A few years ago, Mark Samuel and I published a book about Blarney Castle in Ireland, home of the Blarney Stone. It is an unusual book in that it is the only book about the castle: it covers the history of the castle and its role in Irish history - it also provides a detailed guide to the building itself, and analyses the building's development. The historical section contains a number of really fascinating stories about the people who lived in and owned the castle - any of which could provide the basis of an historical novel.
Despite it being the only real book in existence about the castle - there are a couple of colourful guide books - and a really silly booklet full of stories told by someone in the pub - the owner doesn't stock the book in the castle gift shop - no room apparently! I wonder why. There is stuff in Ireland that's gone on for years, it's not corruption exactly, it's a sort of droit de seigneur - people in Irish cities may be free of it, but in the countryside it's still possible to be under the aegis of an Anglo-Irish landlord. You do wonder why he apparently wants to suppress the book. Is it because we mentioned that the Blarney Stone was not always in the same place? Was it the anecdote about a woman being fined 20s during the famine by one of his ancestors for stealing a turnip? Was it the fact that we pointed out it was in fact an Irish castle - with a history that was separate from and preceded his family's ownership... we don't really know. I think he has a very strong sense of ownership - and doesn't want anyone else to engage with it, except on his terms
Despite it being the only real book in existence about the castle - there are a couple of colourful guide books - and a really silly booklet full of stories told by someone in the pub - the owner doesn't stock the book in the castle gift shop - no room apparently! I wonder why. There is stuff in Ireland that's gone on for years, it's not corruption exactly, it's a sort of droit de seigneur - people in Irish cities may be free of it, but in the countryside it's still possible to be under the aegis of an Anglo-Irish landlord. You do wonder why he apparently wants to suppress the book. Is it because we mentioned that the Blarney Stone was not always in the same place? Was it the anecdote about a woman being fined 20s during the famine by one of his ancestors for stealing a turnip? Was it the fact that we pointed out it was in fact an Irish castle - with a history that was separate from and preceded his family's ownership... we don't really know. I think he has a very strong sense of ownership - and doesn't want anyone else to engage with it, except on his terms
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