Day Two - Blarney & Cork.
To visit Blarney Castle is to step back in time, and feel the enchantment of a long and heroic past. Here is one of the great historical sites of Ireland, renowned throughout the world. The view from the entrance gate sets the scene immediately, with fine vistas of parkland crowned by Blarney castle rising up in its entire ancient splendour, framed by clumps of trees.
Your driver will then bring you to Cork City where you can enjoy some free time. En route back to Blarney you will stop to visit the Cork City Gaol. The Cork City Gaol in Sunday's Well, was designed to replace the old Gaol at the Northgate Bridge in the heart of the city. The old gaol was nearly 100 yrs. old, on a confined site, overcrowded & unhygienic. In 1806 an Act of Parliament was passed and monies levied locally to allow the building of a new City Gaol. The first site chosen was at Distillery Fields - an area prone to frequent flooding!! This fact, and enlightened thinking that hilly, airy sites were best for containing gaol fever probably influenced the change to the present site.
The new Cork City Gaol opened in 1824 & was reported as being "the finest in 3 Kingdoms". In 1870 the west wing was remodelled into a double-sided cell wing & in 1878 under the General Prisons (Ireland) Act, the Gaol became an all-female prison which it remained until male anti-treaty supporters were incarcerated in 1922/1923. The Gaol closed in August 1923, with all remaining prisoners either released or transferred to other gaols. The top floor of the Governor's House was used as a radio broadcasting station by the national radio station - Radio Eireann (now RTE) from 1927 until the 1950's. From 1923 to 1993, apart from the foregoing, and some storage use of the exterior grounds by the Dept. Posts & Telegraphs, the Gaol complex was allowed to become totally derelict until its innovative restoration and reopening to the Public as a visitor attraction in 1993.
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