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Welcome to my celebration of St. Patrick's Day. A day full of wonderful Irish traditions and fun. Sit down, take your shoes off and join me on a walk down the path of the leprechaun and see if YOU can find the pot- o- gold at the end of the rainbow.

Ireland is famous for it's beautiful castles and the history behind them. Please take a walk with me to some of my favorites

Blarney Castle, pictured in 1790 and now, is one of the most famous castles in the world. On the parapet of a ruined tower lies one of the world's most revered pieces of stone. A parapet being a low protective wall or railing along the edge of a raised structure such as a roof or balcony. The Blarney Stone is believed to be half of The Stone of Scone upon which the Kings of Scotland were crowned. It was given to Cormac MacCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314. The painting shown was done before the castle was substantially destroyed by fire in 1820. Only the partial keep now remains.

While visiting Blarney Castle you may want to kiss the Blarney Stone and get the gift of gab or, as an 18th century French consul put it, "gain the privilege of telling lies for seven years". Queen Elizabeth I coined the phrase due to her exasperation with Lord Blarney's ability to talk endlessly without ever actually agreeing to her demands. To kiss the Blarney Stone, you must bend over backward and lower yourself down about two feet at the top of the castle. The castle itself is a tower house and was built around 1446 on a solid limestone mound.

Blarney Castle for the most part is in ruin. But, it's very interesting to climb the spiral staircases to the top of the castle. The spiral staircases are narrow and steep and were used to protect the inhabitants because only one invader at a time could come up the spiral staircase. The narrow windows should also be noted because they were also used to defend the castle. Arrows could easily be shot out the narrow windows at invaders, but it would almost be impossible to shoot an arrow in from outside.

The grounds around Blarney Castle are well kept and very beautiful and worth the price of admission by themselves. While walking the grounds, you can see a druidic circle made of stones, explore the witches stove, or enter Blarney's dungeon!

If you decide to visit Blarney Castle, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon so you're not run over by the swarms of tour buses!

You round a 20th century bend on the main Dublin-Cork road and you are transported back 1500 years. There, standing proud of the plains, is the great 4th century fortification of Cashel - the stone fort. This was the seat of kings and mediaeval bishops for 900 years and flourished until the early 17th century. Indeed, there was a settlement here from pre-christian times, traces of which have long since vanished. Interwoven into the turbulent history of the 'Rock' is an impressive ecclesiastical fabric which spans the Middle Ages. In the 5th century St. Patrick converted Aenghus, the King of that time, and made Cashel a bishopric. This great monument in stone has seen war and peace, scholarship and devotion over a millenium and a half. It is fitting, therefore, that once again, the great traditions of learning and art which kept the flame of scholarship alight in a Europe dimmed by the Dark Ages, should have an echo at Cashel today. BRU BORU - the palace of Boru ( Brian Boru was King of all Ireland ) - is a national heritage centre at the foot of the Rock of Cashel. This cultural village is designed around a village green and is home to the study and celebration of native Irish music, song, dance, storytelling, theatre, genealogy and Celtic studies. Cashel is a thriving townset against a backdrop of antiquity and located in the rich pasture lands of the Golden Vale. In addition to the Rock of Cashel, Hoar Abbey, Dominican Abbey, the City of Kings has many and varied attractions i.e. Folk Village, Bolton Library, Cashel Heritage Centre, potters, silversmiths, artists, historians..... the list is endless. Cashel is an oasis of history, Cashel also boasts some of the countrys best restaurants, two hotels and numerous high standard guesthouses. Cashel is a shopper's dream with many varied and well stocked shops.

King John's Castle remains a most impressive Anglo-Norman fortification, even after 780 years. This five-sided castle was erected in the early years of the 13th century, probably between 1200 and 1216, as a royal fortress on the River Shannon, and as an administration and military center for the most westerly city of the Angevin empire, ruled , as the name implies, by the Plantagenets from Anjou of France. It was uniquely built for its day, without a keep and with high curtain walls to withstand the awesome power of the new siege machines. Its massive gate towers and drum comer towers were state-of-the-art features for the beginning of the 13th century. Its corner towers and double-towered gate-house reflect the architecture of castle building around the year 1200. And, as the archaeological excavations have shown, the castle was built on the site of an early fortification, incorporating some of the earthwork defenses into the castle plan. During the 17th century sieges the castle suffered badly. In 1651 it was surrendered with the city to Cromwell's army. Patches of brickwork show hasty repairs after the siege bombardments of the early 1690s. Many alterations and repairs were carried out in the succeeding centuries. The domestic buildings of the courtyard do not survive, except for remnants of a 13th century hall and the site of what could be the castle chapel.

This Lucky Irish Site Belongs To Lady Kree

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by Kriss aka Lady Kree - webmistress
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Last Updated Thursday, February 20, 2003
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