Blarney Castle

Blarney is situated in Co. Cork (Ireland, 2023), in the province of Munster (Hamlyn, 2007).
The building is a tower house. Tower houses were a type of fortress built between the 15th and 17th centuries by Gaelic lords and the Anglo-Irish (Blarney Castle, 2023a). The castle is a classic Irish architectural form and includes elements from a previous castle (Hamlyn, 2007).
The site held a wooden structure in the 10th century, this was replaced by a stone building in 1210. The Castle stands there today and is the third construction to call the land its home (Blarney Castle, 2023b).
Unfortunately, much of the castle is in ruins nowadays. The castle used to have underground passages built during the Middle Ages, but they are now practically impossible to walk through. However, you can still visit the dungeons that previously held prisoners (Ireland, 2023).
The most threatening feature of the castle is probably the murder hole. A murder hole is exactly what it sounds like, a hole in the ground used to hurl stones or boiling water at unwelcome guests (Ireland, 2023).
It has been a popular tourist destination for over a century (Hamlyn, 2007), further proven in an article published in the 1850s, where it is mentioned as being known all over Europe (The Illustrated Magazine of Art, 1854).

Are you interested in more interesting facts about historical sites in Ireland? Read our previous related article: Top Five Facts to Know about Glendalough Before Visiting

Blarney Castle (2023a) The Blarney Castle. Available at: https://blarneycastle.ie/blarney-castle/ (Accessed 14 November 2023).

Hamlyn, Kate (2007) ‘Blarney Castle: Myth and Reality’, Irish Arts Review, 24(4), pp.126-129.

Ireland (2023) Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. Available at: https://www.ireland.com/en-us/things-to-do/attractions/blarney-castle-blarney-stone/ (Accessed 14 November 2023).

The Illustrated Magazine of Art (1854) ‘Ancient Castles in Ireland. Blarney Castle, Etc’, 3(14), pp.91-94.

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