Located on the banks of the River Lee on the southern tip of Ireland, Cork is its third largest city and an excellent port of call on any cruise. Take this opportunity to travel to Tipperary, kiss the Blarney Stone or visit ancient Celtic ruins.
You will probably disembark in Cobh, just a 30 minute drive from the centre of the city of Cork. If your plan is to
spend time in the city check out its historic core to see the Church of St. Anne, City Gaol, and the Blackrock Castle among other sites. To reach the city you can take a taxi (about €30-45) or a cheaper train or spend time on a bus. If you are lucky your cruise ship may offer a shuttle service.
The most common, and most popular excursion is to Blarney Castle, a stone castle originally built in 1210 and refurbished in 1446. Legend has it that if you kiss the famous stone located in its tower you will be gifted with “the power of eloquence and persuasiveness”. It is a bit of a climb to get there and you have to lay on your back and bend backwards over a gap in order to kiss the stone, so not for the infirm. Also, in light of covid and other health protocols I would suggest checking to see if you actually can, or want to, kiss it. There are a number of excursion options through the ship and other private providers to help you get there.
We chose to take an excursion to the Rock of Cashel. Located on a high jutting rock above the town of the same name is the pre-Christian Cathedral of St. Patrick, a haunting Gothic ruin marked with Celtic iconography and symbols including St. Patrick’s High Cross, a round tower and a Romanesque chapel. The murder of crows ever present in the ruins added to its eerie appeal despite bright sunshine and warm temperatures. From the Celtic Cross graveyard you can look out on the Plain of Tipperary. The small town below offers excellent lunch and souvenir shopping venues if you have some free time.
The ship excursion also stopped at Cahir Castle for a guided tour its whitewashed rooms, displays of armor and period furnishings from the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle itself dates back to the 13th century and is owned by the O’Brien clan. There was a set of antlers decorating one room that is said to date back over 800 years from a type of Irish deer that is now extinct.
We stopped at this port in May so the drive to and from these sites offered breathtaking vistas of the Emerald Isle itself, a sight not to be missed.