Blarney Castle was absolutely one of the highlights of my Southern Ireland trip! I have to say the grounds, castle, and even kissing the stone, far exceeded my expectations. I don't know how to explain it other than there is a definite feel of magic at this place. We walked in and immediately heard the sounds of a bagpipe, which was being played by a gentleman near the castle. Way to lay it on thick, Blarney Castle! The music followed us up to the castle itself, where we jumped in line to kiss the Blarney Stone. The line snaked through the extremely narrow halls and steep staircases and I have to say it was quite claustrophobic. How tiny were these people back in the day?! Fortunately, the line moved fairly quickly and the tour was pretty fascinating. Once we arrived at the top, it was time to kiss the stone. The employees work the line like a well-oiled machine and in a matter of seconds you are on your back, lips to stone, and back up again, feeling a bit lightheaded but, dare I say, more eloquent? You can quickly snap photos of your friends and family but they also take a few shots, which are of course available for purchase as you exit the castle. We did a quick walk-through of the poison gardens, which was really cool as well. My only regret is that we didn't have a little more time to explore. You could easily spend 2-3 hours here so make sure you give yourself the time to do so. Excellent visit and easily one of my favorite travel memories to date. Until next time! read more

This place is so beautiful! I paid 18 euros to get in and then another 18 euros for 2 photos kissing the stone! They do let you take your own photos if you wish, so bring a camera! We went on a Sunday so parking for us was free... not sure about the other days. Sadly we only were here for 2 hours and it was not enough time to explore the entire grounds... the staff is friendly and there is a lot of interesting information to read all across the grounds. read more

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What a waste of money! I purchased an online family pass for $50.12 (US dollars) and yes, there is a castle, but this place totally takes advantage of the notable blarney stone by upping the price or admission. If you have been around some good castle in England or Scotland, the Blarney Castle is junky and run down. They try so hard to make it a lot more than what it is, by having a poison garden and some old stables, but this place is totally not worth it, in my own estimation. Maybe I am just spoiled with Scotland and England. You want a good castle...Dover Castle, south of London, at the shore...now that's a castle! How about Edinburgh Castle in Scotland...now that's a castle! read more

I learned about Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone back when I was in High School and I put it on my bucket list. Well I finally made it here and what a fabulous piece of history. Built in 1446 this structure is still standing. The castle is a partial ruin, but still cool to visit and take in the sights. Not to mention climbing to the top to kiss the Blarney Stone and receive the gift of eloquence! The views from the top are fabulous. There are several gardens you can tour, but due to the weather I passed. The place can be muddy so plan for that when touring the castle. It's easy to get dirty climbing the narrow stairs. I would definitely put this on your places to visit if in the area! read more

Just a great day of fun and history. Beautiful gardens and pub after the castle Worth the day trip

Amazing experience but they rush you through the actual kissing of the stone to the point you feel like it didn't even happen. The grounds and castle were beautiful. I highly enjoyed seeing the poison garden full of rare planets! I have to say the "lake walk" isn't worth your time because you can barely see the actual lake and it out of the way. Overall experience was very memorable. Local wise tale is that young kids break into the castle and pee on the stone that all the tourist kiss. read more

Blarney Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

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The Blarney Castle, House, & grounds are beautiful to look at & the historical tour was interesting too. The gardens are gorgeous with so many stunning flowers. The views from the top of the castle are worth the climb to the top. read more

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The grounds of Blarney Castle are stunning, as is the view. I'd feel sorry for anyone claustrophobic because climbing the tower would either be an issue or impossible. Kissing the Blarney Stone would also be an issue for anyone with back problems, mobility challenges or fear of heights, as it's somewhat intimidating to hang over a space that's such a long drop! It's not that I didn't feel safe, but it's definitely not for everyone. I like the fun fact signs posted around the castle. I walked away with some amazing photos and certainly not the gift of gab because I already have it. What a great outing! read more

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What a great place. So much to see here. The grounds are nice to walk and you can't miss the Blarney Stone. Keep in mind that the stone is at the top of the castle. Lots of steep narrow stairs. Take a few of the trails around the grounds. read more

Blarney Castle is one of those Irish experiences that shouldn't be missed. It's a short bus ride to Blarney from the city of Cork and more than worth the journey. The grounds are gorgeous, with all that Irish emerald green and little paths, streams and bridges. The castle itself certainly shows its age but it in the best possible way, with all that old charm. Poking around inside the castle there are informative plaques to tell you about the different rooms, complete with artists' impressions to show what the rooms might have looked like. It's great fun to crawl around through the little doorways, although those with any claustrophobia or fear of heights might have to grit their teeth and bear it just a little to get to the top. The day I went wasn't all that busy but there was still enough people that you were often left waiting for a short while for others ahead of you to climb the stairs. The climb, however, is a must-do. At the top of the castle you will find the famous Blarney Stone, which legend states is meant to give you the "gift of the gab", i.e. the typically Irish ability to charm with eloquent banter. The thing you don't tend to realise is that you can't just waltz up to the stone and give it a peck. The stone itself is housed in part of a wall which overhangs from a ledge at the very top of the castle. In order to be able to reach the Blarney Stone, an employed helper at the castle has to hold you round the waist as you lie on your back and hang backwards over a gap between the walkway and the stone. You do end up with only your hips and legs on the walkway, with the rest of your torso hanging over in order to reach. That being said, there are railings for you to hold onto, and the attendant does hold you very firmly and guides you swiftly enough that you don't have time to think about it. And whilst you can see the ground many many metres below, there are grated bars that, in the event that the almost impossible happened, would stop you falling. I personally have a bit of a fear of heights and as I got closer to the front of the line and saw what was involved, I started to wonder if I could really do it. But every single person of every age and type and done it in the line before me, and by the time you get there the staff are moving you in and out so swiftly that you've no time to really argue. As you kiss the stone, a photographer takes your photo from a specially mounted camera - you can buy the photos if you like, when you descend back to the gift shop at the foot of the castle. The view from the top of the castle is spectacular. You can see the gorgeous little village of Blarney as well as some beautiful Irish countryside, and there are some great little keyhole windows and such to take photos out of. All in all, definitely worth a visit! read more

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I almost skipped this visit because I had no interest in the Blarney Stone or all of the hoopla that surrounds it. I am so glad I did not. The grounds and gardens and Blarney house are worth a visit all on their own. The blarney House is a private residence that is only open certain times of the year for certain hours. If you are lucky enough to be able to tour inside, do it! It is the real life version of Downton Abbey and is absolutely stunning. The walking path and gardens surrounding the house and castle are gorgeous and warrant a trip all on their own. There is a nice café with indoor and outdoor seating with a variety of food and drinks. Facilities including restrooms and gift shop are all nice and well taken care of. Parking is great and there is plenty. If you are interested in the Blarney Stone and castle, make plenty of time to stand in line. As we walked by I heard several people comment that it took them over an hour to get to the stone and then another 30 minutes to get back down. They offer photos of you kissing the stone and lots of souvenirs if that is your thing. read more

This place was ok but I wasn't blown away. There are certainly better castles. It was a 2 hour queue to kiss the stone - which we didn't wait for. The grounds were beautiful but there again there are better grounds. read more

Blarney Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

Visited April 2015: "Castle, Garden, Manor house, etc" We provided our internet tickets, and walked the castle grounds. We also enjoyed the ice cream cone called the 99. It is a vanilla cone with a flaky stick of Cadbury chocolate stuck in it. Due to my issues with heights, I did not kiss the Blarney Stone. I am impressed that I walked up and down a very narrow spiral staircase to the 3rd floor of a ruined castle with minimal guardrails, and looked over the side. We walked the poison gardens, rock close, and saw the Blarney House. We did not make it to the Lake, the Himalayan walk, etc. This park is massive, and you could spend all day there. read more

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Loved visiting. The castle itself is very crowded which is expected because people want to see and kiss the Blarney Stone. Best part was walking around the grounds. They have multiple gardens including a Fern and Poison garden. The trails and grounds are less congested and were beautiful. Could easily spend a whole day touring the castle and walking around. The gift shop was decently priced and you can find unique gifts for everyone. Bathrooms are placed when you enter the grounds and also near the castle. Ample parking. read more

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Yes it's a cliche and friends told me I didn't need to kiss the stone as I already had the gift of the gab! However, it's not far from Cork and there's more to see besides the Blarney Stone. Paying the entrance fee takes you into the extensive grounds which are worth walking round with a little river and some gardens to walk round. Blarney Castle is well preserved and for those of a nervous disposition, I must point out that the Blarney Stone isn't on ground level but at the top of the castle, quite a few stories up and you can actually see the drop all the way to ground level when you bend over backwards to kiss it - spectators from the ground can see the kissing happening from the ground. Also, be aware that Blarney Castle isn't an American theme park faux castle but a proper historic monument, so the climb up will involve narrow passages, steep and unevenly spaced stairs and a good view down once you get to the top. There are no lifts! Once at the top, if you choose to kiss the famous stone, a man with help to hold you as you bend over backwards to kiss it. It's quite a view to the bottom I would still recommend Blarney Castle despite its touristy image read more

I was six months pregnant when I visited Blarney Castle and when I saw people being held over the side of the castle to kiss the Blarney stone I immediately new that this wasn't for me. Even if I wasn't pregnant, overweight and completely awkward, I sure as hell wouldn't let two strangers hold me precariously over the side of a building so that I could kiss a gross old stone! I get the mystery and magic of folklore but when do we draw the line at basic hygiene?!!! Theoretically, how do you know that the guards aren't peeing on the stone during their off hours? Just playing devil's advocate and thinking like a Mom! Even though I abhor the idea of kissing the Blarney Stone I must say the grounds upon which Blarney Castle lie are completely gorgeous and extremely picnic worthy. Blarney Castle is definitely a place you've got to go if it's your first time visiting Ireland, and please, let me know what the stone tastes like when you kiss it. read more

Five stars for the: 1. €5 entry Easter weekend 2. The History lesson 3. The thrill of hanging upside down and kissing a rock while an old Irish man holds my ass. 4. The gorgeous grounds on which the castle was built 5. The tour of the Blarney house which is on the back of the property It's worth it for every one to go at least once. The gift shop on the way out isn't worth it. Save your money for the Blarney Woolen Mills. read more

Kiss the Blarney Stone or play golf at Ballybunion? Kiss the Blarney Stone with your spouse or play golf with your mates at Ballybunion? I'm no fool; I chose to spend the day with my better half and went to Blarney Castle, kissed the stone, and bought tourist photos of us puckering up to the stone. Heck, I traveled 7000 miles and I needed a souvenir, so why not bring back some eloquence? Initally the pics seemed kinda pricey, but in the end it was really worth it. Every time we look at them it brings back great memories and gives us smile. The pics lasts longer than a t-shirt, and it's not everyday you get a chance to interact with a world famous piece of history. But there's more than just kissing the stone, the grounds are stunningly beautiful and perfect for a leisurely stroll, and the castle built in 1446 has amazing character. read more

I don't care if the Irish laugh at us Americans for wanting to kiss the Blarney Stone. It was a must-do while in Ireland. I've wanted to visit this castle all my life and finally walking the grounds didn't disappoint. I mean, how the hell could it?! The approach is majestic and you can't help but wonder about everyone that lived here at any given time and what life was like. I think we paid €20 for an adult and senior ticket. After you pay, there is a small area for coffee and snacks and restrooms. I think they even have wifi in that area. The stairs going to the top are, of course, tiny a day narrow, but part of the adventure. Take your time and visit the areas along the way. Once we got to the Stone, we were greeted by a very friendly Irishman that helped hoist us down. It was further than I thought and I was pretty dizzy when he help pull me up. After we got our composure, we thanked him and tipped him and the photographer. We spent another hour or so walking the gardens. It was so beautiful. read more

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Going to Blarney Castle in December had its pros and cons, but take nothing from the fact the castle is an absolute must-see. This is coming from a person who hates tourist traps and goes far out of my way to avoid them. As a sucker for castles, I did some research and saw how impressive the castle was, so I convinced the husband to go. We are so glad we did. The downside: the castle had a huge white sheet down the front of it due to construction. Our trip to Ireland began to enjoy an ironic theme of "Ruined Castle Photo-Ops," as the Rock of Cashel's majesty is also currently marred by scaffolding. Aside from that, we were thrilled with the gardens, which features two Druid stone circles and the very cool witch's kitchen, steps, and rock. Those alone would be worth the drive for us, but the castle itself was a blast to explore, with its many levels of rooms and steps. There were other tourists in there with us, but I imagine it would be jammed with people in the summertime. By the time we got to the top, we found ourselves in line to kiss the stone... and ah, what the heck. I could use some eloquence. Crossing my fingers it works! read more

The grounds are really nice. Make sure you go early to see the manor, it is only open until 2 and has a limited number of entries. Make sure you plan to be here all day it has so much more than just the castle and the stone. I felt the actual walk up to the stone was a little underwhelming as the castle is in complete ruin, but there were beautiful views from the top. read more

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Kissed it for the gift of gab....and I thought it is only fitting then that I choose this as my 500th review. Yeah it's a bit touristy. But it is one of those iconic mythical things you hear about long before you step foot on the Emerald Isle. Bending over backwards off the top edge of a castle to kiss a highly unsanitary rock is an experience you wont forget. For all we know, local Cork punks are pissing on it at night. The grounds are very cool, with faery glades, mossy rock formations and mysterious bogs. To be honest, I enjoy the pubs more than anything in Ireland. But it is best to come here so you have a nice clean story and photo to present to your parents when you get home. read more

I loved this place! The grounds were stunning and I wanted to have a picnic there but we'd already had lunch. It's a nice walk to get to the castle and to my surprise, you had to climb the craggy and super narrow stairwell to get to it because it's at the very top. Once I made it to the top I felt a sense of accomplishment because that was the craziest stairway out of the many castles we'd visited. I had no intention of kissing the germ infested stone but Dale kept holering at me to do it until I told him I would if he would. They showed us how they clean the stone after each kiss with disinfectant but I still didn't want to in fear that my lips would get diseased and fall off. Then Dale did it so I had to keep my word - damn! I had to lay on my back, pull myself forward and down to kiss that damn stone in the wall - ugh! I couldn't wait to get to the restrooma and scrub the hell out of my lips! The only downside to Kissing the Blarney Stone is the unfriendly cantankerous older guy that instructs you down to the stone and to do it fast which takes away from the experience once you're on your back even though no one was behind us. Other than that, I loved this castle! read more

Of course I'm rating the beloved Blarney Castle with five stars. The trek you take in walking all those stairs to reach the top and kiss the famous stone, totally worth it! And who doesn't want the gift of gab? The surrounding gardens are also very beautiful. A must see. read more

Awesome experience!!! Beautiful castle and grounds and blarney stone was the cherry on top! Saw in April while everything was in bloom. Incredible! read more

I agree with David R., but stone or no - it's still a fun place to bvisit - and yes - I did kiss the stone. The lines was short on the day we went (thankfully - as it is NOT worth a long wait) and it took 2 seconds as aforementioned. Meanwhole the village of Blarney is terrific with friendly people and grocery stores and good places to get coffee. The castle grounds are gorgeous and fun to walk around. read more

I really enjoyed visiting Blarney a I wanted to come here for many years but never got the chance. Luckily the weather was good (20 degrees which is probably a miracle for Ireland!), and the walk around the grounds and garden was lovely. There was queue to kiss the Blarney stone, but we didn't have to wait that long. The climb was not the most comfortable (narrow windy stairs), and to kiss the stone you had to lie down and bend backwards, but it was quite fun!! Overall a wonderful experience and I'd really recommend Blarney to anyone visiting Ireland! read more

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I think we came at the right time of year! Mid week in the middle of September. We had a wonderful sunny day and the castle looked truly spectacular. There is so much incredible history to this place and I had no idea how long it stretched back until I got here. To be honest, I just wanted to kiss the stone, but what I found when I arrived was so much more. The gardens are absolutely beautiful, even the poison garden which terrified me a little was beautiful! We arrived around 3pm and took our time walking to the castle, checked out the many different rooms on the way up and there wasn't a single cue to kiss the stone! Easy! We walked straight up to the stone, planted a kiss and went on our way back down the castle. It was quite awesome to tick it off the bucket list, not sure I'm more eloquent though! The castle is very impressive, very old and crumbling and a little creepy but very impressive. Blarney House is absolutely beautiful though is now closed until next June. The lake, waterfalls, fern gardens... you could spend an entire day here. I heard people grumbling about the entry fee but to be honest, for the vast amount of things to take in once you're through the gates, and the fact they seem to be expanding it, it's definitely worth the money. Lots of old myths to feast your mind on too! A great day out! My only regret is not having more time to explore! read more

Everyone was exceptionally nice! Easy to find. Staff was helpful. Line took over an hr to reach the stone. Once there staff was friendly and offered people to take their photos with their own cameras on top of the one mounted by the stone. The grounds were superb. Overall wonderful experience! read more

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A magical place. From ice creams in the wild to walking through the caves, or sipping a Guinness in the sun to kissing the blarney stone. Its awesome. Do not hesitate to check this place out. I celebrated my 30th there and it was one to remember read more

Blarney Castle - Blarney castle from the caves! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

Even though this is a giant tourist trap it is still well worth the visit. The grounds are gorgeous and the views are spectacular from the top of the castle. The stairs are very steep and if you're claustrophobic forget about an ascent to the top. In order to kiss the Blarney Stone you must lay on your back, grab to metal support rods and lower yourself upside down about three feet. You can go to YouTube to see examples of what I'm talking about. We showed up at 4pm on an October visit and had no lines to deal with. Closing time was 6pm so it didn't give us much time to see the beautiful gardens. read more

Loved it! Beautiful, informative, interesting. I loved the ruins. I loved the gardens and surrounding grounds. Rock Close was amazing and I cried when my camera batteries died before I could get any pictures of that area. It's like a fairy world with a beautiful pond, great hanging trees, moss, giant leaves and lily pads. It was 10euros for me in Nov., the day was cold, cloudy, and drizzling. But i LOVED it still :) 100% worth it. I can imagine this place being crowded during travel season and that would probably take away from the the experience so keep that in mind. But I'd still say go and visit (just curb your expectations in that case). Things to keep in mind... if you do venture up to the Blarney stone... 1. the walk ways are dark and narrow 2. some areas can be slippery if you're not careful 3. it's a bit of a climb to the top, so make sure you have the strength and the bladder for it and ok with heights 4. the views from the top a beautiful so bring a camera 5. the info about rooms and parts of the castle are interesting and gives you a good idea of how old castles were like (i think) 6. and i'm not sure how clean the stone is, to be kissing... or if rumors are true of people peeing on it...... i went up and pretended to kiss it... but didn't actually. My friend did actually kiss it and so far no disease or death ~_^ read more

My friend and I came on a weekday in November and practically had the entire grounds to ourselves. We explored the cave, the gardens, and of course kissed the stone. The gentleman helping us hang upside down was very kind and made sure that my friend and I were able to take the pictures needed for documenting our stone-smooching feat. read more

Blarney Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

A magical spot if you can get a minute here without a bus tour interrupting you. In my opinion the third most interesting and beautiful castle in Ireland after Aughnanure (Galway) and King John's (Limerick). The imposing western face, the round tower and the lovely grounds are all picture book stuff. I would definitely go up the castle to look at some of the rooms and read the well-presented information boards. I would absolutely not kiss a stone that is kissed by nearly a million people a year. HERPES. It would be more hygienic to go and lick a public toilet seat. Be aware that some of the stairways and passages in the castle are narrow and steep - not one for people unsteady on their feet or who don't like heights. The entry is expensive at €10 per person, and the drive down the motorway from Dublin is dead boring, but if you're in the area... read more

Blarney Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

Love Blarney Castle! Most people think the castle park and kissing the Blarney Stone are the best part! That was great! What I really enjoyed was the grounds. There is a poison garden where you see a variety of plants and why they were grown. Some plants that you never knew were poisonous like hydrangeas! My favorite part was the wishing steps. There is a small waterfall and then some steps. You are supposed to say your wish as you walk backwards up the steps with your eyes closed! There's also an old witch's kitchen, some beautiful paths, flowers, and the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Ireland and its lush nature. Blarney was the best part of my trip to Ireland and something I will never forget. The steps to the Blarney Stone can be kinda of treacherous. Sometimes it feels like you will never get to the top. Keep with it! It is so worth it. The man who helps you kiss the stone is so sweet. And there is a photographer so you can document your experience! Kiss the stone and get the gift of the gab!! read more

Wow beautiful place and stairs can be challenging and kissing stone is a bit daring for me and gardens are amazing ... Really loved this place read more

We had no idea how large the grounds of the Blarney Castle were! You could really spend at least half a day exploring. We went up through the castle. Also unbeknownst to us was what is involved in "kissing the Blarney stone". For those naive like us, there's a large cutout on the top floor of the castle along one of the walls. You sit with you're back to the whole, lean over backwards and kiss a stone on the wall while basically hanging upside down! They have bars to grab on the wall and someone to hold your legs, but nothing under you! It was a bit of a thrill. And they have a camera to take your picture while doing it, but ours were very unflattering, to say the least. We also walked around the poison garden a bit. There's a nice gift shop as well. Wish we would've planned to spend more time here, it would've been time well spent. read more

Blarney Castle - Blarney castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Blarney, Colorado

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One of the first stops during our Tour of Ireland. We toured the castle. It was very fun, and tiring. The architecture and time it must've taken to build this huge castle in an era where they didn't have machines is super impressive. We looked through every room and went to the top. The view was beautiful and I couldn't get enough. We waited 15 mins to "kiss" the stone. My partner kissed it. I didn't, I couldn't seem to reach it or It could've been I was scared to fall down. Lol. I don't care if people call it a "tourist trap", Ireland has been around for so many years and has castles and forts around the country and it's worth visiting a preserved castle you can explore. Highly recommend. read more

was driving along in my rental car and just happened to be approaching blarney! how could you not stop and check it out after hearing about the stone and seeing relatives' pictures kissing the stone. the lines up and down the old stone castle steps and passageways were pretty long when we were there, but many people in line were very friendly. you can pay someone to take your picture there, or you can ask someone in line with you to take a picture with your camera of you kissing the stone. i think the little old man who guides and slides people on their back to kiss the stone has been there for ages! i stopped and bought a postcard and he was actually in it!! the stone itself is a bit gross since so many people kiss the stone. i even kissed it during the foot and mouth disease time and was disease free!! read more

Who does know about kissing the Blarney Stone?! You have to do it. This is an amazing chance when in Ireland. So lay down slide back grab the bars and pucker up!! read more

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