Blarney

Blarney Castle was built around 1210, destroyed in 1446 but re-built. Embedded in its battlements is a block of Carboniferous limestone known as the Blarney Stone (Cloch na Blarnan) or Stone of Eloquence. Various legends claim it was brought from afar, but that would have to be from somewhere with identical bedrock to Blarney, and it was obviously quarried nearby. Those who kiss the stone are supposed to gain skill in charming, flattering deceit. This idea was first documented in Francis Grose's 1785 Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, a dictionary of slang with many bawdy entries. Because the stone is set high on the castle walls, and getting into position to kiss it is tricky and dangerous, then to have done so is a badge of perseverance, courage and agility. Whereof many are supposed to claim the honour, who never achieved the adventure; and to tip the Blarney is figuratively used for telling a marvellous story, or falsity. So originally you deceived people not by having kissed the stone, but by inventing a story about doing so. The legend was boosted in the 19th century by tourism, by music-hall stereotypes of comic romantic Irishness, and by an Irish diaspora (fluent in English, as other diasporas were not) willing to play to the role.

Blarney is 9 km northwest of Cork along N20. Bus Éireann 215 runs from Cork (multiple stops) taking 20 min to Blarney village and continuing west to Cloghroe. It's every 30 min M-Sa and hourly on Sunday. Get off when you see the Woollen Mills to your left and the church to the right. Blarney lost its railway in 1934, a narrow gauge line to Cork. Irish Rail plan to restore a link: the Dublin-Cork mainline runs barely 1 km away, so a platform halt and Park & Ride could be built without laying any new track. But not much before 2040.

Walk. A to B Cabs are on +353 21 451 6666.

thumb | 300px | Blarney Castle Blarney House 200 m south of the castle is a Scottish baronial mansion built 1874. It no longer offers tours. The gardens and woodland around are visited on the castle ticket. See Cork for the old Powder Mills and castle ruin at Ballincollig. It's only 5 km south in a straight line but you have to wind about through the lanes to cross the river.

thumb | 300px | Blarney Woollen Mills Muskerry Golf Club has two 18-hole courses, the McKenzie and the Burren. It's 3 km west at Tower Model Village, which sounds more interesting than it is. There's no trace of a tower, and the "model" means the 20th-century concept of a planned suburb, there are no tiny plastic figures on platforms waiting for a Hornby Dublo train to pull in. Blarney Golf Club is a pitch & putt 2 km northeast by the caravan park.

Centra has two stores open daily: on The Square, and at the east entrance to the village.

Lemon Tree Restaurant is within Blarney Castle Hotel, see Sleep. It's open daily 7:30-9:30PM. Claddagh on The Square is open W-Sa 4-9:30PM, Su 1-8PM and can serve halal. Quick eats: Lantern House does Chinese, Eat in It does pizza, and Blarney Burger does burgers.

Pubs are Muskerry Arms, see above, and Malone's on R617 the through-road.

thumb | 300px | Blarney House Blarney Woollen Mills has a hotel, B&B double €180. Killarney House is a B&B north edge of the village on Station Rd. No access from the bypass N20.

As of August 2025, Blarney and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from Eir and Three.

Cork needs a few days to explore. Near Cobh is Belvelly, a turret which you nowadays can't visit. During World War I, sailors on shore leave at Queenstown were brought to Belvelly by enterprising coachmen and told it was Blarney Castle. There was even a counterfeit stone to kiss. But it was a true example of "Blarney". Kinsale is an old harbour town less than an hour away. Durrow near Dungarvan in County Waterford also has a legendary stone, the huge "Answering Stone" which declares whether your statements are true or false. Or does it?