Castle · Blarney, Ireland
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland. Built 1446.
Photo: Ryanhuntmuzik via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Blarney, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1446 |
| Coordinates | 51.9289° N, 8.5708° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Blarney Castle is known for
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland.
About Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446. The Blarney Stone is among the machicolations of the castle.
History
The castle originally dates from before 1200, when a timber house was believed to have been built on the site, although no evidence remains of this. Around 1210 this was replaced by a stone fortification. It was destroyed in 1446 but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac Láidir MacCarthy, Lord of Muscry, who also built castles at Kilcrea and Carrignamuck.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Blarney Castle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Blarney |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Cork Airport (ORK) |
| Distance from the airport | 6.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Cork International Airport (ORK) · Cork, Ireland · 6.9 miles away
- Shannon Airport (SNN) · Shannon, Ireland · 55.5 miles away
- Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) · Charlestown, Ireland · 137.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Ireland
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Blarney Castle?
Blarney Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland.
Where is Blarney Castle located?
Blarney Castle is in Blarney, Ireland. Its coordinates are 51.9289° N, 8.5708° W.
How do I get to Blarney Castle?
The nearest town is Blarney, and the nearest airport is Cork Airport (ORK), about 6.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Blarney Castle built?
Blarney Castle was built 1446.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Castle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q881739 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://www.blarneycastle.ie/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.