I shouldn't pick on the castle, the breakfast was good and the hosts were nice.
We would have happily stayed another day, but the castle was full up. Unlike in Canada\US where Friday afternoon marks the stampede for the countryside, in Ireland getaway weekends are booked on Saturday and Sunday. We were in prime getaway country for the folks who live around Cork, Ireland's second largest city.
Before we left the area though we stopped by the ruin of the last fort to be taken by the English. It's regarded as the last stand against colonialism by the clans. Hard to imagine how so much of the history of the world comes together at this point. The Spanish join with the Irish in the hope of getting a base on the windward side of England that would allow the armada to succeed in defeating Elizabeth I. Their defeat sealed the fate of the Irish, who went from being a nuisance to a threat to be destroyed. After this battle, Elizabeth began the plantation of English and Scots in Ireland to establish a loyal base. She inadvertently set the stage for the Northern Irish troubles of our time.
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