Blarney Castle

Recently my husband and I took our four kids to see Blarney Castle. We like millions around the world wanted to be able to say we kissed the Blarney Stone and received the "gift of the gab". I don't know if that happened (my kids have had it all along!) but we did have a great time.

Blarney Castle is located in the Southwest part of Ireland. Since it's a bit of a drive from our house, we decided to stay for a couple of nights so we could also visit Cork City and Kinsale. We stayed at the Ramada just outside of Cork within a couple of miles from Blarney. It was a great option for traveling with kids because it was a large accommodation set up like a town house with two large bedrooms upstairs and a living room and kitchen downstairs. It has a large indoor swimming area and a beautiful golf course designed by John Daly.

Blarney Castle was built in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy. Its design is of a 15th century tower house. Next to the castle is Barney House, a Scottish baronial mansion and the residence of the Colthurst family since the 18th century. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.

Blarney also has a nice village green with plenty of Pubs and craft shops such as the Blarney Woolen Mills which sells quality woolen items and souvenirs.

The the next day we visited Kinsale. It is a beautiful small town on the coast. In 1601 the battle of Kinsale took place here. The defeat of the Irish forces and their Spanish allies signified the end of the old Gaelic order In the 17th and 18th century it was an important naval base. Today it is well know for its yachting center and its quality food. There is a gourmet food festival held there each year.