Regardless of the fact that the majority of the population were Catholic, the Protestant church was a very important part of life in Blarney. Work commenced on the church in 1776, shortly after the village had been built so the church you see before you will be 250 years old in 2026. Design Unlike so…
In 1898 Sir George Colthurst, then owner of Blarney Castle, donated the site for the new village school. Built to accommodate 450 boys and girls from the village, it is now a co-ed primary school ‘Scoil Chroí Íosa’. Come to our next stop and find out how the castle owners kept warm in church.
Because of its proximity to the rivers, Blarney was a key part of the national linen industry. In 1766, to cater for this, James St John Jefferyes constructed a series of houses and a bleaching green. An 1801 map shows the weavers’ houses were located around the four sides of ‘The Square’. West Side Story…
Next to Stopford’s House the sloping structure of an original handball alley can still be seen. Irish handball has been played since at least the 16th century and was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now come along and learn about the linen weavers who lived up the street.
No Stopping Stopford! You are standing before Stopford’s house, reputed to be the oldest house in the village. The older residents of Blarney remember it as the Emerald Isle Guest House and it has a very interesting history. It was built as the home of the Reverend Mr. Stopford who was the rector of the…
The Square – Calling a Spade a Spade! Although Blarney Castle dates back to the 15th Century, it wasn’t until 1765 that Blarney Village took its place on the map. An industrial village, it was built specifically for the linen industry which was its sole reason for being. The village green has stood sentry as…
Six Days’ Notice! On 2nd August 1887, the people of Cork were given 6 days’ notice via an advertisement, for the opening of the Cork & Muskerry Light Railway Line to Blarney – marketing today is a lot more expansive…and expensive! And so the ‘Muskerry Tram’ was born, making its maiden journey on 8th August…
A Scottish baronial style house built in 1872/4 by Sir George St. John Colthurst, replaced the original family home built in the early 18th century by Sir James St. John Jefferyes and accidentally destroyed by fire in the 1820’s. Nearby is ‘The Rock Close’ reputed to have been built on a druidic site from pre-historic…
The current castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the ninth Lord of Muskerry. Blarney was the most important of the MacCarthy castles and became the main dwelling place of future MacCarthy chiefs. It was captured during Elizabethan and Cromwellian times, confiscated and sold in 1688 to Sir James St. John Jefferyes from…
