​Kelsey's Travel Blog!​
I travel not to escape life, but to be sure that life will not escape me! Come join me!
After only spending two nights in Cork, we had a quick look around the town for the last time, visiting the English Market, which apparently the Queen of England visited her last time in Cork, so if it is good enough for the Queen, it was good enough for us. We went back to our hostels, packed our bags, and jumped on the three-hour bus ride to Dublin. Although the end to this short trip is fast approaching, I am thrilled to have had the experiences I have had in such a short amount of time. I couldn’t be more excited to end my first Ireland trip in the heart of the capital city, since I am a city girl after all! I have high expectations for Dublin, so I am looking forward to wandering around Trinity College, meeting up with friends of friends who are here, and any other crazy things Ireland can throw at us.
The following morning, Sarah and I headed on our own to Blarney Castle in Blarney, a small town located about 20 minutes outside of Cork, with the hopes of kissing the Blarney stone, which is rumored to, once kissed, give one the gift of eloquence. Built in the late 14th century, the castle has been taken over three times in its existence, and is now privately owned by a baron who’s family purchased it in the early 1700’s. I don’t know which relative’s ass this guy had to kiss to get the castle, but I could sure learn a thing or two from him…. Perhaps the kissing of the stone helped? He now, during the winter season, lives in a manor on the castle grounds. It is one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen. Sarah and I explored the castle grounds, kissed the stone, had a coffee in town, and then returned to Cork for a mini siesta before heading out on the town again.
To get a further feel for the Cork night life, we wandered to Sin e’s (pronounced shin-eh’s) in hopes of finding more classic Irish music. Sin e’s, similar to LV's, had a very local crowd and a very friendly atmosphere with another incredible Irish band jamming out in a circle around their beers. We sat around, chatted, enjoyed the music and our beers, and mingled once again with the locals. We ended up chatting with two couples just out enjoying a few drinks, and one woman had just had her second kid four months ago. They even ended up buying us each a pint, just as a friendly Irish gesture. It’s easy to say that it is probably the people that helped me fall in love with Cork.
Cork City: a charming, quaint city in the south western county of Cork, had its arms wide open from the moment we arrived. Built on the River Lee, which divides the city into two districts, was both incredibly unexpected and wildly entertaining, filled with a number of tributes to the great St. Patrick who not only brought Christianity to the Irish shores, but also, according to legend, drove away all snakes from the island, and local Irishmen who find their way to the bars before the sun sets, and continue their drinking adventures through the early morning. I was told not to expect much of Cork; yet the city that was constantly being compared to Galway and Dublin proved to be much more than just a passing-through city. Home to a number of micro-brews, thousands of students that nearly double the population during the school season, and a distinct accent that can be recognized from just about anywhere, the "rebel city" proved many of those pessimistic Irishfolk wrong when they told us that there was nothing for three American students traveling.
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Cork, Ireland January 10-12
After getting off the two hour bus ride from Galway, we arrived to hostel only to find we were an hour early before we could actually check in. when one finds themselves in Ireland with an hour in the middle of the day to kill, there is only one possible solution to that issue: head for the Pub. Our hostel, the charming little Aaren House, was located a bit out side of the city center and not much around it was open except for a very small guesthouse with a pub within called the Station View Tavern. In Cork, it is very easy to lose track of time and get lost in a good conversation with the locals about American politics, our travels, other places in Ireland, and how Cork has, and always will have, the best beer in Ireland. ​Throughout this trip, I have developed a love for traditional Irish music, and our Hostel innkeeper was able to rattle off at least 4 Pubs in the area with Trad sessions occurring that night. Once we got settled, I headed to LV’s, a local pub down the road suggested by Tracey in hopes of hearing some of a genre of music that has now become an obsession. I sat down, ordered a Blarney Blonde, a local brew which rivals even the best Colorado micro-brews, and only drank about a fourth of it before the band came in to the pub. I mingled with the locals all while listening to the melodies and harmonies that have been passed down through the ages. Nick and Sarah met up with me about an hour later and once the Pub closed at 12:30am, we headed to Crane Lane, a unique theater that moonlights on the weekends as an after hours bar. It was where everyone went after the pubs if they are not ready to quite for the night. This brought an interesting mix of young and old bar-goers who, although began the night in their separate scenes, converged into one place to enjoy their last few pints before heading back to their own beds. ​
