Blarney bid for heritage status

Plans are under way to regulate future development in one of the world’s best-known tourist spots.

Extraordinarily, Blarney, Co Cork, is not one of the 27 listed Heritage Towns in Ireland which are protected by strict laws which ensure they can not be spoilt by overdevelopment, or the creation of new buildings which do not fit in with their historic or scenic nature.

The town, which is home to the iconic Blarney Stone — kissed by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year in the hope of getting ‘the gift of the gab’ — is not even designated as an architectural conservation area, unlike many other towns and villages in the country.

However, Cork County Council will soon seek to provide Blarney with heritage protection.

In a two weeks, newly elected Fianna Fáil councillor Bob Ryan is to propose a formal motion which will require the local authority to designate Blarney as an architectural conservation area and will also seek to have it declared Ireland’s 28th Heritage Town.

Mr Ryan, who is also chairman of the GAA’s Cork County Board, said it was “scandalous” that one of the world’s greatest tourism draws was not properly protected. Currently, Cork has four towns on the Heritage list: Youghal, Clonakilty, Cobh, and Kinsale.

The 10th-century Blarney Castle, which is centrepiece of the town’s tourism offering, and owned by the Coulthurst family, is surrounded by 60 acres of sprawling parklands which include gardens, avenues, arboretums and waterways.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that the annual Blarney in Bloom garden fair will take place in Saturday, July 12, from 10am to 5pm in aid of Irish Guide Dogs For The Blind.