Irish Adventures: Part III - The Gardens of Blarney

As promised yesterday, I'm back, with pictures from the grounds around the castle. They were both diverse and beautiful. And the glorious Irish sunshine, which I realize I've been harping on for a while, only enhanced them.

The fern garden It looks prehistoric. Apparently those things that look like palm trees are 'common tree ferns'.

Some sort of totem or spirit post in the fern garden.

Some glass faces in the poison garden. Yes, there was a garden dedicated fully to the growing of poisonous plants.

A daffodil. Looking cheery.

The grounds.

In the fairy garden. The thing that looks a little like a chimney is just that. Below it is a cave that  the local witch supposedly hangs out in at night, burning bundles of sticks to keep warm.

A pretty crazy root system.

Streams, and an arbor.

A bridge. There were ducks in the vicinity.

Badger's Cave. As the story goes, when the castle was under siege, the occupants could escape through this cave.

Three yew trees, known as the Three Wise Men. They're the oldest trees on the grounds. Arborists say they're between 500 and 600 years old.

A waterfall. The Wishing Stairs are behind it.  If you're able to walk up and down the stairs backwards, with your eyes closed, while thinking only of your wish, it will come true in the next year. We'll see if that's true.

That's about it for the pictures I managed to take. But rest assured, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland is an event not to be missed. The Irish are always a friendly lot- actually probably the friendliest group of people I've ever met- but on this day they're especially jocular. What they say is true, 'Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day'. Or at the very least, everyone's friends.

And now, the two other pictures I managed to squeeze out of my temperamental camera batteries.

A country church. Very picturesque.

I hear Bram Stoker lived here at one point, and that it was a major inspiration for Dracula's Castle . Who knew Cork was so full of history?