Blarney Castle

One of our favorite sites so far has been the village of Blarney and its famous castle, just north of the City of Cork, in Co. Cork. Blarney is a four-pub town, which I suppose is the equivalent of a one-horse town anywhere else in the world. Its population is roughly 1,500 according to one local I polled. We happened to stay at the inn above Blarney’s finest pub, the Muskerry Arms. We loved this place!

We pulled into Blarney hungry and road-weary and were immediately welcomed by half the town spilling out onto the street in the most quaint rugby bar I’ve ever seen. The guesthouse here was clean, newly renovated, spacious, and incredibly hospitable. The food was equally incredible, both dinner and breakfast.

Thanks to the location of our BnB three steps from the Castle gate, we were also some of the first visitors to Blarney Castle and got to enjoy the grounds in quiet isolation. I kissed the Blarney Stone and Chelsea kissed me after, which is more than I might have done had the roles been reversed.

I also had the joy of running into an very dear friend’s mom while at the top of Blarney Castle. Seeing Andi Loew reminded me of many fond memories I had of my good friend, Jake Loew. Andi and I had a good cry and then a good laugh about some of the things Jake and I used to get into in high school. I felt his and Billy’s presence that day, which warmed my heart.