Stoned at Blarney

The next morning, we got up and had our adequate if ordinary B&B breakfast and set off again. Our next stop was the lovely harbor town of Kinsale. Parking was a bit of a problem, but we managed to find a spot along the harbor sea wall. With Abe's help, I was able to get the car into the spot without any damage to it or anything else.

Kinsale harbor - where we parked is across the harbor from this viewpoint.

We wandered around the streets for a while. Kinsale is a very pretty town with some interesting shops.

A street in Kinsale

After a bit, we stopped for lunch in a small cafe. Forget what we had, but I'm sure it was good. I would have remembered if it was terrible. After lunch, we set out for Blarney.

Blarney Castle is a fifteenth-century fortification which was built on the site of earlier castles. It is located a short distance west of Cork City. The castle is basically a square tower with some outer walls - not too different from Bunratty Castle. The main difference is that Bunratty has been restored while Blarney is still mostly in ruins. Also, there's the stone.

This sign purported to give the origin of the term "blarney" as referring to smooth talk, flattery and just plain B.S.

Now, yes, the stone. The "Blarney Stone" is located in an outside portion of the castle battlements high atop the castle walls. Why it is there and how it got there is anyone's guess. What it is, is also up for grabs. It has been claimed as being everything from a chunk of the Wailing Wall to the stone upon which the King of Ireland was crowned. I rather suspect that the stone and the legend of kissing conferring eloquence upon the kisser is, well, blarney.

Nevertheless, we all dutifully trooped up the steps to the battlements and stood in line to kiss the stone. One is held on to by a strapping Irish gentleman while literally bending over backward to kiss the rock.

Roz kisses the stone

I don't know if we all became more eloquent or not, but it makes a good story.

Blarney Castle - the stone is high up on the left

The view from the castle battlements

There was also a manor house near the castle. Presumably it was built after things got civilized enough to preclude the need for fortifications. We did not take the tour since we had already seen Muckross House which is probably the finest manor house available for touring in Ireland.

Blarney House

From Blarney, we took off for our next B&B located in the seaside resort of Tramore.

Tramore was a real seaside resort town with a wide sandy beach, an amusement park, arcades and a "boardwalk" (actually a cement "promenade").

The Tramore promenade with the amusement park to the right, the beach is on the left.

Tramore wasn't the pretty little poscard town that Kenmare and Kinsale were - not that it was ugly - but it was the kind of "real" place that real Irish families vacation and was interesting for that if nothing else.

After a good seafood dinner in a local pub recommended by our host at the B&B, we called it a day.

Next: The Rock of Cashel and Dublin City.