Cork

Well, we made it through another weekend excursion exploring Ireland. This weekend's destination was Cork, located on the Southwest coast, about two and a half hours from Galway. On Friday we took a pit stop in Limerick before arriving at a small pub in the city of Cork where we listened to a traditional Irish poetry performance. 

Coffee break in Limerick

We then had the remainder of the afternoon and night to explore the city on our own. After trekking through the rain we stopped at the English market and then for dinner at a an Italian restaurant. That night, a small group of us hit up the Oliver Plunkett pub, based on a local's recommendation. We listened to live music and hung out for a few hours. Cork is much more similar to Galway than Dublin and I think it's safe to say the majority of us liked Cork better. 

Cork

Dinner at Scoozi's

On Saturday we were led on a full day tour of Cork as well as the port town of Cobh. Cobh is most popularly known as the last port stop of the Titanic before its demise. It's a charming town, perfect for spending the day wandering around the sites. We went to a museum that gave us a good look at the history of the town especially in its relation to the Titanic. We traveled back to Cork and concluded our walking tour with an unofficial tour of the National University of Cork. 

Cobh

Museum

Cobh

Cobh

Cobh

National University of Cork 

At the top of a fortress in Cork (Kai, Me, Janine, & Caroline)

Sunday was probably our busiest day. On our way back to Galway we stopped at two of Ireland's most popular tourists stops. First up was Blarney Castle. We got to explore the winding corridors of the castle's interior as well as the gardens and pathways that surround it. At the top, tourists are able to kiss the Blarney Stone which is said to give the gift of eloquence. I'm still waiting for that eloquence to kick in!  

Blarney Castle

Blarney House

A little bit of home in an Irish castle 

At Blarney Castle (Katelyn, Abby, Kai, Caroline, & Me) 

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Cliffs of Moher were our last stop and definitely my favorite. The wind was unreal but so was the view! It's hard to explain a sight like that and pictures don't do it justice but they can try:

At the Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher 

At the Cliffs of Moher (Caroline, Abby, Me, Janine, & Kai) 

Cliffs of Moher

Me & Janine at the Cliffs of Moher

[Almost all of our group] group photo at the Cliffs of Moher

Our attempt at an HWS group photo but we're a little too dysfunctional

Next weekend I'm off to Barcelona with a bunch of people. My brother, who's working and living in Murcia, Spain this year, is going to come to Barcelona for the weekend as well. I can't wait!