Spooky New Orleans: Cemetery Tours

I love cemeteries and whenever we see cemeteries when we travel, we always stop to explore.  New Orleans’ cemeteries are famous for their history, beauty, and uniqueness.  We joined two New Orleans cemetery tours to learn why New Orleans’ cemeteries are so unique.

Our first New Orleans cemetery tour was a combined tour that visited both the 1833 Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and the surrounding Garden District.  The 1833 Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is the prettiest of the cemeteries near the French Quarter.  The combination of above-ground tombs, cracked stone, and green overgrowth make the cemetery both photogenic and spooky.

New Orleans’ cemeteries aren’t filled with above-ground tombs just because they're pretty.  When the residents of New Orleans tried to dig graves in the ground, they would hit water and have to drill holes in the coffins, put them in water, and hope it didn’t rain.  New Orleans gets around five feet of rain a year.  If it rained, the coffins could potentially resurface.

One way to solve this problem would be to bury the dead on higher ground, but they didn’t want to use high ground for cemeteries as they wanted to use those areas, like the French Quarter and Uptown, to live.  The solution was to use above-ground tombs.

The tombs found in New Orleans cemeteries are family tombs.  Historically, New Orleans residents were Catholic.  Until 1963, the Catholic religion said you couldn’t get into heaven if you were cremated, so somehow generations of New Orleanians had to fit into one tomb.

Tombs can fit anywhere from one to three caskets at a time.  Whenever there is a death, the tablet at the front of the tomb is removed, the brick and mortar is broken, the coffin is placed inside, the brick and mortar is replaced, the name is added to the tablet, and the tablet is put back on the tomb.  The interior of the tombs can get up to 102 degrees, which causes accelerated decomposition (not the loveliest of terms).  Remains must be left in the tomb a minimum of one year and one day.  If a tragedy occurs and more family members die than can be fit in the tomb or before the necessary time has passed, a wall vault can be rented.  The next time there is a death in the family, the coffin in the tomb is taken out, the decomposed remains are gathered and put into the back of the tomb with the other occupants, and the process starts all over again.  

It’s fascinating to wander through the cemetery, reading the tombs and imagining what the families inside were like when they were alive, though it gets a little spooky late in the day when the sun starts setting.  You can learn the history of some of the families during a New Orleans cemetery tour. 

Family tombs are owned like houses and it is the responsibility of the family to maintain the tomb.  One tomb in the Lafayette Cemetery has been in the same family since 1858.  On All Saints Day, families visit family tombs and picnic, drink wine, and socialize with their tomb neighbors.

While walking amongst the tombs, pay attention to the symbols on the tombs.  Every symbol has a meaning.  Inverted torches mean a life snuffed out.  A rose means Mary mother of Jesus.  A winged hourglass means that time flies.

New Orleanians put the “fun” in funeral.  Jazz funerals are common in New Orleans.  Jazz funerals include the hearse, the family, a brass band, and the second line consisting of friends, acquaintances, and strangers.  Mournful music is played on the way to the cemetery and joyful music is played leaving the cemetery because the loved one has gone to a better world.  When traveling to New Orleans, read the obituaries, find a jazz funeral, and join a second line.  Strangers are welcome.

The other New Orleans cemetery tour we joined was a Cemetery Voodoo Tour.  This tour visits the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 just outside the French Quarter.  The St. Louis Cemetery is not as photogenic as the Lafayette Cemetery, but it is older, built in 1789, and has some famous and historic residents like the voodoo queen Marie Leboux, Madame LaLaurie, and Homer Plessy.  Interestingly, while slaves were buried in family tombs with their Catholic owners, Protestants were segregated and buried in a separate section.  There is also a wall vault built in 1903 that contains the remains of people who emigrated from places like Haiti, France, Cuba, and Spain.  Note that this cemetery can only be visited on a guided tour.

We took our Garden District and Cemetery Voodoo walking tours with Historic New Orleans Tours, Inc.  Tours are small and cost $20 per person.  Reservations are not required.

Thank you to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the New Orleans Hotel Collection for hosting our trip to New Orleans and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.  For updates on what is going on in New Orleans, follow the New Orleans CVB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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10 Things to Do in Dublin Ireland

Guinness moustache selfie at the Guinness Storehouse.

Ireland is one of those destinations for which there seems to always be airfare deals.  Years ago, when we were lucky if we were able to make one international trip a year, we almost had to go a year without.  But then we found a crazy airfare deal to Dublin, and all of a sudden we were heading to Ireland for the holidays.  Some travelers limit their travels to capital cities.  While there are many things to do in Dublin and it is a great capital city, Dublin should really be a starting point for exploring Ireland rather than the only destination.

Merrion Square.

During our trip to Ireland, we spent two days visiting Dublin before we started venturing out through the rest of the country.  To get to know Ireland, you really need to drive its countryside, visit its castles, talk with its people, and soak in its natural emerald beauty.  But before doing all that, get acquainted with Ireland by spending a couple days experiencing some of these things to do in Ireland.

Guinness Storehouse

A must-do on any Dublin itinerary is a tour of the Guinness Storehouse.  The Guinness Storehouse is located in the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin and has been since 1759 when Arthur Guinness started brewing in the brewery and signed a 9,000-year lease on the unused brewery.  The inside of the brewery is shaped like the world’s largest pint glass and a self-guided tour travels from the bottom to the top, seven stories up, with interactive exhibits about brewing, Guinness, and Ireland.  The tour ends at the top with a pint of thick, creamy Guinness in the rooftop Gravity Bar, which also provides a panoramic view of Dublin.

Trinity College

Sphere Within Sphere in front of Trinity College.

Trinity College has two very specific draws in the Old Library, the Book of Kells and the Long Room.  Downstairs is the Book of Kells Exhibition, where you will see a couple pages of the world’s most famous medieval manuscript.  This book, which is more of a work of art, was created in the 9th century and is full of colorful and detailed illustrations accompanying the four gospels of the life of Jesus Christ.  Before entering the room that contains the actual Book of Kells, there are walls exhibiting enlarged pages along with information about the Book of Kells.  Upstairs is the Long Room, the main chamber of the Old Library which is filled with a couple hundred thousand of the library’s oldest books.  In addition to old books, the library is also filled with marble busts and a harp, the symbol of Ireland.

Dublin Castle

One of Dublin Castle's staterooms.

Dublin Castle, another top thing to do in Dublin, is located in the center of Dublin’s historic district.  Visitors can explore the grounds and museums on their own.  However, if you want to tour the State Apartments and Chapel Royal, you’ll need to join a guided tour.  The State Apartments are where prestigious functions occur and are the most important staterooms in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral and author of Gulliver's Travels.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is so named because it is on the site where St. Patrick baptized converts to Christianity in the 5th century.  There has always been a church on the site since that time, and the current church was built in 1225, though much has been added and restored since then.  The author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift, was the Dean of the church from 1713 to 1745 and he is buried in the church. 

Christ Church Cathedral

The first church on this site was built in 1038.  The current Christ Church Cathedral was built in 1172 and has been extensively restored through the ages.  An unusual feature of this beautiful cathedral is its colorful tile floors.  Another unusual feature is a display of The Cat & The Rat, a mummified cat and a mummified rat which were found in an organ pipe.  It is speculated that they became trapped mid-chase.  The cat and the rat are referenced in James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake: “As stuck as that cat to that mouse in that tube of that Christchurch organ.”

Merrion Square

Georgian townhouses, including Number 29, along Merrion Square.

Merrion Square is the heart of Georgian Dublin.  Merrion Square is a pretty park surrounded by Georgian townhouses.  One of these Georgian Townhouses, Number 29, ESB Georgian House Museum, can be toured on a self-guided tour.  It was the home of an upper-middle-class widow and her children and illustrates life between 1790 and 1820.  Also along Merrion Square is the National Gallery of Ireland, which contains the national collection of European and Irish fine art.

Molly Malone

Photo Credit: larrywkoester via Compfight cc

While in Dublin, don’t forget to take a photo with the buxom broad Molly Malone of cockles and mussels fame.  When we visited Dublin she was located at Grafton Street, but was moved and is now found outside St. Andrew’s Church.  She first appeared in Dublin in 1988 for Dublin’s millennium celebration.

Grafton Street

Grafton Street and Brown Thomas decorated for the holidays.

Grafton Street is Ireland’s world famous shopping street.  If you love to shop while on vacation, Grafton Street is the place to go.  A must-visit on Grafton Street is Brown Thomas, the flagship store of the Irish department store brand and a landmark that originally opened in 1848.  I always enjoy visiting local department stores to see the kinds of things the locals like to buy.  Grafton Street is especially beautiful when it is lit up with Christmas decorations.

Fish & Chips

A trip to Dublin is not complete without at least one meal of fish and chips.  The best place for fish and chips in Dublin is Leo Burdock Traditional Fish & Chips.  Leo Burdock is in all the travel guides, but it was also recommended to us by our cab driver as THE place for fish and chips in the city and where all the cabbies go.  Leo Burdock has been selling traditional fish and chips since 1913.  Our taxi driver suggested the smoked cod, which was Rome’s choice, while I had the traditional fresh cod, which is their best seller.  Portions are so large you can easily share.  There are now seven locations, but the original is the location in Christchurch.  Walk up to the takeaway counter, order your menu choice, watch them pile in chips and fish onto layers of paper and cover with however much salt and malted vinegar you want, and enjoy.  Their menu of fresh chips and fresh fish has remained virtually unchanged for 100 years.  Their fish is the “caviar of the working man.”

Sing Irish Drinking Songs at an Irish Pub

Another Dublin experience that cannot be missed is listening to the Irish sing their Irish drinking songs.  Temple Bar, known as Dublin’s cultural quarter, is a popular area to visit at night.  There are a number of bars, including The Temple Bar pub, established in 1840 and winner of the Irish Music Pub of the Year award.  Irish drinking songs can be heard in many pubs across the city.  Our hotel was directly over Darkey Kelly’s Bar, a well-known pub in Dublin for traditional Irish music.  What surprised us was that Irish drinking songs are not just old songs surviving generations.  There are also new Irish drinking songs filled with tales of drinking and Viagra. 

If traveling to Ireland, be sure to explore as much of the country as possible, but before you do, spend a couple days experiencing these top things to do in Dublin.

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Fun Things to Do in Crete

A Greek island vacation usually means enjoying small island life, hanging out on the beach, taking a walk through a village, and perhaps renting a scooter for a day.  But Crete is a bit different from the small islands of the Cyclades.  Crete is big!  Crete is Greece’s largest island and is almost the size of Hawaii’s Big Island, taking about five hours to drive across east to west and an hour and a half north to south.  Its large size also means there are a lot of fun things to do in Crete. 

We loved the diverse mix of things to do on the island of Crete.  It’s an island, so of course there are beaches, but there are also nature, history, and wine.  What we found to be unique from any other island we’ve visited is that we could be driving along a road with sea views on one side and snow-capped mountains on the other.

We spent three nights on the island of Crete, which was not nearly enough to explore the entire island, but it did allow us enough time to acquaint ourselves with the beauty and history of the western half of Crete.  If you’re traveling to Greece and only have a few days to spend in Crete, be sure to include these attractions in your driving holiday.

Palace of Knossos

Visiting the Palace of Knossos is one of the most popular things to do in Crete.  Crete’s history goes back even farther than that of the ancient Greeks of Athens.  Crete was the home of Europe’s earliest civilization, the Minoans.  The Minoan civilization was named by Arthur Evans, the archaeologist who excavated the Palace of Knossos.  The Minoans inhabited Crete approximately 2600-1150 B.C.  Evans named the Minoans after the king Minos.

The Palace of Knossos is the largest palace in Crete and is located just outside of Crete’s largest city, Heraklion.  The area was first settled during the Neolithic period and the first palace was built around 1900 B.C.  It was destroyed and a new palace was built in its place around 1700 B.C.  The palace isn’t one large building, but rather a grouping of multiple buildings surrounding a central court.  The palace continued to be in use after 1450 B.C. when the other palaces of Crete were destroyed.

The Palace of Knossos is a very controversial archaeological site.  Excavations began in 1878, but systematic excavations were run by Arthur Evans starting in 1900.  The palace needed conservation as the materials unearthed were very susceptible to weathering.  At first Evans and his team worked on protecting the ruins, but after 1925 he decided to attempt to interpret the functions of the spaces and restore the palace to what he believed it once was. 

Large amounts of concrete were used, entire buildings were reconstructed, wooden beams and Minoan columns were made, reinforced with concrete and painted, wall paintings were restored, and copies of paintings were created and installed.  On one hand, intervention was necessary for the protection of the site, but on the other hand the reconstructions are irreversible and are not all supported by archaeological evidence.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

After visiting the Palace of Knossos, head into the town of Heraklion for a visit to the archaeological museum.  The Heraklion Archaeological Museum holds antiquities found during the excavation of the Palace of Knossos along with items from other parts of ancient Crete.

Like some of the decorations of the palace, the wall of dolphins, for instance, some of the antiquities displayed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum have marine themes.  There were many different sizes of vessels made of clay which were decorated in the naturalist marine style, adorned with an octopus whose tentacles wrapped around every curve.

One of the most important pieces in the museum gets its own room.  A lekythos, or piece of Greek pottery used for storing olive oil, from the 5th century B.C. depicts Theseus slaying the Minotaur. 

The story of the Minotaur goes that king Minos asked Poseidon for a white bull to show his support, as Minos was fighting with his brothers over ruling Crete.  Minos was supposed to sacrifice the bull to show honor to Poseidon, but decided the bull was too magnificent to kill.  As punishment, Poseidon caused Minos’ wife to fall in love with the bull.  She commissioned a hollow wooden cow be made so she could climb inside and mate with the Cretan bull.  This union brought forth the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull that ate humans.  Minos was advised by the oracle at Delphi to construct a labyrinth to hold the Minotaur near Knossos.

Later Minos’ son Androgeos was killed by the Athenians.  To pay for this, Minos ordered that Athenian youths be fed to the Minotaur.  Theseus, the son of Aegeus, volunteered to kill the Minotaur.  He told his father if he was successful, he would raise the white sail of his ship on his return home and, if not, the crew would raise the black sails.  Theseus was successful, but forgot to raise the white sail on his return voyage.  When King Aegeus saw the black sails, he assumed his son was dead and killed himself by jumping into the sea, which is why the sea is called the Aegean Sea.

Holy Monastery of Arkadi

Greece is a very religious country and churches and monasteries can be seen all over the country, even in some of the most out-of-the-way places.  The Holy Monastery of Arkadi is one of the most important monasteries, not only on the island of Crete, but in all of Greece.

The monastery was founded in the 13th century by a monk named Arkadios.  The Holy Monastery of Arkadi made its mark in Crete history in 1866 during the Cretan Revolution against the Turkish domination.  The monastery is the site of the “Arkadi Tragedy” on November 9, 1866, also sometimes called a holocaust.

During the Ottoman occupation the monastery turned its wine cellar into a storeroom for ammunition.  Cretan revolutionaries, including their families, lived in the monastery.  On November 9, 1866, the monastery was besieged by Turkish fighters.  The resistance fighters fought, but were unable to prevent the takeover.  Rather than being taken as prisoners, some of the survivors of the battles locked themselves in the powder magazine where the women and children were hiding, set fire to their own ammunition, and blew themselves up.  This act made an impact and became a symbol of the fight for liberation.

Reminders of this battle still survive.  The bullet tree, a burnt cross-shaped cypress, has a bullet embedded in its dead bark.  The refectory, which now houses the museum, was where 36 men were slaughtered by the Turks.  The powder magazine where the Arkadi Tragedy occurred also remains.

The monastery is still a working monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church.  The church, dedicated to “The Transfiguration of Our Saviour,” is open to visitors.  The monks’ cells are still used by the monks for prayer and meditation.

Samaria Gorge

One of the natural highlights of a trip to Crete Island is hiking the Samaria Gorge.  Samaria Gorge is one of the longest gorges in Europe and is located in Crete’s only national park.  Hiking Samaria Gorge is a full-day adventure as the hike is 16 kilometers starting high in the mountains and ending in the town of Agia Roumelia along the Libyan Sea.  Note that the hike is only accessible May through October.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Hiking Samaria Gorge

Chania

Our favorite town on the island of Crete was Chania.  We made Chania our home base and stayed at the beautiful Porto Veneziano Hotel in a room with a view of the stunning Venetian harbor.  There are numerous things to do and see in Chania, including the maritime museum, multiple churches, and an old market.  It’s also a beautiful town to just wander through.

Related: Chania: A Harbor Town on Greece’s Island of Crete

Crete Olive Oil and Wine Tasting

The news is full of stories about Greece’s economic crisis.  One story which grabbed my attention was a segment on NPR’s Planet Money.  Greece produces some of the best olive oil in the world and the country is covered with olive trees, but I’d be willing to bet you thought, like me, that the honor of best olive oil went to Italy.  It turns out that 60 percent of Greece’s olive oil is shipped to Italy, where it is packed in Italian bottles with Italian labels and shipped around the world to be sold as an Italian product.  Greece isn’t packaging and selling its own oil because no one in Greece makes bottles and, because of the economic crisis, it is difficult to get loans to pay for bottles made in Italy.

You may also not know that Greece produces some very fine wines, some of which are made with grapes that are indigenous to Greece and aren’t commonly found in other parts of the world.  Thankfully, the export of Greek wine is on the rise.

Crete has both of these Greek culinary products and visitors to the island of Crete can taste and learn more about their production at Anoskeli.  Anoskeli has been making olive oil for 20 years and recently dived into making Greek wine as well.

Travelers on holiday in Crete can add a visit to Anoskeli to their itinerary and take a tour of both the olive oil and wine production sides of the business before visiting the tasting room for tastes of the olive oil and wine. 

Olive oil is produced from November to May when 10 tons of olives are crushed and turned into olive oil.  Anoskeli makes three categories of olive oil: virgin, extra virgin, and organic.  The olive oil spends four months in Anoskeli’s huge stainless steel tanks before being filtered and bottled.  Anoskeli’s olive oil has won awards in Italy and the US and is exported to Russia and the US.  In the United States Anoskeli’s olive oil is sold under the Blue Olive Oil brand.

Anoskeli produces 20,000 bottles of wine a year made with organic grapes grown in and around the village of Anoskeli.  The varietals they grow are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache Rouge, Assyrtiko, Vidiano, and Vilana.  In addition to wine, Anoskeli also makes raki, the most popular alcoholic beverage in Crete.

Related: Wine of the Gods: Discovering Greek Wine in Crete

Crete Beaches

When you’re on one of the Greek islands, you have to go to the beach.  There are a number of Crete beaches to choose from.  Some of the highly recommended beaches on the western side of the island are Balos Beach, reachable by a dirt road, Falassarna Beach, and Elafonisi Beach. 

As we didn’t have much time for beach going, we visited a beach a little closer to home which had been recommended by our hotel.  Marathi Beach is on the same little peninsula as Chania and the Chania airport, about a 25-minute drive from the old town of Chania.  Marathi Beach has the impossibly clear blue waters Greece is known for, and we shared the beach with only a few others.  Even with our short visit, we were successful in our snorkeling endeavors not far from the shore.  While we relaxed on one of the beach’s lounge chairs we snacked on a gyro and gazed at the snow-capped mountains across the bay.

Crete Car Rental

If you’re going to enjoy a driving holiday on the island of Crete you’ll need a rental car.  With a little research I found a Crete car rental company, AutoClub Car Rental.  AutoClub Car Rental rents cars out of both the Chania and Heraklion airports and will also deliver and collect their cars all over the island, whether that is at an airport, port, hotel, or villa.  Prices start as low as 20 euros a day.  Included in that price are taxes, unlimited kilometers, full comprehensive insurance with an excess of 300-450 euros, roadside assistance, vehicle replacement, second driver, and more. 

One of AutoClub Car Rental’s staff members met us in the airport after we collected our luggage, sat with us in the airport to go over all the paperwork, walked us out to our car, and then went over the map of Crete with us, not only to show us how to get to our hotel, but also to provide insider advice on things to do in Crete and places to eat in Chania.  You just need to return the car with the same amount of fuel as it had when you received it, and while we did a walk around on the car, we were told they’re not quite as strict about small dings on rental cars in Greece as they are in the United States.  Not that I suggest running into a tree or anything, but it’s nice to not have to worry about someone else giving you a door ding.

Booking.com

Thank you to Anoskeli for providing us with a tour and tasting and Porto Veneziano Hotel and AutoClub Car Rental for hosting our time in Crete and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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10 Awesome Irish Castles for an Ireland Road Trip

It’s funny the things we’ll do when we travel that we’d never do at home.  During our Ireland road trip, one of these things was on our list of must-dos when visiting one of many Irish castles.  Romeo thinks it’s gross to share a glass of milk, even if the other person is his wife of 11 years and companion of 16 years.  Yet he will lay on his back over a gaping hole many stories up, trusting a stranger to keep a strong hold on him so he doesn’t fall to his death, all to kiss an old stone that has been kissed by hundreds of thousands of people before him, each time followed with a quick squirt of disinfectant.  But that is what you do when you’re visiting famous Irish castles.  Thankfully, while all of Ireland’s castles have unique features, they don’t all require swapping spit with other travelers.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle is one of the easiest Irish castles to visit as it is located in the historic center of Dublin.  Originally the site of a Viking fortress, the land upon which Dublin Castle stands has been a seat of power for over a thousand years.  Dublin Castle was founded in 1204.  Dublin Castle is a working castle containing the State Apartments that are the most important state rooms in the country.  Visitors can explore the castle grounds, library, and museums on their own, but the State Apartments and Chapel Royal can only be visited on a guided tour.  Visit Dublin Castle’s website for opening hours and admission prices.

Malahide Castle and Gardens

Malahide Castle and Gardens is only a 20-minute drive north from Dublin in the nearby town of Malahide.  Malahide Castle was home to the Talbot family for over 800 years, occupied 1184 to 1975.  The castle is filled with period furniture and paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland.  Reception rooms and bedrooms can be visited on a guided tour.  One of the highlights is The Oak Room, a reception room completely covered in wood paneling.  Malahide Castle is surrounded by 260 acres of land, including 22 acres of ornamental gardens created by Lord Talbot.   Visit Malahide Castle and Gardens’ website for opening hours and admission prices.

Trim Castle

Trim Castle might look familiar because it is best known for being the Irish castle where Braveheart was filmed.  Trim Castle is a short 45-minute drive from Dublin in County Meath.  Trim Castle was constructed in the 1100s and was restored in 2000.  Visitors can only visit the castle on a guided tour for safety reasons.  We learned interesting castle factoids during our guided tour.  For instance, the spiral stone staircases of castles spiral a certain direction to make them easier to defend as the defenders, who are usually protecting from the top down, can sword fight right handed while the raiders coming upwards would have a harder time.

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is located in the city of Kilkenny an hour and a half south of Dublin.  Kilkenny Castle was built in the early 1200s and was the residence of the Butler family for almost 600 years.  Be sure to tour Kilkenny Castle if you’re in Ireland for the Christmas season as the entire castle is decorated for the holidays, including a huge Christmas tree in the portrait gallery.  Visit Kilkenny Castle’s website for opening hours and admission prices. 

Visitors to Kilkenny can take advantage of the unique experience of staying in an Irish castle hotel.  In Kilkenny Castle’s backyard is the Butler House, a hotel housed in the dower house of Kilkenny Castle.  The Earls of Ormonde, who built Kilkenny Castle, lived in the Butler house at one time.  Our garden view room was huge with a curved bay window overlooking the castle grounds. 

Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel has many names.  It is also known as Carraig Phádraig, Cashel of the Kings, and St. Patrick’s Rock.  The legend of the Rock of Cashel is that St. Patrick converted and baptized Aenghus the King of Munster at the Rock.  St. Patrick accidentally stabbed the King in the foot with his crozier, but the King stayed quiet because he thought it was part of the ceremony.  Today the castle and cathedral make a beautiful scene of ruins and cemetery on a hill overlooking the green Irish countryside.  Visit the Rock of Cashel’s website for opening hours and admission prices.

Cahir Castle  

Cahir Castle is the kind of castle you picture in your mind when thinking of castles.  This Irish castle has a moat (created by a river), towers, turrets, and bare cavernous rooms with huge fireplaces.  The castle was built for defense in the 1100s and came under the possession of the Butler family in 1375.  Its current appearance was achieved in 1599 and not much has changed since.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle, in County Cork, is one of the most famous Irish castles.  During our winter vacation in Ireland, we ran into few other tourists.  At Blarney Castle, we saw the most Americans we had seen in one place outside of Dublin, which goes to show how famous this castle is even though there is not much to see in the castle itself.  

The draw is the Blarney Stone at the top of the castle’s tower.  The legend is that if you kiss the Blarney Stone, the Stone of Eloquence, you will receive the gift of Blarney, otherwise known as the gift of gab.  Of the two of us, I’m the one that needs this gift more, but there was no way I was going to kiss that stone.  Rome, who does not need any more gab, decided to kiss it.  The process is not very glamorous.  It’s not like you just walk by a stone and kiss it.  You have to lay on your back, grab hold of some rails while a man grips you to make sure you don’t fall, and kiss a rock below while practically hanging upside down.  Before and after you do this the man sprays some disinfectant on the rock, preparing it for the next victim. 

After you’ve finished kissing the Blarney Stone, or being a casual observer of this ritual, be sure to explore the grounds of Blarney Castle which are exceptionally beautiful when it’s cold and misty.  Visit Blarney Castle’s website for opening hours and admission prices.

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is an Irish castle outside of Limerick.  Even though Bunratty Castle was built in 1425, it is a little commercial and touristy today.  But it is interesting to see a castle restored to how it would have been at the time it was lived in, complete with 15th- and 16th-century furnishings and tapestries.  The Folk Park has homes which are replicas of what would have been found on the castle grounds.  The Folk Park is a little like Disneyland and is geared towards families with small children.  It was fun seeing the Folk Park decorated for Christmas.  Visit Bunratty Castle & Folk Park’s website for opening hours and admission.

Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle in County Mayo is another of Ireland’s famous castles.  Ashford Castle is popular because it is a five-star castle hotel.  Built in 1228, this Irish castle now contains 82 luxurious guest rooms, restaurants, bars, a spa, and is surrounded by a 9-hole golf course.

Renvyle Castle

Ireland has a few peninsulas with beautiful drives.  The most popular peninsula drives are the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.  Another scenic peninsula drive for an Ireland road trip is the Connemara Loop where you will find Renvyle Castle, a 13th- to 14th-century tower which now stands in ruins overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Heritage Card

If you plan on visiting a number of Irish castles during your vacation, you can save money on admission by purchasing a Heritage Card, which is good for an entire year and provides free admission to all OPW Heritage Sites.

Ireland Road Trip Hotels

During our Ireland road trip, we stayed three nights in Dublin, three nights in Kilkenny at the Butler House, three nights in Kinsale at The Old Bank Town House, two nights in Galway at The House Hotel, and our final night in Drogheda (just outside of Dublin) at the Scholars Townhouse Hotel.

Map of Irish Castles

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