County Cork Highlights Tour with Blarney Castle Entry

Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone

Blarney Castle stands in parkland about 8 kilometres northwest of Cork, and it is the first stop of this Blarney Castle tour from Cork. The massive stone keep you see today was built in 1446 by the MacCarthy lords of Muskerry, on the site of earlier wooden and stone forts. Narrow spiral stairs lead past chambers and murder holes up to the battlements.

At the top waits the Blarney Stone, set into the parapet. To kiss it you lie on your back, hold the iron rails and lean backwards over the drop while an attendant steadies you. Legend says the kiss grants the gift of eloquence, the famous gift of the gab. Your fast-track ticket saves time in the queue, which can be long in summer. Is Blarney Castle worth visiting? For the climb, the views over the woods and the story, yes.

Blarney Gardens and the Woollen Mills

The Blarney Castle tickets on this tour also cover the gardens, which are a highlight in their own right. Paths wind through the Rock Close, a mystical glade of ancient yews and moss-covered stones with the Wishing Steps, past a lake, a fern garden with giant tree ferns, and the curious Poison Garden, where toxic plants are grown in cages with warning signs. Blarney House, a Scottish baronial mansion from 1874, overlooks the lawns.

Next to the castle grounds is a large woollen mills shop in a restored mill building, where the coach makes a shopping stop. Here you can browse Aran knit sweaters, tweed caps, scarves, crystal and Irish crafts. Visitors from outside the European Union can claim tax-free shopping on qualifying purchases, so keep your passport and receipts handy.

Charles Fort

Charles Fort is one of the finest star-shaped forts in Europe, set on the cliffs at Summercove where Kinsale harbour meets the sea. It was built between 1678 and 1682 and named after the reigning king, Charles II, to protect the harbour from naval attack. Its five pointed bastions were designed so that every wall could be covered by cannon fire.

The fort served as a British army garrison until 1921 and was burned during the civil war of 1922, leaving roofless barracks and grand stone walls that you can explore today. Your fast-track ticket gives entry to the ramparts, the restored buildings and small exhibitions on soldier life. The views across the harbour to the older James Fort and down to Kinsale town are among the best on the whole tour, so keep your camera ready.

Kinsale Old Town and Harbour

Just below the fort lies Kinsale, a medieval harbour town at the mouth of the River Bandon and one of the prettiest places in County Cork. Its narrow streets climb from the marina, lined with brightly painted shops, cafés and galleries. Look out for St Multose Church, founded by the Normans in the 12th century, and Desmond Castle, a 16th-century tower house used as a customs house and later as a prison.

Kinsale is also a turning point in Irish history: the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 marked the end of the old Gaelic order. Today the town is known as a gourmet destination, and the free time here is ideal for lunch. Seafood is the local favourite, from chowder to fish and chips and fresh catch of the day, followed by a stroll along the waterfront.

Cobh and St Colman's Cathedral

The last stop is Cobh, a colourful harbour town on Great Island in Cork Harbour, among the largest natural harbours in the world. Known as Queenstown from 1849 to 1920, it was the departure point for generations of Irish emigrants sailing to America, and in 1912 it was the final port of call of the famous liner lost in the North Atlantic. Survivors of the Lusitania, sunk off Kinsale in 1915, were also brought ashore here.

Above the waterfront rises St Colman's Cathedral, a Gothic Revival masterpiece completed in 1915, whose bell tower holds the largest carillon in Ireland. Below it, the steep row of pastel houses on West View is nicknamed the Deck of Cards. In your free time you can walk the promenade, visit the cathedral or enter the heritage museum at your own cost, and you may spot huge cruise ships docked in the harbour.