My Trip to Ireland Part II: University of Cork, Blarney Castle, and Green Ireland

By: Amanda Hughes



The next day we went to the University of College Cork. Quite possibly the most beautiful college campus I’ve ever visited. The students attending this university really make the most of their campus. I saw many of them sitting outside studying, reading, talking to friends, riding bikes on the paths, etc. I really could see myself coming back to Cork one day to teach (they have an American Lit department, so it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea).We spent each weekday morning on the campus listening to mini-lectures from various faculty. And each weekday afternoon we took mini-field trips.

The first afternoon field trip was to Blarney. Yep, you guessed it, home to the infamous Blarney stone. What you don’t know about said stone until you go to Blarney……it’s at the top of a castle. No problem, right? Yeah…this place was built over 800 years ago. The stairs 1) wind up for about eight flights and 2) are so narrow you have to walk up sideways. Needless to say, I was not enthusiastic about kissing the stone by the time I got to the top. And I was even less enthusiastic when I saw the Blarney stone: there, above and to the left of the man’s hand – where the stone is noticeably darker than the rest of the wall – is where you plant your lips. Given my history of illness (apparently, when I get sick, I GET SICK) and knowing about half the world had been there before me, I declined to kiss the Blarney stone. My inaction caused a lot of reaction back home. I was told I would regret not doing it. I’m happy to report I’m very glad I didn’t. I did, however, get some pretty nice pictures of the castle

Other than visiting Blarney castle, we visited Blarney Woollen Mills – the largest family owned business in the Republic. The current CEO is the daughter of the founder. When she was 16, her father put her with a cart full of knickknack type of souvenirs at the base of Blarney Castle and she sold these goods to tourists. When the mill went bust in the 70s, her father bought it and turned into a much larger version of the cart. It was highly successful from day one. About ten years ago, the current CEO visited the U.S. Impressed with the way stores such as Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn were laid out, she changed the entire layout of the mill. Along with souvenirs, she incorporated goods marketed toward the locals of the area, such as bedroom furniture and kitchen staples. She also turned part of the mill into a cafeteria type restaurant, similar to what IKEA stores have – only they serve traditional Irish food.

The next day we again had a mini-lecture and a mini-trip. This time we went to the Tyndall National Institute. It’s a research facility owned by the university. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the place, but I gotta say, as someone who is not scientifically inclined, I was seriously impressed by the work they do there. What made the trip even more cool - the Queen of England had been there only a few days before us.

On Thursday, we took a day trip to Kinsale. It is a Sweet little town, with a harbor full of ships and old buildings.

Our next field trip took us to what was probably my favorite place, Killarney. Why was it my fave? I fell in love with this little lady (pony) and I met this barn kitty……and this one. Did I mention how green Ireland is? There are literally so many shades of green, you cannot count them all.

Thanks for reading about my trip to Ireland. I hope that you make a trip there one day. If so, contact me. In the meantime, have a look at my slideshow above!