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Blarney
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Blarney (An Bhlárna in Irish) is a village in the south of Ireland, located 8km north-west of Cork, Ireland. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.
ney village is a major tourist attraction in County Cork. Mostly people come to see the castle, kiss the stone, and to shop at the "Blarney Woolen Mills" center.
issing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, it is claimed that one can receive the "Gift of the Gab" (eloquence, or skill at flattery or persuasion).
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Encyclopedia
Blarney (An Bhlárna in Irish) is a village in the south of Ireland, located 8km north-west of Cork, Ireland. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.
Tourism
Blarney village is a major tourist attraction in County Cork. Mostly people come to see the castle, kiss the stone, and to shop at the "Blarney Woolen Mills" center.
Blarney Stone
By kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, it is claimed that one can receive the "Gift of the Gab" (eloquence, or skill at flattery or persuasion). The legend has its roots in the response of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth I to Cormac Teige McCarthy's attempt to blandish his way out of a difficult situation, during negotiations of the takeover of the Blarney Castle by the occupying English forces. Cormac himself was the King of Munster, living in the Blarney Castle around the 14th century. The stone itself is rumoured to have been created by a witch during the Middle Ages.
Square
The centre of the village is dominated by The Square - a grass field where Blarney locals and townspeople from Cork city sometimes congregate during the summer.
Several attempts to beautify the square over the years have always been met with stiff objection from the locals. Previously the square was used for markets.
Transport
Blarney formerly had its own narrow gauge railway station. The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway linked Blarney with Cork; it opened in 1887 but closed on 29 December 1934.
The nearest airport is Cork Airport.
Economy and media
The Blarney economy is heavily-dependent on the largely US tourism trade, with numerous hotels and guest houses in the area to serve this demand.
The Muskerry News is the local paper for Blarney and surrounding areas and is printed monthly. Local radio sations that can be picked up in the Blarney area are RedFM, C103, 96fm and Life FM.
Education
There is a Roman Catholic boys' primary school (Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa) which caters for approximately 154 pupils and is situated in the centre of the village.
A girls school, Scoil Íosagáin na gCailíní was built nearby in 1974 to accommodate the girls of the parish, whilst the boys received a new extension to their school in 1986.
Blarney is also the home of a secondary school called Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál which was established in 1952.
Sport
Blarney has a rich tradition in sport.
- In recent years, the local soccer club has grown to be one of the most significant soccer clubs in the region. It legitimately boasts excellent playing facilities with an international standard traditional grass pitch and a FIFA - approved, state of the art, all weather pitch. The playing facilities are backed up by excellent changing facilities, meeting room and hospitality room. In such a small village Blarney surprisingly boasts more than 300 underage players (boys and girls aged 6 to 16). The club also fields a youth team and three adult teams. The senior team competes in the Munster Senior League, Senior Premier Division. For more information, visit
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links
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