Muskerry Arms, Blarney, Co. Cork showing railway mural

JS: This is downtown Blarney. To the left is the castle park, where the famous Blarney Castle is. Downtown is a nice blend of shops and residential living.

Ed: The mural on the pub wall with the rail reference is to a narrow gauge railway that used to run here, called the Cork & Muskerry. There was a branchline to Blarney and the C&M opened in 1883 closed in 1934. I'm amused by the lack of historical detail; the painter has depicted a standard gauge English locomotive similar to George Stephenson's famous "Rocket", dating from 1829! The loco is pulling some wagons with "Murphys" stout barrels. The erratic parking is also typical of modern Irish villages.

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