Tue 30 May Blarney Castle
A beautiful sunny day, perfect for the bus trip to Blarney via Cark. The castle was quite beyond our expectations: a great castle, with unlit dungeon passages and narrow winding stone staircases leading to the famous Blarney Stone. We both kissed the Stone, in a process which was well-organised and not at all tacky! Did you know that it's half of the Stone of Destiny (or Scone)? I didn't! In the grounds there was a magical and mystical place of former Druid use, and (allegedly) faeries and leprochauns, though we saw neither. Despite this the whole outing was outstanding and memorable, and all the better for being the one nice day sandwiched between the strong wind and heavy showers brought by yet more low pressure systems crossing the country from the Atlantic. It needs to improve by Thursday, when we hope to make it to Waterford, a 12 hour sail to the east. Fingers corssed!