Blarney Castle: More Than Just A Kissing Stone

Why do more than 400,000 people a year visit Blarney Castle in the south-west of Ireland? Do they all go just to kiss the famous Blarney Stone? Or does the castle have other attractions? In fact, as I discovered during a visit to County Cork, the castle has atmospheric grounds full of curiosities, myths and legends. Blarney Castle is much more than just a kissing stone.

Why Kiss The Blarney Stone Anyway?

I had been here once before, and my memory of kissing the Blarney Stone was that it was a precarious exercise, climbing to the very top of the castle then leaning backwards out of an upstairs window while someone held onto my feet! I had no desire to repeat the experience, but there was no shortage of people queuing up to have a go. Watching from below, it looked just hazardous as I remembered.

The stone was a gift from Robert the Bruce of Scotland in 1314. A local witch told the castle’s owner, Cormac MacCarthy (also known as Cormac Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster), that it had magical powers. Anyone who kissed the stone would acquire the art of eloquence.

(Whether this is true or not is a matter of opinion. I did kiss the stone myself on that long-ago visit, but I’m not convinced I acquired the gift of the gab…)

Exploring The Blarney Castle Gardens

But, in a way, the kissing stone is just a distraction from what the estate has to offer. You could spend a whole day exploring the 60 acres of beautiful gardens, with their natural wonders and a few legends of their own. There are areas with intriguing names like the Poison Garden, the Bog Garden or The Jungle. And there are waterfalls, woodland and riverside walks.

The castle grounds are full of curiosities. As you come in you pass a stream that runs over a bridge across another waterway (this is an 18^th century construction). The Poison Garden (as you might expect) is a collection of poisonous plants. And then you come to the Garden of the Seven Sisters, a sculpture park with a stone circle at its centre. The circle is in fact modern (around 2014), but it recalls an ancient story of a King of Munster with seven daughters.

Myth And Legend In The Rock Close

The Seven Sisters may be modern, but there are plenty of stones that may – or may not – be much older. These are in the Rock Close, an area created in the early 19^th century around several mysterious stones and stone structures that were already in the grounds. You’ll see a Fairy Glade and the Wishing Steps. Then there is the Witch Stone: the Blarney Witch is locked up in a stone by day and only assumes her true form at night, when all the visitors have gone.

It is hard to separate myth and history here. Is the Dolmen really an ancient burial site, or just some strangely shaped rocks? And did rituals ever take place by the Druid Stones or on the Sacrificial Altar? I stopped by the Witch’s Kitchen, where the Blarney Witch lights a fire each night to warm herself when she escapes from her stone. A small sign beside it says that “historians will tell you that this was home to the very first Irish cave dwellers”. To me, this was an instance where the history might just be more interesting than the legend…

How To Visit Blarney Castle

• Blarney Castle is 9 km from Cork.
• If you are travelling by public transport, there is a bus from Cork city to Blarney Castle.
• The grounds are extensive: allow plenty of time for your visit.
• It is possible to take an organised day trip to Blarney from Dublin, or to visit as part of a trip around County Cork.
• If you are staying overnight in Cork have a look at the accommodation options on booking.com.