Visiting Blarney Castle with kids: all you need to know

How to visit Blarney Castle with kids: practical tips, need to know

Blarney Castle is one of the most popular and most beautiful places in Ireland. However, for the longest time, I wasn’t sure it was a place our kids would enjoy.

The main thing Blarney Castle is famous for is the so-called ‘Blarney Stone’ and I knew that kids under 8 were not allowed to kiss it so I wondered: is there any point at all going to Blarney with the kids, if the main attraction there is off-limits?

It turns out: it is wort bringing hte kids to Blarney!

There is much more to the castle than the stone and the Blarney Castle grounds are super family-friendly and a great place for a day out with the kids. This is how we got on.

Is Blarney Castle suitable for kids?

Blarney Castle is a great place to visit with kids however, you need to know what to expect, to avoid potential disappointment in kids that are old enough to want to kiss the stone but not tall enough to be allowed to do so.

The most important thing to know before visiting Blarney Castle with children is that the famous “Blarney Stone’ may be out of reach for them and I mean this literally!

The Blarney Stone is a stone at the very top of the castle that is is said to give the ‘gift of the gab’ or the ‘gift of eloquence” to whoever is brave enough to kiss it.

The bravery needed to kiss the stone has got to do with the position of the stone itself: to kiss it, you need to lie on your back and push out from the castle top, effectvely getting the top part of your body to hover over a sheer drop, so you can kiss the stone from upside down.

If this operation sounds crazy, it is! Or rather: it kind of is.

The stone is such a popular attraction that now there is a railing you hold onto and also an attendant, who holds you as you attempt the kiss.

Because of the position of the stone, you need to be big enough to do it safely and the overarching rule is that children under 8 cannot do it, unless this is deemed safe by the Blarney Staff.

In reality, the age limit is only an indication: an older child that doesn’t fulfill the safety requirement will be denied the kiss too. So setting expectations right is paramount to avoid disappointment.

Is Blarney worth it if you don’t kiss the stone?

Likely, there are many other things that make Blarney worth a visit, both if you are kids and if simply do not fancy go up high places and hang off a tower!

The best things to see in Blarney Castle with kids

The main thing that make Blarney Castle a family friendly attraction are its grounds.

The castle sits at the top of a cliff and has some manicured gardens surrounding it and also some natural areas with rivers and woodland that are great for a family walk.

These were the parts of Blarney we enjoyed the most.

The poison garden

The poison garden is the first thing that caught our attention and it is just what you think it is: a garden with poisonous plants!

They are medicinal plants, and this is why they were originally grown here. However, they are bioactive plants and some of them are actually poisonous, to the name is apt!

Our kids had no doubt they wanted to see the poison gardens and it is possible to do it safely, however, caution is paramount.

While some of the most dangerous plants are protected by cages, many are not and it is really important that kids do not touch them or, worse, taste them.

If you are coming to Blarney with toddlers, I would go as far as recommending not coming to the garden or rather, to make sure you have your curious little explorer in the stroller or a carrier here.

The witches’ stone

Another cool things to see in Blarney with kids is the so called witches’ stone, a stone that has the shape of the face of a witch!

The stone is in a wonderful, wooden and mossy area of the castle grounds, called ‘Rock Close’ and truly looks like a witch!

You can easily see the nose, eyes and mouth and since the area is to atmospheric, you really feel like you are in an enchanted wood!

The wishing steps

Blarney doesn’t only have a stone that resembles a witch, it also has a resident witch! You do not meet her, in Blarney, but you do see signs of her.

One is her kitchen: it is said, that if you go to the area called ‘the witch’s kitchen early enough in the morning, you may see the embers she used for her concoction still burning!

The other thing that the Blarney witch does, is granting wishes to the brave souls who walk up and down with ‘wishing steps’.

The steps are in the woods and to get tour wishes granted you need to focus on the wish you really really want to come true and you need to walk up and down the steps with your eyes closed.

There is a railing so it is not overly difficult but it can get slippery here so you want the kids (and yourself!!) to be careful.

Once again, it is good to set the expectations right: for the wish to come true you need to truly focus and the witch has up to a year to deliver!

The Blarney Caves

Another thing we loved with the kids in Blarney were the caves. In the same wooded area of the witch’s stone and steps, you find some caves that while not overly deep (or at least, not deeply accessible) are really impressive and fun to see.

After you have your eyes full of the mossy woods and your head full of witch’s stories, the caves make you feel really adventurous! They are however very shallow so you can easily enter with kids or toddler.

The one in the photo was only a few meters deep yet good fun!

Blarney Castle gardens with kids

As well as the wooded area just below the main castle, the Blarney Estate has other garden areas that are great for kids.

Part are manicured and are those you encounter as you enter the estate and others are more natural.

They are all easily accessible even with small kids and the nature walk along the river is lovely too.

Blarney Castle with kids: tips and FAQ