Gallery Snaps

Cork Day Tour

Your Failte Ireland badged Driver/Guide will escort you with care and comfort on this day tour during which you will be taken back in time by what you see and hear. From the thrill of kissing the Blarney stone, to the gourmet town of Kinsale and the history of the port of Cobh.

Our Pictures-in-Words Route

We ease our way in absolute comfort out of your hotel to the picturesque village of Blarney the location of the historic Blarney Castle, which dates back to 1446 and was built by Dermot Mc McCarthy (King of Munster). The Blarney stone itself is set in the wall below the battlements and to kiss it one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. Legend tells us that the stone imparts the gift of eloquence to those who kiss it. The word "blarney" describing pleasant and entertaining conversation whose veracity is dubious!

Blarney is also home to the famous Blarney Woolen Mills, a building that dates back to 1793. Here you will have time to enjoy a velvety Irish coffee and browse through the wide range of Irish clothing, crystal, linen and handicrafts.

After your visit to Blarney the tour will take a visit to Kinsale which lies approximately 40 minutes south of Cork City. Believed to have been founded by the Anglo Normans in around 1177, Kinsale is famous for its beautiful yachting, sea angling and gourmet restaurants. Safely sheltered by the rounded contours of a scenic harbor, Kinsale was the site of a battle in 1601 that was a turning point in Irish history.

For over 300 years Kinsale was a garrison town and port of consequence, leaving a legacy of Georgian and Victorian architecture. Sightseeing in Kinsale would be incomplete without a guided visit to Charles Fort, a classic example of a star shaped fort. Constructed in the early 1680s in honor of King Charles II, Charles Fort was in use until 1921 and gives a unique insight into Irish fortifications. Besieged in 1690 by the Duke of Marlborough and destroyed in 1922 during the Civil War, Charles Fort reflects the turbulence of Ireland's past. It was declared a National Monument in 1973. You will have a chance to take lunch here in one of Kinsale's many gourmet restaurants.

After lunch you will visit the Jameson Heritage Centre and Old Jameson Distillery and you can join a 60-minute guided tour of this beautifully restored 18th-century industrial complex. Delight in the fully operational water wheel and the largest copper pot "still" in the world, which holds 32,000 gallons. An audio-visual presentation brings to life the Irish whisky legend, and after the history lesson comes the tasting! You are invited to relax in the atmosphere of a traditional Irish pub and sample Ireland's finest whisky.

Before returning to your hotel this tour will visit the town of Cobh and Cobh Heritage Centre. Cobh is situated on the southern shore of the Great Island in one of the world's finest natural harbours. Between 1848 and 1950, over 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland - over 2.5 million from Cobh, making it the single most important port of emigration in the country. Cobh was the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic. Later the steamers and ocean liners continued carrying the Irish to new lives and new lands. The Heritage Centre brings the Queenstown (as Cobh was once named) story of emigration to life.

Summary

Our Failte Ireland Driver/Guide will start with a stop at Blarney castle from here we will make our way to the coastal town of Kinsale where you can amble around at will and experience culinary delights it as to offer before we take in the spectacular views of the Old Head peninsula. From here will make our to the harbour town of Cobh to visit the heritage centre and view the stories of people who emigrated from here or boarder the titanic for its last voyage before heading back to your hotel.