Blarney Stone
The stone of eloquence.
Daniel J Hastings — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joseph Mischyshyn — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Anna Maria 4574 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Slongy — CC BY 4.0 · Marathon — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joseph Mischyshyn — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Andy Beecroft — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marathon — CC BY-SA 2.0
A medieval stronghold in Blarney village near Cork, whose present keep was built by the ruling MacCarthys in 1446 on the site of older fortifications; it is one of Ireland's best-known castles thanks to its legendary stone. At the top of the castle is the Blarney Stone, the «Stone of Eloquence»; folklore says that whoever kisses it gains the gift of the gab, so visitors climb the narrow stone stairs to the battlements and lean back, holding the rail, to reach it with help from the staff. The castle is only half the story: around it spread grounds worth your time, with a Poison Garden and its warning signs, the Rock Close trail among boulders, ancient trees and little waterfalls, a lake and the Scottish baronial Blarney House. Adult tickets are about €24, per visitor guides, with no timed slots. The queue for the stone grows long in summer, so come early; the stairs are narrow and steep, not for anyone who fears heights.
The stone of eloquence.
Read the warnings.
Boulders and old trees.
Blarney village, 8 km north-west of Cork
A stone at the top of the castle that, by folklore, gives whoever kisses it the gift of the gab; visitors lean back with help from the staff to reach it.