Killarney to Cork and Blarney Castle: Private day trip

Founded as a monastic settlement in the 6th century, Cork prides itself as the “real capital” for its opposition to the Anglo-Irish treaty in the Irish Civil War. Their pride is well placed as Cork has everything you’d want from a capital, from hip coffee shops to centuries-old monuments. The Neo-Gothic St Fin Barre’s Cathedral isn’t just notable for its beautiful stained glass, prodigious pipe organ, and well-preserved medieval carvings - it also marks the site of the monastery that spawned the city. The clocks of the beloved St Anne's Church each tell a different time, and unlike almost any other church, visitors can ring the bells in the belfry! Even more than their monuments, what Corkonians really love is food, as is apparent from their Michelin star restaurants, English Market (hailed as the “best in the UK and Ireland”), and Butter Museum honoring its role as the historic center of Europe’s butter trade.

The legendary Blarney Stone is embedded within a machicolation atop the high walls of Blarney castle. The exact origins of the stone are unknown. According to some, it was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah, and was used to decide on the Irish Kings. Others say it’s part of the Stone of Destiny, given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce. Another legend says it’s the biblical ‘Stone of Ezel’, brought back to Ireland from the Crusades. Regardless of its origins, the one legend everyone agrees on is if you hang over the precipice to kiss the stone, you will be bestowed with the gift of elegance and flattery. While now there are handlebars to add an extra layer of safety to the ritual, for centuries one had to be held by the ankles over the drop. This dangerous performance even inspired a Sherlock Holmes case. For more information, please visit www.blarneycastle.ie