with Mary and Catherine, two local women who ended up being loads of fun. Mary has a daughter who also loves to travel around the world. We really enjoyed chatting with them and if it hadn’t been for our 7:00 reservation at Gallagher’s, the restaurant recommended by Thomas, we would have stayed longer. Dinner was indeed worth the trip. Jimm had the roast beef special of the day and I had their signature beef pot pie. No lack of comfort food here in Ireland! A really nice last night in Cork. We only had a short walk back to our flat after dinner and then it was time to get packed up and ready to check out in the morning.