blarney

Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in Cork. Mostly people come to see the castle, kiss the stone, and to shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills.

File:Blarney Castle. co Cork. Ireland..jpg

{{Main article|Blarney Stone|Blarney Castle}}

By kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, it is claimed that one can receive the "Gift of the Gab" (eloquence, or skill at flattery or persuasion). The legend has several suggested roots, involving members of the MacCarthy dynasty – builders and original owners of Blarney Castle.

Built in 1823, Blarney Woollen Mills was originally known as Mahony's Mills. It was a water-powered mill, producing mainly tweeds and woollens.{{cite web|url=http://www.blarneywoollenmillshotel.com/about-blarney-hotel |title=Our History |publisher=Blarneywoollenmillshotel.com |access-date=2014-06-16}} After closing in the early 1970s, the mills was re-invented by local entrepreneur Christy Kelleher as a gift store servicing tourists visiting the village.

File:Blarney - Church of the Resurrection - 20180913144933.jpg

The Square in the centre of the village is a grass field where Blarney locals and townspeople sometimes congregate during the summer. Several attempts to develop the square, over the years, have always been met with stiff objection from the locals.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} Previously, the square was used for markets.

Blarney formerly had its own narrow gauge railway station. The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway linked Blarney (CMLR) railway station with Cork; it opened in 1887 but closed on 29 December 1934. As of 2016, a proposed new station at Blarney (originally due for service some years previously on the Dublin-Cork railway line){{cite news|url= http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/end-of-the-line-for-commuter-rail-stations-247617.html | work= Irish Examiner| date= 28 October 2013 | title= End of the line for commuter rail stations}} remained in the proposal phase.{{cite news|url= http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/green-light-given-to-new-town-of-5000-homes-and-railway-station-34764056.html |title= Green light given to 'new town' of 5,000 homes and railway station | work = Irish Independent| date= 1 June 2016 }}

The town is served by a number of Bus Éireann services, including the number 215 bus{{cite web|url=http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1342695343-Cork215.pdf |publisher=Bus Éireann |title=Timetable |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813003644/http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1342695343-Cork215.pdf |archive-date=13 August 2012}} every half an hour from Mahon Point via Cork city centre and the number 235 bus from Cork city at a lesser frequency.

The nearest airport is Cork Airport.

The Blarney economy is dependent on the largely US tourism trade, with numerous hotels and guest houses in the area to serve demand.

The Muskerry News is the local paper for Blarney and surrounding areas and is printed monthly.{{cite web|url=http://muskerrynews.biz/wp/ |title=Muskerry News | Muskerry News |publisher=Muskerrynews.biz |date=2016-04-08 |access-date=2016-04-25}} Local radio stations that can be picked up in the Blarney area are RedFM, C103, 96FM and CUH FM.

Originally administered by Cork County Council, following the 2019 Cork boundary change, Blarney is within the administrative area of Cork City Council.

As of the 2022 census, the town of Blarney had a population of 2,779. Of these, 85% were white Irish, 0% white Irish travellers, 7.5% other white ethnicities, less than 1% black, 2.5% Asian, with less than 1% other ethnicities or no stated ethnicity.

In term of religion, Blarney was 77% Catholic, 4.3% other stated religion, 18% no religion, with less than 4.3% not stating a religion.

There is a Roman Catholic mixed primary school, Scoil Chroí Íosa, which caters for approximately 300 pupils and was formed following the amalgamation of the former boys and girls schools in August 2012.{{cite web|url = https://www.gov.ie/en/school-report/v82pq3-/ | publisher = Department of Education | website = gov.ie | title = Department of Education and Skills - Evaluation of Provision for Pupils with Special Educational Needs - Scoil Chroí Íosa | date = 23 March 2018 | accessdate = 19 September 2022 | quote = Scoil Chroí Íosa is a co-educational national school situated in the village of Blarney, Co. Cork. The school currently operates on a dual campus due to the amalgamation of the boys' and the girls' schools in August 2012 }}

Gaelscoil Mhuscraí is an Irish language primary school in the village. Established in 2002,{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/corkman/localnotes/countdown-on-for-gaelscoil-mhuscra-opening-its-doors-for-first-time-27061239.html |title=Countdown on for Gaelscoil Mhuscraí opening its doors for first time |work=The Cork |location=Blarney, Ireland |date=2002-12-07 }} as of the 2022 school year, it had approximately 170 pupils.{{cite web | url = https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/page/v7jsxi-2cd3ew-/ | publisher = Department of Education | website = gov.ie | title = Directory page - Gaelscoil Mhuscraí | date = 27 August 2022 | accessdate = 18 September 2022 }}

Blarney is also the home of a secondary school called Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál which was established in the 1950s.{{cite web |url= http://www.smgsblarney.ie/our-school/school-history |title= School History |publisher= smgsblarney.ie |access-date= 25 April 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130728003602/http://www.smgsblarney.ie/our-school/school-history |archive-date= 28 July 2013}} As of August 2022, it had over 800 students enrolled.{{cite web | url = https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/page/el7h6n-zq4jwv-/ | publisher = Department of Education | website = gov.ie | title = Directory page - Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal | date = 27 August 2022 | accessdate = 18 September 2022 }}

File:Blarney Brass and Reed Band.jpg

In sport, the local soccer club, Blarney United FC, has playing facilities close to the village, with both a traditional grass pitch and an all-weather pitch.{{cite web |url=http://www.blarneyunited.com/Photo_Album_Folder/2006-7/0707-Opening_All-Weather_Pitch.htm |publisher=BlarneyUnited.com |title=Opening of the All Weather Facility in O'Shea Park - Charlie Hurley and Niall Quinn help to make Blarney United's day |date=July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109001150/http://www.blarneyunited.com/photo_album_folder/2006-7/0707-opening_all-weather_pitch.htm |archive-date=9 January 2016}} The pitches are supported by changing facilities, a meeting room and a hospitality room. The senior team competes in the Premier Division of the Munster Senior League.{{cite web|url=http://www.blarneyunited.com |title=Blarney United F.C |publisher=Blarneyunited.com |access-date=2014-06-16}} The town's GAA club, Blarney GAA, were All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Champions in 2009 and Cork-County Intermediate Hurling Champions in 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.blarneygaa.ie/contentPage/100617/club_history |title=Blarney GAA Club |publisher=Blarneygaa.ie |access-date=2016-04-25 |archive-date=11 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111042129/http://www.blarneygaa.ie/contentPage/100617/club_history |url-status=dead }} Blarney also fields a Camogie team, which was established again in 1999. The local cycling club was re-formed in 2010.[http://www.blarneycyclingclub.ie/ Blarney Cycling Club]

In music, the Blarney Brass and Reed Band was formed in 1981 by a group of locals who wished to form a community musical group spanning multiple age groups.{{cite web|url=http://www.blarneybrassandreed.com/history |title=History | Blarney Brass and Reed Band |publisher=Blarneybrassandreed.com |access-date=2014-06-16}} The band has a music education program and won events at the South of Ireland Band Championships in 2010 and 2011.{{cite web|url=http://corkindependent.com/20110707/news/blarney-brass-and-reed-band-take-honours-in-clonakilty-S3045.html |title=Blarney Brass and Reed Band take honours in Clonakilty |work=Cork Independent|date=2011-07-07 |access-date=2014-06-16}}

The local Scouting Ireland group, the 45th Cork (Blarney), has a particular emphasis on camping and hillwalking.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary|blarney}}

• {{Wikivoyage inline}}
• {{Commons category-inline|Blarney}}
• {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Blarney |volume=4 |short=x}}
• [http://www.blarneycastle.ie Official Blarney Castle website]
• [http://blarneychamber.com/ Blarney Chamber of Commerce]

{{Geographic location

|title = Neighbouring areas of Blarney.

|Northwest = Rural Area

|North = Rural Area

|Northeast = Whitechurch

|West = Tower

|Centre = Blarney

|East = Killeens

|Southwest = Tower

|South = Blarney Castle

|Southeast = Killeens

}}

{{County Cork}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Geography of County Cork

Category:Geography of Cork (city)

Category:Towns and villages in County Cork

Category:Tourist attractions in County Cork