Blarney Castle & Gardens

This is absolutely a must-do on the things to see while visiting Ireland. In general the Blarney Castle feels like it was just going to be a major tourist trap, but once we were inside of the gardens, we realized that the 60 acres had so much more to offer. We got lucky and the weather was absolutely beautiful, with partly cloudy skies and no rain.

We started by checking out the gift shop... I actually thought I needed socks, but it ended up being really crowded on the way out, so now I would say this is a PRO TIP to start your visit at the gift shop.

We arrived around 11:30 and grabbed a bite to eat (watch out for the ruthless crows) before venturing off (in hindsight, we probably should've brought our water and rain coats too, but it worked out just fine, luckily...). We immediately got in line for the Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone because the line can be upwards of 90 minutes long and if it had been pouring rain, I can't even imagine what that would be like. Our wait was about 30 minutes and went by fast, as they did a great job putting up informational signs along the way to teach you about the 5 different levels of the castle and the history of the castle and gardens.

The castle itself is extremely impressive and the biggest one we've seen, ever. Even if you do not want to kiss the stone, the castle is still pretty cool to see. The stairwell is original and VERY narrow and steep, so I would warn anyone with a fear of heights, claustrophobia, or physically unable to climb back down the stairs, NOT to venture up to the top.

We of course kissed the stone, got our pictures, and explored the castle before heading all the way down. Once the most touristy part of our day was behind us, we casually found our way through the rest of the gardens. Admittedly, we did not see every part but we did work our way around to the poison garden, the fern garden, the bee house, the lake and dock, the Blarney House, the loop around the fairy hideout, the jungle, the waterfall, the rock close, the lookout tower, the caves, AND the bridges on our way out. Details below:

The gardens are so tidy and expansive, really awe-inspiring... and nothing like we've seen before. If you venture off the main path, you'll be rewarded with a secluded walk through vine covered trees in the poison garden, everything in a vibrant green around you. The fern garden is super peaceful and overwhelms you with a sense of calm. The bee house is so cute, especially for kids... You can see the hives and learn a little about their bee habitat (save the bees!). The lake is absolutely stunning, especially on a clear, sunny day. Overall the walk to the lake was long but super relaxing and we still hadn't seen it all! When we got to the Blarney house, there were donkeys, horses and cows in the fields. As we worked our way through the gardens, we came up to the playground and signs to the fairy hideout and again, everything was just so clean, tidy, and beautiful in the ways that nature is. We found some huge trees, spruce (native to CA) and unique archways. Before leaving we took the extra steps to clean through the "jungle" and glad we did because it really wasn't too much farther and we got to see the gorgeous waterfalls. The other areas nearby the castle are the rock close and the lookout tower. Our last stop was the caves... So cool! It was a short walk but you have to bend down the whole time walking through, because it is only about 4.5 feet tall but totally worth it because it is really unique and nice and cool inside.

10/10 recommend the gardens and if we lived locally, then we would definitely get and annual pass.

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