The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-05-02
Blarney Castle Was Built by "COr'
mack NIacCarthy, The strong"
Francis Mahoney Made the Stone the
Subject of Much Drollery.


rounding village, it's extensive
groves, it's picturesque lake and its
strong outworks, is situated four
miles from the city of Cork, now
Queenstown. Barney Castle was,
in former times, considered worthy
of at least two protracted sieges,
the one by George Carew, after
wards earl of Totness, in the time
of Elizabeth, the other by gener-
al holding a commission under
Cromwell. The name of killarney"
became associated with it as one
of the results of the first Of these
sieges. The soft speeches from
the garrison, exhausted in every
element but strategy, were repeat
ed SO often in answer to repeated
demands to surrender that the
besieging commander became a
laughing stock and the castle de-
Tended by ''blarney,'' was ever
afterwards known as Barney Cas-
tie.
The castle is judiciously placed
on the summit Of a precipitous
ridge which has on it's north side
deep descent into deep valley
through which flows a river OF
some size known as the Aw- Martin.
The name of the builder and date
of building are commemorated by
an inscription on stone forming
part of the wall about 20 feet be-
low the summit of the battlements:
"Cormack MacCarthy FORTS me
fieri fecit, 1446."
{ Cormack MacCarthy, the
Strong, caused me to be built,
1446.
This memorial stone can only be
reached with difficulty and danger
by leaning from a window, and the
stone usually kissed by visitors is
a stone easily accessible from the
castle roof. Indeed, Maclise's
picture of Sir Walter Scott kissing
the Barney stone, which is made
ane Establishment of Father Prout's
Plea for Pilgrimages (the Plea,
the Reverend Father and the COM
ic artist, all exceedingly droll),
represented the stone as part Of
an outer bastion or battlelnent at
the edge Of the cliff and in easy
reach Of any person desiring to be-
stow upon it salute Cor hundred
salutes) osculatory.
The building at the Columbian
Exposition intended to give but
an imperfect idea of the castle,
(now, it is understood, to a con-
siderable extent, in ruins was un-
der the superintendent Of the
much-respected Earl and Lady
Aberdeen. These worthy people
gave visitors a cordial reception to
the Irish village, including the
castle, and, in their presence most
everyone gave pronounced smack
to chip from the Barney stone.
Francis Mahoney (who loosely
entitled himself Father Prout" }
has, in the ''Plea for Pilgrimages''
above mentioned, made the Mac
Carthy Castle and it's wonderful
stone the subjects Of a world of
curious antiquarian learning. A
inguist Of extraordinary acquire
ments, and unsurpassed humorist
as well, he has contributed, in
this instance, an imperishable
chapter to antiquarian literature.
And contribution scarcely less
remarkable, although in an hum
bier way, is the song of THE
Groves of Barney" by Millikin,
all exceptionally successful spec
linen of adroit rhyming, and
which is given as follows:
Fair, like Killarney, are the groves of
Barney,
Groves where's heard the purling of
sweet flowing brooks,
All decked out by poSleS where SpOn
taneouS growth is,
Blooming and smiling in the rocky
hooks.
IT'S there the daisy and the sweet car
nation,
The dainty pink and the rose so fair
Likewise the lily and the datfodilly
All flowers that scent the sweet oper
air.
IT'S Lady LETTERS owns this plantation
Like Alexander. or like Helen fair
There's no commander in all the nation
For regulation can with her compare
Such walls surround her that no nine
FOUNDER
Could ever plumber her place O.
strength,
But Oliver Cromwell did her pommel
And make a breach in her battle
mentS
There is a cave where no daylight
enters,
But cats and badgers are forever bred