Our driver, Bryan (from Paddywagon) led us on this tour. The castle itself, is pretty cool. So much history within the walls. He was able to get us to the castle and queued up before many other tours arrived, which made the tour that much better not having to fight huge crowds. And kissing the Blarney stone, what a production! Lots of photo ops, plenty of time to explore and soak in the ambiance. The 2d half of the tour in Cobh (pronounced "Cove") was equally intriguing. This port city is just outside of Cork, the main city in the south. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic and there is an interactive exhibit (Separate entry fee) related to the ship. There is much history in the town as well, as this deepwater port also hosts the Irish navy's southern fleet. It is a very colorful, if small, town area that displays a small town Irish vibe replete with several good pubs in which to grab pint and have a very tasty and filling meal.

This tour was great! This isn't a tour you would take if you're looking for a guided tour of Cobh or Blarney. Rather, you take it if you want free time to walk around both areas. I felt I had ample time to full explore each area and would highly recommend this to anyone looking to visit these beautiful places! We also had the choice at the end to either go to the Fota Wildlife Conservation Park or to the Jameson Distillery. I chose the Wildlife Park (I was the only one!) and I LOVED IT! Even in the rain, I had so much fun. You have two hours at each stop. Also, Jim, our guide, was so knowledgeable and even though it wasn't an actual tour, I learned a lot from him!

Kiss the stone... you know you want to!

The tour was great. An easy way to get to both Blarney Castle and Cobh instead of trying to navigate public transit or drive yourself. You start the day at the castle, and while lines get upwards of three hours at the peak of the day, getting there first things allows you to really beat the lines. We got in quickly and got directly in line for the stone and we didn’t have to wait long at all. Maybe 10 minutes, probably less. To kiss the stone you climb to the top of the tower. It’s not too bad, but as is the case with most castles and towers it’s a narrow, spiral staircase with well-worn rock so try not to have too much with you and make sure you have suitable shoes. Then you lay on your back, hang off the edge of the castle and kiss the bottom stones on the wall. For short-torso folks like me it is hard to reach, but the Blarney team helps and it’s well worth it! Cobh was a beautiful little spot as well. Would have liked a bit more time in each place, but it was a great tour!