We went to Blarney Castle on a Princess Cruise excursion. Big mistake. We had 2 hours at the Blarney Castle and the lineups to go through the castle were two hours. So we spent two hours standing in a slow moving line with most of the time standing in the same place for 5 minutes at a time before you finally make it to the Blarney stone. Big hype and a waste of time. The castle itself is okay but nothing special there are so many better castles to see such as Caernarfon Castle in Holyhead, Wales which made Blarney castle well... a lot of blarney. If you do go, you need atleast 3 hours or more to see the grounds and adjoining areas and preferably on a non-busy time of year.

I liked the tour - our guide tells us a lot of anecdotes and history facts. He was very kind a showed us good foto-points. We startet in 8.30 and came back at 17.30. I think the tour is worth the money.

This is about 6 hours in a large comfy bus with a witty Irish driver giving amazing stories & also true history of the peninsula. They stop every hour or so, to stretch legs, get a bite to eat, drink an Irish coffee and take photos of magnificent scenery.

Fantastic day trip from Cork first to Killarney with a horse and carriage tour through Killarney National Park and then on to an amazing day around the Ring of Kerry. Our driver, Kevin, was fun and informative and most importantly...a great driver! Thank you, Kevin.

we booked our tour , credit card was charged on Monday September 18,2023 . I came down with a cold and coughing and wanted to cancel but on Tuesday we ended up at sea as we couldn't go into Guerney due to weather conditions so we were at sea for the day and unable to communicate with Paddywagon to cancel due to no wifi nor able to call by cell phone. Wednesday September Sept 20 we didn't leave ship due to my cold and not wanting to infect others .So we didn't show up for th e tour so out $197.00 . Got a hold Paddywagon via email said to call Viator , no refund . So i give it a zero rating .

A nicer option would have been to visit the Burren caves or Bunratty Castle vs just the pit stop or drive by. The ride back was long but nice touch with the Irish music. The tour guide/bus driver was great. Thank you Brian! Stop at the Cliffs was just long enough. Did not need the added lunch stop, (company restaurant/cash grab) could have picked something at the Cliffs cafe. First Ireland tour, we usually do it all on our own, will choose other stop options if we ever tour again.

Prompt, engaging guide who enabled us to see the Blarney Stone w/o having to wait in a long line; We, therefore, had more time to spend exploring the grounds and were able to visit other places as well

Our driver Podge was friendly and informative and dedicated to showing us around his beautiful country. Our day began at the Blarney Castle. We were one of the first tour buses to arrive, so there were no lines to get into the castle. The views were incredible. The rain did not dampen our experience. I could have spent all day in the Blarney Woolen Mills. A very large, beautiful selection of Irish gifts. Next we headed to Kinsale. Unfortunately, a couple who didn't think the stated time to return to the bus applied to them, and they were inadvertently left behind. A call to the driver ten minutes after we left, and we had to turn around and go back. This cut into our time in Kinsale, and could have been prevented by counting the passengers, or someone speaking up about the empty seats near them. Anyway, we went on to Kinsale and had time only for lunch before having to get back to our ship, which was leaving at 4 pm. Podge shared a lot of Irish history with us, and inspired me to learn more about the home of my ancestors.

We took this tour as a shore excursion on our stop in Cork. There were numerous problems encountered. We booked a small group tour, the bus held 34 people. Everyone was complaining that it was NOT a small group. Regarding Blarney Castle, the description reads "skip all the lines ahead of your fellow shipmates as our guests enjoy priority status. En- route, we’ll enjoy a panoramic drive through Cork City. Your guide will point out the highlights of the southern capital such as St Finbarre's Cathedral, Shandon Bells, historic English Market and beautiful River Lee. We were rushing from the get go and did not get a tour of the above highlights AND the line to see the Blarney Stone was 90 minutes of standing in a winding narrow staircase. So, we did not enjoy priority status. Instead of going to Kinsale, we wound up going to the Jamison distillery. Unfortunately, no one from the company made the reservation at the distillery so our driver had to negotiate with them to allow us to tour the distillery. It was an hour later than we expected and we had to rush back so we wouldn't miss the ship. So we did not partake in: "On our return to the ship we get a quick overview of Cobh, the last departure point of Titanic on her fateful maiden voyage and have time to visit St. Colman's Cathedral - the final place of worship for many Irish emigrants." Overall, poorly executed and not recommended.

Ive left this review before but it seems to have been posted in the wrong place. We were picked up at the cruise port. The coach was hidden just around the corner outside the security area. Our driver was Gabriel. He headed straight to Blarney Castle, we were the very first group to arrive and get tickets for the castle. The grounds are stunning and expansive. The only trouble here was not enough time allowed to enjoy them properly. I would come again and easily spend a whole day here. We had a look around the Woollen Mills shops and bought a couple of souvenirs. Then back on the coach for a drive through Cork with Gabriel giving us a comprensive vocal guide. Then to Kinsale where we had some free time to wander. We ended up in the village square, where the pub had outside seating. Its just got to be done! A lovely hour or so in the sun with a Guinness. Then he headed back to the cruise port in plenty of time. Gabriel gave us plenty of information along the way and his commentary was clear and concise. Many thanks to Paddywagon Tours for a great day. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.

I felt like a vagabond since they told me the morning of my Dingle trip that Dingle was cancelled due to a marathon. Driver offered me last seat on back of bus bound for Ring of Kerry. I took it. I wasn't disappointed visiting the towns of Killarney, Waterside, and Sneem, although the driver kept promoting stops that required extra money to enjoy, such as the peasant village in Ballintleaf, the pony cart ride in Killarney, and lunch at a Lobster Shack in Waterside. Some great roadside stops made up for it, including the best bay in the Ring of Kerry. Glad I went, but my advice is not to fall for all the shuck expenses along the way.

We would highly recommend Paddywagon tours as the tour guide met us at the cruise port & got us to the Blarney Castle before the long lines began to climb to the top & “kiss” the Blarney stone. We had lots of time to explore the grounds and visit the woollen mill there. Kinsale was a cute little town with several shops & restaurants. Our driver was exceptional as he was very informative, funny and knowledgeable. Thank you Paddywagon tours for a great tour!!!

The stops at sights were very short. It is not a standout tour, is just OK. Next time, I will look at minibus tours.

The tour offered the same or better than the ship tour, for a better price. The driver is also the guide, and talks straight to the point. He even played Irish music during the drives. They operate as “Paddywagon Tours”

We had a wonderful day out with Paddywagon Tours - we would definitely recommend it! We boarded the bus in Cork and travelled to Killarney town centre. We opted for the additional horse drawn carriage ride through Killarney National Park and it did not disappoint, the views across the park were beautiful. We made various stops along the bus route at picturesque points and visited The Kerry Bog Village. We stopped for lunch at the beautiful Waterville beach before boarding the bus to other picture-stops and stopping in Sneem for icecream. We finished the day with a tour through the stunning Black Valley and a stop at Torc Waterfall, before heading back to Cork. A great day out, thank you Paddywagon Tours!