THE SHANDON WALK Took the Shandon Walk today. You can pick…read moreup a map in the Tourist Office; well worth it, even if you are a native. The one hour jaunt takes you through some of the oldest parts of Cork: the narrow lanes of the Huguenot Quarter off Paul Street, old and new buildings all along the way, including a string of churches, more narrow lanes in the Shandon vicinity. Shandon Street itself is an eye-opener. There are food outlets galore, from the traditional chipper to shops selling Hungarian, African, Asian food - truly multi-national. If you overdo it on the eating, there is an undertakers at the bottom! Start in Daunts Square, down Paul Street, into Emmett Place, turn left on the quay and cross the river via the pedestrian bridge, turn right, and then left up towards Shandon; from here, head to the Cathedral and then back down the multi-national Shandon Street, over the North Gate Bridge. The walk actually stops at the Cork Vision Centre. The morning started frosty and foggy but the blue skies were appearing as I started. Just took in the sights today, including information boards along the signposted way. Next time, I'll take it real easy and call in for a snack, a drink, a look or a chat.

This usually isn't my kind of thing, but it was part of our vacation package and I'm SO GLAD we did…read moreit! This was an amazing way to learn about Cobh its history and the Titanic. Our guide was local, friendly and knowledgeable. A great way to explore the town. I know it was a guided tour, but it felt like we were being shown around by a friend. DONT question, just book!

An enjoyable stop. Got to see the John F Kennedy Park, the dock where the Titanic passengers…read moreloaded, the White Star ticketing line, and a Titanic memorial. It was also a big Irish emigration port. What struck me the most was that our guide asked how many of us in our group had Irish ancestry. A good 75% of us raised our hands. She said, "Now, if you're one of the 35 million in the U.S. that claim Irish ancestry, you're family set sail for America with nothing more than courage and a dream". A wow moment right there. However, our guide was a little hard to hear, so we missed out on some useful facts. It also would've been nice to have spent a little more time at the Heritage Center during our tour (it's helpful to make a reservation if you want a more in-depth look at your genealogy)

BLARNEY WALK Most of you will have heard of the Blarney talk…read more(the gift of the gab from kissing the famous stone) but do you know about the Blarney Walk? It goes through the Clogheenmilcon Sanctuary and is one of the most popular in the Cork region which, generally (particularly evenings and weekends) makes it really safe if you are out on your own. Two notes of caution re safety. If you use the car park nearest town, you will have to cross quite a busy road and there is no pedestrian crossing there of any kind. The walk also incorporates most of a 5km Sli Na Slainte (Path of Health) but if you start in the village be very careful walking to the sanctuary as there is no footpath for part of the way! The pleasant walk (you can also jog it) is fairly straightforward, running in a straight line for 2km or so (then you turn back), with the sanctuary on one side and the main road (fenced off, on the other side). You walk along past an unusual elevated sculpture, past a boggy area and small lakes where waterfowl are plentiful: ducks and swans, seagulls galore today. It is a refreshing walk on a tarmac path, popular with all kinds of humans and dogs (who are kept on their leads).

On very short notice, Richard led the 3 of us on a lovely 6 mile walk through Killareny National…read moreForest, sharing information about history, flora and fauna, and generally being a warm and lovely human. What a delightful exploration -- thank you, Richard!

From the owner: Walking tours in Killarney National Park by a local guide who was born and bred just a stones throw…read moreaway. Rua my friendly Irish red setter is the chief guide though.

We lucked out weather wise as it was a beautiful day. There is a lot of driving to the cliffs and…read moresome narrow winding roads. Our driver was friendly and gave us a lot of information about the area and Irish history.

I booked the Blarney & Cobh half-day tour more than a month in advance, only to have it canceled…read moreshortly before my trip due to an "unforeseen issue." While I understand that unexpected situations can happen, what I cannot understand is the complete lack of transparency and poor customer service. I asked multiple times why the tour was canceled because the booking was made through Microsoft for a company event, and I needed to provide an explanation. Instead of answering a simple question, I was repeatedly told that "all information was provided in the first email"--even though the email never explained the reason for the cancellation. A company that cancels confirmed bookings at the last minute should at least be willing to provide a basic explanation. Instead, I received dismissive responses and no accountability. The cancellation itself was disappointing, but the way it was handled was far worse. If this is how Paddywagon Tours treats customers when something goes wrong, I cannot recommend booking with them. There are plenty of tour operators in Ireland that value communication and customer service more than this one.

Dermot Ryan's Kinsale Heritage Walk was wonderful. You walk around the town of Kinsale at a…read moreleisurely pace no one would find difficult to keep up with, stopping to hear the local history and see photos of your surroundings as they were way back when. Lighthearted and funny and loving his home town, Dermot definitely makes the best tour guide you'd every hope to have. I loved this tour - it was absolutely wonderful.

UCC SLI NA SLAINTE Like to take a stroll in the Groves of…read moreAcademe? Well, in the grounds of UCC? There is a flexible Sli Na Slainte ranging from 1.7km to 3.4km in length and with a couple of Start/Stop points included. If you'd like to take your Irish Heart Foundation Walk in the wooded area of the College, then start at the ceremonial gates at the junction of O'Donovan's Road and Western Road. There is a signpost there with all the info you need. From here, there is a pleasant stroll which takes you past the modern Lewis Glucksman gallery on your right and the old Aula Maxima on your left. You can take it from there yourself, making it as short or as long as you wish. As I said, these walks are flexible and you may join (or leave) at any point.

We had a marvellous time aboard the 'Spirit of Kinsale'! The departure point is found not far from…read morethe tourist office. It was a very pleasant, professionally run, trip around the harbour and beyond, with a great commentary of what to look out for, the history of the area, and there were wonderful views too. The boat was comfortable and not overcrowded. Also, Kinsale is twinned with Mumbles, which is near to where we live in Wales so we were particularly interested to come here.

This is as much a review of a walking tour around historic Kinsale, Cionn tSáile, and the famous…read morepromontory The Old Head of Kinsale, as it is for it's friendly tourist office. Housed in an imaginatively designed modern structure, it manages not to look out of place with the towns vast majority of pretty heritage buildings, and is situated on what was the original quayside of this once important garrison town. I'd come on the 249 bus the 27km from Cork, as I wanted for personal reasons to make a pilgrimage to the Old Head of Kinsale, where within sight of land in 1915, a tragic sinking close to the scale of loss of life on The Titanic took place, more about this at the end! Suffice to say I'd called in the Tourist Office essentially for information on how a non-car driver might get there. The staff were helpful beyond the call of duty, and although as you will see despite the best advice, and considerable effort, I was eventually thwarted in my attempts to get there, they told me about a local historian & guide called Dermot. Dermot Ryan as well as conducting a regular early evening walking tour around the atmostpheric narrow & winding hilly streets, starting from the tourist office, is an absolute gold mine of information. Like the best tour guides I have listened to, he never feels the need to over sell his subject, and has a wonderfully subtle delivery that leaves you hanging on his every word, and wanting more. He takes small groups around the historic town, telling you about everything from Spanish allies helping the locals to fight the English, through wine trade in what was once one of the most important harbours in Europe. Even the 'Kinsale cloak', a famous hooded cloak worn by local ladies from medieval to more recent times, puts in a humorous appearance, with remembrance of the women who wore them being the feared hoodies of their day!. All the time Dermot compellingly managed to put little old Kinsale right in the heart of much bigger history. Dermot was very pleased I asked him about RMS Lusitania, once the worlds largest liner, which brings us neatly back to The Old Head of Kinsale! It was within easy sight of here on a bright sunny afternoon in May that the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat, and took just 18 minutes to disappear beneath the calm waters, robbing 1198 men, women & children of their lives. There is a memorial to this tragic event close to the R604. Sadly however this is no easy place to get to get to, particularly if you don't have a car for the around 13km journey from Kinsale. Anyway the day I chose to get a taxi to view the memorial, the road was closed. Also after I'd settled on walking, it seemed that the elements in the form of an incredibly strong & long lasting downpour of rain, were conspiring to keep me away. Next time remind me to bring a bike & oilskins! Controversially this beautiful headland point which stretches out into the sea for almost 2 miles, complete with it's dramatically situated lighthouse is now dominated by Irelands costliest Golf Course. Here non members are denied access, although the Golf Courses website tauntingly boasts of it's beautiful natural habitat & perfect vantage point for viewing Whales & Dolphins. Another reason why I hate golf!

We had a great time during the Jameson experience at cork. The tour itself was well executed and…read morevery interesting. They also provided lots of samples which was appreciated. We learned a lot and particularly enjoyed learning about their method and madness line. Our tour guide was great. Do note that you may need to stick around after the tour a bit before driving especially if you didn't have much in your stomach! We would definitely come back sometime.

I learned so much about the Jameson brand and the whiskey-making process during the Midleton…read moreDistillery Experience. The hour-and-fifteen-minute guided tour takes you behind the scenes of the 200-year-old facility, with stops at the grain store, mill house, and maturation warehouses. Along the way, you'll see the massive iron water wheel that once powered the mill before steam engines took over, as well as the largest pot still in the world, both impressive highlights. The tour wraps up with a tasting of three whiskeys. Ours included Jameson Original, Redbreast, and Green Spot. It's a great way to experience the range of flavors and styles Jameson has to offer. You also get a drink voucher to use at the on-site bar, which is conveniently attached to the gift shop. I'd recommend this tour not just to Jameson fans and whiskey enthusiasts, but also to history lovers and anyone interested in Irish craftsmanship. It's a well-paced, engaging experience that combines tradition, storytelling, and flavor in a beautifully preserved setting.