My family and I will be in Cork for a short 8 hour stop during a cruise in the latter part of June. Half of the group wants to visit the Blarney Stone, and yes, I have warned them about the locals urinating on the Stone, and the other half wants to visit Killarney to shop and go on a boat ride of the Lakes of Killarney. I have read both of these places are extremely touristy. Of the two, which one of the two would you suggest going to?

That is a tough question. It is more of a drive to Killarney from cork. The park is beautiful though. You can go through the house and see the garden surrounding it. I also went to blarney. You can shop at the Blarney Woolen Mill which is good. The castle is interesting, but the grounds behind the castle are really nice. There are amazing trees...very old. It is a tough choice.

I would go to Killarney.The National Park there is very beautiful and while you can only get a taste of it in a few hours it is still worth the trip.Do a google search for some pictures.

Thanks for the info. I'll try a search on the Park in Killarney for some pics.

Marc

I think with 8 hours, a trip to Killarney with the expectation of a boat ride might be a bit much. I'm not sure what you have in mind for transportation. If the cruise is handling it, you are ok because it will be planned for you. If you have to get there on your own, not such a good idea.

The Blarney Stone story is, in all likelihood, an urban legend. The castle is locked at night and breaking in for the pleasure of hosing it down would be an accomplishment. Yeah, some say it's the guards, but I don't think I'm buying it. Still, it's a funny story. Also, I wouldn't waste my time standing in line to kiss it. Blarney on top of blarney.

Killarney gets my vote. We have been to Ireland 6 times. Killarney, especially Ladies View, is beautiful.
Shop at Blarney Woolen Mills, they ship home--good selection and prices. This is in Killarney too.

I was thinking what Bill was thinking... how are you getting to Killarney and back?

If it's the tour/cruise company and they'll hold the boat for you, then Killarney. If you're arranging your own way, then be careful. "Don't miss the boat" isn't a cliche for nothing. Blarney IS nice, even if you don't feel like kissing a rock. The grounds are nice and the castle is .. a castle.

Also, Kinsale or Cobh, either would be closer than Killarney and both are very nice and worth a walk around.

Agree with Clifton. Cobh is a short trip away and Kinsale just a bit further. If you are getting there on your own, you will still have some planning to do. I also agree that a walk through the grounds at Blarney is nice.

Bill

Yes! I would do the Blarney Castle, The Woolen Mill for gifts, and around to Kinsale and Cobh and back to the boat! Gives you a wonderful 8 hrs without too much driving!
JOHN

I would avoid Blarney at all costs and go to Bunratty if you want to see castle ruins. We just returned from Ireland, where we visited Blarney. I was unpleasantly surprised at the amount of litter within the castle itself (gum wrappers, used kleenex, etc., everywhere), the tacky souvenir shops on the grounds, and the sheer tourist suckerism (charging you to get onto the grounds, kiss the stone, and get a certificate for kissing the stone). We left without kissing the stone -- kind of gross, what with hundreds of strangers smooching it every day.

Sorry for not posting our travel plans. If we were to go to Killarney, we had planned on taking either the bus or the train. Blarney we would take the bus. I normally allow plenty of time to get to the ship when doing shore excursions on our own, however, if for some reason we did "miss the boat", our next stop is Dublin so getting there wouldn't be a huge problem..inconvenience.. most definitely.

The train is not an option from Cork to Killarney. The bus leaves every hour on the Parnell Place station in Cork is is usually schedule to take about 1:40 to get there. Same deal coming back. Figure that four of your 8 hours would be on a bus. Here is the link to the bus schedule:
http://www.buseireann.ie/site/home/

Go to the Your Journey pull down and it is obvious from there.

There is a train from Cork to Cobh that runs very frequently and takes about less than 30 minutes. Might be a nice option. Here is the site for the train schedule:
http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey...rkcobhcork.pdf

I agree with those who would skip the touristy Blarney Stone. Cobh and Kinsale would be the best choices and while Killarney National Park is really nice, I doubt that 8 hours is enough time for it from Cork.

Have to agree with Mambo. I live in Cork and believe me Killarney would put you under serious pressure. Don't really want to confuse you with choices but if you were to go to Cobh, you could stop off at Fota Wildlife Park if weather was o.k. Might take up a fair chunk of your time though. Just keep in mind that journey times in Ireland may take longer than you expect or longer than stated on timetables. Don't cut it too fine.

I have kissed the Blarney stone and wondered what that hint of ammonia and acid aftertaste was....