Let me start by saying in an Irish accent diddly dee and top of the morning to ya while tipping my hat!
Ireland is a beautifully green country, with castles that date back to the 12th century, legends of leprechauns, and modern tourist attractions built in the shape of a schooner glass in tribute to Ireland’s famous ale – Guinness!
There are so many things to see and do in Ireland making it such an interesting place to visit. We visited Iceland and Ireland with Celebrity Cruises and were lucky to spend one day in Cork, which we loved, especially after meeting Ang, the nicest taxi tour driver you could ask for!
The taxi tour was perfect as this meant we could see exactly what we wanted to see (Kinsale, Charles Fort, Fota Island Golf Club, Titanic Experience) and stay as long as we liked in each location. It was a private tour with just the two of us and this was one of the easiest ways to get to Kinsale.
Ang drove us around for the whole day, it was a great way to see Cork and its surrounding towns. Ang was a local and hilarious. She sang all the Irish classics like “The Wild Rover” and each time the song said No Nay Never she would clap and slap the steering wheel!
Kinsale
Kinsale is a gorgeous coastal town with great restaurants and colouful shops. Be sure to stop in at the famous Fishy Fishy restaurant for lunch and shop at Granny’s Bottom Drawer for a Foxford rug – I love mine! We spent around one and a half hours in Kinsale, if only we could have stayed longer.
Charles Fort
Charles Fort was a star-shaped fort built by the British Army in the 17th century. It was built to protect the harbour and surrounding area against sea attacks. The fort has beautiful unspoiled views across the water and distant Cork County countryside.
Charles Fort is open all year round and there is a small fee to go inside. Make sure you wear appropriate footwear as there are steep hills and uneven ground to navigate. We spent one hour exploring the rich history of Charles Fort.
Fota Island Golf Club
The Golf Club is one of Ireland’s top-rated courses where some well-known championships like the Irish Open are played.
We stopped at Fota Island Golf Club as my dad loves golf and it was a great place to get him a souvenir. The course is simply immaculate, even the drive-in was impressive!
We found an old English oak tree that was over 180 years old next to the clubhouse which had a golfer carved into the top, a definite wow factor.
Titanic Experience
This experience is where you will be able to walk in the footsteps of actual Titanic passengers.
As you check in, you will be assigned a passenger identity which is from a real Titanic passenger. At the end of the 30-minute tour, you will discover your fate.
My Husband was Michael Lineham, a 21-year-old 3rd class passenger and I was Mary McGovern, a 22-year-old 3rd class passenger. Unfortunately, Michael didn’t make it but Mary did.
This is a popular attraction so be sure to book ahead. We bought our tickets on the day and then had to come back for the tour 30 minutes later. After the tour, we looked through the gift shop which sells Titanic memorabilia and Irish classics like the Irish tin whistle.
Kelly’s Pub
Kelly’s is an old pub in the heart of town. It’s a great place to sit back with locals and enjoy a nice cold ale and some live music before having to get back onboard the ship. Be sure to try a Murphy’s Irish Stout and compare it to the Guinness. It’s a very hard choice but we may have preferred the Murphy’s just that tiny bit more!
Thoughts & opinions shared about the Top Things to See and Do in Ireland are entirely my own.
