Blarney Castle

The castle is located in the village of Blarney, about 8 km northwest of the town of Cork in southern Ireland. It was the third building built on this site. In the X century there was a wooden building stone castle replaced it in 1210. This building was destroyed due to problems in the foundations and, eventually, in 1446, the current walls of Blarney were built by Dermot McCarthy.

The main feature of the castle is a massive square donjon, 85 feet tall and with walls up to 18 feet thick. It housed the living quarters of the McCarthy family, their knights and vassals. The jagged top of the main donjon was supposedly added later in the 1500s. The lower floor consists of a large open room with a count's bedroom on the side. On the second floor there was a large hall and a security room. There was also a tiny room on this floor called the Killer Room, where guards could take shelter and watch guests entering a large first-floor room. On the unwanted guest could suddenly pour out a shower of hot liquid or a targeted bundle of arrows. On the third floor there was a large family room and a chapel, and on the floor above there was a banquet hall. Under the castle, you can find a network of dungeons and caves.

On the territory of the castle are still the ruins of the bell tower, left of the Gothic chapel of the XVIII century, destroyed by fire. World famous Blarney acquired as a place of storage of the famous Stone of Orphanage. The stone is embedded in the castle wall. According to legend, the one who kisses this stone will receive the gift of eloquence forever.