What is recorded here

Blarney Castle Bawn Wall stands 64 metres long atop a live rock face, its stepped battlements still carrying gun loops and a narrow walk where people might have paced during storms or practice. The oval corner tower rises at the western end with pigeon boxes nested inside its walls, suggesting the castle served both defence and domestic life. Two smaller towers lie scattered farther east, one nearly swallowed by a later stable block, reminding the visitor that even strong stone must share space with changing uses.

Bawn wall of Blarney Castle (CO062-177----): Section of bawn wall (total L 64.2m) survives atop rock-face to W of tower 1, in line with N face of tower. Nearest section to tower (L 14.2m) has fallen and been replaced by modern wall. Bawn wall (int. H 2.2m) has wall-walk with parapet (H 1.3m; Wth 0.3m) surmounted by 12 wide stepped battlements (H 0.7m), each with gun loop in merlon. At W end is 2-storey corner tower, oval in plan (int.: 3.6m E-W; 2.1m N-S); entered at ground-floor level through inserted brick-arched passageway; entered at 1st-floor level by lintelled door on E side, from wall-walk of bawn wall. At each level are five splayed and lintelled gun loops. Roughly inserted into internal wall face are five tiers of pigeon nesting boxes. Short section of bawn wall (L c. 4m) returns S from corner tower; this points in direction of circular tower, now standing in isolation, c. 70m to SSE. Interior of circular tower roughly pear-shaped in plan (1.75m NW-SE; 2.15m SW-NE), built directly on limestone outcrop; entered by much-altered doorway on NE side; corbelled roof. Projecting stones on either side of doorway indicate former presence of walls extending to E and to NNW. A third tower lies c. 210m ENE of latter tower, at E end of 19th-century stable block. E gable of stable block protrudes slightly into SW side of otherwise circular tower (H c. 5m); ground-floor door in SE corner appears to be insertion with wooden frame and door, now blocked. Unroofed interior (diam. 7.75m; wall thickness 0.7m) partially filled with rubble. Neither of latter two towers retain any recognisable defensive features and their exact relationship to the bawn is unclear. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Built by the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty in the late 15th century, Blarney Castle and its bawn wall are historically significant as they surround the famous Blarney Stone, traditionally said to grant the gift of eloquence to those who kiss it.

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