Closing out in Kilkenny

Sept 28th-29th

We wrapped up our trip with one last night in Kilkenny. Our lodgings for the night were in a room above the Pumphouse Pub, which is a historic building located right on Kilkenny's Medieval Mile. Kilkenny was a really cool town, a mix of rows of traditional Irish buildings and homes and stone buildings and cathedrals, aging back as far as 1500 years, including an old bell tower. The streets are quite picturesque and feature many old pubs and boarding houses. I wish we had scheduled more time here to explore!

Link: What is the medieval mile?

One of the spots we managed to see was the Kilkenny Castle. It is located right in town and allows both tour guided and self guided tours around the grounds. Unfortunately only part of the castle is accessible but features rooms with preserved furniture and decor that is really interesting to see.

The stunning Kilkenny Castle

Castle gates

The main room of the castle. This room was incredible. I stared at the ceiling for a long time.

A brief history of the Kilenny Castle Here!

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Our evening was a memorable one, starting with dinner at the old Cat and the Fiddle and a bar crawl across historic Kilkenny pubs. Everyone we encountered was very friendly, striking up pleasant conversations with us or buying us Irish Whiskey (which had consequences the next morning, unfortunately). At one point we walked into a pub that was filled exclusively with 40s-60s year old Irish male golfers there for an event, which was the most out of place we had been on this trip but still one of the best times. Guess you never know what to expect on your travels!

Our last dinner of the trip at Cat & The Fiddle

We enjoyed some live music at Matt the Millers pub - very kind bartenders

Another “completely sober” photograph

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Ironically, the very last wake up of the trip was the only one that featured a hangover. We had quite a rough start to the morning (guess it was bound to happen at some point) and slowly made our way out of town, taking the long scenic route back to Dublin through the Wicklow mountains. We weren't able to stop and take as many photos since we had to get back to make our flight, so you'll have to trust us that the views were by far the best of the trip. The route took us through rolling green hills, rocky mountains and lush valleys. We stopped for coffee and baked goods in the quaint mountain resort town of Glendalough, and made it back to Dublin just in time to return our rental car! The sun was rising as we made our drive and the air was crisp; a wonderful way to say goodbye to Ireland.

Some casual roadside sheep

Put a Cork in it

Sept 27th

We stopped in Cork for the purpose of cutting our long drive to Kilkenny and to visit the famous Blarney Castle and Stone. The Blarney Gardens and grounds were incredible; much larger than expected and absolutely gorgeous. The gardens were broken into multiple themed areas, with the spaces between filled with lush green lawn and leafy trees, ponds and brooks. The scenery was basically a dream come to life.

History of the Blarney Castle and Stone

Legends and Myths of the Blarney Stone

View from one of the castle towers

The “Blarney House” which was added much later by different occupants

Whatever this thing is

Climbed up 1729272827 flights of these type of stairs to get to the Blarney Stone

The view from the Blarney Stone access point

The remains of a medieval family room

I was a little scared so this better solve all my problems

Andrea was not as scared I guess

The remains of the Castle

Two Birds on One Stone?

The night spent in downtown Cork was our least favorite of all our stops. The city itself was busy and less of a "destination city" than Dublin or Galway. There isn't as much to do in town and it is not as walkable. We thought the city layout and demographics had similarities to downtown San Francisco. Our hostel was ok for the night but didn't provide towels and the building spotlight was right outside the window. While we do love falling asleep to the sounds of the city, there was quite a bit of chaotic noise around us. Let's just say we would skip Cork the next time around when visiting.

Our room in Cork