Blarney!!!

I spent most of this Saturday in Blarney, which is about 5 miles away from Cork City. It was a little rainy, and very foggy in the morning, but the fog lifted by the time we got to the castle. My roommate and I walked from Cork to Blarney, which was a really nice trek, with some cool views of the Irish countryside. The castle itself was amazing, as were the gardens and grounds, its an absolutely incredible place. And of course, I kissed the Blarney stone (see the bottom picture).

I don't know what these statues are for, they were in the middle of crossroads on the outskirts of the city.

First look at the castle...

Looking up through the watchtower.
These next two were of a dark tunnel underneath the castle, I couldn't get very far (my camera flash was providing the only light), but I'll definitely come back with a flashlight at some point.

A large section of the grounds are known as the Rock Close, and are filled with ancient rock formations believed to be filled with Druid and Fairy magic.

A beautiful (but small) pine forest.

This massive rock, called the Dolman, has precariously rested for centuries on the smaller one .

According to Blarney legend, ascending and descending the Wishing Steps backwards with eyes shut will force the Blarney Witch to grant a wish.

The Witch's Kitchen (note the fireplace in the third picture)

The druid's cave.

The Witch's Stone, in which the Blarney Witch is imprisoned during the day.

Fairy's Grove

The top of the stables. Unfortunately, that part of the grounds was closed for the winter.

And back to the castle.

The only current residents of Blarney Castle.

Looking up into the chimney from the kitchen. I couldn't see the top.

Views from the Earl's Chamber of the castle.

The staircase was incredibly narrow and spirally.

One of the floors had been removed from the castle, so this fireplace was just suspended halfway up the wall in the main lobby.

View from the top.

The mansion in the distance is Blarney House, which also was closed for the winter.

Looking at the grounds, all the way to Blarney Village.

And finally...

Everyone gets their picture taken when they kiss the stone, and this is a picture of that picture.

Blarney was an absolutely incredible experience...I had an amazing time, and will probably go back at some point this semester to explore any parts I missed. I'm not sure what's going to happen next weekend, but hopefully it will be as fun as this Saturday.