Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is a fifteenth-century tower house in County Cork built by the MacCarthy dynasty, and is now most associated with the Blarney Stone set into the parapet below the castle's battlements. The stone must be kissed by leaning backward over the edge while holding iron rails, a practice long associated with the gift of eloquence. The castle grounds contain a Rock Close, a garden of ancient limestone formations, and an extensive tree collection.