Blarney Castle

After a nice bus ride (that has wifi, they all have wifi!!) I found myself somewhere in Blarney next to a petrol (gas) station, and a little bit hungry. Now, when I think of gas station food I think of sad hotdogs and a bag of chips, but that is not at all how food is there. Fresh fries, made to order sandwiches, fried chicken, and much more. Plus, they were really nice. There was a man, Paul, behind the counter who suggested I get the chicken curry with rice and a side of chips (fries), said it would be perfect to warm me up on a chilly day. Boy was he right. When I went back to the counter for some water I was able to thank him for his recommendation, and we got to talking about Blarney Castle; my next stop. He suggested, after I saw the castle and kissed the stone that I make my way around the back to see the poison gardens, but especially the Blarney House, and that I would love it. So I made my way over to the castle (there were surprisingly few signs), finally found the entrance, and made sure to get a book on Blarney right there, before I even went inside. It was only 3€ and even the guy who sold it to me said it was the best one, which I thought was nice. Once I finally made it inside, I was truly in awe of the castle, not to mention the grounds. After admiring the rooms, and winding my way up very narrow staircases, I was at the top... and only slightly out of breath. What I ended up realizing as well as daring to do, is that to kiss the blarney stone you have to essentially lean yourself off the side of the castle into a gap head first, all the while hoping you don't look down and that the man holding your legs has a good grip. I felt a little like a badass. After that I wound my way down the stairs again and headed to the poison gardens. Honestly, if there weren't signs everywhere, I could have easily mistaken this garden as something run of the mill, but it was very special and informative. Upon exiting the gardens you're let out on a path that leads directly the Blarney House. Unfortunately, the house was closed, but it was very lovely to look at as well take photos. Leaving through the gift shop, and without buying anything more, I was able to get myself on the right bus back to Cork, but that's not my final destination of the day. Asking around, I was able to find a bus that goes directly to Dublin, and hopefully I'll make it to my hostel by the time I said I'd check in. I may have only gone to one site today, but I had a really great time.Read more