Blarney Castle (Caisleán na Blarnan)

A medieval stronghold famous for the Blarney Stone and the 'gift of the gab'.

Built in its present form in 1446 by the MacCarthy dynasty, Blarney Castle draws visitors to kiss the Blarney Stone, said to grant eloquence. Its grounds include romantic gardens and the mysterious Rock Close.

At a glance

• Present tower house built 1446 by the MacCarthys
• Home of the Blarney Stone
• Set in celebrated gardens near Cork city

In County Cork

Blarney Castle is in County Cork, Corcaigh in Irish, which means “marsh”.

More in Cork

• Múscraí (Muskerry) (Gaeltacht Mhúscraí): The Cork Gaeltacht in the hills of Muskerry, a Munster-Irish community with a rich song tradition.
• The River Lee (An Laoi): The river that splits to cradle Cork city on an island.
• Mizen Head (Carn Uí Néid): Ireland's most south-westerly point, reached by a spectacular arched bridge.
• Gougane Barra (Guagán Barra): A serene mountain lake and island oratory, source of the River Lee.

Other places of this kind

• The Cliffs of Moher (Aillte an Mhothair): Sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region.
• Newgrange (Sí an Bhrú): A prehistoric monument in County Meath, older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.
• The Giant's Causeway (Clochán an Aifir): Around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the Antrim coast, a UNESCO site wrapped in the legend of Finn McCool.
• Glendalough (Gleann Dá Loch): A beautiful glacial valley of two lakes, home to one of Ireland's most important early monastic settlements.
• The Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig): A dramatic outcrop crowned with medieval buildings, once the seat of the kings of Munster.
• Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis): A great early monastery on the banks of the Shannon, once a renowned centre of learning.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Blarney Castle is Caisleán na Blarnan. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.