The fifteenth-century tower house 8 km north-west of Cork is the most visited attraction in the south, mainly because of the famous Stone — a block of bluestone set into the battlements at the top of the tower that visitors kiss while leaning over backwards through an iron grille, supposedly receiving the gift of eloquence in return. The kiss is more of an experience than its results would suggest.
The castle grounds are extensive and far more rewarding than the kissing ritual — formal gardens, a poison garden (every plant labelled with what it does to humans), a fern garden in a deep limestone gorge, and a 600-year-old yew avenue. Allow half a day. Reachable by bus 215 from St Patrick's Quay.