We spent about 5 hours walking the grounds of Blarney Castle. We could easily have spent 5 more and still wouldn't have uncovered all the beautiful secrets hidden in it's walls. From the poison garden to the ruins just casually posted about, the area is filled with a certain magic that makes you slow down and just observe the space. It is an outdoor museum, like much of Europe. The gardens they have surrounding the castle are so impressive in their variety, one second you felt like you were in the tropics and the next you were standing next to Ireland's oldest cedar tree. My day was complete when we stumbled upon some horses and donkeys grazing down by the lake, luckiest animals on earth. Although we didn't kiss the Blarney stone, due to warnings from the locals that it might not be the "cleanest" place to put our mouthes, I still feel like we had our full Blarney experience.
