Lot’s of day trips are within reach from our bed and breakfast accommodation near Ardmore.
www.cobhheritage.com – 48 minutes drive
Cobh Heritage Centre, details Cobh’s history with The Titanic, the Lusitania, and the Cruise Liners calling into Cobh. Leaving Newtown Farm Bed and Breakfast going West for 30 minutes you will by pass Midleton and take a left for Cobh here you will find a dramatic exhibition on the origins, history and legacy of Cobh, A Unique Irish Port Town. At the Old railway station. Retrace the steps of the 2.5 million adults and children who emigrated from Ireland via Cobh on coffin ships, early steamers and finally on the great ocean liners. Explore the conditions on board the early emigrant vessels, including the dreaded Coffin Ship. Discover Cobh’s special connections with the ill-fated Titanic which sank on her maiden voyage- Cobh was her last port of call. Relive the horror of World War 1 and the sinking of the Lusitania of Cork Harbour with the los of 1,198 lives. Learn about Annie More and her two brothers who left Cobh for a new life in America and how she was the first emigrant ever to be processed in Ellis Island.
www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com – 57 minutes drive
The new House of Waterford Crystal, comprises an actual living and breathing crystal factory tour, fascinating visitor centre and opulent retail store housing the largest collection of Waterford Crystal in the world. Take a guided factory tour, giving you first hand access to all areas of traditional crystal production. The House of Waterford Crystal is on the Mall in Waterford City, Ireland and will employ up to 130 staff at peak periods, including highly skilled craftsmen at the new Waterford Crystal Prestige Manufacturing Facility. Here, approximately 40,000 hand-crafted high end pieces will be produced using traditional methods for our most discerning customers and for the thousands of tourists who will come to visit the new facility.
www.blarneycastle.ie – 57 minutes drive
Some great sights to visit include the legendary Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. Blarney just 8km (5 miles) from Cork City is set in beautiful wooded countryside, it is an ideal base to visit the many wonderful sights of Cork and Kerry. Steeped in history and magical charm, Blarney village offers the visitor a host of wonderful things to do and places to discover. One of the finest things that impresses the first time visitor is the well preserved village square. Blarney is one of the few villages in Ireland which has such a fine amenity, and today it continues to be a focal point of village life. In Tudor style, the village has developed around the square which is owned and carefully maintained by Blarney Castle Estate. The population of Blarney is small, approximately 2,000 and the people are friendly and welcoming towards the visitor.
For many of the visitors to Blarney, their first priority is to kiss the famous Blarney Stone high up on the Castle battlements. Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence – “the gift of the gab”, as the locals call it.”There is a stone that whoever kisses never misses to grow eloquent, he may clamber to a lady’s chamber or become a member of parliament”. Over 200,000 people visit Blarney Castle each year. The castle is situated in over a thousand acres of magnificent woodland, making it the ideal place to take walks to enjoy the clean fresh environment of Blarney.
Shopping is a pleasure in the village where there are a number of excellent outlets, including the world famous Blarney Woollen Mills. Established in 1824, the outlet has become one of the largest craft shops in Ireland and is renowned for its quality produce. Blarney offers a superb variety of recreational pursuits to suit all ages. The golfer has several excellent eighteen hole courses to choose from; two within five miles of the village. There is a network of quiet country lanes for the walking enthusiast. Locally, you can fish for salmon, wild brown trout or coarse fish. There are several sports and leisure centres for fitness buffs located in the area, which offer everything from swimming to gymnasium facilities. For families there’s a delightful woodland farm which features a meandering nature trail offering a mixture of fun, education and relaxation.
31 minutes drive
A tour of the distillery is a journey through the story of Irish whiskey via an audio-visual presentation which is available in six languages. On offer too is an opportunity to become a qualified Irish Whiskey taster, with presentation of certificate. An elegant restaurant and craft shop are located on the premises. The Restaurant is closed for the Winter period, while the Craft Shop remains open.
A tour of The Old Midleton Distillery is unlike any tour you’ve ever been on before. It is much more a path of discovery. One which will take you through the magnificent courtyard area, evoking the atmosphere of harvest time with farmers arriving with horses and carts piled high with sacks of grain ready to sell to the Distillery. Take the path to the Distiller’s cottage. See the giant waterwheel which at one stage powered all of the distillery machinery, and today still turns the cogs and wheels in the Mill Building. In the Brew House you will see the largest pot still in the World. While at The Old Cooperage you can literally touch the Distillery’s resonant past. Then complete the experience in the only way possible with a well earned whiskey tasting session in the Jameson Bar!
2 hours 31 minutes drive
A full day trip from Newtown Farm Bed & Breakfast will take you to Cork from there to Macroom and on to Killarney. The Ring of Kerry is part of the mystical & unspoilt region of Ireland that has attracted visitors for hundreds of years. Its spectacular beauty is beyond question and it is a natural centre for outdoor pursuits including golf, watersports, cycling, walking, riding and the very best fishing for salmon & trout. The Ring of Kerry has some of the finest beaches in Europe that provide all the facilities for a traditional seaside holiday. Above all the Ring of Kerry provides an amazing insight into the ancient heritage of Ireland – see the Iron Age Forts & Ogham Stones, Old Monasteries and a landscape carved out of rock by the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. Visitors to Ireland should not miss a trip to the beautiful Ring of Kerry.
www.bereisland.net – 3 hours drive
Bere Island is located 2 miles off the South-West coast of Ireland in Bantry Bay, County Cork. To the North there is the rugged and beautiful Beara Peninsula, while to the east and south lies the vast bay, which has played host to some of the world’s largest ships. The island faces the open Atlantic to the south and south-west offering spectacular views in all directions. The licensed car/passenger ferry “Ikom K” operates between the “Pontoon” pier on the mainland and Lawrence Cove on the island where Rerrin village is located with a Shop, Post Office, Pub, Café/Restaurant, 2 hostels, Marina and Craft Shop. There are Self-catering Holiday Homes in Ardagh which is located 1 mile away from where the ferry lands. Other attractions on Bere Island include the Beara Way walking route, a cycling route, shore angling, archaeological sites, the remains of Victorian British military fortifications and two Martello towers, one of which has recently been restored and opened as a Heritage Centre.
Newtown Farm Bed & Breakfast near Ardmore, is the ideal location for anyone looking to explore Waterford, Cork & Kerry. Contact us to arrange your holiday accommodation today.