An Bhlarna

An Bhlarna, "the little field," derives from the Irish word "blar" denoting a plain or open field. The townland became prominent in the medieval period through the construction of Blarney Castle in 1446 by Cormac Láidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry, a powerful Gaelic lord who controlled extensive territories in west Cork. Cormac Láidir, a prolific builder of his era, also constructed nearby ...