I visited the Blarney Castle with my best friend while on a girls trip to Ireland in 2010. It was absolutely stunning. The beautiful grounds and juxtaposition of the stone castle made for some amazing scenery. I absolutely recommend taking the trip, although post-pandemic, it feels a little disturbing to think of kissing the Blarney stone that so many other people kiss as well.

The Blarney Castle that is onsite today is actually the 3rd to have been erected on the site. The first in the 10th century was a wood structure and around 1210 A.D. this was replaced by a stone structure which had an entrance some 20 feet above ground on the north face. This building was demolished for foundations and in 1446 the third castle was built by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster. The keep still remains standing.

Kiss the Blarney Stone (The Stone of Eloguence)

For over 200 years, millions of people have climbed the steps to kiss the Blarney stone for the gift of Eloguence. Its powers are unquestioned but the story still creates debate.

Ghosts of Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is centuries old, so it's no surprise to hear that it's haunted. Disembodied footsteps and voices are said to heard within the castle walls but that's not the strangest haunting. You may catch ghostly salmon jumping out of the Martin River but the salmon that once inhabited the river are long since dead.

The Curse of Blarney Castle

For years, the castle has been receiving packages containing stones, pebbles and rocks. Along with these items, there are thousands of apologies from people, who took something from the castle. People claim even taking the smallest pebble will cause great misfortune.