Home of Blarney Castle

Blarney is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It lies 8 km (5.0 mi) north-west of Cork and is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.

Blarney is a relatively small town and does not necessarily require any use of vehicles; in fact, it is highly recommended that all visitors walk rather than drive as the roads are already narrow and can be easily congested by incoming tourist buses / cars. Furthermore, walking would also allow visitors to visit the town's many shops hassle-free.

Image: Blarney

What to do

Blarney Castle - is an old ruin famous for the Blarney stone that supposedly gives the gift of eloquence to all those who kiss it. You have to bend over backwards on the top of the castle to kiss it. It is all very touristy, you can even buy a certificate to prove you kissed the stone. But the surroundings are really nice - Further information

Outside of the castle walls, the surrounding gardens are particularly beautiful. The castle sits on 60 acres of parklands, including six different garden exhibits.

There are plenty of tourist shops in the village of Blarney, which sell souvenirs. For grocery shopping there is a local Super Valu. There is also a Post Office, which sells postcards and souvenirs as well as stamps!

Blarney Woollen Mills - Built in 1823, Blarney Woollen Mills was originally known as Mahony's Mills. It was a water powered mill, producing mainly tweeds and woollens. After closing in the early 1970s, the mills was re-invented by local entrepreneur Christy Kelleher as a gift store servicing tourists visiting the village.

Square - The centre of the village is dominated by The Square, a grass field where Blarney locals and townspeople sometimes congregate during the summer. Several attempts to develop the square, over the years, have always been met with stiff objection from the locals. Previously, the square was used for markets.