Blarney Castle and Rock Close, Co. Cork

Cork

Famous for its stone, set in the wall below the battlements, which has the traditional power of conferring eloquence on all who kiss it.
Adjacent to the battlements lies the Poison Garden.

The word Blarney was introduced into the English language by Queen Elizabeth 1st and is described as pleasant talk, intended to deceive without offending. The stone is set in the wall below the battlements, and to kiss it, one has to lean backwards (grasping an iron railing) from the parapet walk.

Rock Close: Blarney Castle has long been famous because of the Blarney stone but the less known Rock Close and Castle grounds are well worth a visit in their own right. The Rock close is a mystical place where majestic yew and oak trees grow around an ancient druidic settlement. Follow the trail through giant Gunnera leaves and bamboo and you will find such features as a dolmen, wishing steps and a witch's kitchen. A water garden with waterfalls adds the soothing sound of water to the visitor's experience. Below the castle are mysterious caves and an arboretum filled with rare trees. There are pleasant walks along the riverbanks where you can sit and contemplate the reflections of the castle. In springtime the castle grounds are filled with thousands of bulbs. In autumn the whole place glows as the leaves turn red, amber and gold.

The Poison Garden adjacent to the battlement lays the poison garden, an interesting and educational collection of deadly and dangerous plants from around the world, including caged specimens of deadly nightshade, wolfstone and poison ivy.

8km from Cork City.

Monday-Saturday:
May & September: 09:00-18:30
June/July/August: 09:00-19:00
October-April: 09:00 to sundown

Sundays:
Summer: 09:00-17:30
Sundays, Winter: 09:30 to sundown

Last Admissions:30 minutes before closing

Details on application.

Two souvenir shops, Bureau de Change, refreshments, restored stable yard, Blarney Lake and wildlife, arboretum and gardens, garden walk and woodlands walks, fern garden, ice-house, lime kiln and caves.

Blarney Castle,
Blarney,
Co. Cork

Tel: +353 21 438 5252
Fax: +353 21 438 1518