Blarney Castle

During our visit to Ireland, we stayed in castles that had been made into modern hotels, we saw castles in the distance that seemed unreachable, others were reduced to rubble by time, and some were undergoing renovation to save them from that. However, I feel that the castle famous for a single stone set high on its wall was one of the most impressive. Not because of the stone that bears the castle name, but because Blarney was left looking like a 15th century castle should. It is a handsome piece of the past standing strong well into the present.

Click images below to enlarge.

My first set of spiral steps into a turret, or tower, were at Blarney Castle. It was a dark, confining space, and the climb seemed to go on a bit too long for someone who tends to get claustrophobic. Just as I began to panic, sunlight bathed the outer wall up ahead. The stones beneath my feet and in the tower around me were exactly as they had been for hundreds of years. Blarney felt like a real castle. It had history, mystery and personality. It was a castle that you could feel had been lived in.

From the tiny rooms offset along the tower steps, to the grated floor of the murder room, to the breathtaking view when I finally reached the top, Blarney had my undivided attention.

Blarney Castle

The dungeon also intrigued me. It was not much bigger than a badger hole dug into the solid stone beneath the castle. The only entrance was through an iron gate on the outer wall. Water was dripping from the ceiling, and I didn’t go any further than my arm would reach to snap this shot. This was nothing like what you see in movies. At Blarney, the dungeon was a horrible place.

Then there were the gardens outside of Blarney Castle, which were mystical! Stone Close was the old druid woods complete with stone circles, wishing steps and an amazing underground fireplace called Witches Kitchen. Check these photos out!