Day Trip to Blarney Castle

A highlight of my time in Ireland that I actually wasn’t expecting was the Blarney Castle. The grounds are expansive and beautiful, and getting to walk through the castle ruins and up the tower to kiss the Blarney Stone is pretty cool as well, it would be easy to spend an entire day here. Here is a guide to a day trip to Blarney Castle from Dublin.

Rock of Cashel

On the way to Blarney Castle from Dublin, we stopped at the Rock of Cashel (or St. Patrick’s Rock). Driving towards this impressive walled fortress perched on the side of a hill was a sight we wouldn’t soon forget! An adult ticket to visit this site is €8. Wandering through the ruins was pretty incredible, especially imagining what the cathedral would have looked like in it’s full glory. According to myths, St. Patrick banished the devil from a nearby cave. When the devil spit out a rock from the mountain, it landed in Cashel. Most of the buildings are from the 12th and 13th century; however, it’s an ancient royal site of the kings of Munster. It’s origins as a centre of power go back to the 4th and 5th century.

Cork City

Cork is the second biggest city in the Republic of Ireland and is built along the River Lee. It came to be known as “Rebel Cork” due to its people’s reputation for independence and resistance in history. Give yourself a bit of time to stop for lunch and explore this city, it’s easily walkable and filled with history and culture.

Blarney Castle

Explore as much of Blarney Castle and the grounds as you can! An adult ticket costs €18 (or €16 if you pre-buy online). As soon as you arrive, get in line to go inside the Castle and up the tower to the Blarney Stone. We went in March and there was no line, but we noticed signs for the summer were 1+ hour wait times! Even if you don’t want to kiss the stone, you should still head up into the castle, it’s definitely worth it!

As you go up the most narrow staircase ever, make sure to check out the side rooms along the way. Each room has a description of what the room used to be used for, including the bathrooms and murder hole. At the top of the tower, take in the views of the surrounding gardens and bend over backwards to kiss the famous Blarney Stone, which is said to give you the gift of gab (or eloquent speech) for 7 years.

After you exit the castle, there is still plenty to explore. Head behind the castle and check out the Poison Garden and Fern Forest. You’ll walk past rose gardens and waterfalls along the way. Depending on how much time you have, you could also walk along the lake or check out the Blarney House (extra admission to go inside).

As you loop back around to the front of the Castle, make sure to wander into the Witch’s Cave and dungeons. You’re able to walk pretty far down the dimly lit underground tunnels which was super cool. Some of them are pretty narrow and require quite a bit of crouching! There are still plenty of gardens and beautiful sights around the castle grounds to explore, the Visitor Centre will give you a map for your adventures.

Review of Paddywagon Tours:

Like the Cliffs of Moher, I did this tour with Paddywagon Tours from Dublin for €60. I went on a sunny weekday in March, and there were less than 20 people on the bus. When we stopped at Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle, a lot of the time we had most of it to ourselves which made the trip awesome. The cost of both locations was included in the tour. Lunch wasn’t included, but you’re able to eat wherever you like in Cork City. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would do it again, but only in the off season. An hour and a half was enough time for the Blarney Castle stop, but honestly next time I would rent a car because I could easily spend most of the day there!