Irish Adventure - Last day, Blarney to Dublin

Day 12

Blarney Castle as seen from the Gardens

We awoke this morning to a fabulous breakfast at Gougan Barra Hotel.  I wished that I could stay a few days in this beautiful spot, but alas, it was time to move on, heading back to Dublin via Blarney Castle & Gardens.

We arrived at Blarney around 9 am, which is the beginning of the day at Blarney.   Nick expertly guided us through the crowd that was already building up at the entrance.  We went through a group ticket line (Nick already had our tickets) and on to the grounds very quickly.  Anne, Kelsey & I decided to stick together at this stop because we wanted to kiss the Blarney stone and still have time to walk the grounds and gardens.  We made a beeline for the entrance to the Castle and began the climb to the top where the Blarney stone is located.  Up & up & up we went via small winding stairs. Along the way, we took some snaps.

Looking out the window on the way up

Its very windy on the Top of Blarney Castle !

This is how you kiss the Blarney Stone, you go upside down,
The young man will hold you so you don't fall

View from out one of the Castle windows 

 Blarney was built by Cormac MacCarthey, King of Munsterin 1446. It is the tower house of this residence that is known as Blarney Castle.  The stone has a long history.  It went from Ireland to Scotland, split in half, then back to Ireland.  A witch, told MacCarthy that it had magical powers.
Thus, this kissing tradition.

Banquet Hall in the Castle

It didn't take very long to get to the top, kiss the stone, explore a bit and get back out on the grounds because we got in line quickly.  This was the best way to see as much as possible at this location with limited time.  Everyone wants to kiss the stone, so there is always a line.  But the Blarney stone is just a small part of this site.  There are 60 acres of parklands which include gardens, arboretums & waterways.  You could easily spend a whole day here.

After kissing the Blarney Stone, we headed out to the gardens, which are extensive!  There is the Rock Close & Water Gardens, the Poison Garden, Fern Garden & the Arboretums.  There is also a Woodland & Riverside Walk and a Lake.  No way could we see all this in just a couple hours we had left.  We pick the Rock Close & Water Garden to start.  The Rock Close is a mystical place, said to be on the site of an ancient druidic settlement.  The trail led us through leafy canopy of yew & oak trees.  The path leads you to the water garden.  You will find plenty to be amazed at here and fun areas to explore like the wishing steps and the witches stone.

All these pictures are from walking in the Rock Close & Water Garden.  Quite lovely, I wish we had more time here.  But alas, we had to start the trek back to Dublin - so we grabbed some sandwiches and got back to our van for the drive to Dublin.

I should also mention that there is a giant shop here - purportedly the largest Irish gift shop in the country, it was huge!  They have everything from key chains & t-shirts to Waterford Crystal.  Pretty much any thing you've waited to buy, you can by here.  No Dingle Crystal though.

The Rock of Cashel

To break up the drive back to Dublin, we had one more stop before the end of our journey.  Cashel.  The Rock of Cashel, one of Irelands most historic sites, was the seat of the kings of Munster from the 4th Century until 1101, when it was gifted to the Church.

view looking out of the castle toward the grave yard

Cashel was lovely & historic.  I enjoyed walking through the cemetery and looking at the headstones which go back centuries. After walking through the Rock of Cashel and it's grounds, it was time to get back on the road and in to Dublin.  We had an amazing 12 days together and when it was time to part company, I was feeling a bit sad that our trip was coming to an end.  I feel I was so lucky to be with this nice group of people for 12 days on our Great Big Irish Adventure. Everyone got along so wonderfully and everyone was thrilled with our trip.  Nick was a fantastic guide, so personable, hospitable and kind.  I really could not have asked for more on my first ever organized small group tour.  I highly recommend Vagabond if you are looking to experience Ireland in a most special & spectacular way!

Map of Ireland the black line is everywhere we drove on this amazing journey