This morning we stop at Cove/Cobh/Queenstown, which is known as the last port of call of the Titanic (and where survivors of the Lusitania were taken).  The heritage center museum explains about the Titanic and also the Irish emigration.  I learn a bit more about Irish history.  There's a statue out front which is a copy of one on Ellis Island of the first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island.  

Later in the day is a bit of a disappointment.  I thought we were going to see the Rock of Cashel.  As one of Rick's 3Δ  sites, it sounded like a highlight.  Unfortunately all we do is "see" it- from the bus and pretty far away.  I wanted to tour it, not just make a pointless drive by of it.  I'll have to come back.

After "seeing" the Rock of Cashel, we get to Kilkenny.  We check in to the hotel and I run to the hotel pub for a quick lunch.  The bartender said I'd have my food in ten minutes so I would be done in time for the 2pm group walk into town.  After thirty minutes, I get my food, missing the short group walk into town.  Not a big deal and I enjoy lunch with the Italians who joined us for the Ireland half of the tour.

We meet our walking tour guide at 3pm for a tour of town.  The town has lots of buildings from the middle ages, but I learn that most of these are restored with little of the original structure.  I also learn that Guinness is now owned by a multinational corporation and not the family.  I guess selling out is an international phenomenon and not just confined to us greedy Americans.

After the walking tour in the rain, we go back to the castle for the tour of the inside.  I'm annoyed that not only do I have to check my backpack, you can't even take cameras on the tour.  I ask if I can just leave it in my pocket and am told "no".  I'm wondering how they're going to enforce this without a metal detector or personal search.  I also wonder what fantastic items are on display to warrant such strict rules (do they really have items more valuable than London's National Gallery or British Museum?).  Of course, as expected,, they don't check us and I could have just left the camera in my pocket.

Inside the castle is beautifully restored.  Normally, insides of castles and palaces have old tattered furniture and worn out wall coverings.  Here it's "new" and looks as it would when it was used awhile back.  Despite the strict bag and camera rules, this was a fun tour.

Following the tour we stop for dinner and take a quick break at the hotel.  The tour group meets up later in the hotel bar which is no ordinary bar- it's a church inside the hotel.  Someone moved a church (or part of it) here and now it's a bar.  Talk about switching teams.  I have some of my new favorite beer (Carlsberg)  before we go down the road to a bar/nightclub.  I'm disappointed in the lack of promised Irish music, but have fun even with the crappy club music.  I stay out later than I should have.

View the photos of Cobh and Kilkenny.