Best of the South West Tour

(Full Day Tour)

This tour offers various aspects of the south of Ireland seeing the main sights of Ireland’s second city with the experience of the fishing/sailing village Kinsale and visiting the legendary village of Blarney with its famed castle.

As you descend ashore your guide will introduce to you Cobh which was the last sight of Ireland for so many people in the latter part of the 19th century when the Irish sought a new and ‘better’ life in the ‘New World’. Your tour proceeds to Kinsale driving through the Lee Tunnel. Stop for photos near Charlesfort followed by a walk around the town of Kinsale with its very attractive harbour and yachting centre. Drive from Kinsale through rolling pasturelands to Cork City where you will view the main sights of the city including the University; St Finbarr’s Cathedral and the City’s main streets.

Free for lunch on your own in Cork

Continue to the village of Blarney with time to browse around the village or indeed shop in the well stocked Blarney Woollen Mills shop which houses a wide variety of quality Irish products including crystal, cashmere, crafts like candles, pottery and ceramics and of course traditional woollen knits. Visit Blarney Castle - one of the most famous attractions in Ireland where the ’stone’ bestows the ‘gift of eloquence’ to those who kiss it. The Blarney stone is housed on the summit of the ruin and is approached by climbing 100 steps. From the summit, one has fine vistas of parkland and Blarney House in the distance.

Return to Cobh via the Ring Road