We are very excited to visit Cobh once more. Though most known for being the ‘last port of stop’ for the tragic RMS Titanic before she embarked on the final leg of her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, Cobh holds a special place in our heart because the Riordan family hails from County Cork.
Riordan is a surname of Irish origin, Irish: Ó Ríordáin; Old Irish: Ó Ríoghbhardáin; with Rearden also as a variant of it. The lineage of O’Riordan originated in County Tipperary in Munster Province but they migrated Southwards to County Cork at such an early date that they can be regarded as belonging to that County, where they are now far more numerous than anywhere else in the entire country.
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore, County Waterford. It belonged to the Earls of Desmond, and subsequently to the Cavendish family from 1753. It is currently the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style during the mid-nineteenth century for The 6th Duke of Devonshire.
Next stop: Vee Lake which refers to a hairpin bend up the side of the hill. The Vee is predominantly famous because of the breathtaking panoramic views as you drive through the pass where the scenery climbs and dips and changes constantly to delight the eye at every turn in the road.
What we were supposed to see.
But….The lake was completely hidden by the dense fog! Oh well, next time. A good reason for another visit in the future.
Since this stop did not go as planned, we are moving on to the Rock of Cashel. Michael certainly made this disappointment sound more like an adventure; a great tour guide always knows how to turn lemons into lemonade.
Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, the Rock of Cashel, iconic in its historic significance, possesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House. These The surviving buildings are remarkable. Cormac’s Chapel, for example, contains the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland.
Just when we were about finished exploring and taking in this breathtaking location, the cloudy sky eventually turned to rain.
We were treated to an Irish lunch of round, wedge, and diced potatoes, a biscuit with gravy, and four cubes of chicken before heading back to the ship. While the chicken was fairly good, I decided to skip the potatoes to save room for the ships meal waiting for us this evening!
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