Blarney Castle Hotel

Hotel

Although we only stayed one night… could not fault the outstanding service especially from Kathleen. Food was delicious, rooms were beautiful, vodka went down very well as always 😆 would’ve loved to have stayed longer… it even had different rooms for reading, to chill in an armchair or on a sofa. Would most definitely recommend this hotel ♥️♥️♥️

Absolutely fabulous hotel amazing staff, great food overall lovely experience.

Great food, beautiful outdoor dining area, a great place to relax and dine.

Beautiful hotel newly decorated. Lovely staff. Una the owner is a great asset very welcoming. Food very tasty. Blarney stone across the road. Bus to cork city just around the corner.

Staff, food excellent, only thing no canopies outside in courtyard so was very warm.

Very nice and friendly staff with fine dining.

I simply love the age old experience of a Irish Pub and this one is beautifully decorated clean and spacious!

Nice life music, amazing hospitality, beautiful bedroom.

Delicious food, served in a timely manner by exceptionally courteous and attentive staff… room is very spacious, airy & clean, but with great character …

Highly suggest this attraction. Could spend a whole day here. The fern and poison gardens were very interesting. The flowers and colors were so vibrant. We were there in the first week of September. Would have loved more time to check out the lake and mansion. And if you show up early, getting to the Blarney stone can be fast.

We stopped here on our way to Cork. We quite enjoyed our time here. The castle and grounds are pretty big. The grounds are gorgeous. There are a lot of different gardens to explore while you're there. The castle itself is really pretty. You can go inside and at the top is where the famous Blarney Stone is. We sent time in the casserole itself, but I think enjoyed the time we spent exploring the grounds even more. I think this is a place worth stopping if you are in the Cork area!

Well restored and thoroughly notated castle. It was quiet the experience going up the castle to the top to kiss the Blarney Stone. Spoiler: the stone isn’t a good kisser. It did take around 40 minutes to get to the top due to the line of people, but it was fun to explore the castle rooms as we went up and down the skinny stairwell. Every thing and space was explained well. The castle defenses were well preserved and notated as well. Take your time and meet some strangers while waiting in line. And don’t forget to visit the Rock Close after.

Super! It's beautifully well-groomed! It's a great ice cream!

Absolutely loved this place. We went later rather than earlier as heard it can b a very long wait and it was perfect as we were able to go straight to top. Steps were a bit hard to climb but took our time. We'll worth it when u get to the top to kiss the blarney stone and the great views. Also looked around the lovely gardens and surrounding walks. Worth seeing.

I didn't expect to have to pay 18 euro to visit the castle, so I was disappointed by the cost. Once in the grounds there was a long wait (up to two hours) to enter the castle and kiss the Blarney Stone… so if you are interested in doing that be prepared for a long line. The grounds and Blarney house we're interesting to walk around but this experience felt a lot like a tourist trap. As I overheard someone say in line just before ditching out, "there are thousands of other castles in Ireland that you could see for free. " If you have a good spending budget definitely check it out, but if you're trying to save some cash I'd say skip this one!

Really cool castle — makes for great photos both inside and outside. The interior is completely open to the elements and very empty. Because of the popularity you'll likely see the castle while waiting in a slow-moving line. Not much you can do about that. The rest of the grounds outside of the castle are breathtaking and wonderful. I wish I had a few more hours to stay and enjoy the scenery but our tour group left.

Worth a visit just not cheap. €18 per adult. The gardens are beautiful around the castle and vast. The castle itself we didn't go up because we didn't have enough time, was a 2 hour wait to get up, everyone waiting to kiss the stone, with no way of getting up just for the view, a shame, some cafes there was well, got luck with the weather.

Beautiful place. Is losing a little "the sanctity of nature in favor of the business, at the entrance and exit now there are the bar and the usual shop. It is still worth visiting all inclusive La Casa la Blarney Home (open in summer). I hope that does not become exaggeratedly commercial as it seems to be the Andazzo.

What can I say it's Blarney Castle it's definitely a must see, the blarney house was closed when I went there but despite that the castle and park took more than enough time to explore so many sites, flower gardens, cool stones, the poison garden etc. They also have a shop with excellent coffee, I had to try their Irish coffee for the first time here in the park in a cool little Cafe area just beside the castle. I will say not a fan of heights but it was awesome to just climb to the top of the castle and look out across the countryside, and while your up their if you feel up to kissing the stone you can as well. Bottom line this Park is well worth the stop just so much to do and see!

Great historic castle with fantastic views and beautifully manicured gardens. If you're going to go 'kiss the stone' for the gift of eloquence, just be prepared for long queues that could take over an hour. But worth the wait — amazing views from the top. There is a really cool poison garden right next to the tower which has the most poisonous plants from all around the world.

This is my favorite place in Ireland, hands down. Absolutely worth the money and a half day visiting at least. The castle and the kissing the stone are great, but the surrounding grounds and gardens were like something out of a dream! There’s so much to explore, and I loved the stories of magic and fairytales sprinkled throughout the place. You can feel the magic here, and it’s everything I wanted Ireland to be. Would go back 10/10 times in the future.

Castle) ) I understand that in this state they are in Ireland at least. This one is also rebuilt from the ruins. The island of the Middle Ages is the castle and the adjacent theme park-village. Interesting and atmospheric. The House of a farmer, a blacksmith, a mill.

Fantastic experience. The Blarney stone is typically a bit of a wait, but you get a bit of a chance to explore the castle along the way. If you're not patient enough for a queue, there are plenty of other incredibly interesting sights on the rest of the grounds, including the poison garden, and all the Druid attractions just a bit away from the castle. Highly recommend seeing this if you're visiting Ireland!

Place always so beautiful. Which is renewed every year. Huge trees, a variety of flowers. To see!

Truly an Irish gem! The grounds were magnificent! Lots of opportunity to walk and investigate history. Beautiful trees, birds, folklore! The castle… the gateway to the kissing stone, was terrifying! But in an exhilarating way! It was so exciting to walk up the stairs, look into ancient rooms and walk along the ramparts before leaning backwards to kiss the stone. Well worth the wait and the rain.

Magical place, beautiful castles and beautiful garden. The €18 are worth getting paid.

Place that is worth visiting not so much for the castle but for the immense garden that surrounds it.

A mystical place. Highly recommended.

We have to go all day. Loved. The stone was not kissed, but bypassed everything that was enough time.

Beautiful place! Beautiful garden! Beautiful trails!

The Blarney Castle and the gardens around it are breathtakingly beautiful. If you are interested in Irish culture and nature, you are sure to be amazed. The many legends around the castle make an extensive walk around the area all the more exciting. The many individual gardens are tangled, beautifully wild and simply beautiful. On some more precise days it is not too overflowing, so you can enjoy in peace and quiet. The entrance is really perfect for the offered. Definitely worth a visit! :)

This place has very beautiful green areas, the castle is very interesting to explore and the cave in the area where you can write your name on the walls. I kissed Blarney stone, which is said to give you better speech power. Perfect sightseeing that you can hardly wait to explore. The surrounding air is very clean and easy to breathe. There's also a small river and a waterfall. I recommend everyone a visit to this wonderful place.

Very touristy, well choose its schedule to not fall into the stream of tourist buses.

Nice if you like the ruins, a bit expensive otherwise… And I wish you to go when there is good weather because beautiful park.

The garden and the castle are interesting and you can take many photos. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the weather was very good. Slightly overpriced I find the admission price with €18 for adults €8 for children and if you make the kiss to the wall you have to pay €10 for a picture €18 for two pictures. I find everything very exaggerated pity.

Despite the rather long queue (we had to wait 1h40 mins) to kiss the stone of eloquence. I must say we still think it worth it! The rest of the Castle and gardens are nice too. Just see this waiting time as an opportunity to catch up on your chatting or on your Emails…

Fantastic place so much history! Would suggest at least 3 hours so you can take your time! A lot to see all around the site, Not just the castle. The fern garden, caves, poison garden and the lime kiln are worth a look also. Cafe on site. Beware there maybe a line to kiss the Blarney stone!

Very nice castle. I highly suggest to go straight to the castle when you arrive if you want to kiss the stone. The line is very long. The grounds are beautiful. The v wishing steps and pond are very nice. Great place to take photos.

A rather small castle, whose main attraction is next to the Blarney Stone itself the good view on the central tower. The highly touted park is rather a forest with a few paths, even the artificial "waterfall" does not make much. Although Blarney Castle with its surroundings is a nice place to go off and walk, but the very high entrance fees are not appropriate for that.

The castle is seen in 10 minutes, and if it were not for the gardens and the stone of eloquence it would not be worth it. Good place to go with kids, though something dangerous to get up to the castle. If you have a few days in Ireland I would go somewhere else. Finally, we found it overly expensive for what it offers (€18), considering that it was all in works and the garden neglected.

Entrance fee is a little pricey (18 euros for adults, 14 for students), but it had more to offer than just the castle. There are nice gardens, trees, and rocks. Then also Blarney House, poison garden, a 'jungle', a darn garden, a cave and dungeon belonging to the castle. Still, the highlight and also really worth it is the castle itself where you can go up to the top and kiss the blarney stone (this is really touristic though with photographers). But just walking up and down the stairs and seeing the rooms of the castle is really adventurous and interesting.

Great place to spend a full day with the family, in the beautiful garden and park you'll find a cafe and all the amenities. We really enjoyed the castle with all the description panels all the way up to the famous stone. We liked the poison garden even if (We visited in mid february) was quite empty due to the season. Lovely place, well maintained and serviced.

Blarney Castle in Ireland is home to the famous "Blarney Stone", the legendary "Stone of Eloquence". The Irish tradition wants that, by kissing this stone, you acquire the gift of fluent word. The castle was wanted about six hundred years ago by Cormac Mc Carthy and since then has always been very attentive, becoming one of the most visited places in Ireland.

The first time was in 2015, loved it. But visited again in 2017 and now there is nowhere to fall the apple, so many tourists, the castle turn begins far from the castle, while you reach the stone of eloquence upstairs will lose an hour and two, the impression is spoiled by queues.

Beautiful castle with a wide and spacious park. The ascent to the "roof" of the castle leads through a narrow and steep staircase. So this is not for people with Gehbeschränkungen. Up there is the stone of blarney. According to legend, the kissing of the stone of Blarney gives the gift of Redegewandheit.

The castle is very nice inside, it offers information on the posters about its history, so you don't need a guide. The price may seem high, costs €14 if you are a student and €18 if you are not, but there are many ways to explore, animals and different landscapes, from lakes to clears with horses, which together makes the visit totally worth the visit.
As far as it is, and the length of the visit is better to bring some food.

Beautiful scenery. A very nice story. The garden is fantastic, walk around and enjoy it.

Blarney Castle is located in the middle of a lovingly laid out park. There's a lot to see. I liked the jungle-like fern garden best. A visit is definitely recommended!
There is also the famous Blarney Stone… Whoever kisses him is rewarded with eloquence… according to legend…

Castle, endless gardens, secular trees, garden of poisons and do not forget to kiss the stone of eloquence! A few miles from Cork.

It is ok. It's funny. But it's a wreck.
The photo tradition face down a little silly.

A piece of history unfortunately with some artificial sights which have a touch of kitsch. Also, here things are touted as historically the questionable sin. The stone and the castle, however, are a must see in Ireland. Overflowing at noon. Admission 15 euro.

Very beautiful castle and garden, with an obligatory stop to taste a good piece of cake.

The castle is imposing on the outside but you have to say that inside there is not much thing. At the top you can kiss a supposed stone magic and there are stunning views (I leave photo). Although the best is certainly the grounds. Many hectares to be able to travel with cows on the sides, lots of forest and small enclosures with remarkable things and secrets that you will have to discover. It took me just over three hours to look at everything. It can still take longer if you want, highly recommended.

Old Castle. You can go up to the top to have a nice view of the surrounding area or to kiss the Blarney Stone that will bring luck. A poison garden is next door.

Chic Castle, Park and house with a huge history. There is a stone which according to the legend gives eloquence. And, by the way, the alley of poisonous plants.

The castle itself is nothing fancy. It's empty. He is famous for the stone of eloquence.
The park is very nice.

The PARXC is great, the magnificent hundred-year-old trees. You have to plan for the day if you want to visit everything. The visit of the castle is strong in sensations. Abstain If you have vertigo because when you are on the roof you will follow the walls because of the flow of the ceilings. We're in a vacuum. But beautiful, sensations that remain long after the visit. Kissing the stone is really to be done. The kids loved the park and looked for the fairies, we found only the doors and houses.

Perhaps in contrast to the other reviews, in my opinion, the only peculiar difference of the castle is only the history of the Stone of eloquence and the ritual of the kiss. The house tower is not much different from the other dozens that are more or less ruined, scattered for Ireland. A whole other story if we consider the overall context i. E. The gardens, Blarney House, the waterfalls, the 2 rivers that flow into the property, the pond, etc.
Pleasant visit, to be dealt with calmly to be able to enjoy all offers of Blarney Castle.

It's nice but certainly not worth €15. The garden is not really cared for, let alone something special. For many, it is only interesting because they want to kiss the stone in the castle.
If you want to see a beautiful garden, you should look at the Botanical Garden in Dublin and castle ruins can be seen everywhere for free.

Average rating between the 3 stars that deserves the castle and the 5 of the park.
Trifling Castle for itself. It rises only to the stone of eloquence with an unbroken row of about an hour. Time lost.
The immense and excellently kept park is worth a nice and relaxing walk.
From the outside very nice also the dwelling. For the internal visit is worth the same principle according to which many sites close really too early for the average tourist.

Very beautiful castle, worth a visit.

Great bar with gluten free beer and food!

Fantastic day out if the weather is good and you're in the vicinity of Cork. The castle is okay, not much to it but if you can climb the narrow staircase to the top then you can kiss the blarney stone and buy the photograph. The best attraction is the surrounding gardens which are wide ranging and interesting. If you enjoy gardens then it definitely with a visit… Give yourself a fair few hours or the day to relax and walk and buy lunch.

If you travel all the way to Blarney Castle, you kind of have to go the last step and kiss the Blarney Stone. It's just one of those things. That said, kissing the stone is easily the least-interesting thing about visiting Blarney Castle. The rest of the castle ruins and history as well as the gardens and surrounding grounds were all fascinating to explore. Get in line to get the Blarney Stone over with and then enjoy the rest of your day there.

Impressive ancient castle. Not tapestry or banquet tables. This is a beautiful grounds with a fully loaded gift shop. The stair way up to the Blarney stone is steep and narrow!

Nestled in the foothills of Blarney, Ireland the lush blossoming trees and blooming gardens surrounding the castle are incredible. Creeks flowing, grass stirring and birds in flight. The castle and outbuildings are ancient and true. If you can, make the trek up the 100 narrow, steep, winding and worn steps to the very top to be greeted with panoramic views of County Cork and the Blarney Stone. Kiss it, if you dare, for the gift of gab. I was speechless with wonder.

This is one of the most amazing places in Ireland. There is not only a Blarney Stone you can find, there are wishing steps, witchen's kitchen and stone, a great waterfall, huge trees, poison garden etc. There is a lot to explore.

Great place to visit. Good value. Lovely coffee and cakes. Really is a very high quality tourist attraction. Our family like it so much, in 2014 we went in March, April, May, June and July! We have been a couple of times every year. If you like gardening, you'll be inspired by the amazing gardens.

Love that! Totally worth it. They close at five so get there early. We had a great time and learned a whole lot. The fields around the castle when you get to the top are gorgeous. Take lots of pictures.

You should have seen. But the admission is not cheap. Unfortunately, that is almost all things in Ireland.

It is around 30 minutes by bus from Cork city and once you reach blarney village, it will be within 5 minutes walking distance to the entrance. The scenery in blarney castle is very beautiful. Make sure to check the weather before you go because there will be outdoor mostly.

The castle is surrounded by lush gardens and not be missed as it is very well kept. The rock from Kiss, however, is perdibilissima unless you love make you endless queues. If you so, replaced the kiss with the vision of back gardens to the Castle where you can gaze at poisonous plants of all kinds. Really nice!

Beautiful park, completed over Schloss… bei of our arrival we thought first of all, marching to the Castle, kissing the stone and goes back. Which is not the case: you will be surprised after receipt by a huge and magnificent park, in whose heart the Castle stands. Unfortunately even the passengers of a cruise ship were here on the day of our visit in addition to the "normal" visitors (which put in the middle of the Cork) … die snake to the Castle might have hardly any longer and we after a few noticed waiting no progress minutes. Since we had to kiss a stone eh no desire for herpes, we have focused on the Park and this is really wonderful: everything is of a Lake about a mystical fern garden to a garden with supernaturally large plants with waterfall and very well maintained. That has comforted us more than across the Castle ;)

This was a wonderful experience. The castle grounds are beautifully maintained and looked after. You could spend a couple of hours just walking the gardens without heading for the castle. The castle itself is wonderful and full of little nooks and crannies. Take your time to explore the various parts which are very clearly marked. Once you make your way to the top via what my daughter called Repunzel's staircase you will have a chance to kiss the stone. Make sure you visit the poison garden. A great experience. Well worth driving to.

Everyone should see this property. Wonderfully maintained and exactly what you'd expect Ireland to look like. There are green lush lawns and babbling streams. The castle is also lots of fun! The the stone, but be prepared for a hike!

It's far better than expected. I was here years ago because I was hiking / bussing round the coast of Ireland and went here with friends expecting it to be just a tourist scam. Kissing the stone is, of course, exactly that. But I did. Not the coldest kiss of my life and perhaps not that hygeinic. The tourist shop had some hilarious products. I particularly liked the certificate that read "This is to certify that has kissed the Blarney Stone and now officially has the gift of the gab for seven years". Aside from that entertainment, this really is a fine castle /house in pretty grounds. Worth the visit definitely.

The castle is not a real castle, much like a big tower with some rooms but it's really nice and worth seeing, especially for the effort they put in keeping the place refurbished and tidy. The garden is incredible in summer. Plants and flowers are everywhere and you can easily spend one full day here, walking around. The Blarney stone is a nice attraction. Don't miss the druid/witches zone!

Beautiful place. The castle itself doesn't offer much to visit being now a ruin. Charming stone Kiss upside down. The Park is very beautiful and Nice, huge expanse of green.

Enclosure huge in the castle, is the least of it, and that which is restored and is very nice. But is that the campus is a mini theme park, with caves, a large lake, mini-waterfalls, paths, trails, and a huge botanical garden. Without a doubt the best tour of our tour bus. It provides for a minimum of 2-3 hours of walk. Entry 13 euros, included in most tours.

Fantastic place for the soul. So, Ireland must be.

The castle is (of course) picturesque, but the history during the tour is just as worthwhile. But the surprising part was how pretty the grounds were. Take the time to experience everything and you won't be sorry.

Don't visit if you are handicapped and in a wheelchair. The Blarney Castle website talks about castle access using a wheelchair accessible path to the castle — unfortunately the path is not paved, it's gravel for about 1/2 mile, which as anyone in a wheelchair can tell you is uncomfortable for both them and the person pushing, and next to impossible to navigate. If you're like us and have a wheelchair-bound person in your group, you'll end up getting them to the outside base of the castle, then having to leave them sitting there while you spend an hour to an hour-and-a-half seeing the attraction — no fun for the person in the wheelchair and distracting for the people on the tour concerned about them sitting alone. Blarney Castle is a great tourist site, just not for people in wheelchairs.

A place not to miss.

So much more to see than the stone. Beautiful gardens, caves, forest trail boardwalk, stone circle garden were my favourites besides gaining the gift of the gab! Well-priced too.

It would be unthinkable to visit Ireland and not to visit Blarney Castle. The castle and the garden are incredible… A magical place! And It's only 30 minutes from Cork City. Great place to spend your time with friends or your family; and the kids enjoy too! When I came back to Ireland I hope visit again and Kissing the stone (I was frightened when I was there and I wasn't able to do it)

KISS THE STONE! You have the option not to of course, but it's tradition. There's a photographer (free, tips welcome) and you can purchase your professional photo at the end of the tour. I'd get there as early as possible otherwise that line gets to be up to an hour long. Incredible history and unforgettable experience. Surrounded by a beautiful garden, pond, animals, cafe and shops. I love this place, a MUST in Ireland!

Better than you might expect. The Blarney Stone is a load of tosh, but there is a very large castle, huge gardens, grounds and a House to visit and see. A very full half day is needed and it's well worth the time. Lots of (complex) Irish history bound up in this place. Vey nice courtyard cafe and pretty good value at about Eur 15 for a visit.

The castle sits on 60 acres of grounds, all of which are beautiful. Try to see everything, not just the castle and the stone. There was a small wait to see/kiss the stone, but it was on the bucket list and well worth it. The castle is unique and well kept (for a castle). We explored the rest of the grounds and had an amazing time and would recommend that everyone else does so as well. Side Note — bring mouth wash for after kissing the stone.

Amazing! Room was great, but the food was even better! Right next to the blarney castle where you can kiss the stone. Oh, make sure to stay on one of the nights when they play live music; it was awesome. We loved this place, only wish we could have stayed longer.

This castle badly considered by some paper guides is more of park amusement that the monument historic, yet there are many things to do in Blarney's Castle and children are welcome. Outside the famous stone that will allow you to take your time when the rise of the markets, you can visit: several thematic gardens, caves, a witch House, see an enchanted staircase, a dolmen impressive waterfalls and many other things in a field very large and very visited. The entrance is more expensive than that of the other castles of Ireland (€ 13 per adult € 5 for children) but it passes easily an afternoon if you want to see everything.

Blarney Castle and Gardens is a stunning display of beauty with the fern gardens and the creek running through it with lookout towers and woods and all this view is even MORE beautiful when viewing from the top of Blarney Castle. The purpose of coming here is to “kiss the stone to gain powers of a gifted tongue” and the story the guides will tell you is an interesting one at that. What they don’t tell you is after you purchase your ticket expect at least an hour wait to get to the Blarney Stone at the top of the stunning castle. To do this site proper you should budget 3 hours. You can do it in an hour but you are leaving a lot on the table if you do The stairs to the top are very steep and windy so those with climbing problems should check to see if they have a lift A must site to attend.

"You can kiss my. Stone! " That's, what this castle would say, if it could speak. The castle itself is nothing more than a ruin. You will be guided through the castle over small steps. And there are a lot of them. But there isn't solely the castle: There are some well-kept gardens, trails you can walk, a "dungeon" and caves. It is nothing, you would say, you have never seen before. But in its entirety it is a place, which is worth to visit. Is it worth the price? Meassured on the time you can spend: Definitely.

Gorgeous gardens and the castle is remarkably in good conditions. Fair price as well, not a rip off in my opinion. Haven't missed the stone but feel blessed nevertheless by this place :-).

The line is tooooo long. Plan on a minimum of 1 hour to go up inside the castle. The grounds are excellent.

A bit expensive, but still worth it for the views. €11 for students and €13 for adults. I didn't kiss the Blarney Stone because I'm wary of its cleanliness, but you could for the gift of the gab ;).

The contrast is surprising: this gray and imposing castle ruin is surrounded by colourful gardens also sought that primitive.

Great food, nice staff and a tasty pint of Guinness.

I am so glad we made the trip (because how can you go to Ireland without kissing the Blarney Stone, right? ) and that we were sure to get there early to allow flexibility around the tour buses as they arrived with lots of people. Of course, I felt a bit like a herded tourist making the hike up the Blarney Castle to kiss the Stone, but I don't regret it one bit! The part I was most surprised and impressed with though was the grounds surrounding the Castle. The gardens were full of interesting and beautiful flowers, and the House on the grounds is also very grand (I'm already hoping I can go back since it said it would be open to visitors starting June 2015).

Had a great time, kissed the stone, didn't wait it in line too long (about 45mins — that's nothing apparently) but the line goes up 100 steps inside the castle so there is plenty to see and take photos of. Great views, tight spiral staircases, dungeons accessible but crawling on hand and knees! We didn't get to see the gardens as had to rush and and get back to Dublin for our flight, definitely leave the best part of a day to do all of this.

Best hotel around! Great staff, very friendly people and a great pub. The highlight is the trad session on Tuesday nights! Highly recommendable.

Well worth the visit even if you only see the gardens. Most of the castle can be accessed considering its a ruin. A visit to the cafe is a must if you are a cake fan, unfortunately for my waist-line I made two visits.

Nothing special, but a good value, and within walking distance of the castle so it was easy to get there very early and beat the busloads of tourists sure to arrive by mid-morning. The whole hotel has a homey, bed-and-breakfast sort of feel. The in-house restaurant was pretty good, but the pub wasn't as friendly as we hoped. Rooms were basic but clean.

Beautiful, fabulous garden.

Fantastic staff and the food was 5 star delicious.

An amazing place. I was lucky that came out a day with plenty of sunshine and thus be able to see from the castle all the scenery. The gardens are stunning and very well tended. It is worth going.

Definitely worth a visit. Even though it's become a bit of a cliche to kiss the Blarney Stone, it's something unique — and it is authentic. The stone has been there for hundreds of years and this is an experience of culture and history. If you're a bit too scared to kiss the stone (you do have to lean backwards from the top of the castle), there's still plenty to do on the ground and you can easily spend a couple of hours walking around and exploring the rock garden, the poisonous plant section, or the grand house.