I just got back from a week-long business trip to Ireland! It's been a dream of mine since I can remember to go on an international business trip, and the opportunity finally presented itself. My company has an office in Cork and my team needed to have some face-time with our EMEA marketing managers, so I was lucky enough to get to spend a week in Ireland on the company's dime.
I left for Cork on Friday 2/5 and arrived on Saturday 2/6 (17+ hours of travel). I flew from Salt lake to Detroit, from Detroit to Amsterdam, and finally Amsterdam to Cork. When I arrived in Cork I was greeted by someone from the airline who knew my name (never a good sign). He informed me that for whatever reason my bag didn't make the flight from Amsterdam to Cork. So I was without clean clothes for a good 24 hours after I arrived, and when my bag came the next day it was missing a wheel. . but I didn't let that stop me from having an amazing time in Cork!
{View from my hotel room}
{Aer Lingus}
{The River Lee}
{St. Finn's Cathedral & Cork Alley}
{St Finn's & St. Anne's}
{These lifesavers were everywhere}
{Blarney Castle}
Blarney is only a 15 minute taxi ride from Cork, so one of my co-workers and I decided to spend our first full day in Ireland wandering the stunning grounds of Blarney Castle. Even though it poured rain most of the day, it was seriously one of the best things I've ever done. Everything was so green & beautiful and we had the place pretty much to ourselves.
{Kissing the Blarney Stone!!!}
{Witches Stone}
Sign by the stone said: "It takes little imagination to see who is imprisoned here. The Witch of Blarney has been with us since the dawn of time. Some say it was she who first told MacCarthy of the power of the Blarney Stone. Fortunately for visitors, she only escapes the witch stone after nightfall - and we close at dusk."
{Tree by the Witches Stone}
{Inside Blarney Castle}
{Green everywhere!}
{The Dolman Stone & the Ice house}
{Looking down inside the castle}
{The witches kitchen-left}
{Blarney stone-right}
{Wishing steps-right}
{My favorite sign in the whole world-left & Leprechaun-sized door & arch-right}
Blarney was such a magical place.. I never wanted to leave. The castle & kissing the stone were just the tip of the iceberg. I had no idea how expansive & beautiful the grounds were. It's not hard to see why Irish people are such great story tellers, the landscapes are so inspiring and magical. I felt like I had stepped into another world, and I half expected to run into fairies and leprechauns while I was there. I would absolutely put this on a list of must-dos!
{SolarWinds Cork office}
Monday through Wednesday it was back to work. Even though I would have loved to have more time to explore, I felt satisfied that we accomplished everything we came to accomplish. I already miss our incredibly friendly and welcoming co-workers in Cork and our adventurous morning taxi rides through the windy & narrow streets.
{Walking back to the hotel after our team dinner}
{Cork by night}
{Cute little cafe across from our hotel where we had our last breakfast in Cork}
{English Market}
Our train to Dublin didn't leave until noon so we decided to make the most of our final morning in Cork by going to their famous English Market. They had everything from baked goods, cheeses, fresh fish & meat, produce, and even some boutique shops. I wish grocery shopping was like this in the US... I would go all the time!
{Another entrance to the English Market}
{Catches of the day}
{University Cork College}
We also made a quick stop at University Cork College (UCC). Seeing their campus made me feel like I had somehow gone through a portal to Hogwarts. Everything from the buildings to the landscaping was so charming, it made me almost want to go back to school.
Cork is seriously one of the most adorable towns I've ever visited. The buildings are colorful, the people are the friendliest you'll ever meet, and the food is definitely under-rated.
Next up... Dublin!
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