Home is where the Navy sends you...: Dublin to Cork

After an early wakeup and breakfast at the hotel, we did some last minute touristy pictures.

The King & Queen of the castle

Let's take a picture with the fireplace and this giant bird! - I mean...what?

The outside of the hotel

Dad and Mel (our driver).

Family photo in front of the hotel

Once the photoshoot was over, we packed in the van and started driving. The plan was to drive to Cork that day, with some stops on the way.

Mel drove us through the family home of the Fitzgerald's back in the day. I don't remember the name of it, and I'm not even sure he told us. It's a hotel now - but that's how people identify things there - family name homes.

After that, we headed to The K Club Golf Resort. My dad was absolutely giddy. Apparently this is where they played the Ryder Cup (a big deal in Golf). So we got out, walked around and went into the pro shop. I got a sweater there for Kenny to wear when he plays golf in the chilly weather (so, not in Jacksonville) and my dad picked up some stuff for himself and his bff's that he plays golf with.

In front of the K Club

After that, we hopped back in the van and went to The Irish National Stud. You might have thought there would have been some fine looking men there...and I guess in away, you'd be right. It's where they breed horses. We got to go on a tour of the facilities, and meet the horses as well as some other animals.

This horse costs $60,000 - if you want him to erhm...hop on your female horse.

Oh hai friend!


The miniature horses - these are here as a conservation project. No one pays money for their...services.

Thank goodness the horse didn't take this moment to do something inappropriate.

After touring the facilities and seeing the animals, we decided to walk through the Japanese garden they had set up there. It was set up like the "Path of Life" and you had to go through things like you would in life.

The first one being "the cave of birth." This is my "here I am, hi Mom!" birth face.

Walking the "perilous path."

You have to walk through the Tunnel of Ignorance. And rude, dad, very rude.

And as you can see, we veered off course from there. Instead of following the numbers numerically - we jumped around from 3 to 10 and back to another number. I some how wound up walking over the bridge of marriage before I even encountered the path of engagement. Who knows how that happens...

But here I am, overtaking the hill of ambition

My parents, at the Chair of Old Age...

And then lastly, the hill of mourning

A lot like real life, we O'Brien's went down our own path, but we made it to the end eventually and on our own time :)

After that, we stopped in the cafeteria there for some food for "carry out." They were perplexed by the word "to go." I asked them if they did "to go" and you would've thought I had an arm coming out of my head. Once the slang was figured out, food was ordered and we hopped back in the van to see more sights along the way.

The next stop was Cahir Castle, it was built by an O'Brien in 1142. Good looking out great grandpa O'Brien ;) We only stopped a minute to get out and take pictures. Cause it's not everyday you see something that's thousands of years old.

Mom & I with Cahir Castle

Mom & Dad with Cahir Castle

After that, it was back in the car to head to Blarney. This was something on my bucket list - I wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone. Rumor has it, if you kiss it, you're blessed with Blarney. What's Blarney you ask? I saw a sign that explained it like this: The difference between baloney and blarney. Baloney is telling a 50 year old lady she looks 25. Blarney is asking her what age she is, cause you want to know what age to look forward to when you're at your most beautiful. Well, if you know me, you know I don't really need help with my BSing skills...but it was on my bucket list.

Mel, our driver, gave me crap (lightheartedly and friendly) the whole way there about going so far to "kiss a damn stone." Apparently the local Irish don't get it.

We made it there in time to walk through the grounds leisurely while on our way to Blarney Castle.


Dad & I with Blarney Castle behind us.

The stairs to the top of the castle were those spiral straight up stairs. For a girl who's not too keen on heights, it wasn't all that fun. The least fun was getting to the top of the castle and seeing the line...

We waited patiently and I finally got my turn to kiss the stone (and contract some disease from all the other people who kissed it before me.)

Kissing the Blarney Stone.

They've so nicely added those bars under me, so now you can't fall to your death. What a lovely memento that would've been...

After kissing the stone, walking back down the steps, and buying my picture (uh, duh.), we made our way to the Poison Garden, where they keep the Poisonous plants. I still didn't manage to figure out why they do that...but whatever suits your fancy.

I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd, so I may or may not have been like "ZOMG MANDRAKES!" In Harry Potter, they look like this:

So I was slightly disappointed to see this:

Whomp, whomp, whooooomp

And then I saw "Wolfsbane" - another HP reference.

Not Poisonous Plants, just my parents :)

After Blarney, we were dropped off at our hotel for the night Hayfield Manor. We unpacked and got settled for a little bit and then took a walk around the grounds before heading to dinner.

My parents, 2 little lovebugs.

After dinner, my mom headed to their room to take a bath in the HUGE bathtub. I stayed up with my Dad and we headed to the bar for some father/daughter bonding time as well as Jameson (of course).