Blarney Castle is located in the village of Blarney , County Cork in Ireland .
| Castle | |
| Blarney | |
|---|---|
| Blarney | |
 | |
| A country |  Ireland |
| County | Cork |
| Founder | Dermot McCarthy |
| Established | 1446 year |
| condition | ruin |
| Site | blarneycastle.ie |
Castle History
Blarney Castle is the third fortress built on this site. The first building was wooden and dates from the 10th century . Around 1210, a stone fortress was built instead. Subsequently, it was destroyed and in 1446, Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of Manster , built on this site the third castle in a row, which has survived to this day.
In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I wanted to take over the castle. She sent Earl of Leicester to Blarney, her confidant. But whenever he tried to agree on the surrender of the castle, McCarthy arranged a feast for the royal envoy or devised other ways to take time. When the queen demanded that Lester report on his successes, he escaped with a long letter, full of ornate expressions. As a result, the castle was never transferred to the queen.
In the 17th century, the castle was besieged by Lord Brogill, the military commander of Cromwell . During the siege, the castle walls were badly damaged. But when Brogill and his people entered the castle, it turned out that its inhabitants, having captured all the most valuable (including gold plate), left through the Badger Caves - a system of underground passages arranged under the castle. One of the branches of Badger Caves led to the lake. The new owner Blarney tried to drain the lake, deciding that it was there that the fugitives threw golden tableware, but to no avail - there was nothing at the bottom of the lake.
Stone of Eloquence
In 1314, Dermot's ancestor, Cormac McCarthy, sent 4,000 of his subjects from Munster to help Robert Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn , where he fought with the English king Edward II . Bruce won and, as a sign of appreciation, gave Cormack half of the Skunk stone , on which the kings of Scotland were crowned in antiquity. The stone was mounted in the wall of the castle, and, as legend has it, the one who kisses the stone will gain the gift of eloquence.
See also
- List of castles in Ireland
Literature
- Samuel, Mark; Hamlyn, Kate. Blarney Castle: Its History, Development and Purpose. Cork University, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85918-411-0 .