Tag: castles

Built in 1446 this is the main tower of Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland. Home of the Blarney Stone. If you look closely to the right of the image you can see the shade of someone’s arm and head as they lead backwards over the metal grates to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend says if you hang upside-down over this drop to kiss the stone you get the gift of the gab (eloquence). This close up view caught my eye as I liked the contrast between the sunny side and shaded side of the tower with the bright sky behind. Blarney Castle and Gardens photograph shows a wider view of the surrounding castle and gardens.

Blarney Castle sits on the top of a hill in the town of Blarney, north of Cork in Ireland. The original timber house was built on the site before 1200. What we see today is a partial ruin of a Medieval stone castle built in 1446. The main tower is five storeys tall with 18 feet thick walls at the base. Entering the castle grounds we took the right path along Cherry Walk through the Castle Field Arboretum. I had visited the castle in 1991 as a child with my dad and uncle. It was good to come back as an adult but even better to see it in such wonderful weather. I’ve not explored enough of Ireland with my camera but Blarney Castle is worth the hype in my opinion. Try to get there when it opens or soon after. It gets more challenging to get photographs without tourists as the day goes on and more coach parties arrive.