No trip to Ireland is complete without a trip to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. This age old tradition has made the castle one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. Situated not far from Cork the castle is more than just about the stone with a variety of gardens, arboretrum, rock gardens etc all of which look spectacular. The main house (not Castle) only opens in the Spring so we were unable to walk around it. At a cost of ten euros each you receive a useful map highlighting all the attractions within the grounds. We were in a bit of a rush so we headed straight for the stone within the castle which is only a 5 minute walk from the main ...  Read the complete review

Having lived in Cork for 18 months, and with Blarney Castle just twenty minutes drive away, I feel a bit silly saying that the first time I went to Blarney was three weeks ago. I now mentally kick myself for not going before, because it is a lovely little place, and I really recommend you pay it a visit if you are in the area. Before you start, buy a little guide book from at the entrance. It’s only £1 and it really is worth it. Not only does it give you a lot of interesting factual information about how the castle was built, what life was like in the ‘olden days’ and other historical titbits to help set the scene, it also guides you round the ...  Read the complete review