Maybe it was the steep and narrow staircase that spiralled up the tower. Or the idea of bending backwards like a contortionist to a crowd of onlookers. Or the thought of kissing a stone touched by the lips of thousands of others before me. At Blarney Castle, I didn’t just pass up the opportunity to kiss the bluestone at the top of the tower and be endowed with the gift of eloquence; I didn’t even see it.
Instead, I explored the grounds of the castle, a medieval fortification that today is one of Ireland’s most famous and treasured attractions. You see, if I was busy climbing the tower and kissing the stone, I may have missed the small details of the 15th-century tower…
… Or its eerie exterior…
Or the lush landscapes…
… Or Badgers Cave. Legend has it that it connects three underground passages: One to Cork, one to the lake and one all the way to Kerry.
From someone who didn’t even see everything the castle has to offer, a word of advice: Give yourself time to explore. A lot of time.
I may have forfeited the gift of gab but, in exchange, I learned there’s much more to Blarney Castle than its stone.
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Disclosures: I visited Blarney Castle with the assistance of Fáilte Ireland (National Tourism Development Authority). This post also includes an affiliate link that allows me to earn a modest commission from Booking.com if you click on it and make a hotel reservation. Thank you for your support!
The first time I went to Ireland I did go to Blarney Castle. It was part of the tour we took and our time was limited. We did kiss the Blarney Stone in the pouring rain but we didn’t opt to buy the photograph. We did see many of the interior and exterior shots that you took but Badger’s Cave was not part of the tour. Looks pretty interesting.
That’s surprising to me because I thought the cave was one of the most interesting areas of the castle. I’m sorry you missed it, but I hope you left more eloquent 😉