Family In:sight into Blarney Caravan and Camping Site

The last site that we stayed at during our stay in Ireland was the Blarney Caravan and Camping site and we had it almost to ourselves during the 4 nights that we were there. It is a large site, which I imagine is extremely popular during the summer months, on the outskirts of the village of Blarney. The site, once a large farm, now offers a pitch and putt. Also on site is a small playground and large play area to keep the active members of the family entertained. Hidden beside the play area is a small garden surrounded by bushes - a superb location for a game hide and seek!

 

The town of Blarney is only a couple of miles away. It provides any shops, banks and pubs that you might need. The pubs offer traditional music too if you want to sample some Irish music during your stay. The Tourist Information office provides lots of information about what to in the area and will dish out leaflets on many of the local walks in the area.

 

You can't stay in Blarney without visiting the famous Blarney castle and you can't visit the castle without kissing the famous stone, which promises the gift of eloquence! The castle is extremely popular and has streams of visitors throughout the year so be prepared to battle with crowds during the peak seasons. We must have had some of the Irish luck because October seemed relatively quiet. As well as bending backwards whilst being held by one of the castle staff to kiss the stone, it is worth exploring the grounds of the castle with its impressive landscaped gardens. There is a fascinating poison garden where you can see and learn about poisonous plants, their history and fatal properties. The kids will also love the magical features and stories hidden the nooks and crannies of the gardens, rock formations and water falls.

 

Cobh (Irish for the word Cove) was known as Queenstown from 1850 due to a visit from Queen Victoria but reverted back to its Irish name in 1920. It is a charming tourist seaside port on the south coast of Cork county. There is plenty to see and appreciate but for those wanting some history visit the Queenstown Story exhibition at the Cobh Heritage centre. The museum, located at the water's edge in Cobh's restored Victorian Railway station provides a fascinating insight into the history of emigration from the port with over two and half million people departing from the port due to Famine, disease and crime. It provides details of the many different ships that have departed from the port including the famous Titantic, whose last port of call was Queenstown, before setting off its fateful, maiden journey across the Atlantic.

During our visit to Cobh we visited the Queenstown Story at the Heritage centre but an equally popular museum is The Titantic Experience whose focus is on the most famous departure from these shores.

 

Kinsale is said to be one the most picturesque, popular and fashionable resorts on the south-west coast of Ireland. The colourful streets provide a wide variety of shops and eating places and the town hosts a variety of events throughout the year. For those with sea legs, you can hire boats and explore the coast for yourselves. Kinsale was recommended to us as somewhere to visit during our stay but unfortunately we didn't have the time - we would have loved to go.