BLARNEY IRELAND

BLARNEY IRELAND

Ireland » Cork  »

Blarney just 8km (5 miles) from Cork City is set in beautiful wooded countryside, it is an ideal base to visit the many wonderful sights of Cork and Kerry. Steeped in history and magical charm, Blarney village offers the visitor a host of wonderful things to do and places to discover. 

One of the finest things that impresses the first time visitor is the well preserved village square. Blarney is one of the few villages in Ireland which has such a fine amenity, and today it continues to be a focal point of village life. In Tudor style, Blarney village has developed around the square which is owned and carefully maintained by Blarney Castle Estate. The population of Blarney is small, approximately 2,000, and always on hand to welcome visitors to Blarney.
 

Some great sights to visit include the legendary Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. For many of the visitors to Blarney, their first priority is to kiss the famous Blarney Stone high up on the Castle battlements. Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - "the gift of the gab", as the locals call it.

"There is a stone that whoever kisses never misses to grow eloquent, he may clamber to a lady's chamber or become a member of parliament".

Over 200,000 people visit Blarney Castle each year. The castle, built in the 15th-16th Century, is situated in over a thousand acres of magnificent woodland, on the Blarney Castle Estate, making it the ideal place to take walks and  enjoy the clean fresh environment of Blarney.

Blarney boasts some of the finest accommodation premises in Ireland. These include hotels, guesthouses, a caravan and camping park, town and country homes and farmhouses. Approved self-catering accommodation is also available. Blarney offers accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets.

Shopping is a pleasure in the village where there are a number of excellent outlets, including the world famous Blarney Woollen Mills. Established in 1824, the outlet has become one of the largest craft shops in Ireland and is renowned for its quality produce. Blarney in olden days had been the site of thirteen mills with the production of linen, plour, paper, bleaching, dying and iron production, due to the natural layout of Blarney with the River Martin flowing into the Blarney River and this in turn flowing into the Shournagh River which proceeds to flow into the River Lee at Carrigrohane, near Cork City.

Blarney offers a superb variety of recreational pursuits to suit all ages. The golfer has several excellent eighteen hole courses to choose from; two within five miles of the village. There is a network of quiet country lanes for the walking enthusiast. Locally, you can fish for salmon, wild brown trout or coarse fish.

There are several sports and leisure centres for fitness buffs located in the area, which offer everything from swimming to gymnasium facilities. For families there's a delightful woodland farm which features a meandering nature trail offering a mixture of fun, education and relaxation.