Cork

Whiskey, Food, and Kissing the Blarney Stone in Cork, Ireland

Cork is the second largest city (third largest by population) in Ireland. If I had to pick a city to live in Ireland, this might be it. It just feels “livable.” There is much less of a touristy vibe here, and more of a hometown pride thing going on. At least, that’s my impression.

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There are some great photo opportunities in Cork, as well as some interesting places to visit. However, the big draws for us were the attractions just outside of the main urban center: The Jameson Whiskey Distillery and Blarney Castle.

Our total time in County Cork was around a day, which included our late-afternoon visit to Jameson in Midleton, an overnight stay in Cork proper, and the following morning at Blarney Castle.

To read an overview of our full eight-day itinerary through Ireland, click here.

The Jameson Experience

We drove to Midleton from Cahir in the late-afternoon after spending the day visiting the castles of County Tipperary. We arrived a bit ahead of our scheduled tour time because we were unsure what the parking situation would be. We ended up have no issues finding a space outside the main gates on Distillery Walk, which afforded us a little time to stroll down Main Street in Midleton. The street is lined with cafes, shops, and a rather stately library. This a great place to mail your postcards, grab a coffee-to-go, or pick-up any quick thing you need from the drug store.

The Jameson Experience Tour included a tour, short film, and a comparative whiskey tasting. The first part of the tour was my favorite. We were taken around the distillery campus and provided with a history lesson of Jameson’s rich heritage by a knowledgeable guide. I loved walking in and out of the old buildings and learning how they were used over the years.

Above photos: The Jameson Experience Distillery Tour

This was our very first distillery tour ever. We learned so much! If you have been on distillery tours in other countries, I would still recommend the Midleton tour because there are key differences between Irish and say, Scottish whiskies that the tour explains. As a final hurrah, we enjoyed a guided tasting of Irish Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon.

Above photo: Comparative whiskey tasting

Following our tour, we visited the distillery shop and purchased some rare bottles to take home as gifts. The whole experience converted me to a full-on whiskey girl. It has been my drink of choice ever since! I’m telling you – it changed me.

Above photos: Jameson Bar and Distillery Shop

Cork

The drive from Midleton to the center of Cork was around 30 minutes. We went directly to our hotel to park, check-in, and drop our bags. We stayed at The River Lee Hotel, which is right on river as their name suggests. Great views!!

Above photo: View from The River Lee Hotel

Our evening plans consisted of dinner and a stroll along the river. We knew we had missed the opening times for the museums and attractions, but enjoyed our walk, the buildings, and some people watching. The sun sets late in Ireland in July — like between 9:30 – 10:00 pm. So, there is plenty of daylight to explore areas well into the evening. You can really cram a lot into your day!

Above photos: The streets of Cork

Cork has a very happening food scene. Did you know it has at least fifteen Michelin-starred restaurants in the county? If we had arrived earlier in the day, I would have booked a food tour. Of all the places in Ireland, this is definitely the city to do it! We chose Cornstore for dinner. It was colorful, lively, and served up some incredible steak (for Jason) and seafood (for me).

Above photos: Dinner at Cornstore

We took our time walking back to our hotel after dinner, exploring both sides of the river and meandering down side streets on a warm summer night. The reflections on the River Lee were beautiful and it was apparent why the people who live here have so much affection for their city.

Above photo: The River Lee

Blarney Castle and Gardens

The following morning, we checked-out of our hotel and drove to our next stop: Blarney Castle. It is about 20 minutes down the road if you are minding the speed limit. The site is very well marked and developed for tourists. So, we had no trouble finding it, parking, and navigating the grounds.

Above photos: Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is not part of the OPW managed sites. So, you will need to book and purchase your tickets here.

Blarney Castle is a tower house fortification. It is several stories tall – like an ancient office building. Like the other castles we visited, Blarney has an interesting history of occupants, battles, and transformation through the years. We were able to learn all of this while walking through the site and reading the visitors’ guide. To our surprise, the castle no longer has floors between each story. It is just a big open space.

Above photos: Inside Blarney Castle

Above photos: Murder Holes were openings in the upper floors used to drop missiles or boiling water on unwanted visitors below

Blarney Castle is perhaps best known for the famous Blarney Stone, said to have been a gift from Robert the Bruce. There are many theories as to where the stone came from, but this story seemed most plausible to me. One of the most common questions people asked me when I told them about my trip to Ireland was, “Did you kiss the Blarney Stone??!” Yes, yes I did:)

Above photo: Kissing the Blarney Stone

While we totally and completely enjoyed the castle, I personally loved the gardens more. The morning temperatures were cool and perfect for walking along the wooded paths and footbridges.

Above photos: The Gardens at Blarney Castle

The formal gardens were also lovely. Various plants and trees are labeled – the fact that I appreciate the plant markings ages me, I know. The Poison Garden is definitely the coolest and I can’t stop thinking about how Catherine de’ Medici would have had one of these herself (ok – I know she was in a different country, but surely she knew her way around poisonous plants!).

Above photos: The Poison Garden

Everything you need to know about visiting Blarney Castle is available on their official website. Hopefully, you’ll hit the weather lottery and have a gorgeous sunny day, as we did. If you are at your leisure, the walking trails would be a wonderful way to extend your time in this beautifully maintained park-like area.

Above photo: A lookout tower in Blarney Castle Gardens

For us, we had another full day of sight seeing and driving ahead, starting with a stop in Killarney and then a drive around the Ring of Kerry.

Read about the next stop on our Ireland road trip: The Ring of Kerry here.