Cork: Kissing the Blarney Stone and Visiting an Art Gallery with Lord Voldemort
My time in Cork was definitely quieter than my time in Belfast and Dublin. The slower pace of the city combined with a little bit of unexpected sunshine made for a relaxing two days. My main priority in Cork was to visit Blarney Castle and to kiss the Blarney stone. Yes, this is an incredibly touristy thing to do, but then again, I am a tourist. From the main bus station I caught an early bus out to Blarney where I stopped for a quick breakfast in a café before heading to find the castle. As Blarney is not very large town, the castle was an easy find. With clouds looming on the horizon I bought my ticket and explored the castle working my way up to the top to find the stone.
The grey damp weather gave the castle a cool and eerie feel. Eventually I wound my way up enough narrow staircases to find the Blarney Stone. The legend of the Blarney Stone is said to originate with the Lord of Blarney, Cormac Mac Diarmada McCarthy. During the nine years war (1594-1603) Cormac tried to play both sides. He wrote to the Queen pledging his loyalty and detailed how he lost many of his men and followers by refusing to join the rebels. A few months later when Cormac joined the rebels the Queen referred to Cormac’s communication as “Blarney”. How the stone came into the legend is uncertain. However, by the early nineteenth century the legend was established that if you kissed the stone, you would be given the gift of Blarney.
To kiss the stone you have to lie down on your back, reach back over your head to grab two metal bars and lean back over the edge to lower yourself to the same height of the stone. To ensure no one kills themselves in the process, two employees are stationed by the stone rain or shine. One keeps you in place to help you avoid plummeting to your death, while the other snaps a photo of you smooching the stone. I didn’t buy the picture of me kissing the stone, it didn’t seem necessary, so you’re going to have to miss out on seeing that gem. I don’t know if I’ve become any more eloquent since kissing the stone, but here’s hoping.
If you enjoy going for a good wander through the woods then budget a couple hours for the grounds around Blarney castle. The grounds include beautiful old yew trees, a fern forest, a poison garden (which houses an assortment of poisonous plants) as well as a couple of walks you can do through the forest and around a lake. I got a tiny bit lost on my wander around the grounds but ended up finding my way back through large puddles and past an animal enclosure with a donkey that would not stop staring at me.
The hostel I stayed in while I was in Cork had a strange vibe to it. Not all hostels I have stayed in have been incredibly social, but this one seemed to be the least open and welcoming. The gentleman behind the front desk was incredibly kind and helpful, but the other guests seemed to be travelling either in large family groups, or keeping to themselves in the corner. The atmosphere of a hostel can influence your time in a city more than you expect, so it’s always a good idea to read the reviews before booking. That said, every once and a while it’s kind of nice to be anonymous and to be able to spend a night doing nothing but eating chocolate biscuits and watching Rambo because nothing else is on T.V.
While there wasn’t a free walking tour in Cork, there was a self guided tour available with information plaques along the way. The tour runs through the city, through the University College Cork and back along the river before terminating near the Crawford Art Gallery. As entry to the art gallery was free, I gave it a go. They had a cool integration of old statues and a modern photo exposition on the youth of Cork done by Doug DuBois.
In one of the painting galleries someone had signed the guest book as Lord Voldemort. I signed as Harry as the thought of the two of them strolling through a gallery together debating art entertained me more than it should have.
My last stop in Cork was to the Old English Market. The crowded indoor market was important enough to be visited by Queen Liz herself in 2011. I chatted briefly with the owner of the stall she visited and apparently she was a very nice woman.
With kissing the Blarney Stone checked off my list it was time to move again, this time to Paris.
More to read
- Coimbra & Porto: Cloaks, Bats and Delicious Food
- Madrid: the City Built on Water, Surrounded by Walls of Fire
- Lisbon: Fado with a Friend and Failing to be an Adult
- Madrid: the City Built on Water, Surrounded by Walls of Fire
- Tilloy-Les-Cambrai Canadian Cemetery
- Paris: The Louvre, the Tower and Cafés galore
- Dublin: Guinness, Fake Tim Hortons and Guinness
- Barcelona: A magic fountain, bubbly and a lost credit card
- Belfast: the Giant’s Causeway, the Titanic and the Troubles
