It is a delightfully pretty place and the considerable remains of a fifteenth century Franciscan friary nestle down by the quayside.

Little Fuchsia spattered lanes lead across the island to fine sandy beaches in the west.

There are the remains of an O’Driscoll stronghold too , and the annual O’Driscoll clan gathering in June is a hectic five day event spread between Sherkin Island , Clear Island , and Baltimore.

If you are on Ireland tours , in the Cork region , and your name is O’Driscoll !! , then it is a must see attraction……

Our choices in Belfast include the Europa and the Culloden while in Dublin we like to use the Gresham Hotel.

In the Cork area we like to use Actons Hotel in the beautiful little village of Kinsale.

And for Galway it really has to be Ballynahinch Castle !

At the moment we can secure great deals for accomodation and our driver/guides will make sure your Ireland tour is one to remember.

Blarney castle is situated 8km from Cork city. It is worth a visit on any Ireland tours.

This historic castle is most famous for its “Blarney Stone”

This stone has the traditional power of conferring eloquence on all who kiss it.

The word “blarney” was introduced into the English language by Queen Elizabeth the first , and is described as pleasant talk intended to deceive without offending.

The stone is set in the wall below the battlements , and to kiss it , one has to lean backwards from the parapet wall.

In the grounds of the castle the “Rock Close” and its surroundings is a curious place of ancient trees , and far more ancient stones.

On any tours of Ireland you should consider picking up “a bit of the blarney”

These wedge shaped graves were erected largely during the early Bronze Age , before and after 2000 B.C.

Some , particularly in West Cork may have been associated with early copper miners.

Consisting of a long , gallery-like burial chamber facing westward , and sometimes preceded by a portico , many were probably originally covered by a mond.

Keep an eye out for them on any tours of Ireland !! They are real hidden gems.

But dont worry if you are on a cruise ship…you wont meet any live ones.

There were several pirates with Irish connections , the two most famous of them women.

Anne Bonny (c. 1700) was the bastard child of a Cork lawyer and the family maid , who sailed first to Carolina , where she escaped from a weak husband to take up with pirates. Disguising herself as a man , she had a brief and unusual career before being tried and sentenced to be hanged for piracy in Jamaica. Pregnant , her sentence was delayed until the delivery of the baby , after which she disappeared.

Grainne (Grace) O’Malley (c. 1530 – c.1603) assumed control of the family domains on the Atlantic coast of Mayo on her husbands death. Her ships harassed the British fleets on the West coast of Ireland until her arrest by Sir Richard Bingham in 1586. She was ultimately spared and even had an audience with Queen Elizabeth I in London , where she is said to have assumed regal equality with the English monarch and insisted on speaking only in Irish.

Ireland tours have so much more to offer than just scenery. The history is varied , colourful , and often….unexpected !!

The province, which covers 9, 526 square miles, has a population of over 1 million.

Munster consists of the counties Clare , Cork , Kerry , Limerick , Tipperary , and Waterford.

The name derives from Muma , an ancient kingdom in the south of Ireland , which was later divided into Deas Mumhan (Deasmond) , South Munster , and Tua Mumhan (Thomond) , North Munster.

The province has some of Ireland’s most beautiful scenery, including the rugged coastlines of counties Clare , Cork , and Kerry , the Lakes of Killarney , and the Burren. All could be considered must see attractions.

The famous Battle of Kinsale (in County Cork) in 1601 ended Nine Years War rebellion of the Ulster Irish Chieftains and effectively abolished the old Gaelic order.

A famous province and well worth a visit…….on any tours of Ireland.

Slea Head