Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval fortress located in Blarney, Ireland, near Cork. Constructed in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster, it is renowned for the Blarney Stone, a legendary artifact believed to grant the gift of eloquence and persuasion to those who kiss it. The castle's history includes earlier structures dating back to the 10th and 13th centuries, with various myths surrounding the origins of the stone itself. According to folklore, Queen Elizabeth I is linked to the castle's name through her frustration with negotiations to capture it, coining the term "blarney" for deceptive talk.
Today, the castle and its surrounding gardens attract over 200,000 visitors annually, who come not only to explore the historical significance but also to participate in the tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone. A modern structure permits guests to lean over the battlements safely to reach the stone, which adds to the unique experience. The estate features extensive gardens, including a traditional Irish garden and the intriguing Poison Garden, while the adjacent Rock Close offers a landscaped area rich in natural beauty. Blarney Castle remains a celebrated cultural landmark, drawing countless tourists eager to engage with its storied past and enchanting legends.
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Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval fortress in Blarney, Ireland, near the city of Cork, in the southern reaches of the Republic of Ireland. Steeped in Irish legend, the castle that currently stands dates to 1446 and is said to be the third stronghold to be erected on the site. Blarney Castle is home to the fabled Blarney Stone, which Irish folklore holds will bestow the gifts of eloquent speech and persuasiveness upon anyone who kisses it.
The castle and the Blarney Stone are widely considered to be among Ireland's greatest national treasures, and the fortress and surrounding gardens are major tourist attractions. The current castle was built by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster, although conflicting stories and legends are told about the origin of the Blarney Stone. Tourism agencies report that approximately two hundred thousand people visit Blarney Castle each year.
Brief History
The site where Blarney Castle now stands is said to have originally been occupied by a wooden building, which was supposedly constructed during the tenth century, although there is no remaining physical evidence that such a structure ever existed. In approximately 1210, a stone castle was erected on the site, with a north-facing entrance about twenty feet above ground level. This castle was eventually torn down, leaving only its foundations in place. These foundations were then used to form the basis of the third building on the site, the remains of which form the Blarney Castle of the present day. According to Blarney Castle's official website, the currently standing structure was built by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster, in 1446.
According to Irish legend, the castle was indirectly given its name by Queen Elizabeth I of England, who had commanded Robert Dudley, First Earl of Leicester, to take the castle as part of England's ongoing occupation of Ireland. The Earl of Leicester is said to have made numerous attempts to negotiate the resident McCarthy clan's surrender of the castle, but he was consistently delayed in doing so. In his progress reports to Queen Elizabeth I, the Earl of Leicester would always indicate that he had not yet succeeded in his campaign to secure the castle, prompting the queen to dismiss his reports as "blarney."
Various myths recount the supposed origins of the Blarney Stone, with the most common claiming it to be part of an artifact known as the Stone of Jacob, which was reportedly brought to Ireland by an early Christian prophet. Once in Ireland, the Stone of Jacob came to be known as the Fatal Stone, or Lia Fatal in Irish Gaelic, where it served as an oracle for a succession of early Irish kings. Irish folklore holds that the stone was then taken to Scotland, where it displayed curious prophetic powers, including the ability to predict future royal lineages. In 1314, the incumbent King of Munster sent several thousand Irish troops to assist Scottish independence forces in their fight against the English in the Battle of Bannockburn, in which England was defeated. To thank the King of Munster, Scottish officials split the Fatal Stone in two, returning one half to Ireland. This half of the stone was then enshrined at Blarney Castle, becoming known as the Blarney Stone.
Another legend claims that the stone was brought back to Ireland during the Crusades, while yet another tale claims that the Blarney Stone is the same stone from which the prophet Moses miraculously drew water in a well-known biblical episode. It is also said that the secret of the Blarney Stone's supposed power to bestow the gifts of eloquence and persuasiveness on all who kiss it was first divulged by a local witch.
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At present, only the keep of the castle built by Dermot McCarthy in 1446 remains standing. It is accompanied by Blarney House, a Scottish baronial manor that was built near the Blarney Castle keep in the 1870s. These buildings form the centerpiece of the attraction officially known as Blarney Castle and Gardens, and they stand in a wooded nature preserve that spans more than one thousand acres.
While the medieval castle keep and the surrounding landscape are considered tourist attractions of historical significance in their own right, the majority of contemporary visitors to Blarney Castle are primarily interested in kissing the Blarney Stone. The stone itself is set in a wall below the castle keep's battlements, and it was once necessary for those who wished to kiss it to have another person hold them by the ankles while they descended upside-down below the battlements, where the stone could be accessed. Today, the Blarney Stone is situated at the end of a parapet, and iron railings have been attached to the upper battlement wall. Visitors can hold the railings and lean upside-down to kiss the stone. According to County Cork's official tourism guide, more than two hundred thousand people kiss the Blarney Stone each year.
Approximately sixty acres of Blarney Gardens are visible from the top of the castle keep, and the gardens themselves consist of numerous distinct attractions, including an arboretum and pinetum, a fern garden and icehouse, a traditional Irish garden, a scenic bog, and a relatively new addition known as the Poison Garden, which is filled with poisonous plants and herbs.
Another popular attraction on the Blarney Castle grounds is known as Rock Close, which consists of a landscaped garden that dates to the eighteenth century. In his 1824 book Researches in the South of Ireland, the Irish author and antiquarian Thomas Crofton Croker describes Rock Close as a place besieged with rock, moss, and ivy that implores people to explore its wonders.
Bibliography
Bateman, Scott. "Blarney Castle Tour Is More than Kissing an Old Stone." Wander Wisdom, 26 Dec. 2015, wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/Blarney-Castle-Tour-is-More-Than-Just-Kissing-an-Old-Stone. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.
"Blarney Castle and Gardens." Blarney Castle and Gardens, www.blarneycastle.ie/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.
"Blarney, Ireland." Cork Guide, www.cork-guide.ie/blarney/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.
Clancy, Michael. Brand New Ireland? Tourism, Development and National Identity in the Irish Republic. Routledge, 2009.
Coohill, Joseph. Ireland: A Short History. Oneworld Publications, 2014.
Croker, Thomas Crofton. Researches in the South of Ireland: Illustrative of the Scenery, Architectural Remains, and the Manners and Superstitions of the Peasantry. John Murray, 1824.
Richard, Cicely A. "The History of Blarney Castle, Ireland." USA Today, traveltips.usatoday.com/history-blarney-castle-ireland-11420.html. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.
Smith, Andrea. "As High-Profile Visits Spike Interest in Irish Castles, One Hotel Has Created an Interactive Map to Guide Visitors." Lonely Planet, 19 Oct. 2016, www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2016/10/19/interactive-map-irish-castles/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.