The South (of Ireland)

The last leg of our journey was a shorter trip from Dingle back to Dublin, although with plenty of stops in between. Our first stop was the famous Blarney Castle, atop which rests the Blarney Stone. One of the blessings supposedly bestowed upon everyone who kisses the stone is the "gift of gab," but you can be the judge on that one. Whether you're blessed with it or not, it's still something you have to do when you visit Ireland. The rumor that the locals pee on it was unsubstantiated, although they had a bottle of cleaning solution and a towel next to it, so we chanced it. They don't tell you until you get to the top, however, that you actually have to lie on your back, hold onto a bar, and lean out over the edge of the castle wall in order to actually kiss it. It's one guy's job to literally stand there and give you instructions on how to best accomplish this. Beautiful castle though and worth the stop, (and worth the fee to get in... don't forget to check out the gardens, one of which is full of poisonous plants!)

Our next stop was in Cork, which we really wanted to spend more time in. If you're like us, the New York Times Article 36 Hours in Cork will be longer than we had to spend there. Don't miss the English Market, however, where you can sample the breads, cheeses, and black pudding. We stocked up on soda bread while we were there, and wish we had stayed longer.

Our next stop was our next B&B, Killiane Castle, where we stayed because of Amanda's desire to stay in an old castle. We started off thinking of staying at Ashford Castle to satisfy the urge , but looking at their 'special deals' starting at 298 GBP (per person), we rethought our decision and opted instead for a cozier place in County Wexford.

This is a nice place to stay, although the rooms weren't anything special. The nice part of staying here was the surrounding countryside and working farm, where you can go on walks and check out the livestock. There's also a driving range nearby. Clean rooms and a great breakfast. Very relaxing, although we could only spare a night.

Our last stop on our trip back to Dublin was the Glendalough Monastery. This old Christian monastery was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th Century and is set in the beautiful Wicklow Mountains, and, (like everywhere else we stayed) we wish we could have stayed longer. The monastery has a round tower and a 12th Century stone church on site, although the roof is gone from the main chapel. Hoping to find some O'Darraghs that could be possible ancestors of Amanda's family, all we could find in the large cemetery were Byrnes, the surname of some good friends.

Finally, we headed back for Dublin. We arrived at Quince Cottage, on the West side of Dublin in Sandyford, and headed back into the city for one last pint at O'Neill's (reviewed in the Dublin post). The owners at Quince Cottage are some of the nicest we've met on the trip. The website promises tea and coffee with treats on arrival, and they don't disappoint. The owner let us settle in, plan out our last evening, and even drove us to the Laus stop so we could take the train into town. The last drink I had was a Guinness, although I doubt we'll be able to stay away for long. We went for our 5th year anniversary, and are thinking of going back for our 10th. I'm sure we could retrace the journey and have an amazing time, or not go a single repeat stop and still have a great trip.

If you go to any of the places we did, be sure to leave a comment! Happy traveling.

~Slainte