Day 17 - Blarney

First up this morning we drove to Kinsale and took a guided tour through the wee village.  This is a very historic site mainly based on life at sea and the never ending fighting in the area.  This is where the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915, with a tragic loss of life.  Kinsale has a very important and sheltered harbour which was very deep, but is now relatively shallow because of the silt washed down from the hillsides and a tsunami which came across the water from Portugal. The English cleared the hillsides of the thick stands of oak trees which covered them.

Then on to the Jameson Whiskey distillery which was very interesting and well organised.  A free tasting was provided at the end of the tour.  The original John Jameson was from Scotland, and four generations later the whiskey distillery is going well although the family are no longer involved.  The old buildings have been turned into a tourist attraction and a new distillery built next door. 

We met up with Karen and Stephen for dinner, and back to the hotel where we watched the floor show until we got caught up in the Irish dancing at the Blarney Castle Hotel in Blarney.  These local people put on a performance each Wednesday evening, the major act being Margaret McCarthy who was very talented.  She could sing, dance, play the violin and put on a stunning Irish "Riverdance" performance while playing the violin. She has performed for Barack Obama and his wife and is a celebrity here in the farming community of Cork.  We were all encouraged to join in the "Hokey Pokey".

The entrance to Kinsale Harbour, a picturesque area steeped in history. 

More of Kinsale Harbour.

Some of the decorated houses in the waterside village of Kinsale.

Start of the Jameson Whiskey Tour.

Just a small taste - straight down it burns all the way !

Our last night with Karen and Stephen.  They took us to a renowned restaurant on the water where we enjoyed a special dinner with them.

Some of the tourist bus group.  Later that night we were dragged up to the dance floor to entertain the locals.  And why not - except for one young girl all the local entertainers were elderly and courageous.  One was pushing 90, a great piano accordion player but would not stop playing.  She had to be helped off the stage!!!!

Another, a not so great singer but from another era also had to be coaxed from the stage.

One female comedian was very good with her poetry while the male dancer was agile and the male singer would have been better at home ! !!!

This was the Hokey Pokey, guess you had to be there to see the fun we had.