Cobh (Cork), Ireland

This port was one of my favorites. We hired a taxi and he was the best! Went to Blarney castle. Don’t waste your time kissing the rock unless it’s on your bucket list. The line is long. We walked around the grounds and it was beautiful! Our taxi drove us to the market and then out to lunch. The food was amazing! He drove us to old church and then to a old military fort. The history is amazing! Loved Cork!!!

Lovely port! Train platform is right next to the ship if you are getting a train into Cork with lots of helpful staff to assist with the ticket machine. As we had visited Cork on our last time here we chose to stay and explore the incredibly pretty town of Cobh. Last time we did the Titanic experience museum ( in Cobh) where you find out how it was for passengers of each class on the ship. Each visitor is given the name of a specific passenger and can track their journey and see if they survived at the end . There are examples of different class of cabins and recreation rooms- just wonderful! Only an hour and a half or so which doesn’t eat into your day too much . This time we walked around the town and to the titanic memorial garden and up to the cathedral . Finished the day by seeing the exhibition ( right next to ship in the station) telling the history of Cobh and the Titanic story- it was a highlight of my trip as I love history 😊 and I spent over 2 hours in there whilst my shipmates hit the buffet on the ship next door 😆. Highly recommend it.

If you take the Blarney Castle excursion, skip the long line to kiss the stone and explore the gardens instead. We had only two hours there, and those who wanted to kiss the stone spent almost the whole time in line. I am so glad we went through the gardens and wooded trails instead; it was unbelievably beautiful (even on a misty, rainy day) and just what I expected Ireland to be like. I almost expect to see fairies and leprechauns in the mossy glens and leafy trails.

Visited: Jul 07, 2016

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Great Little Port Town Of Cobh (Cove) With Lots Of Beautiful Buildings For Shopping, Drinking, & Eating! Last Port To Pick People Up On Titanic So Can Visit Office Building, Museum, & See Dock Where Tenders Took People To Titanic Ship! Plus Can Get Food & Drinks Outside On The Patio! Also Has A Stunning Church To Visit Along With Painted Houses In Neighborhood To See! From Cobh It’s An Easy Train Ride Into City Of Cork (First & Last Stop So Hard To Get Lost) Train Station You Walk Into Town Like 6 Blocks To Catch Bus To Blarney Castle! FYI Bus Ride Is Included In Your Train Tickets Also! After About 25 Minute Bus Ride You’ll Be At Castle To Kiss Stone &/Or Just Roam The Grounds To Visit Outside Of Castle! Yes Line Long In Morning Time To Kiss Stone So Better In Afternoon! But You Can Walk The Grounds For Hours Exploring All It’s Beauty & Sculptures Everywhere! Can Do An Excursion But Feel It’s Better To Just Do Public Transportation On Train & Bus! Saved A Bunch Of Money Plus I Got To Kiss The Stone! So Wasn’t Rushed With A Tour To Enjoy It More! Last On Blarney Tour Stairs Get Busy & Tight So If Your Claustrophobic Just Give Yourself Some Space & You’ll Be Fine! When At Rooftop Watch Your Step Cuz Lots Of Uneven Walkways! And Also Keep A Strap Of Phone To Not Lose It Over The Side Of Castle (Which My Wife Didn’t Do But Her Phone Survived A 9-10 Story Fall🤣😂🤣) Overall You Can Stay Close To Port Or Go Explore More In Cork…Either Way You’ll Have A Great Time!

We fell in love with Cork. It’s exactly as you would imagine a southern Irish city/town to feel like. It was warm and friendly & the craic & Guiness were great!