History of Blarney Castle, Village, and Why People Kiss the Blarney Stone.

Today, the main reason that people visit the town of Blarney, Co. Cork is to kiss the Blarney Stone. According to legend, kissing this stone provides that person with the ‘gift of the gab’ or, power of persuasive speech. The origin of the stone and the legend behind it are both explained here but, it is worth taking time to appreciate the history of the castle itself and how the local town has been developed over time by the owners of the castle.

Blarney Castle Under the MacCarthy Clan

The earliest Irish castle in existence today is found at Trim, Co. Meath (1176). The design was brought over to Ireland by the Normans, who first invaded the country in 1169. Most of them were surrounded by a perimeter wall for protection but, not many of these survive today.

For centuries, the MacCarthys remained one of the most dominant ancient Irish clans. It was Cormac MacCarthy, the Lord of Muskerry, who built Blarney Castle around 1446. The first structure was built on this site in the 10^th century, believed to resemble a small wooden hunting lodge. A small stone building was later constructed on the site in the early 13^th century. It was after this building was demolished that Cormac MacCarthy built the castle that can be seen in Blarney today.

The MacCarthys built other castles in the region of Muskerry at Kilcrea, Carraignamuck, Carrigadrohid, Mashanaglass, Macroom, and Carrigaphooca. Situated under 10km from Cork City, Blarney was chosen as their premier fortress.

Blarney Castle was passed down through the MacCarthy clan until the end of the 17^th century when the Dutch Protestant William III (William of Orange) defeated the Catholic King of England James II at the Battle of the Boyne. This religious war was fought along the Irish River Boyne in 1690 but, the victory of William of Orange saw an end to ancestral Irish chiefs. The land of any Irish supporters of James II was confiscated and put up for auction, forcing the MacCarthys to leave Blarney Castle for good.

The castle we see today is a partial ruin and would have originally consisted of a perimeter wall, with guard towers over an area of about 8 acres. The Blarney Stone is simply a small limestone rock measuring 4ft (1.2m) x 1ft (0.3m) that is set into the battlements at the top of the castle.

Origin of the Stone

Where does the stone come from and where did the legend of the Blarney Stone originate? The answers to both these questions have been debated for centuries.

Some people believe that the stone is part of the same material used to build Stonehenge. Or was it given to Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster in 1314 as a present from Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, after MacCarthy sent out men to support him during the Battle of Bannockburn? This was the first fight for Scottish Independence against the UK.

Scientific evidence uncovered in 2014, revealed the true origin of the Blarney Stone. Geologists at the University of Glasgow have agreed that this 330-million-year-old piece of limestone rock, really comes from the south of Ireland.

No matter how strong the evidence is, a lot of these myths have been passed down through generations and are still believed by many people today. They are also likely to encourage more tourists to visit the site.

Origin of the Legend

Why does kissing the stone provide someone with the power of eloquence?

Some believe that the stone Robert the Bruce sent over to Cormac MacCarthy is half of the Scottish ‘Stone of Scone’, now on display at Edinburgh Castle. There is a legend that this stone is a biblical icon mentioned in the book of Genesis, which is known as ‘Jacob’s Pillow’. After God pays Jacob a visit in a dream, he wakes up and anoints his stone pillow with oil, believing it to be a holy pillar of God’s house.

Another legend claims that when this rock was built into the walls of the castle during construction, it already had magical powers that no one knew about. Years later, the Lord of Musgrave is said to have saved a witch from drowning in a local river. As a reward, she told him about the powers that the stone possessed.

Where these legends came from is often debated. Just like the origin of the stone, visitors tend to pick their favourite story.

Queen Elizabeth I: “This is all Blarney“

During her time as ruler of England from 1558 to 1603, Queen Elizabeth I had concerns over Irish Catholics and their likelihood to defy her authority and plot with the enemies. Would they offer the Spanish a base to attack England from? She thought the safest thing to do was to grant the land of Irish Catholics to her courtiers.

There is a story that Queen Elizabeth I ordered the Earl of Leicester to take Blarney Castle from the MacCarthys. The 16^th Lord of Muskerry, ‘Cormac Mac Dermot Mór MacCarthy’ used his powers of eloquence to his advantage, sending letters full of different excuses and flattering comments. These letters persuaded the queen to let him stay at the castle.

As she read yet another one of these letters, the queen apparently stated:

This is all Blarney, he never means what he says, he never does what he promises.

These letters became known as the ‘Blarney Letters’. The word ‘blarney’ went on to became part of the English language. Described in the Cambridge dictionary as:

A friendly and pleasant way of talking that makes someone good at persuading people to do things.

While these skills worked on Queen Elizabeth I, William of Orange was not so naïve.

Becoming a Village

After the victory of William of Orange, the MacCarthys’ estate was captured by the English and put up for auction. It was sold in 1702 and briefly owned by several others before being purchased by Sir. James Jeffereys, Governor of Cork.

His son James St. John Jeffereys inherited the site in 1740 and is responsible for developing Blarney Village. His work included the construction of 90 houses, a new church, and some flax mills, placed on nearby rivers to try and encourage outside industries, such as linen and ironworks. The three small rivers surrounding the village were the main reason it managed to remain prosperous.

Beside the east wall of the Castle, lie the ruins of a Gothic Mansion that was built by the Jeffereys in 1739 but burnt down in 1820. Only the ruins can be seen today but it was once a large, thriving country house.

While many of the houses were left abandoned following the economic depression of the Napoleonic wars (1815-1820), the Blarney Woollen Mills (originally known as Mahony’s Mills) were established in 1824. The company remained productive until products being imported from Asia became easier and cheaper to buy. They finally closed in 1973.

Becoming a Tourist Attraction

The attraction of Blarney Castle to the public and ritual kissing of the stone increased in popularity in the early 19^th century. This had a lot to do with the arrival of acclaimed writer Sir Walter Scott who travelled to Ireland in 1825, taking time to visit Blarney and kiss the stone. Just under 10km away from Cork City, the site was easily accessible for local residents.

When the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was developed in 1887, this made it more accessible for visitors living in other parts of the country. Due to the improvement of modern road transport, it finally closed in 1934. As Americans were finding it more fashionable to travel to Europe, the castle and legend of the stone became popular in other countries. Cork was the closest European port for American ships travelling to the continent. Many of the tourists arrived with the primary objectives of visiting the Lakes of Killarney and kissing the Blarney Stone before travelling on to Dublin.

It might have been closed since 1973 but, in 1975, ex-worker Christy Kelleher bought the Blarney Woollen Mills and transformed them into the largest Irish shop in the world. A bar and hotel are now built on the grounds. Many tourists feel that their journey would not be complete without visiting this site, home to a wide range of Irish clothes, jewellery, crystal, souvenirs, and pottery.

Rock Close is another popular area visited today that surrounds the castle. It contains the remains of an ancient sacrificial alter and attractions known as a Druid’s circle, a hermit’s cave and even a witch’s kitchen. Then there are the Wishing Steps. The myth surrounding these steps claims that if a person manages to walk down and back up again while keeping their eyes closed and without thinking of anything but the wish, then this wish will be granted within a year.

In 2018, 460,000 visitors travelled to Blarney Castle, most with the primary objective of kissing the stone.

Conclusion

It is clear there are not many facts surrounding the origin of the stone and where the legend of kissing the stone came from. Most of them have been passed down over generations but are worth learning about because they are still the main reason why Blarney Castle remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The history of the castle itself should never be underestimated, as it dates back nearly 600 years and without its construction, the village we see today would not have been formed.

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