Jack Casey

Review of Paddywagon Tours

Blarney/Rock of Cashel Tour

Blarney/Rock of Cashel Tour

TL;DR: Really enjoyable but don't expect to be able to kiss the Blarney stone! (On a hot day)

Took the day trip to Blarney castle with my girlfriend. I'm a Dublin native and wasn't at all sure what to expect but I bought the ticket as the cost of a train/fuel to drive/other coaches all came to around/way over 50, and that wouldn't even necessarily get us into the Castle. The ticket with Paddywagon came to 55, an absolute steal.

The ticket includes the coach trip up and back, with stops at Applegreens (A Highway rest stop) the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Cork City.

You probably won't have time to get anything from the fast food place in applegreens. Do yourself the favor of bringing a packed lunch and have a coffee and use the bathrooms, it's a 12 hour tour; you'll get hungry

If you don't know what the Rock of Cashel is (I didn't); don't look it up, I was very amazed. It's beautiful.

Then came Blarney Castle. With this tour you arrive around 1pm-ish. They give you an hour and a half to see the grounds. THIS PROBABLY WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TIME TO KISS THE BLARNEY STONE. We came on a hot day by Ireland's standards and the queue was enormous.

If kissing the Blarney Stone is not an essential thing, see the grounds instead, they're superbly planned out, there's a dungeon and cave you can crawl around in, a poison garden, and a fantastic garden to walk through, all in the same time.
If it is essential, go on a day when rain is forecast, you most likely wont be caught out in the queue and have to abandon the queue without seeing the gardens like some people on the tour

DO NOT go on a hot day and insist on staying in the queue, as 18 people chose to do, after the allotted time. We were waiting half an hour for these people to exit the grounds. The driver was very upset and the rest of the passengers were furious. In Ireland coaches can only be on the road for so long and this tour is very strictly laid out. These people were lucky they weren't left behind, this is a possibility.

Cork city was enjoyable. Visit the English markets, get a hotdog, and a pint, and do it quick, you only get an hour and a bit in the city so see whats good and get back to the bus.

Finally the Driver, Michael. As a Dublin native I was anxiously anticipating two things: A Top-o-the-morning-to-ya-begorrah driver, and Irish folk music being played on the journey. I got the latter, but I was pleasantly surprised by the driver. A class act. Gave Irish history tidbits here and there, a joke now and again, and was in all a great guy. He wasn't happy at all with the latecomers so once again I'll say: Don't be late! If all Paddywagon drivers are like Michael, though I'll be sure to use their services again.

Final thoughts:
-Don't be late
-Bring a packed Lunch and a travel pillow if that's your style
-Make friends on the bus
-Don't be late
-Bring money for a snack at the castle and a pint in Cork ( 30 should do, not including a tip for the driver which you should do)
-DON'T BE LATE!