Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [207]
The custom of kissing the stone (which supposedly gives one the gift of gab – if not other things) is a relatively modern one, but Blarney’s association with smooth talking goes back a long time. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have invented the term ‘to talk blarney’ out of exasperation with Lord Blarney’s ability to talk endlessly without ever actually agreeing to her demands.
Be warned: this place gets mobbed. If it all gets too much, vanish into the Rock Close, part of the beautiful and often ignored gardens. And a hint: Barryscourt Castle, east of Cork, is more impressive and much less crowded.
Blarney is 8km northwest of Cork and buses run frequently from Cork bus station (adult/child €3.10/1.80, 30 minutes).
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FOTA
Fota Wildlife Park ( 021-481 2678; www.fotawildlife.ie; Carrigtwohill; adult/child €13.50/9; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat & 11am-6pm Sun mid-Mar–Oct, 10am-3pm Mon-Sat & 11am-3pm Sun Nov–mid-Mar, last admission 1hr before closing) is a huge outdoor zoo, where animals roam without a cage or fence in sight. Here you can see kangaroos bound past; monkeys and gibbons leap and scream on wooded islands; and cheetahs run.
A tour train runs a circuit round the park every 15 minutes in high season (one way/return €1/2), but the 2km circular walk offers a more close-up experience.
From the wildlife park, you can take a stroll down to the Regency-style Fota House ( 021-481 5543; www.fotahouse.com; Carrigtwohill; adult/child €6/3; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct, last admission 1hr before closing). The mostly barren interior contains a fine kitchen and ornate plasterwork ceilings; interactive displays bring the rooms to life.
Attached to the house is the 150-year-old arboretum, which has a Victorian fernery, a magnolia walk and some beautiful trees, including giant redwoods and a Chinese ghost tree.
Fota is 10km east of Cork. The hourly Cork–Fota train (€3, 13 minutes) goes on to Cobh. A car park (€3) is shared by the park and the house.
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COBH
pop 6800
In the wake of the Famine, 2.5 million people emigrated from the port of Cobh (pronounced cove) – go on a grey day, and the sense of loss is still almost palpable. When the sun shines and the crowds flock in, though, you’ll see another side to this hilly little town. The spectacular cathedral looks down over brightly coloured houses, the wide seaside promenade and the glittering estuary, and Cobh seems to shake off its sad past.
History
For many years Cobh was the port of Cork, and it has always had a strong connection with Atlantic crossings, including many fateful ones. In 1838 the Sirius, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, sailed from Cobh. The Titanic made its last stop here before its fateful journey in 1912, and, when the Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Kinsale in 1915, it was here that many of the survivors were brought and the dead buried. Cobh was also the last glimpse of Ireland for the people who emigrated during the Famine.
In 1849 Cobh was renamed Queenstown after Queen Victoria paid a visit. The name lasted until Irish independence in 1921 when, unsurprisingly, the local council reverted to the Irish original.
The world’s first yacht club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club, was founded here in 1720, but now operates from Crosshaven on the other side of Cork Harbour.
Orientation
Cobh is on Great Island, which fills much of Cork Harbour, and is joined to the mainland by a causeway. It faces Haulbowline Island (once the base of the Irish Naval Service) and the greener Spike Island (which houses a prison). The waterfront