Today, I am going to begin with our explorations in County Cork, Ireland. Then we will cross the Irish Sea, and I will describe our time in Wales on the Isle of Anglesey and in northeast Wales. We spent two full days in Wales during our stops in Holyhead and Liverpool. I will talk about Liverpool in my next post.
County Cork
Leaving the port of Dublin Saturday afternoon, we sailed overnight southward through the Irish Sea to Cobh (pronounced “cove”). On arrival in Cobh, we made an early Sunday morning visit from Cork Harbor to the Blarney Castle and Gardens, following a winding road through the County Cork landscape to the castle.
Blarney Castle
The MacCarthys, the “Kings of Munster”, are one of the ancient clans of Ireland especially known for its fierce warriors. The Blarney Castle is actually the tower house, or fortress, of the MacCarthy family. The present day Blarney Castle is the third structure on a hill top in the center of a 60-acre garden. Originally, the hill top was the site of a 10th century wooden hunting lodge. Later, a stone structure replaced the hunting lodge around 1210 AD. Finally, Dermot MacCarthy razed this structure in 1446 AD to lay the foundation for the castle that exists today.
Climbing the dark, cramped, spiral staircase to the top of the tower is a claustrophobic experience.
The history of the Blarney Stone is a mix of fable and legend. First, some claim the prophet Jeremiah brought the stone pillow of Jacob to Ireland. It became known as the Lia Fail or “Fatal Stone” used as an oracular throne of Irish kings. Harry Potter fans might think of it as a sorting hat for a king.
And so the legends grow. A second version goes that the stone was part of Scotland’s Stone of Scone that held the prophetic power of royal succession, used in the inauguration of Scottish kings. The basis of the legend is that Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster, in 1214 AD sent four thousand soldiers to support Robert the Bruce in his defeat of Edward I at Bannockburn. And in appreciation, Robert split the stone in half and sent one of the halves to MacCarthy. Whereupon MacCarthy incorporated it into the battlements where it rests today. Ireland adopted the use of the stone in the inauguration of its kings.
Kissing the Blarney Stone
Another legend says that a MacCarthy saved a witch from drowning. And, in appreciation, she revealed the power of the stone to the MacCarthy family. According to the witch,
“There is a stone there that whoever kisses, Oh! he never misses to grow eloquent.”
Now, about the word “blarney.” History credits Queen Elizabeth I with the word. Disturbed by Irish independence, she charged her emissary, Sir George Carew, to convince the MacCarthy family to abandon its ancient rights and accept the authority of the English throne. However, every time he tried, he listened to long, eloquent protestations of loyalty to and honeyed flattery of the Queen, but no agreement ever emerged. Whereupon, a frustrated Queen Elizabeth proclaimed, ”This is all Blarney. What he says he never means.” Now you know the origin of blarney. You might think of it as queenspeak for “bullshit!”
I dutifully climbed the steps and joined the line at the top of the castle to kiss the stone. Each one patiently waited the opportunity to lie on one’s back and scoot forward to hang over the edge. With neck craning upward, each person would give the cold stone a kiss and become ever so eloquent! An aide was there to assist and Purell the stone between kisses. By the time I returned to the base of the castle, the line had quickly grown to a one hour wait. Susie waited patiently at the base, demonstrating once again her superior judgment.
Fate of the Titanic and Lusitania
Cobh on Great Island in Cork Harbor is a port that I never heard about, but it seems I should have. Formerly known as Queenstown, this port was the departure point for 2.5 of the 6 million Irish emigrants to North America between 1848 and 1950.
This is a port of great tragedy for this was the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic. One hundred twenty-three passengers boarded the ship in Cobh, then known as Queenstown. And years before, the sinking of the Lusitania by German U-boats took place on the sea not far from this port. The town’s sailors and fishermen made heroic attempts to save the people aboard the Lusitania with limited success. Of the 1,962 passengers and crew aboard, there were only 764 survivors.
Finally and importantly, the town memorializes emigrants to North America and Australia. Our ship rests beside the statue of 17-year old Annie Moore and her brothers , Philip and Edward. On 31 December 1891, they were the first to process through the newly-opened Ellis Island after a 12-day sea journey from Queenstown. Tragically, Annie died as a 49-year old in a New York lower east side tenement.
The Town of Cobh
Today, Cobh is a small, colorful village that appears unchanged over the decades. I enjoyed walking its waterfront and climbing the steep hill to the Cobh Cathedral.
It struck me that the Cobh Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. Colman as it is locally known, is a very large church for such a small community. Above all, it is a testament to the faith of the people that they would invest so much in such a stately, beautiful (and well-kept) house of worship.
Our first day passed so quickly here in Cobh. There was so much more to see and so little time. The cruiser’s lament I suppose. But, back on the ship and weigh anchor!
Isle of Anglesey
The Seabourn Ovation sailed overnight eastward across the Irish Sea to Wales and at daybreak docked at Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. This town dates to 450 AD when Celtic King Caswallon defeated Irish invaders on Holy Island. Today, Holyhead is a major ferry port for the world.
Holyhead
With the morning free, we took a shuttle bus from the ship into Holyhead. As we began to walk through the small town, we encountered the walls of the Roman fort of Caer Gybi, likely built in the 3d century to repel Irish sea invaders. St. Cybl’s church was built on the site of the fort in 550 AD and continues to serve the Holyhead community today.
We were so fortunate. Susie and I, with our Canadian friends Lawrence and Sandra, looked around the primitive walls of the fort. We looked at the gravestones. The four of us walked through the old church, left a small donation for the ongoing rehabilitation of the old building, and prepared to leave. However, the kind docent at the door urged us to stay to hear the men’s choir and said that some young people in period dress would be present. And I am so thrilled we did. The men’s voices were strong and resonant in both Celtic and English harmony. My mentor gently pointed me to research Welsh men’s choirs. It turns out they are a significant part of Welsh heritage. (https://blogs.haverford.edu/celticfringe/2017/03/26/male-voice-choirs-in-wales-a-brief-overview/) I should have done my homework! The young people in costume, notably the intricately braided hair, were amazing to see. What a terrific, by chance, experience!
On our walk through town, we found a number of B&Bs you might want to investigate for a holiday.
We made our way to the Maritime Museum on the waterfront. The history of Holyhead is all about the maritime industry, but the volunteer curators in the museum are really proud of their prehistoric exhibit specimen. They display the teeth and jawbone of a woolly mammoth dredged from the harbor in the 19th century. It wasn’t much to see, but whatever floats your boat, I guess. (No photo of said mammoth. Sorry!)
The 1801 Act of Union between Ireland and Britain created an explosion of post and passengers between the two countries. And Holyhead became the logical safe harbor to support this traffic. Beginning in 1845, construction began on a 1 3/4 mile long breakwater that required 28 years and £1,285,000 to complete. Altogether, the project consumed 40 lives and 7 million tons of Holyhead Mountain. You might think of the project as the 19th century equivalent of the English Channel Tunnel.
Beaumaris Castle
After lunch we rode to Beaumaris Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site so designated as an example of late 13th/early 14th century military architecture. Edward I constructed Beaumaris Castle as part of his campaign to conquer north Wales.
Beaumaris has a symmetrical design of inner and outer walls that sets it apart from similar military fortifications. Interestingly, the design allowed for a sea gate that allowed ships from the sea to sail up to the castle to resupply the fortress. Construction began in 1295 after years of delay due to lack of funding for such a massive castle. And once begun, work on the castle continued intermittently until work ceased in 1330. In summary, the construction project consumed £15,000, but the castle remained unfinished.
As we left Beaumaris Castle, our guide pointed out the Snowdonia Mountains on the Welsh mainland. She said it is rare to see the tallest peak, the little dark blip in the center of the picture below, as clouds usually obscure it. But, for an Appalachian as I am, it appears calling them mountains is a bit of a stretch. Notwithstanding, they are the highest mountains of the United Kingdom outside of Scotland.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
On our way back to our ship, we had the opportunity to view the Menai Suspension Bridge. It is one of two bridges that span the Menai Straits to connect the Isle of Anglesey to mainland Wales. Impressive in its appearance, it opened for travel in 1826.
Adjacent to it is a town that claims the longest name for a town in Europe…..
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Gaelic/Celtic spelling defies description! Invented in the 19th century for promotional purposes, the name has endured.
No matter what we see on tour, there is always a warm homecoming feeling in our return to the ship. And occasionally the staff enlivens the return with a rousing reception. This afternoon, it includes Bailey’s. Susie is hamming it up with Handré Potgieter, our cruise director, who is one of Seabourn’s finest. This very personable and talented South African is a favorite among the passengers and crew.
Liverpool
We left Holyhead Monday evening and docked the next morning in Liverpool, England. This is a marvelous port city, steeped in maritime history and blessed with much distinctive architecture. Of course, the Beatles are the city’s best known export. While we were tempted to tour Liverpool for the day, Susie and I elected instead to leave Liverpool behind and return to Wales to spend the day in the Welsh countryside. We would save Liverpool for tomorrow morning,
Llangollen
We took a tour bus under the River Mersey (We did not ferry across as the Beatles song goes!) and returned to Wales. The bus drove the winding, narrow roads through the scenic countryside of northeast Wales to the town of Llangollen.
Our group toured the quaint town and had lunch before boarding the Llangollen Railway.
We took a 7-mile train ride along the Dee River behind a restored steam engine pulling 1960s era passenger cars to the little town of Carrog. This was a delightful experience that offered non-stop views of the Welsh countryside. From there we drove to the Chirk Castle, returning at the end of the day to our ship.
Chirk Castle
Our tour bus left Carrog heading to the Chirk Castle, the last stop of the day. After a short drive we found the castle on a hilltop at the confluence of the rivers Dee and the Ceiriog. Constructed in 1310 AD (15 years after Beaumaris), this is Edward I’s last castle to assist in the defeat of the princes of Wales. And it is the last occupied castle, thus its interior is lavishly furnished and habitable, unlike the other castles we have seen.
I love the intricately wrought gate. Note the hand at the top. Legend has it that two brothers raced around the perimeter of the estate to determine ownership. Running neck and neck at the end, one sliced off his hand and threw it across the line to finish first and take possession of the castle.
We returned to our ship in Liverpool. In my next post, we will take a look at Liverpool and then go back across the Irish Sea to Belfast in Northern Ireland.
