I’ve been very distracted & busy since I got back from Europe but am finally able to share a few pics. I have so many that I will do this as a running post. I thought I would start out with a very famous castle in Ireland, the Blarney Castle.

Most all the castles we saw in Ireland were what is known as “tower houses”. They were not as extravagant as what you would expect or see in Germany, England, or Belgium. They were built to serve a purpose which was to keep from getting attacked and all your shit stolen! I am not a scholar of Irish history but from what I learned while there, their government was mostly non-existent so it was every landowner to himself. This castle was built by Gaelic lords in the 15th century.

The walls are 18ft thick in places and although not much is left of the internal structure, it is a beautiful and impressive structure.

My youngest daughter has been doing a bunch of research on our Irish history and was very excited to kiss the Blarney Stone which is housed in this castle. They used to have to hang you upside down to kiss it but it is now a little more tourist friendly. My eldest daughter & the rest of us germaphobes wanted nothing to do with this! They have an attendant to help keep you from getting injured.

My biggest takeaway from this visit was I learned what a “murder hole” is.

After seeing this sign, my brain immediately said “I need a murder hole!!!” I had to know more!

I mean, who wouldn’t want a hatch over your front door to pour hot oil or whatever floats your boat on your enemies as they break into your house?

More impressive architecturally is the Blarney House on the same property. It was built in 1874 so not as historically important but much more visually interesting for photography.

Still, just walking the grounds of all these places will make your mind wander & think about the tough life the people of this time had to endure. It will also remind you that the rich vs poor battle has been going on forever. I highly recommend checking out some of these places at some point in your life although driving in Ireland is not for the faint of heart. Also, go early if you don’t want to be photobombed by hordes of tourists. The narrow corridors of all these old castles are extremely claustrophobic with a crowd.

You can learn more here.

Thanks for traveling with me, I’ll cover more of Ireland in my next post and more castles.