Blarney Castle

Irish points of interest - where do I begin :) I say that happily because Ireland is an amazing place and so full of so many wonderful points of interest. So much to see, so much to do! That's good for you! You just got to have plenty of time.

You'll look at Ireland on a map and say “no problem, I’ll get around that in a few days, and have enough time for mainland Europe”. Well my advice is spend as much time as you can in Ireland. You will not regret it J

The magnificent Blarney Castle

I will 'label' these types of posts with "points of interest". That’ll make it easy for you to find them in my blog. Please come back often, or follow us on Twitter (@visitingIreland) to get updates of when I have a new post for you to read.

I’m going to start with Blarney Castle! Everyone loves Blarney.

Blarney is a small town on the outskirts of Cork City in the southern end or Ireland. It takes maybe 15-20 minutes by car to get to Blarney from the city, and it is more than worth the trip.

Blarney is famous for its castle, and its world renowned Blarney Stone. Kissing the Blarney Stone will give you what is locally and affectionately known as the “gift of the gab”. In other words you’ll be able to talk and tell stories like an Irishman after kissing it. Well, so the story goes J

Kissing the Stone

The Blarney Stone sits at the very top of Blarney castle and to kiss it you have to lie back, lean over the edge of the castle (there’s a barrier these days so you don’t fall) and pucker up! A wonderful experience for anybody trying to connect with their Irish roots.

There are many stories and myths surrounding the origins of the Blarney Stone. One is that the stone was a gift from Robert the Bruce (seen Braveheart?) to the Munster King and builder of Blarney Castle, Cormac McCarthy, in 1314 as a token of appreciation for his help in the Battle of Bannockburn.

Blarney is not all about the Stone. The grounds of Blarney are exceptionally maintained, and the world famous Blarney Woolen Mills reside just near there. This is a major shopping destination for most tourists visiting the southern areas of Ireland. It is a bustling place, a hive of activity and a great place to have a pint or a cup of tea (oh Irish tea!).

Within the grounds of Blarney castle, or just outside in the nearby park you can sit and relax and have a picnic. There’s plenty of local pubs on the main street just outside the Woolen mills. There you can enjoy a pint of Guinness, or sample the famous Cork stouts, Murphy’s and Beamish. Maybe you can even take in a local GAA game while in Blarney.

View through the trees

Give yourself at least 5 or 6 hours to enjoy Blarney.

Have fun, and I'd love to hear from you regarding your time there.

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Next blog: The annual Cork Jazz Festival