The skies cleared this morning as we left Tralee. We made a short pit stop in Macroom and it happened to be market day so many of us bought fresh fruit or baked goods.
Our highlight for the morning was Blarney Castle. There was plenty of time to walk the grounds, including the gardens and also to make the climb up to the top to kiss the Blarney stone and get the gift of eloquence. Kissing the stone is not an easy task. There are over 100 stairs to climb, most of which are part of a narrow winding staircase. The kissing itself involves laying on one's back, grabbing bars for support and arching down below floor level. Luckily, word has if that the gift of gab can also be acquired by kissing someone who has kissed the stone.
The Blarney Woolen Mills are just a few blocks away and those who wanted had time to shop. We also ate lunch here as there were several good restaurant or pub options.
Next, we took a short drive to Cobh (pronounced Cove and formerly known as Queenstown.) It was from here that many of the Irish started their long voyage to start a new life in America, Canada, Australia and other parts of fhe world. We visited the Cobh Heritage Center where we saw the Queenstown Story exhibit. Here we learned about what the voyages were like for the immigrants from Ireland. From the first waves that left during the famine when the travel conditions were crowded and unsafe, including the "Coffin Ship" to leisure voyages that took place later on. In terms of emigration, over 6 million Irish left Ireland between 1848 and 1950 with over one third departing from Cobh.
The exhibit included information about convict ships that sailed mostly to Australia where criminals were used for hard labor in the land down under. We also learned about the luxury cruise ships including the fateful voyage of the Titanic and the tragic sinking of the Lusitania.
The exhibit also had some ties to Ellis Island. There is a statue of Annie Moore and her two brothers outside the center, overlooking harbor. Annie was teenager who traveled to meet up with her parents and other siblings in New York. She was the first emigrant processed when Ellis Island officially opened in 1892.
This was a very interesting stop and many of us with Irish ancestry are more curious about our relatives and how and when they came over. Sounds like a little research project!
Our final stop was at Coleman Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic style church that was started in the 1850's. It is named for the patron saint of Cork, the county in which Cobh lies.
This evening we had time to relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds and scenery surrounding our hotel in Clonmel. We had drinks and a social hour before dinner.
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