COBH, CORK, AND BLARNEY, IRELAND: MAKING THE BEST OF A RAINY DAY!

Tuesday, August 25
Cork (Cobh), County Cork, Ireland
60F and rainy

TK took this photo as we were

arriving in the port of Cobh

This colorful charming town--

a reason to explore the world!

Today the ship docked at Cobh, just 13 miles from Cork.  Cobh (pronounced Cove) is a colorful deepwater port and serves as a spectacular maritime entry point for Cork. This is our third visit to the area, so we easily went on our own to the nearby train station for tickets to Cork just as the train was arriving.

Not sure you can read this, but 

as far as I think I understand

they are required to put

both names in English and Gaelic

We really like Cork because of its true Irish atmosphere full of pubs, but today’s agenda was taking us to the woolen mills in Blarney.  Despite the cold and rain, we walked a short way to the bus station in Cork for tickets to Blarney. After a short wait we were on our way to Blarney.  Other cruise passengers had the same idea in mind, but they were prepared to kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle.  In 2024 we opted out of that opportunity and really did damage to our pocketbook at the Blarney Woollen Mills and thought we might try that again! 

From the Cork Train Station we had a hefty walk to the bus stop to take us to Blarney.  

This was not our bus!

TK tried to capture a firetruck

Our comfy bus

The historic Blarney Woollen Mills was established in 1823 and originally used power from the River Martin to spin and weave wool and tweeds. It is a major family run Irish business. The colors and textures and variety of items are a sight to behold!  

https://www.blarney.com/ 

I spotted some sweaters in colors that I love and TK found a beautiful jacket that makes him look spiffy. He also opted for another flat-top hat!  We ended up having our items shipped home (no charge) and at the same time found out about the new U.S. tariff.

Which color do you think I bought??

After warming up in the woolen mill, we decided to make the trek home—bus from Blarney to train from Cobh this time. Raining more and colder yet—this could be Erie.

Scene looking out of the train window

This is a better photo of a city sign

in Gaelic and English

The Sapphire Princess 

awaits us!

Dear Readers, this was our day, not exciting---we are really anticipating the upcoming sea days—we have almost worn ourselves out.   It was another 11,000+ day, and TK, with his titanium pins and screws and plastic parts from ankle to knees to upper femur, trudged through.

TK’s Takes: He is resting now after dinner, will find out momentarily

COBH, CORK, MARKETS, MORE TITANIC, AND IRISH EMIGRATION!

Regal Princess/Port of Cobh for Cork
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Clouds and sun, 51F

The Regal Princess in the Port of Cobh

Ireland was happy that we returned for another visit! This time the ship docked in Cobh, a port I like much better than Ringaskiddy. It is right in the middle of the Cobh and only steps from the train station.  We decided to hop a train to Cork this time, since two weeks ago we traveled to nearby Blarney Castle.

Cork was half an hour away by train and we had an easy walk into the city center. We do love towns that are easy to navigate and have interesting sites. We feel like professional train “hoppers” since our trip to Germany in June, and all the information signs are in English! We found a woolen shop, bakeries, pubs, barbershops, souvenir shops, restaurants, coffee shops (even Starbucks, and we were relieved to see that it did not carry a Cork mug), and a cathedral.  The streets here were not cobblestone, but you must beware of the bicycle lane-don’t walk in that!

Cork on the River Lee

The Flag of Ireland waves over Cork

Murphy's Pub

Coffee created in Cork

Cork is known for its English Market, a large market with multiple fish, meat, cheese, breads and pastry, vendors.  We have yet to see a market as large as the one in Barcelona, but just as interesting—the smells, the sounds, the people shopping, the whole atmosphere.

Entrance to the English Market in Cork

English Market

English Market 

TK's favorite, Irish Soda Bread

English Market

English Market

TK strolling along at the English Market

Before leaving Cork, we stopped at an interesting coffee shop that seemed to cater to younger people who needed access to the Internet and printers. Computers were available too, but most people had their own laptops.  To our surprise, one of their pastry choices was my beloved sfogiatelle!  We each had a heavenly croissant and shared that petite Italian favorite.

We found our way back to the Cork train station for our trip back to Cobh to explore that great seaside town.  

Waiting for the train back to Cobh

Cobh, probably best known for being the last port of call to the ill-fated RMS Titanic on April 11, 1912, berthed at Queenstown (now Cobh) before she set out across the Atlantic on the last leg of her maiden voyage.  However, Cobh is also known as the departure point for a huge wave of about 2 ½ million Irish emigrants to America, from 1815 to the 1950. 

The Heritage Center, a small museum in the old train station, provided interesting information about the Irish famine and emigration, as well as the Titanic and the Lusitania.  Survivors and victims were brought to Cobh after the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, in the Irish Sea.  This tragedy took the lives of almost 1200 people.

Poster for the Titanic's maiden voyage

Tickets for Sale Here!

Possibly one of the last photos of the Titanic--

taken in Cobh on April 11, 1912

Commemorating the arrival of the USS

Jamestown on 4.11.1847 with food donated

for the famine stricken people of Munster

TK and I enjoyed Millionaire's Shortbread

Shortbread base, with a layer of caramel, 

then chocolate

The city of Cobh

This memorial in Cobh honors those 

victims of the Lusitania

as well as those who helped the survivors

A pub in Cobh, Ireland

with a musician from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: This port that has had three names was first called “Cove” in 1750. It was renamed by the British as “Queenstown” in 1849 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria to Ireland. In 1921 when the Irish Free State was established, the name changed to Cobh, in its Irish form.   And remember, Cobh is pronounced “cove.”

After a gelato by the sea, we returned to the ship, having walked 7 ½ miles. Trust me, we are grateful for being able to do all this.  And, these are not intense walks, but just plain old walking around.

 Yesterday's sea day was uneventful, only a little rolling --  these big cruise ships have stabilizers that minimize the action.  Hurricane Kirk has apparently hit Spain pretty bad, and the captain has said he is watching the current hurricane situation in the Gulf and Atlantic.  We pray for those who are facing these hurricanes.

We have three sea days now before we arrive in Madeira, Azores. 

TK's Takes:  He thinks Janie can make Millionaire's Shortbread.  He liked the return train trip back to Cobh, the train to Cork was immensely crowded.

TK with his salted caramel gelato

NO KISSES AT BLARNEY CASTLE!

Regal Princess/Port of Ringaskiddy for Cork
Tuesday, September 26, 2024
Cloudy, 47F      

TK and Janie at Blarney Castle

This morning we joined 50 other people for a tour of Blarney Castle and the Blarney Woolen Mills’ shop filled with Irish items.  The brisk cold was not going to stop us.

Ringaskiddy is a commercial port, but the usual port, Cobh, was already taken. Cobh is pronounced like Cove.  We are in County Cork, which is one place my long long ago ancestors lived, I believe.

Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) is the third largest city in Ireland, the county town of County Cork. The city’s population is about 224,004.

Founded in the 6th century by St. Fin Barre, the region around Cork is also home to one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments in Western Europe.  Our tour guide, Ben, gave us another history lesson, starting with the Vikings who invaded the area of Cork in about 606 A.D., mostly because they liked the gold and other valuables in the monasteries.  The Danes arrived in 900 A.D., then the Anglo Normans. Ben said Ireland was never invaded by the Romans.  The Irish language is 1000 years older than English, and it is one of the oldest written languages after Greek and Latin.

Few Irish speak Gaelic Irish today—I would love to hear this language. Street signs and other signs seem to be written in Gaelic Irish too.  I am very interested in language, but I don’t really have the circumstance to dig deeper right now.

Other info I was interested in:

• Cork is famous for Kerry Gold Butter, which we do use at home! There is good farmland – we saw lots of cows!
• Their preferred beer in this area is Murphy’s. Cork is in a fierce rivalry with Dublin, where Guinness is made.
•  Cork’s city flag is red and white—for the white lime and the red sandstone in the county.
• 
• The first motor car company overseas was Ford Motor company—they were making tractors for WWI. Henry Ford’s father was from Cork, thus the interest.  The company closed in Ireland in 1984.
• Apple Computers is one of the largest employers in Cork, with 7500 employees and growing.
• We saw Pfizer's huge factory near our ship at the port
• Cobh was the single most important port of emigration from Ireland.
• Ben mentioned the 1840-1850 famine when the potato crop failed. Two million people left Ireland during that time.
•  Hurling is their national game, then soccer, then rugby union. 

Blarney Castle

One of Ireland's greatest treasures

Built 0ver 600 years ago

Blarney Castle

TK and Blarney Castle

The purpose of this tour was to visit Blarney Castle. Several people wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone, but that was not on our bucket list. We wanted to see the fabulous castle which stands so proudly despite its ruins.  A bagpiper greeted us at the castle, a pleasant surprise. I did not realize the castle was built upon huge rocks, as solid as it could be. The nearby cave would be a great place to play if the castle was not under siege. It turned out that the wait to kiss the Blarney Stone was 2 hours!

Cave and rocks the castle is built on

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446. 

Blarney Woolen Mill shop is very close to the castle, and guess who really wanted to visit this shop, full of colorful merino wool sweaters.  Merino wool sweaters are gorgeous and of great quality. We may have purchased a few.  TK found Butler’s chocolate, supposedly the best in the land.

A couple of weaving/knitting machines were on the second floor. Much is done by machine now. A lady was demonstrating making a sweater.

Skeins of Merino Wool Yarn

This lady is working on a sweater

Another view in the mill demonstration area

Baskets of wool!

More skeins

A display in the Blarney Woolen Shop

A display in the Blarney Woolen Shop

As I write, it is only 3 p.m. in Ireland, but this is the highlight of the day.  Yesterday was a sea day, and we did not really do anything of note.  Tomorrow (Friday), Dublin!!

By the way, this is back to our roots for both of us.

• TK:    2% Welsh, 5% Scottish, 23% English according to Ancestry
• JK:    11% Welsh, 10% Scottish, 38% English, 13% Irish/Ancestry—both sides of my family were in America as far back as the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, and the rest in the early 1800s.  I have not traced back yet to the “Old Country.”

Despite the cold, this was  a good tour. Seeing the Blarney Castle in person was terrific.  Nephew B and his wife K kissed the Blarney Stone a few years ago. 

Note: Someone dear to us is 41% Irish, 15% Scottish, 11% Welsh, and 10% English. Roots in County Connacht—you would love Ireland!!

TK’s Takes: Ben, our tour guide was one of the funniest—telling Irish jokes. He could be a stand up comedian.

Ben

TK's contribution

He did not purchase these socks